Two Dads Blog

Long Time, No Update!

2011-08-25T06:58:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the delay, everyone. Mark is traveling on business 4-5 days per week, and Todd pretty much just wants to veg out after Sebastian goes to bed. He's still sleeping from 7:30pm - 7:00am, give or take 15 minutes, like clockwork. Mark survived a mild heart attack on April 23, the day before Easter, but has fully recovered and is doing well. We took a vacation to Long Beach Island, NJ the last week of June for a little R&R and had a great time. Mark will be attending his brother Matt's wedding on October 1 in San Francisco. We're headed back to NJ for Christmas with Mark's family. And the three of us will once again be visiting Walt Disney World in January for 8 days at Disney's Old Key West Resort.

Columbus Zoo, 6/02/11:

Columbus Zoo, 6/14/11:

First Day of Goddard School, 7/05/11:

Columbus Zoo, 7/11/11:

Franklin Park Conservatory, 7/15/11:

Columbus Museum of Art, 7/23/11:

Happy (Late) Valentine's Day

2011-02-19T23:08:00.000-05:00

OK it is a week late, but HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY for anyone still following this lame blog. Being as busy as I am with travel lately makes updating this a bit difficult. Believe me, there is plenty to say about our little man and what has been going on with our family.

We have been in a bit of the "winter solitude" that is experienced between the holidays and Spring. We did meet another wonderful couple that also have a son very close to Sebastian's age. The boys really hit it off and the Dads seem to as well! It is nice having another couple to hang out with on occasion.

The travel to Memphis is ending in a few weeks. I have to admit this has been the hardest year of my life, both personally and professionally. Being gone this often is very hard on everyone. I will be glad when it is over.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2010-12-21T11:19:00.001-05:00

Well, hard to believe that 20 months ago Sebastian was born, and now we are just days away from our SECOND Christmas together as a family. Sebastian continues to grow both physically and mentally. He is a regular little chatter box these days and you can really see a great personality coming through. He even has a sense of humor that keeps Todd and me laughing.

I get to be home for 2 weeks, and I am enjoying every day I can being home. It is great to be here each day and hang out with my little guy. He has started takign some occasional classes at COSI and loves every minute of it. He loves to visit as often as we can, mostly because of their 30 foot water table. Who wouldn't love a 30 foot water table?

The Christmas tree is up, so far Sebastian has managed to keep his hands off the ornaments-- he just stands back and says "COOOOOOL" on occasion. We'll see how long that lasts.

We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and a fantastic 2011!!

The Next Fabio?

2010-11-19T08:42:00.000-05:00

OK I had to post this picture too. In between pictures at our last photo shoot Sebsatian got "loose" in between outfit changes. Our photographer snapped these and captured a real "model" moment. It won't be long before his first GQ cover.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-19T08:40:00.000-05:00

What a week this has been for Daddy. WHEW! It is the Friday before Thanksgiving and it has not yet sunk in that the holiday is so close. We are packing our bags and headed to NJ to visit my parents. I feel totally unprepared. As luck would have it the easiest and fastest trip for us is to fly to Baltimore and drive up. We'll see how it goes. We'll post pictures of our visit here.

Happy Halloween 2010!

2010-11-06T14:16:00.000-04:00

Sebastian was a pirate this year for Halloween. Well, that's the costume he had, he didn't wear it for Trick or Treat night, or for the annual Halloween party we attend. You can only imagine that the hat, scarf and ear ring alone were tough enough for an 18-month old to deal with, let alone the cold windy night of Trick-or-Treat. I was traveling that night, so Todd handled it alone.

Sebastian has mastered his letters and numbers. He loves counting to 20, though he is skipping 6 for some reason, he doesn't seem to like it. He also gets Q and O confused, and if an A is upside down he says A. I am so impressed! His vocabulary is really expanding too. It seems like every week when I get home he has all sorts of new tricks up his sleeve.

It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving and Christmas are so close. It won't be long before we are boarding a plane and heading to New Jersey for Thanksgiving. I can't wait to see my family and let them have some quality time with Sebastian.

Another fun day at the zoo

2010-10-30T11:27:00.000-04:00

Todd and Sebastian took advantage of the nice weather this week and visited the Columbus Zoo. Sebastian sure loves the petting zoo the most, evident in the pictures of him hugging the goats. I am glad there was a nice day this late in the year to go, and sure wish I could have been there with them!

Thursday was "Beggar's Night" here in Columbus. It was too cold and windy to have Sebastian in his costume, but he did help Todd hand out candy. It was more fun to chase the other kids down the street than stay on the porch with Daddy, so they gave up around 7 PM.

Tomorrow we head to the ALcorn's house (technically we are going to Stephanie's Mom and Dad's) for the annual Halloween party. We are looking forward to seeing everyone!

Fun day at COSI

2010-10-24T20:30:00.000-04:00

We joined COSI, and Sebastian and I finally spent a few hours checking it out today. To be honest we could have saved the money on the membership had I known how entertaining the lobby would be. There is a "Clifford the Big Red Dog" display and Sebastian had a ball playing in the different areas.

We finally ventured into the center itself and went right to the 2nd floor's Kidspace area. Sebastian spent the next 90 minutes running around and playing harder than I have ever seen. I really think he had a great time. In fact, the he was not too happy to leave. I can't wait to take him back again and again and watch him experience and learn as he grows and understands the different areas more. For now, climbing all over the Kidspace is fun enough.

Catching Up

2010-10-22T10:30:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone, sorry for the long time without posting. Things have been very busy with work and I am far behind on my updates.

The biggest news since I last posted was our Disney vacation. The entire Deans family went to Disney for a week of sight seeing and family "together" time. We had a wonderful time, stayed at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge (courtesy of our Vacation Club Membership), and visited 3 parks. Aside from some off schedule issues between the two kids (Sebastian and my niece Amalia) it was great. Some pictures are shown below.

The other big thing is that Sebastian now recognizes nearly all of his letters, all of his numbers up to 10 and can count to 12 (sometimes 15) on his own. Todd is doing an amazing job teaching him all sorts of things as they play and read books all day. I wish I could be home to see it.

Next post will be in a week, when I unveil Sebastian's 2010 Halloween costume!

Poolside at Animal Kingdom

Sebastian looked at a plate of lemons and said "BANANA!" and insisted on eating it. He sucked the juice out of 2 lemons before we were finished lunch.

Sebastian and Pop-Pop (aka Bop-Bop) drawing on Sebastian's light tablet. I think Pop Pop was more intrigued by the light tablet than Sebastian.

Sebastian hugging Amalia (aka Ya Ya) they were so cute together!

After a nap--someone looks so serious!

Big hugs with Tigger!

Happy Labor Day!

2010-09-06T17:02:00.000-04:00

OK first of all, I did NOT encourage my son to clean with me, but what can I say... the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. He grabbed this brush and started cleaning the walls and furniture the other day while I was sweeping the floors. I can't wait until he gets the hang of it and I can give him chores. Did I say that? :-)

The second picture is of a new car we bought him to ride around on the sidewalk. The nice thing about it is its handle that is "Daddy height" and unlike the other car he as we can steer him despite the direction he turns the steering wheel. The other cars are small enough he can ride on them by himself. This new one has a removable floor so he can ride in it when he is bigger too, and use his feet to move himself along.

Today we tried one later nap rather than an early and a late. What a disaster. He cried through lunch and ended up taking a nap at 1 and again at 4:00. Who knows what time he will go to bed.

It is sad to see Summer 2010 go away, we didn't even get to see the beach this year. Three weeks from now we'll be at Disney and I bet that more than makes up for it. Here's to a great Fall!

Our BIG BIG Boy!

2010-08-23T16:54:00.000-04:00

Sebastian is certainly growing fast these days. He got his first haircut a few weeks ago and doesn't look like a baby any more. Todd took Sebastian while I was in Memphis. I was actually against the haircut all together, but I am glad he got it in the long run. He did very well until the clippers came out then the tears started.

These pictures were taken at Schiller Park in Columbus, where Todd takes Sebastian to feed the ducks. It is becoming a favorite pass time of Sebastian's and he is getting the hang of throwing the bread at the ducks so they can eat it.

His other favorite thing to do these days is drawing-- any chance he can get his hands on a pen and paper he is very happy. The ink is getting onto the paper more and more these days, and less on his hands and legs.

Summer Days

2010-07-10T12:42:00.000-04:00

Sebastian is making the most of the summer by enjoying the baby pool and/or sprinkler most nights. We had him to our friend's "big pool" twice as well. The first time he did just fine, and was very brave; not so much the second time.
I hope to join the YMCA soon so we can go to their pool and take advantage of their swimming lessons as well. We missed the early summer classes, but there should be another round starting up in August. Until then splashing around will have to do!

Our Big Boy is Getting Bigger

2010-07-04T23:29:00.000-04:00

Someone the other day asked if we "stretch" the pictures of Sebastian-- nope, he is really this tall, 31.5 inches (and 28 pounds) to be exact. This picture was taken a few days ago. As you can see he loves to RUN and RUN and RUN. He also gets quite sweaty for a little guy. That smile is enough to make even the worst day seem wonderful. What a happy little guy. I hope this lasts when he is 15!

Daddy's Little Helper

2010-06-05T15:33:00.000-04:00

To be honest, the head of the vacuum wasn't quite touching the floor, but you have to admit this has real promise. So far he loves brooms, the vacuum and mops. Now, if we can teach him to mow the grass and do laundry I will be even happier! I am of course kidding, but it is so cute I had to take a picture. Of course, my slightly obsessive cleaning explains where he gets this from...

Fun with the Sand Table

2010-05-23T17:13:00.000-04:00

We took a few minutes before dinner to play in the sand table tonight. Luckily it is shaded out back, it is getting quite warm these days! Sebastian loves playing in the sand, even if he hasn't realized that the sand is supposed to stay IN the table!

He also insists on using both shovels at once. I can't tell if it is his desire to use both hands, nor not to share the shovels with me and Todd. Either way, it sure is cute.

Home Improvements

2010-05-14T16:20:00.000-04:00

We finally got a new driveway and landscaping done. If you recall, just days before Sebastian was born the entire front yard was dug up so a new water main could be installed. Sebastian is test driving the new driveway in this picture. What a cutie!

We Love Hawaii

2010-05-07T10:32:00.000-04:00

OK we've never been, but we decided to bust out the shirts the other day. How cute? I think Sebastian's is the best thought. His little white pants were the cutest. I had his shirt open and with his blonde messy hair he looked like a little surfer!

Happy Birthday Sebastian!

2010-05-02T22:17:00.000-04:00

OK I have said it a few times already, but I mean it. We're busy, and my blogging has gone significantly downhill. This post is at least a week late. We celebrated Sebastian's birthday last week. My parents came in in Friday afternoon and spent the weekend. We met up with some friends and Todd's mom and aunt at La Fogata Grill (go figure) and had a nice little party. It is hard to believe our little guy is a year old already. This has been quite a year for us all.

Big time as the playground!

2010-04-11T15:00:00.000-04:00

We had a great afternoon at the playground today. We took Sebastian's cousin Kylee to play on the equipment. Sebastian loved the slides and the other gear, but mostly picking up the mulch and putting it through the holes was the best fun of all. Our trip was cut a bit short after Sebastian took a bit of a tumble, but he is just fine. We are sure it won't be the last time he gets a little scrape at the park.

Palm Sunday

2010-03-28T20:02:00.000-04:00

Another fun family day with the Robison/Alcorn family out in Pickerington. We joined the family a bit late for the neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt. It was a damp morning, so we didn't exactly mind not being in the wet grass.

Sebastian had an amazing time with Remy, who is 1 year and 3 weeks older than he is. They were so cute together and shared toys nicely. It is amazing to look at Remy and realize where Sebastian will be in just a year. Babies sure do change quickly!

I was most surprised by how easily Sebastian went to different people in the family. I think he is getting over his "stranger fear" a bit, and was less shy after a few minutes of warming up to people.

In a few weeks Sebastian will be a year old. I can't believe time is flying so quickly!

Two BUSY Daddies

2010-03-14T20:12:00.000-04:00

Well, there is no denying that Sebastian is growing up very quickly. He is standing and walking on his own now (though crawling is a far more efficient mode of transportation). He is starting to say words like "CAT" (TAT) and "LIGHT" (TITE) and is intriqued by everything and loves to know what things are called. I have a feeling "What is that" and "Why" are going to be his favorite questions soon.

The travel for work has me really busy and it is difficult to do things like update this blog. I find that the number of pictures we take of him each month is quickly diminishing too. I need to try a little harder to keep up the pictures for sure. Time is flying by and I don't want to forget a moment of it.

Walking!

2010-03-01T08:31:00.000-05:00

Well, Sebsatian has started walking. Not a lot all at once, no more than 4-5 steps across the room at a time, but he is walking. I think he realizes that crawling is still the most efficient mode of transportation.

We have been dealing with a very stuffy nose for a few weeks. We went to the doctor but he said all we can do is keep his nose cleared as well as possible with the aspirator, and that he will get better soon enough. That doesn't make it any easier. If you go anywhere near Sebastian with the aspirator or a tissue he cries. I hope it ends soon.

Traveling every week has been hard, but I am home for a whole week so I intend to get extra Sebastian loving time in for sure!

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T12:20:00.000-05:00

Well our little man isn't so little these days. He is nearly walking, taking a careful step or two before he realizes that he is standing on his own and falling. I keep telling him that he is like Wiley Coyote, he only falls after he realizes he is off the cliff.

We had a nice Valentine's dinner out last night. Todd's brother and sister-in-law and their boys came to babysit. They had a much better evening than Julie did a few weeks ago. The boys played with Sebastian until 8:30- a late night for him for sure. They taught him how to make lots of noise and bang metal cups on the table. I will have to thank them for that with a drum set for Christmas.

Happy February!

2010-02-02T22:05:00.000-05:00

It is so hard to believe it is already February. I think my blogging has really taken a hit by this new work schedule and being away from home more than I am there. I sure do miss being home every night. Sebastian seems to change so much in the four days I am gone. The good news is that I make the most of our time together when I am home.

Speaking of changes in Sebastian, he certainly is getting big and developing very quickly these days. It is clear that he has no fears when it comes to trying things of a physical nature, but he has developed a bit of separation anxiety lately. I know that is to be expected at this age and he will grow out of it soon.

He finally has 2 more teeth, the top 2 are coming in nicely. The second of the bottoms has yet to show. It is so funny to see him with teeth, and he plays with them now that he can feel them in his mouth.

Adventures in Babysitting

2010-01-24T09:04:00.000-05:00

Last night Todd and I decided to venture out for the night and have an early dinner and a movie with our friends Jon and Ernie. Our good friend Julie came over around 5:30 to babysit and get a little "baby lovin" time for herself. Lately Sebastian is taking a late afternoon nap before dinner, so we let him nap with Julie, and we left the house. Julie was all ready to give him dinner, play a lttle and put him down for the night by 8.

We went to dinner, had a great meal, and headed to the movie theater. We had our tickets, a bag of popcorn and a drink all ready to go, and I received a text... Sebastian woke up from his nap and had been screaming and hysterical since then. He refused to eat his dinner or take his evening bottle. When I called I could hear that he was far beyond the "point-of-no-return" and I was going to have to go home.

I managed to get home in 15 minutes. Shortly after getting home I managed to get him calm enough to sit in his highchair and eat his dinner, now 90 minutes late or more. I held him a little longer, soothed him and got him down. He fell asleep immediately and slept until 7:15 this morning. All that crying had really worn him out.

I guess we learned a lesson today- he can't wake up with a stranger, and that we probably need to do a better job of having other people around more often. Poor Julie was beside herself as well. I can't imagine how worried she was after almost an hour of screaming. I would have lost it and he is my baby!

For what its worth, "A Single Man" is apparently a great movie according to Todd, Jon and Ernie. I caught the end and liked it, I hope to see the beginning sometime!

Busy Daddy!

2010-01-16T09:38:00.001-05:00

I feel like I haven't posted anything to our blog in a really long time. Maybe it is because I have been so busy with the new job, or maybe since I have been going on and I don't have much to say.

This week was my first (nearly) full week in Memphis. I left early Tuesday morning and came home Thursday evening. Todd's mother came up on Tuesday and spent the night, and the picture above was taken during tubbby-time. (Yes, another bathtub picture) Sebastian is getting bigger and bigger every day. We noticed 2 front teeth coming in this morning. They look really big compared to the rest of his mouth! He sure will look different with teeth.

Being away wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, but coming home was great. When I got home, T and S were downstairs napping so I didn't go down and distrub them. They finally came upstairs, and Sebastian was so excited to see me. I was equally excited. We'll see how hard this gets on both of us after several months.

We can't seem to keep this kid in clothes and shoes either. Todd had to buy 18 month pajamas the other day, and the shoes we bought just before Christmas are already too tight. Thankfully we don't buy them new, we go to a local children's consignment store for things like shoes.

Hope that everyone that is following this blog is having a good start to 2010!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-12-31T22:16:00.000-05:00

Well, here we are just hours from 2010. It certainly has been an interesting year. While most would say that 2009 was a terrible year, this has been one of the best for us; Sebastian made an otherwise horrible year the most memorable of my life. What is most exciting is that the adventure of being a parent is just beginning- that we have a lifetime of experiences to look forward to living.

2010 already holds a great deal of promise. I can't wait to see what it holds for us. To those of you reading this and following our blog, I wish you all Happy New Year!

Christmas 2009 Recap

2009-12-29T13:38:00.002-05:00

Well, we made it through our Christmas vacation. Overall, Sebastian did very well. Our flight out and back were rather uneventful, though he didn't like being confined for a whole hour. Then again, I don't care for it either! He did a great job at my parent's house, despite the shared sleeping quarters with us, and his very first tooth coming in. We started most mornings very early, and luckily could get him downstairs to the basement rather quickly and keep the sleep deprivation down to a minimum.

My mom and dad got lots of baby time in, they really enjoyed playing with Sebastian, and him with them. My dad had Sebastian giggling all the time, and Sebastian loved playing with his Grammie, mostly because he wanted to pull her hair. We also got a few visits in with my brother's family, and Sebastian got to play with his cousin Amalia. She has really grown up quickly since the last time we saw her back in the summer. It's times like this that make me really wish we were closer to them all. Sebastian also got to finally meet my brother Matt and his girlfriend Saana for the first time.

Our trip was topped off with a chance to visit my cousin Bobbi Jo and her girls (all 5 of them!) and a night out with some old friends from high school. We certainly squeezed a lot into a few days. I do have to say that traveling with an 8 month old is quite a pain especially with the weather causing extra burdens for coats, scarves, gloves, hats... ugh.

Now we're back home and Sebastian is happier than a pig in "you-know-what." He seems to have really missed his toys and the cats. He managed to sleep rather well last night as well, even with the teething causing him some discomfort. In all, Christmas 2009 was a great success.

The picture in this post is the result of a family photo shoot we did on Sunday. I will post the link to the Picasa online album once I get it cleaned up and ready for viewing.

Ready for Christmas!

2009-12-19T09:58:00.000-05:00

Where has this year gone? We are in the final countdowns to our first Christmas as a family. We certainly are excited, but we know that Christmas 2010 will be far more exciting. Sebastian just hasn't grasped the concept quite yet but he will still have a great time we're sure.

We have been venturing out a bit more over the past two weeks. As is typical, there are a lot of holiday events and parties to attend. We went to a party last weekend, last night and have dinner and a show with friends tonight. Thank goodness for Todd's family, we have three babysitters that have been able to help out: Todd's mother, his brother and his niece.

We went to the Columbus Zoo to see the annual "Wildlights" display. It was beautiful but poor S fell asleep before we got to see too much of it. We'll add that to the 'must do' list for next year for sure. Tuesday (12/22) we leave for my parent's house. We will spend from 12/22 to 12/28 with them for the holidays. I can't wait to be near my family again for a while and give S some time with his "Grammie and Pop-Pop."

We want to wish everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS and check back here to see how our trip went.

Sebastian Met Santa!

2009-12-10T14:42:00.000-05:00

Our good friends the Alcorns had their annual Santa party on Saturday, December 5. Sebastian had his first chance to sit on Santa's lap. He did a great job, no tears at all, and though we didn't understand what Sebastian was saying I am sure Santa got all his wish list down.

The "little" guy is really growing fast these days. He has mastered crawling, and loves to pull himself up and stand at tables, the couch or any other object he can reach. He manages to "cruise" around the entire family room now and thanks to us moving some furniture really has a great play space. We also moved the rug and ottoman out of our upstairs living room, giving him a huge area for his Jeep walker.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-27T10:40:00.000-05:00

Well, it is hard to believe that Thanksgiving 2009 is already behind us. We had a nice day overall, visiting with Todd's family in the evening after a quiet early day home together. Sebastian was the hit of the party especially with the other kids. Everyone wanted to hold and play with him. I had to watch closely like a nervous parent, but they all did fine with him. He didn't mind the attention at all!

Another Embarassing Bathtub Picture

2009-11-19T20:57:00.000-05:00

Our "little" guy certainly isn't so little any more. At his pediatrician visit last week he weighted 20 lbs and was just shy of 30" in length. Recently he has discovered how to clap when he is happy or excited, which is so cute, and he is crawling and climbing all over everything, which while cute, also makes being with him a lot more demanding.

We finally had to give up his "newborn" bath tub. Even though it had a side for bigger babies, we never did use it. To do so we would have risked hitting his head on the kitchen cabinet near the sink. He also has gotten so "kicky" in the tub lately that the kitchen floor looked like we had a flood after each bath. This is really much better, even if the bending over the side of the tub kills our backs.

The countdown to the holidays has begun. It sure will be great to celebrate our first Thanksgiving and Christmas together as a family.

ADOPTION FINALIZED

2009-11-10T08:15:00.001-05:00

We got a call late last evening from the wacko attorney, the adoption decree has been finalized and is on its way. Vital statistics has been notified and our official birth certificate should be forthcoming. We couldn't be happier to have this finally over with.

Someone asked how we'd celebrate. I said "Oatmeal cereal, butternut squash and maybe some pureed mango for dessert."

Long Time No Blog

2009-11-08T16:45:00.001-05:00

It has been a few days since our last post; it feels like a lot longer than it actually has been. This past week was extremely busy for me at work, including a long drive to the Cincinnati area and back that cut into the free time. As you can see in the picture, Sebastian is continuing to develop very quickly, he is now sitting up for longer periods of time on his own, and has just about figured out how to go from being on his belly to sitting up. It is only a matter of a few days before he gets the hang of it.

He has two new "tricks" that he is doing recently. Todd taught him how to turn the ceiling fan light on and off in his room by pulling on the chain. It has gotten to the point that if you enter or leave the room and don't turn the lights on/off he gets a little upset. I guess he will be a conservationist if nothing else. He has also learned how to clap when we clap along with him. He gets so excited and loves to do it. I love that he can see me do things and mimic them now.

He has a pediatrician appointment on Friday for vaccines and another general check up. We'll have to go back 2 more times in the coming weeks for his flu and H1N1 follow ups. That's a lot of shots for the little guy in a 2 month period! Too bad we couldn't have timed them a little better, but better this way than not at all.

We're excited about our first holiday season as a family. This year Thanksgiving will be spent here in Ohio, and Christmas in NJ with my family. My middle brother and his girlfriend will be home as well, and we are looking forward to them finally meeting Sebastian.

One last thing- we have been playing with a new nickname for Sebastian; we call him Sea Bass. Cute, right? We'll see if it sticks...

Handing out Candy

2009-10-29T19:47:00.000-04:00

Sebastian donned his costume once again and helped us hand out candy. All of the neighborhood kids thought he looked real cute. He used a bag of Skittles as a toy, and giggled the whole time. Next year he can visit the neighbors and bring home some candy for Daddy!

Halloween Party

2009-10-25T21:19:00.000-04:00

Boy oh boy did we ever have a fun day! We went to Sebastian's first Haloween costume parade and party with friends of ours. Their neighborhood does a big parade down the streets and then the kids trick-or-treat. We skipped the candy collection since Todd and I would eat it all ourselves, but we did love being with all of the other kids and seeing their costumes. Sebastian's astronaut costume was a hit, though he fell asleep during the parade. Next year he will be able to walk in it, but I am sure we will bring the stroller just in case.

Finalizied?

2009-10-23T14:53:00.000-04:00

Officially our adoption is supposed to be final on 10/24. We were hoping to hear from our attorney today, but so far no word. Maybe since the 24th is a Saturday we won't get this done until Monday.

This weekend should be rather quiet. We opted to run our standard errands during the week since we knew it was going to be rainy and colder this weekend. We met our friends Steve and Sherri for lunch today. It was great to catch up with them. Sherri offered to babysit sometime, we may take her up on the offer!

We are looking forward to spending the day with the Alcorn family on Sunday for their Halloween party at Stephanie's mother's house. Sounds like a good time will be had by all... I am sure we will have pictures to post afterwards.

Happy Six Months, Sebastian!

2009-10-21T09:22:00.001-04:00

Six months ago today little Sebastian came into the world. He's not little any more, that's for sure! We love you so much baby boy, thanks for making our family complete.

This is his Halloween costume, he is our little astronaut!

It's the Great Pumpkin, Sebastian!

2009-10-19T11:10:00.000-04:00

We took Sebastian to the pumpkin patch on Sunday. Unfortunately this is the best picture we got of him between him falling over and closing his eyes. Still, we had a great time with him and picked out a great big pumpkin to carve.

We also bought his big-boy car seat yesterday. The little guy has already outgrown the infant carrier. Our little guy isn't so little any more!

Chew Chew Chew

2009-10-16T10:57:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone! Sorry we haven't had much to blog about lately. I was on jury duty for 2 weeks and I got a little sidetracked. Sebastian is doing quite well these days. We have our ups and downs with teething, I know that as soon as these 4 come in there are plenty more waiting to follow, so we are far from being in the clear.

Sebastian is eating quite well these days, in fact we calculate his weight around 19 pounds. Time for a new car seat! He loves sweet potatoes, prunes, banana, carrots, and peaches. The jury is still out on peas and green beans. He takes after Todd with that for sure. Between his growing and the seasonal changes clothes have been our biggest challenge. Luckily we have friends that have been giving us plenty of clothes that their kids have outgrown.

He is so close to figuring out the whole crawling thing. I know most parents will warn us not to be in such a hurry, once they start moving they never stop. Still, watching him struggle to scoot around the floor is so cute but he gets so frustrated sometimes.

We are really looking foward to the holidays and all the fun that goes along with it. Having a baby sure changes everything!

Musical Baby!

2009-10-06T07:54:00.000-04:00

Sebastian had his first organ lesson from his Grandma Felumlee on Saturday, October 2. While he loved banging on the keyboard and hearing the noise, the organ was turned up pretty loud and he scared himself once or twice. We actually noticed that he really does love music, and "sings" along in the car when we have the radio or a CD playing (when he is not sleeping that is). Time will tell if this is just playtime fun or if he really does have an interest in music.

Sebastian is sleeping much longer during the night. Though we have our occasional early AM wake ups, they are fewer and less intense. Usually all it takes is finding his pacifier and he is back to sleep. The other night he found it himself. That was pretty cool! His crawling is getting better and better too. He is still scooting and rolling more than crawling, but he can cover a lot of ground, especially if you turn your back on him for even the shortest moment.

I am on jury duty this week, and I was gone from 9 AM to 5:30 PM yesterday. It was the first time in quite a while that I wasn't home all day. I can't imagine having to do that every day. He was napping when I got home, I couldn't wait to get my hands on him thought. He finally woke up and I got to play with him, read him a book, give him a bath and put him to bed. I let Todd relax since he was "on duty" solo all day. I think he appreciated it. I realize that millions of parents are away from their kids all the time, but it was just a bit of a reality check I guess. We have 2 more weeks of this to look forward managing. I am already looking forward to my one-on-one time tonight.

A Great Week for Sebastian

2009-10-02T14:25:00.000-04:00

Sebastian is finally settling into another nice schedule. We have his teething under control, and his sleep is getting more steady and lasting longer at night. He slept until 7:30 this morning, it was like a present! It was the first time in 5 months that I woke up before he did. It was nice to make a pot of coffee and get my day underway before having to deal with a crying baby.

Sebastian is really moving a lot these days. If you go to our YouTube page you can see some videos I posted, including one of him "crawling" to get to a toy. It is only a matter of time before he is fully crawling and having us chase him around the house.

A Long Week Home

2009-09-26T10:27:00.000-04:00

WHEW! Coming home from vacation can be so rough you need another vacation! It took a few days to just get unpacked and get the laundry done. Add to it that we had no food in the house when we returned and other various things out of whack and we were just busy getting back to normal.

Sebastian is still a bit congested, but we think it has more to do with teething than it does being sick. He doesn't seem to be feeling bad at all, just having a stuffed nose is enough to disrupt his sleep though.

Todd's mother and her friend paid a visit this week. Her friend's son was returning from a trip and they needed some help getting to the airport to pick him up. Sebastian got to spend some time with his Grandma Felumlee, and she always enjoys seeing him.

We went to Babies R Us this week and got some great products I want to recommend. The first is a battery operated nasal aspirator. Now, before you judge me for how that sounds, consider this. The suction power of a typical rubber syringe is limited to the small volume of the buble itself. While probably good at the mucus in the outer nostril, we were having trouble getting everything out. Sebastian also cried every time we had to use it. The battery operated one provides constant, gentle suction and we are amazed what it removes. As an added bonus, Sebastian giggles when we use it. Go figure...

The other product is Hyland's Teething Tablets. The link is to their gel, but we chose the tablets. You place two of the tablets under the baby's tounge, and it sooths their mouth. The product is 100% natural and and homeopathic. The tablets dissolve pretty quickly and they really seem to help.

Final Visit from Shannon

2009-09-22T09:46:00.004-04:00

Monday was our final visit from Shannon, our social worker from Franklin County. We had a great visit, she finalized her questions necessary for her report, and now we just wait for her to file the documentation that is due to the court on October 4. We should hear from our attorney on 10/24 that the adoption is finalized. Shannon has been an amazing part of this process, so very supportive and clearly dedicated to her job and helping the children she works with every day. We will miss her, and promised to stay in touch. In fact, I am sending her the link to this blog so she can keep up with our escapades.

Vacation comes to an end...

2009-09-22T09:46:00.001-04:00

We had a great trip and we are sad to see it end. To be 100% honest there were some challenging moments but all in all it was a lot of fun. Sebastian's nose caused a few sleepless nights, but now we're home and he is feeling better. I think he is really teething now and that is just making it worse.

Friday night Todd and I ventured to Atlantic City for dinner at Fornaletta. No, we didn't see the winner of last season's Hell's Kitchen, but the food was A-MAZ-ING! We walked through the casino floor on the way out and I won nearly the entire cost of dinner back on penny slots in just 2 minutes!

Saturday Stephen, Julie andAmalia came down to spend the day. We were blessed with beautiful weather, and got a few hours of quality beach time in. WOO HOO! Unfortunately it was time to pack up and head back to reality. We left the beach around 10 AM on Sunday and stopped to see my "Grammie." OK I will always call her Grammie, but I guess to Sebastian she is "GG" (great-grammie) and my Mom is Grammie. All of this is getting confusing!

We had a nice quick lunch visit with Grammie, then off to the PHL airport. A quick walk through security, a nap for Sebastian at the gate and a full bottle on the plane proved to be the way to do it once again. He had no problems at all; Todd even changed him in the TINY bathroom on the plane with hardly any trouble.

Now it is back to the "grind" as it were... lots to unpack, a house to get back into order and some version of a schedule. Goodbye Summer 2009!

Bye Bye Summer 2009

2009-09-19T20:18:00.000-04:00

Today was our last full day at the beach. Steve, Julie and Amalia came down to join us for some fun in the sand. We lucked out and had a beautiful day. We pack up and head home tomorrow. It was a great vacation!

Chilly at Old Barney

2009-09-17T14:26:00.000-04:00

Well, day 4 at the beach is a little better than yesterday. It rained off and on yesterday, today is just cool and cloudy and VERY windy. We decided to bundle up Sebastian and head to the north end of the island where "Old Barney" the Barnegat lighthouse is located. We walked out to the end and looked around, but the wind was a bit too much for the baby so we came back home. At least he got to see it! Next year we will go up inside and show him the amazing view from the top.

Vacation, Day 2

2009-09-15T21:38:00.001-04:00

Today, my mother and my sister-in-law came down and we went to the bay beach for a while. Amalia and Sebastian were so cute together. I can't wait until this time next year when they can play with each other more and Sebastian can enjoy the beach a little more. Now it is quiet time and we're all ready for BED.

BEACH BABY

2009-09-14T15:56:00.000-04:00

Sebastian got to see the beach today, and even put his feet in the sand and water. We all had a great time! He seems to love watching the waves and didn't mind the feel of the sand and water on his feet at all.

OK, back to relaxing!

Sebastian Loves Corvettes!

2009-09-09T14:44:00.001-04:00

My parents got this for him on their Corvette Caravan trip. How cute is this!

Labor Day Weekend!

2009-09-07T12:15:00.000-04:00

OK first of all, how cute is this picture? We had a bunch done, but of course our favorite (and everyone else's) is the one with his tounge out. That's my boy!

This weekend started off with a 4 month checkup for the baby. He did great as always, and the report from the doctor was wonderful. He is 17 pounds 9.5 ounces, and 27.75 inches long. That's up over 2 pounds and 2.5 inches in 2 months. All that formula he is eating is doing its job, clearly. He tolerated his shots just fine and we got the "all clear" for solid food.

We made our own sweet potato puree on Friday night, and started feeding it to him on Saturday. He really took to it, and though it was a bit different than the oatmeal or rice he was used to, I think he enjoyed it. We made some peas today, we will introduce them tomorrow and see how it goes. The "funniest" thing (not so funny actually) is when he sneezes with a mouthful of food. It just goes everywhere, and there is nothing you can do. We also noticed that we go through a lot of bibs and burp clothes these days... not a surprise.

Just a few short days until we head to the beach. I cannot tell you how badly we need this vacation. I'll blog about the trip next week.

Short Visit, Big Fun

2009-08-31T19:21:00.000-04:00

My parents are on their way to Bowling Green, KY on the Corvette Caravan 2009 and they stopped here on their way. Their friends Max and Larry Uhlig were with them. We had a nice lunch together before they got back on the road. Sebastian had a nice visit with his Grammie and Pop Pop, and he got the cutest Corvette onsie!

Zoo, AGAIN

2009-08-21T15:28:00.000-04:00

OK we might want to just sell the house and move to the zoo, we've been so many times. We certainly have gotten our money's worth with our membership that's for sure.

How about Sebastian being so observant and really taking things in this time! He spent most of the time in his stroller again, and remained awake for the better part of the trip. It was a hot day and all four (our niece Kirsten was with us too) of us were ready to go after just a few hours. We managed to see even more areas that we hadn't covered yet.

Today is Sebastian's 4 month "birthday." I can't believe my little guy is that old already. We started giving him a teaspoon of rice twice a day, he loves it. I can tell eating is not going to be a problem for this child.

HAPPY BABY

2009-08-11T10:29:00.000-04:00

Just a quick blog posting to say hello to anyone reading this. The last few weeks have been so busy I haven't really taken much time to write. Sebastian continues to thrive, grow and utterly change before our eyes. Lately he is really into SCREAMING as loud as he can, we think just to see how loud he can be. He does it then laughs outloud especially if we talk back to him.

His playtime is getting more active, and he is sleeping a little less during the day. He still sleeps pretty well at night, aside from the occasional waking up in the middle of the night. Nothing a quick pacifier placement can't fix. Once he gets it he is back to sleep in seconds.

We are gearing up for our family vacation to the beach. It sounds like a great idea, but suddenly I am faced with all of the things we will need to pack, plan for and deal with to be gone for a week. YIKES! I hope I don't become an insane parent over this trip! Todd will likely keep me in line, I am sure.

Another Visit

2009-08-04T16:16:00.000-04:00

This weekend my friend Chris visited from NJ. Chris and I met freshmen year in science class, and were insepareable best friends from day one. She came for a short but very fun stay, and we had a great time catching up. Thanks Facebook for helping us stay connected! She loved Sebastian (of course, who doesn't) and he sure loved her!

Another Fun Family Weekend

2009-07-30T13:28:00.000-04:00

Sebastian had a visit from his Grammie and Pop Pop Deans last weekend. What a great time! Friday night we headed downtown to the Columbus Jazz & Ribfest, and got a great dinner. Saturday we hit the zoo (picture below), and saw more of the zoo this time than we had in the last two visits! You can tell Sebastian had a great time in his stroller, he is all tuckered out, but he was awake for most of it.

The picture of Sebastian above is jim in the Jeep walker that his Grammie and Pop Pop bought for him. He also got a Jolly Jumper that he really loves. It is so cute to see him playing! He is getting LOUD lately, he not only goos, coos and giggles, he has learned how to yell and scream, but not a crying scream, more like a "look what I can do, pay attention to me" scream. Todd has him downstairs right now and I can hear him!

Fun Family Weekend!

2009-07-20T13:11:00.000-04:00

What a fun weekend! Mark's brother Stephen, his wife Julie and Mark's beautiful God daughter came to visit this weekend. We picked them up at the airport on Friday and they left Monday morning. The time in between was spent visiting, site seeing and just having a great time. The Columbus Zoo was lots of fun, the out of town guests were impressed. We can't wait to take Sebastian to the Philly zoo when we visit! We did a little shopping on Sunday, including the Build-A-Bear store. Amalia got a cute bear that she named Hanna after Jack Hanna. We tried to take the kids to get their pictuers taken but Sebastian didn't want to cooperate. We did get a few cute ones of them on the couch together, like the one shown here. We'll try a professional picture when we visit NJ in September.

Fairy Godmother

2009-07-09T07:59:00.004-04:00

Sebastian attended his very first Doo-Dah Parade in downtown Columbus on July 4th. Although he did sleep through most of it, we had a great time. He was wide awake, however, for his first meeting with the infamous Mary Ann Brandt. Noted for her comedic talent and elaborate stage productions, the seemingly ageless Ms. Brandt has graciously agreed to be Sebastian's very own fairy godmother! Excited upon hearing the news (he can smell wealth and privilege a mile away), he wet himself. Deeming this act "unacceptable", she promptly returned him to his daddies for attention and reached for her martini.

A Great Doctor Appointment!

2009-07-03T17:07:00.000-04:00

Today Sebastian had a doctor appointment, complete with shots. He was such a little trooper, he barely cried. I think I cried more than he did. He is 14 lbs, 25 inches and doing very well. The doctor didn't really have much else to say, we are doing exactly what he needs. Look at that smile on his face, what a happy boy!

Long time, no blog!

2009-06-30T13:05:00.001-04:00

I feel like the world's worst blogger. I haven't updated the site in a while it seems. Maybe it isn't as bad as I think. Let's hope...

Sebastian continues to be the best baby ever. He is sleeping like a champ, eating very well and is just all-around happy. We have gotten into some bad habits, however, like letting him nap during the day ON one of us, not in his crib. Today we wrapped him in his swaddler, laid him down and he went right to sleep. I fully realize we are VERY lucky and that not all babies are quite that easy so I am THANKFUL that he is so good. We are on a great schedule (6-10-2) and he sleeps from 11 PM to 6 AM every day.

This past weekend we took him to Picnic with the Pops and saw Marvin Hamlisch and Linda Eder. He was SO good. People kept coming up and saying what a good baby we have. DUH. We sat on the blanket and listened to music and had a little light dinner. He started to fall asleep as the show was ending, we quickly packed up and went home. It worked out quite well.

We also went to dinner at our friends' home on Friday night. Both nights we got home a little late, he was already alseep in the car seat. Todd took him out of the car seat, wrapped him up and he went right to bed. I know, for those of you that have fussy babies (or worse...colic) I AM SORRY!

First Father's Day

2009-06-22T15:27:00.000-04:00

OK, first of all we are not sure what Sebastian's obsession is with sticking his tounge out, but there it is again. What a cutie!

Our first Father's Day was spent at Todd's grandparents house, where nearly the entire Felumlee family gathered to celebrate Father's Day. We have been going every year for 7 years. This was certainly a lot of fun with the baby. He was a HIT of course, and everyone wanted to hold him. It was great, it gave Todd and me a chance to relax a bit and let someone else take care of him for a little while. We had to pry him away from people so we could leave!

We bought his first baby pool today. We will get it set up and filled soon and put some pictures online for sure.

Sebastian Loves Mickey and Minnie!

2009-06-18T16:46:00.001-04:00

OK, how freaking cute is this kid? His personality is really coming out and he is such a happy little guy. We are getting him to sleep longer and longer at night, and we have less fussiness and crying to deal with. Six hours of uninterrupted sleep is great, but we are looking forward to the night he goes 10-12! Things are great in other regards as well. As you can tell he is growing and eating is not a problem for him at all. He loves to play on his activity mat, and has started reach out to grab items. He also has the cutest smile. We haven't gotten a full laugh out of him yet though. This weekend should be pretty quiet, aside from a visit to Todd's family for Father's Day.

We're interlocked!

2009-06-15T12:40:00.000-04:00

First of all, how freaking cute is this picture? He started smiling this week and I can't get over how adorable he looks when he does it.

Friday June 12 was our Interlocutory hearing at Franklin County Court. It was a relatively straightforward process, and aside from a momentary emotional wave overcoming me, it went fine.

Saturday we went to the Yellow Springs Street Fair. This year seemed bigger than ever. We bought a few baby things, including a tie-dye onsie. I can't wait to put him in it!

Sunday Todd and I went to see A Chorus Line. Kevin, Jennifer and the boys came over to stay with Sebastian while we were gone. He did just fine, though he did cry a bit for Aunt Jennifer.

Super Size Baby

2009-06-09T15:02:00.000-04:00

Sebastian went to the Columbus Arts Festival on Friday night. We had a great time, and he really liked walking around in the harness. We took him to the Short North location of LaFogata Grill that night too!

This weekend was the Harland Family reunion. Todd and Sebastian stayed home while Mark visited with his aunts, uncles, cousins and the rest of the extended family. It was a lot of fun. The family continues to grow by leaps and bounds. It was great to see everyone.

Today we decided that Sebastian needs to start wearing 3-6 month clothes. The 0-3 onsies fit, but anything with feet in them or rompers do not fit so well, and the onsies won't fit much after this week. Good thing we have lots of clothes in bigger sizes, we are going to need them!

GROWING Baby

2009-06-03T18:38:00.000-04:00

Sebastian went to the pediatrician today for his 6-week check up. Doctor Lee confirmed what we already know, he is a very healthy and happy baby. He weighed 12 lbs 8 oz, and was 24 inches long. He was very good for the doctor, probably because there were no shots in sight this time. Next time, watch out, we've been warned it will be rough.

Zoo Trip Number 2!

2009-06-01T09:45:00.000-04:00

Saturday, we met our friends Laurie and Josh, and their two kids Will (5) and Alyssa (8 weeks) at the zoo. We had a great time! It was certainly a lot hotter and far more crowded than it was in early May. Again, we didn't see a lot, it was more about walking around, getting some fresh air and just hanging out.

Sebastian was mesmerized by the aquarium. He stared at the fish as they swam by, and I don't think he even blinked once. He sure is very aware of everything that goes on around him. We find we have to really entertain him and keep him stimulated or he gets bored quickly, and lets us know it!

We have a pediatrician appointment on Wednesday. I am anxious to see how much the little porker weighs. I am betting it is over 12 lbs for sure. I'll be sure to post what we find out after our appointment.

What the duck are you looking at?

2009-05-29T11:08:00.000-04:00

OK every kid needs at least one embarassing picture taken, Sebastian will have his fair share we are sure. This week has been nice and calm for the most part. We think he is going through some weird growing/eating phase, and he is a little less predictable with his eating schedule than he has been. Things are still going very well overall and we still get 4 hours of sleep before he wakes up for mid-night feedings. As you can see in the picture, "Tubby Time" is less stressful than it was at first, now that we wash his face and head last not first. Once the water touches his head he screams.

We can't believe how quickly he is outgrowing some of his clothes! The little porker is filling out his clothes quite well, though in his defense the cloth diapers add a little extra "junk in the trunk" so its not all him.

Flying Baby!

2009-05-24T12:18:00.000-04:00

This is Sebastian's new favorite position! Weird huh?

Last night our friends the Alcorns hosted an outdoor family movie night. they projected onto a huge canvas screen right in their yard and had about 40 people over to enjoy. We stayed until 10, then Sebastian decided it was time to go.

Daddy's First Overnight Trip

2009-05-23T08:02:00.000-04:00

Well it wasn't easy, but I survived my first overnight trip away from Sebastian and Todd. More importantly, Todd survived his first overnight without me. I have to say, when I got home he looked very happy to see me, and I took the baby right away. I needed a little lovin', and Todd needed a break.

The picture above is the view from my hotel room. Pretty impressive huh? The city of Silverthorne, CO is way up in the mountains about 90 minutes outside of Denver, amd home to the newest Kenneth Cole outlet store. The training application that I have spent the last year designing, developing and marketing finally was put in the hands of actual "users" in a retail environment. Kenneth Cole is our pilot partner to allow us to test its applicability and functionality. The feedback was great.

OK enough about work, back to Sebastian. He is so funny lately. We see a real personality developing, and he is so adorable. I can already tell he is going to be one awesome kid. I found myself noticing every baby that passed me by at the airports this week. Thoughts of homesickness went through my head. I also watched the families carefully, trying to glean things that they were doing that looked like they were either working or not. I have a funny feeling our first trip will be a learning experience more than anything.

Sebastian is 1 Month Old!

2009-05-19T17:57:00.000-04:00

Our little man is already 1 month old. It seems like he has always been here, but it also seems like just yesterday that we got the call that Brit was in labor.

My friend Laurie brought her baby Alyssa over today to meet Sebastian. She is adorable and looks just like her with beautiful auburn hair and big blue eyes. We had a nice lunch and visited a bit while the babies took turns being either happy or crying. It was funny to see.

He's making some changes in his schedule and eating habits. He seems to have longer periods of sleep and being awake, and as long as he is dry he is happy.

This week is going to be hard. In addition to the day trip I made to St. Cloud MN on Monday, I have an overnight trip to Denver on Thursday/Friday. I hope Todd survives!

Our gorgeous boy is growing up!

2009-05-17T15:56:00.000-04:00

We are just a few days shy of Sebastian being here for a month and already I see such big changes. He is so cute we can't stand it. He certainly keeps us on our toes, and we have managed to get ourselves into a very nice groove.

This weekend we went to the German Village yard sale. It was great, we realized that all we need to do is plan ahead and we manage him easily. We even changed and fed him right in the back of the Jeep when he needed it, and then went back to our day.

I have to travel for three of the five days this week. I am not looking forward to it at all, but it is the reality of my work. I sure will miss the little guy!

Meeting Grammie and Pop-Pop

2009-05-11T22:35:00.000-04:00

Wow what a weekend little man had! Mark's parents (Mark Sr. and Cheryl) came to Columbus to meet Sebastian, and to celebrate Mark's 40th birthday on Monday. The weekend was spent just hanging out, having a great time as a family, and letting Grammie and Pop Pop spend as much time with Sebastian as possible. They babysat on Saturday night, so we could go out for dinner to celebrate the 40th birthday with Kevin and Craig. We all went to Grandville on Mother's Day and had brunch with Todd's family at the Buxton Inn.

We really had an awesome time. Todd got me an iPod and tickets to see A Chorus Line. I can't wait!

Back to Work

2009-05-06T16:13:00.000-04:00

Well, even though I "worked" on Tuesday, 4/28 I officially returned to work yesterday, 5/5/2009. It was weird in a few ways, for example, Todd was home and will be every day, and Sebastian was of course here as well. I had meetings throughout the day, and though I could hear him crying I stayed in the office and let Todd handle the situation. They were just fine, and I was able to come out of the office for lunch and between meetings and hold him and hang out before heading back into the office.

Shannon, our social worker, paid a visit on Tuesday afternoon. She was very pleased with how things are going and loved seeing Sebastian in his new home. We had a great visit, and she plans another the first week of June. After that we have our interlockatory hearing on June 12.

Sebastian's new nicknames this week are "Chugger" and "Super Soaker." Both are related to each other, sort of a cause-and-effect relatiobship. Good thing we are using cloth diapers, we'd be spending all of our money on Pampers otherwise! Yes... CLOTH DIAPERS! If you have any questions about that email us. I am a HUGE fan of the cloth diaper and I am super glad we are using them. We put him in dispsables for the pictures on Monday and I didn't like them at all! You can also visit the "Diaper Pin" website, it is full of information about cloth diapering. I will say this, there are a lot of options out there, you have to weigh the choices and pick one that works for you. We use "prefolds" and love them, but when he grows out of them we will likely go to a "one size" diaper like GroBaby or Bum Genius.

Picture Day!

2009-05-04T15:56:00.000-04:00

This picture is not one of the professional ones we had done today, but it sure looks good! Sebastian did a great job with the photographer, and she took some amazing shots. They sure know how to get you though, they have lots of offers for very expensive packages! We got enough to have some to keep but we also know we have lots and lots more pictures in our future.

It is 4:00 PM on the last day of my "paternity leave." I am already depressed about having to work again! At least Todd gets to focus his attention 100% on Sebastian while I work. This is going to be a great arrangement for us all.

2009-05-02T18:46:00.000-04:00

We spent the morning and early afternoon at the Columbus Zoo! We got a family membership today, and spent a few quality hours checking out the animals with our friends Ray and Matt and their kids Jenny and Aaron. We had a blast! Poor Sebastian slept through most of it, except for waking up as we were in line to see the baby elephant. It was a bit brave of us to attept this early on, but we managed without too much trouble. We all had a great time and can't wait to go again and again.

Healthy (and BIG) Baby!

2009-04-30T19:25:00.001-04:00

Today we went to see Dr. Lee for the first time. Sebastian was up around 6, so we thought a 9:30 appointment was going to be good. Well... we checked into the main desk around 9:15. He decided it was time to eat, and boy was he hungry. We managed to get a bottle put together and into him pretty quickly. That bought us some time. We went to the exam room where he was weighed and measured. He has managed to gain 11 oz and grew an inch in the last week. He is up to 10 lbs and 20.5 inches! What a big boy! When we undressed him to be weighed and measured he of course had a dirty diaper. As soon as the nurse was finished with him we had to change him...

Dr. Lee came in and checked him over from head to toe. Everything is looking great, and Sebastian is thriving. We will see Dr. Lee again in a month. Until then we are all clear for regular baths, and being outside is fine but we are going to restrict the number of people that are too close and handling him for a while longer.

Our latest thing at home is the baby carrier. We strap him into the harness and carry him around on our chests for hours at a time. It serves several purposes actually. First, we get to keep him close while he naps. He seems to like the warmth of our bodies, the beating of our hearts, and the motion as we move around. Second, we have both hands free while he is on us, in fact he is on me right now as I type. I can get things done like fold laundry, make bottles or blog while he hangs out. It is a lot of fun.

When he is awake and not strapped to us we like to be on the activity mat, sometimes on his tummy and sometimes on his back. He also seems to really like music, we play music in his room, and in the car when we are out and about.

That's all for today, remember if you want to see pictures of him visit our Picasa site by clicking here.

Two Sleepy Boys

2009-04-27T18:02:00.000-04:00

What a busy day we had yesterday! First, Todd's youngest brother Kevin and his family (wife Jennifer, sons Jordan and Michael) came over for a visit. They arrived just after a feeding and change, so it was perfect timing. They got to visit with Sebastian before he zonked out, then we had time to make some lunch and visit. The boys were more into investigating our home, looking to see if we have a Wii (we do not) and finally I took them to the playground at the school down the street. We don't have much for 7 and 9 year old boys to do here, yet.

Todd's other brother Craig and his partner Kevin came over Sunday evening. We sat out on the patio and had a nice dinner while Sebastian slept, and they got to know him a little before they had to leave.

Today was a good day as well, we are settling into a pretty nice routine, and the weather is so beatiful it makes for a great time all around. We are even getting some small house projects done like moving the firewood finally and getting the Cherokee a much needed oil change.

I am going to work tomorrow down in Cincinnati. It will be really hard to be gone for the day, but I look at it as a chance to test out the one parent home thing, and I also realize it is one less day of PTO I have to 'burn' so I can use it later in the year.

Sebastian's Big Day Out

2009-04-25T15:13:00.000-04:00

OK, it wasn't a BIG day out, but it was his first. It is so sunny and beautiful here we had to go for a walk yesterday. Todd and I learned a valuable lesson. Feed the baby BEFORE you go for a walk. The other thing we realized is that by the time you realize you need to turn around and go home you have a long way to go to get back.

Our first 2 days home have been great. Sebastian is sleeping 3-4 hours between changings/feedings and we have no fussiness otherwise (so far). I realize the more I say that out loud the greater the chances of jinxing things. We are now fully in choth diapers too. They are surprisingly easy to get on and off, and he seems to cry a lot less with the diaper changes. Could be coincidence about the crying, but the important thing is that we will save a TON of money over the next few years for sure. The environmental debate remains to be seen.

Sebastian had his debut on the webcam with his Grammie and Pop Pop Deans last night. They visited for a little bit, and we plan to have them read him a bedtime story soon. This will be fun! We wish that we all lived closer. We can't wait for Sebastian to meet the whole family. Speaking of family, Todd's mother and her friend Evelyn are on their way here to visit.

Mark's friends Stephanie and Julie stopped by for a while this morning. We're having a busy day that's for sure!

Well, that does it for today. More later!

Coming Home

2009-04-24T09:09:00.000-04:00

Well, our little man is home. The 8 minute drive from Grant Hospital to home seemed like an eternity, and I caught myself driving a lot slower than my normal freeway pace. That's probably a good thing overall. We hung out here and showed Sebastian his new home then Todd and I ate dinner. Once we were all settled in, we fed and changed Sebastian and relaxed on the couch for a bit. He went down to sleep very well, and woke up about 3 hours later... hungry and dirty. Two hours later... and two and a half hours after that.

After the last feeding he stayed up for a while. We talked a bit, sang a song and then he was ready to lay down again. Todd and I are busy getting the weeks' chores caught up while we are still fresh from sleeping last night. Naps are in the cards for everyone today!

Day one...

2009-04-21T21:18:00.001-04:00

We had a great first day. So far so good. We are having a very quiet and relaxed day actually, and everyone is healthy and happy.

Happy Birthday Sebastian Parks Felumlee-Deans!

2009-04-21T04:54:00.001-04:00

Here he is... our baby... we'll put all the vital statistics and his full name here soon, we have a few phone calls to make first but it is very early. He was born at 4:24 AM after just 13 minutes of pushing...

Another picture of the nursery...

2009-04-16T12:31:00.004-04:00

Still No Baby

2009-04-16T11:04:00.002-04:00

Quick appointment today. Baby is negative 1 station, and Britnei is still 1-2 cm. No baby today, but soon. Our next appointment is Tuesday so hopefully there is better news next week. We're all ready for this baby to come!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T11:01:00.002-04:00

Well, another busy week is over. I had three days in Miami and another day trip to Cincinnati this week. Its good to be home.

Thursday was another visit to the OBGYN with Britnei. Short trip this time, he checked her again and still no more progress from the 1 cm. She is CONVINCED that the baby will come today, but that would take a miracle. I doubt we have the baby before the due date of 4/24.

Todd and I are headed to Dayton to meet up with his brother, Donnie, his wife Stacey and their 6 kids today. Todd's parents are meeting us there as well. Eating Easter dinner at Red Robin, maybe I can get a HAMburger. :-)

April 2 Update

2009-04-02T16:57:00.003-04:00

What a crazy week this has been. I am in Cincinnati at his company's headquarters all week. Being away from home this close to the delivery is a a little nerve wracking. Britnei started having contractions yesterday, most likely Braxton Hicks, nothing serious yet. She was examined again today and is only 1 cm and 50% effaced. Progress but nothing serious yet.

She is meeting Shannon (case worker from the county) tonight so that Shannon can complete the "birth mother" side of the paperwork and assessment. I hope to get a report from her when Shannon leaves.

We heard from Susan (attorney) today, everything is in order from a paperwork perspective, the hospital social worker has been contacted, and the attorney for Britnei has been identified and contacted.

Todd put the crib together this week. I swear I am going out of town more often; every time I do he gets so much done! A picture is included...

One More Step Accomplished

2009-03-27T17:59:00.003-04:00

What a week! I had a trip to Anaheim to speak at the Alliance 2009 conference (Oracle Higher Education). Great trip, but a little nerve racking to leave knowing that the baby is due soon.
Britnei had an appointment on Thursday, things went very well. They had some tests to do (cultures, etc.) so she had a "full" exam. The doctor told her she is 2 cm dilated. Certainly not a sign that the baby will be here tomorrow, but a sign that things have started to move along and that we are certainly in the home stretch.

Thursday afternoon Todd and I had our meeting with Shannon, our adoption case worker. She was wonderful, and made us both feel very comfortable with the process. She asked a lot of questions, had a lot of forms to complete, and after 4 hours we both feel like we did a great job expressing to her why we want to be parents. I found some of the questions very hard to answer, but there was no real 'right' answer... Hopefully she found us suitable candidates and will quickly turn around our paperwork. She meets with Britnei next. Once that is done and the baby is born Shannon will continue to monitor us monthly and make a final report to the Court after 6 months. At that time the adoption will be finalized.

Though baby being born is the BIG event, our work does not stop there, but it is the #1 priority on our minds right now. Todd did an amazing job getting the nursery ready while I was gone. We sold the full size bed we had in there (thanks Craigslist!) and he put the bassinette into the room for now. We are still having a little challenge with the crib/changing table situation. Babies R Us discontinued our collection, but will not sell us the dresser we wanted. They are telling us it was due to quality (lead) issues, but the manufacturer is telling us something else. I am a little fed up, and not having great success finding something else we like of course. Small problems to have in the grand scheme of things I realize, but annoying none the less.

The next 2 weeks are insane for me at work, hopefully this little guy doesn't decide to come out early. Time will tell!

Fingerprints & Fire Inspection

2009-03-23T07:00:00.002-04:00

We both appeared at the Franklin county Probate Court on 3/16/09 to be fingerprinted, which is routine in adoption situations. On Thursday, 3/19/09, our home was inspected for fire safety by the Columbus Division of Fire. In preparation, escape plans had to be created and posted on each floor, additional smoke detectors were installed, a fire extinguisher was purchased and mounted in the kitchen, cabinets containing chemicals & cleaning agents were locked, incandescent light bulbs were replaced with cooler flourescent lighting, etc. Thankfully, we passed the inspection!

The Reality of Adoption

2009-03-13T15:45:00.002-04:00

We finally got a call from the county assessor, Shannon. She seems very friendly and I think she will help make this process go as easily as possible. That being said, it won't be a cake walk by any means. We are just 6 weeks from the due date, and there is a lot to get done in a short amount of time. Right now we need the following:

Fire safety inspection
Medical reference from my doctor
5 letters of reference from friends
Background check/fingerprinting

Once these are in place, Shannon will come and meet with Todd and me. The good news is she is aware of the nature of our relationship and is very OK with it. I was worried it could go the other way. Once she meets with us we will have a better idea of what is next.

We have finished up getting most of the big things we need to be prepared for his arrival. We need most of this when the assessor comes since we are already "selected" and she will want to be sure we have the essentials.

Britnei was at Grant yet again today. She had some pains and her mother took her to L&D. They sent her back home... again. I swear when she DOES go into labor no one is going to believe her!

Next OBGYN appointment is on March 26 (Todd's Birthday) and after that we go weekly until the baby is born. That's all for now!

Childbirth Class

2009-03-02T15:37:00.002-05:00

We had our childbirth class on Saturday, February 28. The class was scheduled from 12:30- 9:00 PM, talk about a long day. The room was pretty uncomfortable but we managed.
There was nothing too surprising or alarming in the class, but it was good to hear about the clear steps of labor and some of the interventions that might be necessary. Taking a tour of the hospital was good as well, we have a better idea of where we will be spending time when the baby finally arrives.
The staff at Grant was great, and we even got to peek at a few newborns in the nursery. They are SO cute!

Another Checkup and All is Well

2009-02-24T14:07:00.002-05:00

Today's OB/Gyn appointment went well. Britnei gained 3 lbs since her last appointment, and didn't get lectured at this time. That is always good. The social worker talked with her one-on-one again today, which she hates. I think the talking to people like the nurses and social workers is the hardest part of all of this for her. She really dislikes talking to most people.

The doctor confirmed that the baby is doing just fine, and growing along as expected. She is measuring 32 cm which is just right at 32 weeks. Sorry to tell her he is not bigger than expected and there is no reason to think he will come any earler than the week of the 20th of April.

Everything else is going as planned. Todd and I picked up the crib on Sunday. We quickly lamented the loss of our truck, though we love the Jeep, it was nice to be able to transport things like that easily. Luckily Stephanie and Steve have a truck and live near Babies R Us. THANKS STEVE!

The Check's In The Mail

2009-02-19T10:11:00.001-05:00

Big step completed this week- our application to the county was submitted, as well as the payment for the fees related to the home study process. It is only a matter of time until the county contacts us to do the first of the 3 home visits, and starts contacting our references. We hope this will be a painless process, but you never know. Wish us luck!

Quick Correction

2009-02-15T22:34:00.000-05:00

I used the term "co-parent" in the last post. It technically be co-custody. I know it sounds nearly the same but it is not exactly. I will get the exact specifics and clear this up for those curious about this.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-13T18:19:00.001-05:00

OK technically this post is going in on Friday the 13th but Valentine's Day has a much better ring to it. Before I get started I want to wish my parents a HAPPY 40TH ANNIVERSARY! They are the most amazing couple we know and really admire them and their relationship.

Britnei had the first of her now bi-weekly OB appointments this week. See most recent ultrasound posted here as well. It sure is different from the peanut shaped blob we saw so long ago. He has her nose we can tell. It sure is cute! Todd went with her since Mark had to go to New York for work. Britnei and "Pickle" are doing really well, her BP, glucose, and other levels are all looking good. Her ankles are swollen but that is to be expected and the stairs at school are getting rough for her but she is really doing well overall. She is preoccupied with her upcoming 18th birthday. Dinner at House of Japan is the plan, and oddly enough childbirth classes the next day. We will be present for both. She is getting a bit moody about this stuff, she keep asking why she needs to go to the doctor so often and complains about having to talk to the nurses or social worker. Not sure what to tell her, it is part of the process.

We had great news from the attorney today. The legal process should be pretty painless for us, and based on a meeting she had with the new Probate Court judge. His statement to her: "Alternative families will not have any problems adopting as long as I hold this seat." She submitted 2 gay couples in the last 3 weeks and had no issues at all. Good to hear but sad that we have to worry about things like this.

So, here is the plan:

Finalize our pre-placement application

County contacts us and holds the first of 3 visits

County does background checks

County meets with Britnei

County approves us for placement (we certainly hope)

Pickle is born (YEAH!!!)

Mark and Todd take Pickle home under "babysitting agreement"

3 days after birth Britnei signs over custody

6 months later adoption is finalized by county court

Todd applies to be co-parent

THE END

Not to oversimplify this or sound overly confident but this seems to be going very well for us, and we know that there are still warning spots, pitfalls and disappointments that can happen. We are staying postive and focused on this and making our dream of being a family come true.

We did experience our first "Oh, we can't do that we will have the baby" moment. Etta James is coming to Columbus, we both ADORE her and seeing her live would be amazing. The concert is May 2... hey she was on "Austin City Limits" recently we can just watch a re-run and be happy at home with our son. It's a much better way to spend a night! Ask us how we feel after 6 months or 6 years. By then getting a sitter for a night won't be a big deal. Two weeks, we want to be by his side.

That's all for now... more in 2 weeks or so after the next appointment or blog-worthy event.

Happy Valentine

2009-02-13T18:19:00.000-05:00

Quick Update

2009-02-01T17:18:00.000-05:00

Well, we are now certified in CPR... let's hope we never need it but we are at least prepared. The class was quick. It was scheduled for 3 hours but we were done in an hour. It helps that the American Heart Association has simplified the CPR and choking procedures. When I was first certified as a lifeguard there were several different procedures depending on the age of the victim. It is all pretty universal now.

Another fun fact is that the instructor was gay, and the owner of the agency that provided the training is a lesbian. I am sensing a trend here. The GLBT community is really cashing in on this adoption thing!

Late January Ob/Gyn Update

2009-01-27T17:22:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! Todd and I are back from our vacation to Disney. What a trip, with the cold snap in Orlando it felt like we were back home in Ohio. Then again it was certainly a lot colder at home than in Florida. We are now dealing with back to back snow storms. UGH.
While we were gone Britnei had a little scare and had to go to L&D at the hospital to be checked. It turns out she was dehydrated, and that caused some cervical stress. We keep reminding her to drink more water but you know how well that is going.
Today's appointment went well. She had a glucosa test, and received a RhoGAM shot since she is RH negative. We will start going to the doctor every 2 weeks now, not monthly. Next appointment is 2/10.
Todd and I have CPR training on Saturday, and we recently signed everyone (Todd, Julie, Britnei and Mark) for child birth training on February 28. It is an all day event, sounds intense. I sure hope Britnei is ready for this!
That's all for now...

Oh for anyone keeping track we are 87 days to the due date. :-)

100 Days and Counting

2009-01-14T15:23:00.000-05:00

As of today we have 100 days until the due date-- it is hard to believe that it is so close! Julie signed us all up for childbirth classes. We will spend the better part of the day on Feb. 28 learning all there is to know about giving birth. Todd and I will both be able to attend, and be in the room during the delivery. I really hope that Britnei takes this opportunity to learn about what to expect so she can prepare herself physically and mentally. Julie, Todd and I are all nervous about how she is going to handle this. We will all be there to support her, but she has to be the one to go through with it.

Other than that there is no more information to post. I sent a series of questions to our attorney nearly a month ago, and resent them this weekend and still have no answers. I am getting a bit antsy if nothing else, and I want to be certain we don't run out of time to complete the required inspections and approvals.

That's all for now. Todd and I will be at Disney next week. I'll be sure to post a picture!

Better late than never

2009-01-03T17:24:00.000-05:00

Here are some more images of the last ultrasound. You can really see his face and spine!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T10:33:00.000-05:00

WOW I haven't written since December 8, I guess that makes me a bad blogger. Mostly there hasn't been too much to write in the last few weeks. This is the first posting of 2009-- the year we will become parents! It is so funny the number of emails and messages I have been getting lately "enjoy your sleep while you can, this is your last Christmas before you become parents, etc." To everyone I say "BRING IT ON" we are ready.

We had another appointment on Tuesday, things are just fine. Baby is growing very well, Britnei's weight gain was under control this month, and we are progressing normally. Her next appointment they will give her the glucose test to make sure her sugar is OK. We also found out that the new Labor & Delivery facility at the hospital won't open in January as planned, but will open in March. We will still deliver there, but we will probably tour the old facility in January/February to start getting a lay of the land.

After the appointment Britnei and I (Mark) spent the day together. I took her to Target to do some shopping as a Christmas present from us, then we went to Babies R Us so I could show her some of the things we are picking out for him. Let's just say we have different taste. Britnei is a big fan of the Care Bears-- that is not going to happen.

We want to wish you all a very Happy New Year, and pray that all of our families and loved ones have a fantastic 2009.

Learning about Baby Care

2008-12-08T18:46:00.000-05:00

Todd and I completed an "Infant Care Basics for Adoptive Parents" class at Grant Hospital on Saturday. It was very informative, and it reassured us that the things we have been discussing and reading are in fact correct. We realize that everyone will have opinions, but we will do what we feel is right for us and our baby.

The class was 3 hours and included some great tips for diapering, bathing, feeding, and basic development. Our instructor, Julie Janson, was amazing, and has adopted 2 children herself. In fact, she even works with Adpotion Circle, the agency here in Columbus that we might have do our home study.

We still have to take the Infant and Child CPR class, that is coming up in January. We did learn that we have to have a fire inspection done. Todd found the form online, it is about $85 to have the inspection done. It will be good piece of mind to know that our home is safe.