Happy Halloween, Part 2

This Halloween we just sat around on our couch by our pumpkin.

Don't worry, next year, he will be a monkey. (Like I told you before, monkeys are funny.)

Happy Halloween

So the monkey costume was too big. That's too bad because Antonio really wanted to be a monkey for Halloween. (This may or may not be true. But what is true is that his dad wanted him to be a monkey or Halloween. [Monkeys are funny.])

So what is Antonio going to be?

Antonio is going to be Antonio with an outfit that has ghosts on it. It's very frightening.

Havana is going to be a dog, because neither her mom or dad are in favor of dogs in costumes. But if they were to change their stance on that divisive subject, Havana would probably wear this:

You know what, never mind. Havana is going to wear a costume this year. Sorry, girl.

Happy One Month Birthday, Antonio

So what did Daddy do for his son's first one month birthday? (Yes, I know one month birthdays really don't exist, but work with me here.) I went to Los Angeles.

Actually, I've been here two days now. I'll be back in Seattle tomorrow night. But this is the first two days I've spent away from my son. (If you don't count the Tucson trip, which for the sake of this argument, I'm not.)

Who knows how much he'll have changed by the time I get home. He could be laughing. Or smiling more. Or talking. Or doing long division. Who knows.

Or he could just be looking at himself in the mirror again, which is what he did today.


All I know is, this is the last time I'll ever be away from my son this long again. (If you don't count next week, when I'll be coming back down here, which for the sake of this argument, I'm not.)

Antonio and Antonio

Happy birthday, Grandpa Tony!

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit this weekend, giving Mommy and Daddy time to go to their first home Husky game of the year. They now wish they hadn't gone; not because the Dawgs lost, but because when they got home, Antonio had a new Canadian whiskey sleeping bag.

(Antonio says: Mommy and Daddy say I should buy American, but the Maker's Mark poncho hasn't arrived yet. So it's Crown Royal for me.)

As much as Antonio loved his Booze Bag, he failed to show it by having two very rough nights with THE SCREAMING AND THE CRYING AND THE YELLING AND THE UNHAPPINESS AND THE CARRYING ON AND THE WHATNOT.

Not even his Winnie the Pooh friends could calm him down. Although he has started watching them as they spin above his head when he's getting changed. (Yeah, it's about the cutest thing ever.)

Then today, he met another cute baby. His name was also Antonio and he lives in the mirror on Antonio's playmat. He stared at himself for about 30 minutes. (Wait, I take back what I said about the Winnie the Pooh mobile. This was about the cutest thing ever.)

Oh, and to make sure you know that I don't think everything he does is the cutest thing ever, I refer you back to the paragraph about THE SCREAMING AND THE CRYING AND THE YELLING AND THE UNHAPPINESS AND THE CARRYING ON AND THE WHATNOT. Because that wasn't cute. At all.

But enough about that, look at this:

And again, all is forgiven. (And yes, his cheeks are starting to get chubby. And it's about the cutest... nevermind.)

Antonio's Got A Milk Drunk Going

Not much new. Still pooping. Still eating. Still sleeping. This is what Antonio looks like when he's had just a bit too much to eat.

Here are more pictures of Antonio and various family members in the past week. See you soon.

It's Been A While

Antonio is almost three weeks old now. (Still can't walk or talk; does that make him a slow learner? I still don't know much about these baby things.) In those three weeks, I've learned how to handle some of the baby duties with skill and ease. Other things, I'm not all that great at yet. So in case some of you were wondering how Antonio's father was stacking up, here's a handy list of things I'm pretty good at:

1. Diapers. I can change diapers with the best of them. I don't know where I gained this ability, but if Antonio needs a changing, I can get him clean in about 3 seconds with very little fuss.

2. Doing Laps. These don't always work to calm the little man down when he's fussy, but a few dozen (or hundred) laps around the upstairs have been known to quiet some of the cries. These are sometimes in connection with:

3. Singing. I do not have the best singing voice. I also do not have the worst singing voice. (Although I'm closer to the bottom than the top.) My knowledge of music is limited to Kenny Loggins (70s Kenny Loggins, not Danger Zone Kenny Loggins) and Michael McDonald (Not the 7th Heaven guest star/MadTV star but the ex-Doobie Brother/Steely Dan backup singer), so Antonio doesn't get the best songs sung to him, but he does know the words to Ya Mo Be There already. Most of the other times, I just sing the UW fight song, which brings me to:

4. Pac-10 Football Officiating. While I have no practical experience in this, I do think I could accurately make judgment calls about when to stop/start the play clock. (And no, I'm not bitter, because you've still got to get the play off, but there should have been at least four seconds on the clock.)

That's pretty much the extent of my skills. For most everything else, Antonio just likes his mommy.

Not that I blame him; I like her, too.

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Here's an assortment of pictures. Enjoy.

Actually, this is only one picture of Antonio and his cousins. I'm having problems uploading pictures, so I will do an update of just pictures later.

The Poop Face

If you see this face, it's already too late. Antonio is up to something. And it's never pretty.

So, other than eating, pooping and sleeping (not always in that order; sometimes all three at the same time), Antonio hasn't done too much yet. I know he's only two weeks old, and really, he's not supposed to be doing much, but I expected more than this.

I'm not asking for him to do long division or to be able to quote Shakespeare, but anything would be nice. I mean, he just lies there. And even when he's not just lying there, he just looks at things. But since his vision hasn't developed yet, he doesn't really see anything. So what's the point?

Here are some pictures of Antonio sitting around with Mom and Dad. And Havana. Notice how much better at posing she is. And she's a dog. You call her name, and she looks at you and waits for the flash. Him? Not so much.

Check out Antonio's cool new pram. It's a gift from Jeff's boss. And because he's not good at posing, look who looks like she enjoys it more than he does.

But you've got to give the girl credit; even though she's older, she's been with Mommy and Daddy longer, and (to be honest) she's much, much smarter than he is, Havana is really starting to warm up to her brother.

Her world has changed (and not necessarily for the better), but pretty soon, Antonio is going to be her best friend. Hopefully by then, he'll know more tricks than she does.

You're A Big Boy Now, Antonio

Big day yesterday for Antonio. But first things first. Happy Birthday, Mamma Mary.

Yesterday Antonio went to the doctor for his first check-up. He's gaining weight like crazy (all the way up to 7 pounds, 3 ounces) and is looking very healthy. In fact, the doctor confirmed my earlier belief that Antonio is, in fact, the best baby ever. So, if one out of one doctors agree, then it must be true, right? That's 100%.

Then Mommy went to dinner with some of her friends, giving Auntie Kel another chance to swing by to have her share of Antonio. She knows about the 100%. She's no fool.

But wait, you're thinking, if Debbie went to dinner with her friends, what about Antonio? Who was watching Antonio?

I was watching Antonio. By myself. And do you know what? We all survived. In fact, Antonio, Havana and I took a stroll around the neighborhood.

And then he ate. And then he slept (kind of, mainly it was just crying with his eyes closed.) But then Mommy came home. And all the kids were happy to have her back.

Especially me.

Football Fever

Antonio watched the Seattle Seahawks on television for the first time tonight. He was all decked out in the new outfit that Daddy's friends Matt and Tessa bought for him. He looked great, and he was ready for action, but he was just a bit fussy. Maybe he knew more than the rest of us?

Fittingly, just twenty minutes after the 'Hawks finished pooping all over Soldier Field, Antonio finished pooping all over his new clothes. I'm worried about next week when the Huskies take on USC. It could get ugly.

Luckily, Dad will be home to watch that game with him. He's back from the excursion to Tucson where he watched both his alma maters (alma mati?) play football. Luckily, the team he still roots for beat the team he never had a rooting interest in, and he got to spend time with his friends happy for the victory.

But he wasn't all that happy, because he was away from little Antonio and Antonio's Mommy. They were both in good hands, as Grandma and Grandpa were helping out again this weekend.

I know Daddy is happy to be home, and I think Antonio and Mommy are glad to have Daddy home. Now Daddy promises to never, ever leave Antonio and Mommy alone again. (Until he heads back to LA for work, that is.)

Look At All The Pictures

Happy Birthday, Auntie Becky (Actual Relative Version).

Antonio's had a few good days. He's eaten a bunch. He's slept a bunch. He's pooped and peed a bunch. Grandma Liz also became the first victim of changing table pee.

(I'm not sure about these Internets, so I've decided to erase all boy parts from the pictures. I know Antonio will thank me when he thinks about future girlfriends who could come into possession of these pictures. I'm just looking out for my son.)

Yesterday, GrandTias Maria and Liz came to visit. They had a great time meeting Antonio. (I mean, who wouldn't?) And then Tia Liz, who is a midwife, came back again today to help Deb with a little bit of the nursing. Antonio is very happy about this development.

Then Grandpa Tony came back from another work trip and gave his grandson a bath today. I don't know what it is about those things, because I swear Antonio like the first one, but each one since then has been a scream-a-thon.

Mommy took a nap with the kids this afternoon. (Hey, look who made it back into a picture. It's Havana!) Havana now tolerates her brother. He smells kinda funny sometimes, and she gets in trouble when she plays with his toys, but she's starting to to understand that he's going to be around for a few days. I think she's still got a decent shot at being a good big sister yet.

I know some of you out there are thinking, "You know, that's all very good and all, but where are all the pictures of Antonio without all these pesky adults around. The dog's fine, but I want some Antonio solo pictures."

Well, I aim to please. So as long as you don't count my stubby fingers, here's the little guy doing the whole "cute" thing he's so good at.

That's it for now. More pictures again soon.

Is Antonio the Best Baby Ever?

By now, you're probably sick of my writing about how my son is the absolute best baby ever. This is most likely for at least one of three reasons:

1) You have a child and believe that your child is/was the best baby ever (You are wrong. Antonio is the best. There is no debating this. Although I'm sure your kid is pretty good.);

2) You were once a baby and are pretty sure you were the best baby ever. (You would be wrong on this count, too. [And a bit full of yourself] You may have been the best child ever at the time you were a child, but Antionio is younger than you are [unless you are younger than Antonio, in which case, if you're reading this at less than one week of age, you may, in fact, be better than he is, because that's just darn impressive] and has taken the title. It's Best Baby Ever, not Best Baby Ever Except for That Baby Thirty-Two Years Ago;

3) You happen to believe that I am prone to exaggeration and outright fabrications regarding matters of my son and other general topics. (Well... You got me on that one.)

But you have to admit, even if he's not the best baby ever (I'm not saying he's not, I'm saying IF he's not), he's got to be in the top ten.

Now, I know what you're thinking. Sure Antonio's the best baby... er... One of the top ten babies ever, but me, I'm just lucky to be in the top hundred people of all time on my best day (work with me here, people), how can I be sure that Antonio is, in fact, my own flesh and blood.

I, too, was worried about this. I knew Antonio was next to perfect, and I am imperfection personified. Well, I wasn't about to take any thing for granted. No, I didn't pack the Debbie and the kid up and get a paternity test on the Maury show, but I did do a little research and I ended up with 100% infallible scientific proof that Antonio is my son. It may not be DNA evidence, but take a look at the following two pictures:

Can you tell the difference? Neither can science.

Antonio Comes Home

All 6+ pounds of Antonio made his way home yesterday. I don't know if he needs to gain weight, or if the entire infant clothing manufacturing business needs to make smaller sizes, but this kid can't wear anything without it hanging off his body.

Not that it's not cute, however.

After a few hours of getting settled, the one grandparent who had yet to meet the youngster, having been out of town for work at the time (Once again, Antonio's stubbornness gets him in trouble with those who are supposed to change his diapers) finally got to see him. Needless to say, Tony enjoyed the encounter, and has not put him down willingly yet.

That's about it for the weekend. Antonio has been spoiled rotten by Deb's side of the family. Tomorrow, they'll be joined by my side to complete the quadruple grandparent lovefest. Somehow I don't think he'll mind.

Look at that face. More later.

Here Comes Me!

Due Date +6, Due Date +7 (aka Birth Date)

Okay, in case you were wondering. I've been just a little busy lately. Not to mention the fact I wrote a post the day after young Antonio was born (pretty much the best thing I've ever written, if you ask me [okay, not really, but it seemed like it after being awake for 38 of the most intense hours in my life]) which got deleted.

Here's the shorter version.

Monday, September 18, 2006.

9:00 AM: Since the baby in Debbie's belly had no interest in arriving anytime in the near future, we arrive at the hospital so Deb can be induced. Hopefully speeding up the process.

1:00 PM: Nope, nothing yet.

5:00 PM: Nope, still nothing.

9:00 PM: Nothing.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006.

12:00 Midnight: Not a thing.

12:30 AM: Nothing. This is probably a good time to settle in for a little sleep, because it seems like Deb might have a long day ahead of her.

12:31 AM: Nevermind. Things are happening. A lot of things. And they're happening really quickly. And painfully.

1:30 AM: Still happening. Still painful. Deb wants her drugs. No drugs in the near future. She says some things in a very loud tone of voice.

2:00 AM: Still painful. Still no drugs. Deb has to improvise*.

(Don't worry, she didn't really eat the Root Beer Float).

2:30 AM: Here come the drugs.

2:31 AM: Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh yeah. That's better.

3:00 AM: Things settle down again. The doctor tells us he'll be back before 7:00 AM and we should be ready to start pushing. Deb settles in for a few hours of pain free labor. Drugs are pretty cool.

(Kids, just say no.)

6:59 AM: The doctor returns.

7:00 AM: Time to push.

7:20 AM: Time to stop pushing. Since the youngster was stubborn enough that he wanted to delay his time of entry into the world, it only makes sense that he would make it difficult to actually come into the world. So it's time to go to a different room with different doctors for a different kind of procedure that sounds a lot like "emergency c-section."

7:21 AM: Time for Jeff to freak out.

7-something AM: Time is kind of blurry here. Let's just say I'm so happy Deb was the one having the baby instead of me, because she was such an absolute trooper and pretty much the bravest person I've ever seen. I was an absolute mess. The doctors and nurses kicked all kinds of ass, and then, at:

7:49 AM: Antonio Scott Rodgers was born. My life changed forever.

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Mother and baby are doing great. She's feeling better, and he's being a baby. And not just any baby, but the bestest baby in the entire world.

We couldn't be happier. Thank you to everyone for your kind thoughts and prayers.

More pictures and updates to come.

(And one question, does this mean I have to start losing all my sympathy baby weight now?