01.29
Well, its been four months since I’ve updated anything on this site, so I figured its time.
Natalie is doing incredibly well. Having a daughter has already been such a rewarding and enriching experience for me. Every day she lightens my world and gives me a reason to do better. Her smile warms my heart in a way that I cannot describe. Teaching her new things and watching her grow gives me so much satisfaction and desire to do even more for her.
At her checkup last week, she weighed in just shy of 18 pounds, and is in the 90th percentile for height and 80th percentile for weight. To watch her grow physically and mentally is a constant source of joy and happiness that Sarah and I both treasure.
Speaking of family, Natalie has been able to make some great memories since joining our family. Her first Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Year’s have come and gone, all with memories that will be shared in our family for many many years. Another great memory that I’d like to share happened just the other day. Its one of those that you don’t expect to happen, but are just as significant as the others. It happened when we went to church in Spencer to start a celebration of my grandfather’s 80th birthday. He was suprised to see us there, looking down on us from his spot in the choir loft. During the moment of prayer for celebrations and concerns, he purposefully descended from the loft and pointed to Natalie, who was sitting in the pew with us. He came over, gently nestled her in his arms and brought her to the front of the church. He then shared his celebration with the congregation, introducing his great granddaughter to all in attendance. He asked Sarah (who he lovingly referred to as his granddaughter) and I to stand and be known as his grandchildren, and Natalie’s parents. Here it is, the day we came to celebrate for him, and in all his humbleness and modesty, filled with pride, he shunned the attention and turned it onto us. A selfless act that defines who my grandfather is.
I look up to my father and would consider myself to be lucky if I were half the man that he is. When I see my father with my grandfather, I can sense that same feeling in him. It is the love, respect, and admiration that is earned over 80 years of being an incredible father, grandfather and great grandfather.
Natalie 365 is still going and going strong. Now that we are over the halfway point, we are looking forward to completing the task.
I have found a way to turn this venture into a book. Its called Mixbook.com, and they are the best. Not only do they allow you to make a photo book, but they let you design it your way. I can choose the number of photos per page, the background, and the layout of each page. I can resize and rotate any photo to look however I want it to. They also make my life so much easier by connecting directly with Flickr so I don’t have to re upload each photo. I have been keeping it up and look forward to completing this venture and having a hard copy of our efforts in my hand.
Speaking of Flickr, I have a photo on my Flickr site that is going to be used in a book! A couple of months ago, I was delighted to be asked for permission to use my photo of the Betsy Ross Flag in a book titled: “Historical Tweets: The Completely Unabridged and Ridiculously Brief History of the World”. By clicking on the link, it will take you to the Barnes and Noble website to preorder the book. The website is historicaltweets.com and is absolutely hysterical. Check it out!
Speaking of Twitter, I have joined and I am having lots of fun with it! Its so easy to check out the latest updates to the sites I visit every day. I really enjoy reading all the tweets and keeping up on the latest news that my fellow tweeters share.
I have also recently revisited my passion for politics, thanks to the special Senate election that culminated a couple of weeks ago. It was historic, as the “Kennedy seat” has been renamed the “People’s Seat” and the election has been called the biggest upset in modern political history. I am again seeing how politics play such an important part of our family’s life, and its significance in the future of not only my world, but more importantly, Natalie’s world. The decisions we are making today can drastically affect the world that we leave her, and I want that world to be the best for her.
There is no segway into my final topic, baseball. I have become a huge fan of MLB Network. Here it is, late January and the Super Bowl a week and a half away, and all I can think about is Spring and baseball starting. This is because of MLB Network. In the midst of the offseason, they have kept me infatuated. Off season signings, talented young prospects, historic games of the past, interviews with current and former players…they have it all. My favorite show, Front Burner, is a weekly show devoted to the happenings of each week and the fans responses to them. They utilize Facebook and Twitter to ask us, the fans, what we think and plaster our responses on the screen and discuss them. I know how I feel about the Padres, but for the first time, I can see what a Padres fan thinks of their chances this year. Its sheer brilliance. Because of the MLB Network, I have a yearning for Spring to get here even sooner.
Also, look for my bold baseball predictions again this year. I shouldn’t, because I suck at them, but I can’t help it.