Category: marriage

Few and Far Between

It has been a very long time since I last wrote something. Heck, it’s been a long time since I’ve even climbed the stairs to my mancave to sit down at the computer. I get home from work and just want to be with my ladies and then I’m too tired in the morning to catch up on reading all my blog-friends.

I am settling in to my new digs. I have been assigned to a new hotel and have been promoted. Now, I’m just adjusting to the new surroundings, getting to know the hotel sales staff, cleaning this extremely messy office and evaluating the old gear and hopefully getting new gear. I cleaned out a desk file drawer the other day that had paperwork that went back TEN years! As I went through it all I got a little history lesson of the company I work for which was pretty cool. But one of the early directors of audio visual here kept everything.

Life with the new one (who shall be named ‘the Bobblehead’ until she gains some neck control) is going well. I have moved to the Young Extroverted One’s room and the Elder Extroverted Holy One and my room/bed has turned into the Girl’s Room. Whenever a diaper change needs to occur the EEHO to calls my cell phone from her cell phone and I go get the Bobblehead to change her diaper. It seems to work out well for we all (except for the YEO) get to share in the interrupted sleep patterns and the EEHO doesn’t have to wake up to feed the Bobblehead and change her diaper.

So much for co-sleeping. The only thing we’ve succeeded in was getting me my own bed.

The Okay-est Story Ever Told

Thinking back on the birthing experience I just have to chuckle to myself because it was very different than the Young Extroverted One’s birth. For the YEO we basically did all of the labor at home so the Elder Extroverted Holy One could eat stuff and move around. She also took an Ambien given to her by her doctor so she could get some rest in between contractions.  Needless to say, EEHO tripped balls through the major part of labor and wasn’t counting minutes between contractions. I was sleeping in a different room and awoke to the sounds of grunting coming from the bathroom. Quick call to the doctor, labor confirmed, and off we go to the hospital. We beat the doctor there and EEHO was fully dilated and ready to drop the kid and a couple of pushes later the Young Extroverted One arrives and all of the nurses are quite amazed at the EEHO and had to ask if this was her first child.

Now that’s the way I like it. I don’t have to wait around and watch my lovely wife endure the pain of contractions.  I was so worried that I would pass out up until then but when the time came we didn’t even have time to get the cameras, the boom-box and CDs with handpicked labor tunes and even our luggage out of the car. I have come to realize that I’m a good reacter (is that even a word?) and not a good waiter. If something comes up out of the blue I got your back. If I have to wait for something to come up I may have to lie down some.

Which brings me the birth of our second wonderful child. For now she’ll be named The Other Extroverted Child (at least until she gets a little older and is either very intimidated or encouraged by the YEO).  EEHO’s water broke around 4AM. She woke me up with the wonderful news to which I had to lay down because I got a little light headed already.  Made the call to the YEO’s grandma who came out and off we were to the hospital. As EEHO was checking in I had to lay down again. Woof, anticipation is a little rough on me (or it could be that the EEHO wouldn’t let me drink beer for two weeks prior because, “You have to be sober to drive us to the hospital!” Egad, up until then she was the designated driver and I was the one drinking for three!).

From 6:30-ish until noon or so we basically sat around and watched some crappy t.v. They have nice labor and delivery rooms at baptist but a little light on the entertainment end.  Through a couple of more checks pitocin was added and contractions got a little rough. During this time I was updating my Facebook status and bidding on a Rudolph the Reindeer from the Build-a-Bear Workshop on eBay. So, in between switching out cool washcloths and making sure the EEHO was as comfortable as possible I was checking the intertubes to see if we got the friggin’ doll whose nose lights up, has a compass in the stock and a thing that tells time.  Twenty minutes or so before the OEC arrives I announce, “We got it!” Luckily, the EEHO didn’t rip the side rails off of the bed and throw them at me. The pushing came and then so did the OEC! Around 2:34PM the doctor held her up to me and asked me to make the boy or girl announcement. Which took me awhile because I wasn’t quite so sure why she was holding this slimy, pinkish, purplish thing at me. I cleared my head and said, “It’s a girl!”

And we lived happily ever after . . . at least until the teenager years.

Obligatory New Year’s Day Post

Not much going on here.  Just thought that I would drop a post to kick off 2008.

I don’t have much in the way of resolutions (other than to lose the gut that I’ve acquired) just a general sense of gratefulness. Grateful for surviving another year, grateful for the love of a wonderful woman, grateful for two beautiful daughters . . . basically, insert my Christmas post here. Or, just go back and read it.

Talking with the Elder Extroverted Holy One last night after the ball drop I was thinking out loud.  I figure Thanksgiving day would be more appropriate at the end of the year, during which a person looks back at the prior year (for better or worse) and looks ahead to the year to come.  I think that’s when one would be thankful and should celebrate with a big, fat meal to ring in the new year. At least, that’s the feeling I had last night as I looked over at my beautiful bride holding our second child as the Young Extroverted One slept in her bed (for the moment) . . . thankfulness.

Eight Years of Bliss

I’ve been known to say this when describing my beautiful bride; “When I say better half, I mean it!”

Happy Anniversary Elder Extroverted Holy One! Eight wonderful years that just keep getting better. Even with the addition of one cat. And then a second cat. And then a kid. And then a dog. Most of the time it is I, the Introverted One, who is more dog-like and kid-like than our dog and kid.

Whenever I look over at her I am amazed that someone like her, a beautiful woman pursuing her masters of divinity degree to be ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA) at Vanderbilt Divinity School, wanted to marry me, an introverted college drop out, techno/movie/TV-geek, with granola/hippie tendencies.

Maybe wedded bliss is more like ignorance is bliss. Hee hee.

Mornings Revisited

Morning routines in my house are an interesting thing (at least to me). I like a slow non-stressful start to my day. I want it low key from the time I get up until the time I walk out of the door to go to work. I wake up earlier than really necessary just so I can have some morning me time. Some coffee, some Mac, some blogs and news. Maybe a shower. Maybe some breakfast. Kiss the ladies and then I amble out of the door. The Elder Extroverted Holy One, however, loves her sleep. She’ll sleep as long as humanly possible and still leave the house at a predetermined time. If I am off during the week and get to experience this it just stresses me out and kind of ruins my calm morning off.

It starts out nicely enough. The Young Extroverted One will wake up first, usually, and is extremely cute and cuddly. Family hugs, family snuggles and then requests to get up and eat some breakfast. The problem with that is she is a sloooooowwwww eater. With the EEHO extending her sleep time this leaves very little time for the YEO to be a slow eater and have time to get dressed and out the door. By the time EEHO is ready for the day it’s all GO, GO, GO. Repeated names and requests to get dressed, to get shoes on, to brush hair and then out the door.

“Oh wait! I didn’t have my vitamin!” Vitamins are found and then taken. Walking towards the door . . .

“Oh wait! I need a sleep buddy!” “Alright, go find one. . . . Let’s go.” Hunting around the house to find just the right stuffed animal to nap with. Walking towards the door . . .

“Oh crap!” The realization that Kongs need to be filled with a treat and peanut butter and the dogs kennelled so the alarm can be set. Alarm is set and walking out the door and gone to their respective schools.

Whew! It stresses me out just writing it. Don’t get me wrong. I love to sleep. It’s just more important for me to have some time multislacking and relaxing before I arrive at that potentially stressful place that I affectionately call ‘work.’ That’s just how I roll.

In the end, though, after the whirlwind of my wonderful bride and the fruit of my loins leave the house I just have to smile. In all of their crazy morning routines they are both pretty awesome. I think I’ll keep ’em. And then take some Xanax and enjoy the rest of my morning.