So, now what?

Ready for the car ride home

Wylie: "Who are you! Whoever you are, you will not be stealing away the attention I get on a daily basis."

All strapped in and ready to begin my new life with these two people

Little Luke is home and the first thought that came to my mind, naturally was, "So, what do we do now? And where is that 24-hour nursing staff? It's only been one day, but I think I got this caring for a newborn down. There are just three basic steps: Feed the baby, change the baby and swaddle him up like a burrito and get my 8 hours of sleep in 1 hour and 30 minute periods between feeding.

I've also been surprised by two things so far: 1.) I wasn't completely disgusted by the actual birth. And trust me, I was right there holding her leg back and I could see everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, plain as day. I didn't faint or nothing. 2.) Changing diapers, not so bad. I think the key is to not take a deep breath while doing it. Plus, and guys I hate to say it, but if she was able to push out a baby from her stuff and suffer rips and tears, then I think changing some diapers is the least we can do.

Tomorrow is his first doctor's appointment with the baby doc. We're expecting it to go OK. The next few days are going to be tough cause wife is trying to breastfeed and it takes a day of pumping and stuff to get it flowing. So right now we have to do a three-step process to feed him that involves both of us. But once that milk is flowing and she can bottle it, then we can work out a sleep schedule where both of us can get a peaceful 6 hours of sleep while the other is in charge of taking care of Luke, and then after 6 hours we'll switch. Teamwork, baby!

Anyway, we also have to get back on track trying to nail down a potential child care facility for when wife goes back to work in March. There's a few places we like, it just comes down to filling out applications and getting on a waiting list.

Meet Luke Steven Smith

All good things

Goodbye, old friend. We had a great 10 years together, but we must now part ways. You were my first new vehicle and we've seen and done many things. I hope that your next owner will treat you well and that you'll give them as many years of good times that you've given me.

I know that moving to South Dakota was difficult and driving through snow and ice wasn't easy on you, but you ran like a champ. It's not that I don't want you anymore, it's just that with a baby on the way we needed to buy a bigger vehicle. We've had some great times, though.

I'll always remember the trips to the Keys and the summer afternoons at the beach. Sometimes we would just drive, going nowhere in particular but just wastin' away the day. Remember when I got Wylie? She meowed and cried all the way home. You got us home safely. You never failed to start when I needed you to run the most and you never left me stranded. I wish you could have brought home our first child from the hospital. Maybe, we'll name him Chevy?

As many good times we had, I can't thank you enough for getting me through some tough times. You were there to help me and the Wife move after hurricanes Francis and Jeanne destroyed our apartments. All the drives home after horrible dates and bad breakups. But, lets not dwell on the bad stuff. You were the best vehicle I have ever owned and I can not thank you enough for the last 10 years.

So, goodbye old friend. I'll miss you.

Camping, but not roughin' it

The video is sideways, just tilt your head.

Our campsite. It was up on a hill which made it a little difficult for the Wife to haul her extra baggage up and down.

A view of the nearby needles peaks

We drove down to Crazy Horse Memorial. This will never be finished in our lifetimes.

Kitty says "Ize wantz to go too. me stozzs awaay."


Overall, me and the Wife's two-day camping trip was fun, except for the nipple-stiffening nights. It was FREEZING cold. The first night I barely slept because it was so cold. The second night I decided that I was going to stay warm no matter what. I went to bed wearing socks, jeans, a T-shirt, two long sleeve shirts, a sweater and a winter hat. Once I zipped myself up tight into the sleeping bag I was snug and warm.


It was a relaxing weekend. We spent the days walking around the lake and driving around taking in the scenery. At night, I built a fire and we just sat around it and talked. Occasionally I'd stick a wiener into the flames. It was so nice just getting away and forgetting about everything else in the world and not caring what was happening.


On the baby front, negotiations over names for our boy continue. The Wife writes down like 50 names, hands me the list and I end up crossing off 48 of them. I mention a few and her response is, "we are not naming him that!" We both want something unique, but not wacky. I like Stone, Sarrick and Jarik. Wife says we can't call him Stone Smith cause, "that sounds like a profession." Some of the names she likes I hate because I imagine kids with those names wearing collared shirts with sweaters tied around their neck saying, "hullo, mommy and daddy, it would be ever so nice if we had crumpets today" as he stands there in his short pants. Of course, with the amount of Mexican food she eats I wouldn't be surprised if a moustached baby with machismo pops out and says, "Hola!"

We do have one name that we both like. The Wife isn't 100 percent sold on it, but I'm wearing her down.

Well, I'm off to Denver today. Going to spend a few days with my sister and nephews. I've got tickets to a Rockies game Wednesday night, should be fun. I'll likely spend a day at Estes Park and take in the scenery of Rocky Mountain National Park. I'll post pictures of my trip once I return. I'll have to make a mental note to stop in Chugwater, Wyo., for their world-famous chili.

Cramped quarters

The baby's current housing situation must be getting a little cramp. We can feel it kickin' and thrashing around in there, probably trying to make itself more comfortable as it continues to float around in the life creating ooze. Or it's getting ready to rock 1980s hair band style, BABY!

Maybe I'm just a dumb guy who lacked any hands on experience with pregnant ladies, but I am surprised by how hard the Wife's round belly is. For some reason I thought it was going to be all jiggly and soft like Santa's. But, no! When I rub her tummy it actually feels like there's a bowling ball or a basketball tucked under her skin. I'll admit it. I'm a belly rubber. There's something about seeing that round shape that makes me want to touch it. I saw a TV program once about the differences of men and women when it comes to attraction and what's sexually appealing. All the scientists said men are just programmed in our DNA since prehistoric times to be aroused by round shapes. Hence our preoccupation with other female body parts. (Sorry to Wife's family members who read that.)

Anyway, the Wife is almost at 22 weeks and we've started to get serious about getting the nursery ready. We bought a crib and changing table today. It's one of those convertible models that can be crib, toddler bed, day bed and a full size bed. We weren't sure whether to buy a changing table but we thought that once it was no longer needed for changing diapers we could use it maybe in the kitchen as a serving cart. Disgusting thought at first, but hey whatever!

I've also decided that I will be the parent at the mall or Wal-Mart who has a leash on their kid. It might be a cute monkey looking backpack thing where the tail is the leash, but if some mother comes up and says, "you should be ashamed to have your kid teethered, like a dog" it's going to be on like donkey kong.

A Free Range baby?

As we began getting the baby's room put together this weekend, me and Wife had our first clash in parental styles. Should we have a crib.

I'm not a fan of putting my baby inside a crib. I told the Wife that I don't want our child spending its first years of life living behind wooden or plastic bars. I want my child to be a free thinker, a toddler who thinks, plays and sleeps outside the box. I'd rather clear the room of anything dangerous and put a mattress in the center of the floor. The Wife's reaction, "You want to raise a free range baby?" My response, "Yes, yes I do."

From the first day it's born, I want my child to know that he or she can be anything it wants, to not follow the trends and social norms, to be a person who thinks and feels and acts without fear of being called a weirdo. The crib is a mini-prison that starts forming walls inside my tiny, developing baby's brain.

The Wife, after I explained to her my thoughts on the benefits of my alternative child raising philosophies, gave me that, "We are not going to just put the baby on the floor" look and sighed. Enough said, I guess we're going to go crib shopping in the near future.

What you see above is going to be the baby's room, and no, the power drill on the cabinet will not be one of its toys (the baby is still an "it" until our next appointment in two weeks where we'll find out the sex). I think we're going to paint the room in a shade of yellow and buy some good curtains for the windows.

The room is going to be pretty simple: A crib ( I suppose), the glider chair and glider footstool (the Wife loves it), and a bookcase. Maybe a dresser that can also serve as a changing table.

A wonderful new world

Welcome, and join me as I'm about to boldly go where I have never been before: Fatherhood. After many months of keeping this secret to ourselfs, I can now tell the world that me and the Wife are expecting our first child on Dec. 5.

The Wife is fastly approaching the halfway point in her pregnancy and I'm, well, fastly approaching a critical overload of feelings ranging from joy, pride, anxiety, hopelessness and all the typical things fathers-to-be probably experience.

This blog is replacing my previous, "What I'm I doing in South Dakota?" Being a first-time dad is going to provide lots and lots and lots of fodder for blogging. Don't worry, this blog won't be strictly baby talk. I will blog on many topics from trips we take, to movies to just random crap that comes into my mind.

So, thanks for stopping by and keep coming back because this is going to be a fun ride, and I hope to share it with all of you.