It's the "Freakin' Weekend!

Here at Team Totten, we love our weekends!  Come, celebrate with us, the water is warm!!

After a significant build up of concern heading into last night's sleep routine, Parker was an absolute champ.  He slept 5 hours straight, and had a gigantic smile on his face when I went into get him for his midnight snack.  So rewarding!  But then, he remembered that it can't be all peacocks and daisies (he is a Totten, mind you), so I wouldn't say it was his best feeding...that and he decided to projectile just about everything inside of him all over the place leading to my first trial of Oxyclean Stain Remover (insert trademark sign here), followed by some heavy scrubbing and an occasional curse - I mean, who doesn't clean their walls and clothes hamper at 4am?  I can tell you...Oxyclean isn't perfect. 

Only in America.  Fact.

Parker's new trick when I give him a bottle is to sneeze.  It's awesome - remember when you were a kid and you were trying to make milkshakes or a smoothie or something, you turned the blender on high and then took the lid off?  And milk went everywhere?!  That's what my face looks like when I'm hovering over him with a bottle and he sneezes.  It's marvelous.  Happened three times last night in fact.  He laughed after the last one.  We had a talk - I think we're clear now on what works and what doesn't. 

A classic morning at The 418, kicked off with breakfast for Parker and coffee for the bride and I.  I made breakfast for us, and Treva and I made faces at Parker for about an hour to keep him awake, good times!  Then, I raced off to Idaho (actually, it was only Carnation, WA where farms and mosquitoes are the only things around...kind of feels like a state away) and participate in something the kids refer to as a "Hell Run"...an organized free-for-all 5k in the mud complete with pits, walls, barbed wire, and large men with wrestling masks on.  I run a lot - but never in three feet of mud.  That was weird.  But, we finished and nobody hurt themselves...that I know about.  So a good deed done - cherished mud hounds Kyle and Hepler to the right. 

Tonight was a special treat for Master Parker - Moshi Moshi with the Huhmensons!  His first sushi experience, and at happy hour prices!  Moshi Moshi is one of our favorite restaurants in all land, and while he didn't get any spicy tuna rolls, he took the bottle pretty well in the restaurant and no major meltdowns.  That is absolutely a victory for us! 

Today I thought a lot about how filthy I was, and the fact that for some reason, it was my own doing.  And that quickly followed by imagining how much dirt PJT will be tracking in one day, and not at all realize he's doing it.  Boys love dirt, and our hardwoods love attention....I can't wait!  

Until tomorrow, the guidance I leave you with:  drive safely after a mud run...The good Lord forbid anything should happen on the way home....your underwear is dirty. 

dwt.

Two Month Check-Up

Wow, does time fly?!  Two month check-up today, and the little man passed with flying colors!  We arrived at Ballard Peds with high hopes that his weight was good, height was "on pace," and head circumference was quasi-acceptable.  I'm proud to report that my son, little Parker Jackson Totten, is literally completely AVERAGE.  50th percentile in everything!  I love an average kid.  He's the best average you can find!

11 pounds and 13 ounces today, which is again, just a wee bit more than I weighed when I was born, and he's on the fast track to continual weight gain, which is excellent!  More importantly though, in the long run, is being of average height.  Did you know that I was a short kid?  True story.  So true in fact, that I used to complain and stress about it all the time as a child.  So convinced was Dianna Lee (mother dear) that I would eventually hit what the papers refer to as a "growth spurt" that she bet me $100 that I would be taller than 5'5" (her height) by the time I turned 14.  We signed a contract, on a post-it note.  I still have the post-it note.  I don't have the $100 that I won though.  It wasn't even close either, I think I was at least 3-4 inches shorter than she was.  Now, I don't expect Parker to be a giant or anything, but I really do hope he's tall enough to ensure that other kids won't be tempted to hang him on a coat hook in the 6th grade, perhaps by a kid like Joe French causing him to "lose his cool" when subsequent bullies tried to push him and spending numerous days / nights down at the potholes engaged in physical violence to protect his reputation....hypothetically.  It could all be avoided if he were a big enough kid that the other kids wanted to befriend instead of put in a trash can.  I'm just saying, he could live a simpler life - and isn't that all we can ask?!

Tough afternoon for Mrs. Tots and myself - the poor kid got his first round of immunizations today and I swear to you, the needle was bigger than his foot.  And, per previous posts, the kid's got my clown shoes for feet.  Anyway, we officially know what he sounds like when the cry indicates PAIN.  He was okay coming home and getting fed - but when I came home at 4pm today, Treva said she literally had him snuggling on her chest for four straight hours because every time she tried to put him down, the little man erupted in that same pained cry.  At 4pm, I got him and he's quite possibly the best cuddler in the world!  But not in a good mood today!  We let him sleep outside of his normal wake-time tonight over at Family Dinner w/ the Johnsons, only because he was literally wiped and in pain all day...the kid needed his rest!  I have bottle duty tonight - wish me luck!  With all the sleeping he did during the day today, there's an above average chance he won't be at all interested in a good night's sleep tonight!  And if that's the case, I wish Joe French was here to stay awake with him....

dwt.

Parker's first Ocean visit!

That's the ocean behind us, FYI

Growing up in sunny Camas, we had the chance to go to the Oregon Coast all the time as kids, and both Treva and I have great memories of visits and experiences enjoyed - hers at Fort Stevens, mine with the family bouncing between Seaside, Cannon Beach, and Manzanita.  This post is a bit overdue, but fun nonetheless - I took the week after Labor Day off and we packed up the family (including Beagle) and headed south.  If you're a loyal reader, you know we bookended the trip with Camas visits to see nephew Bam Bam and the rest of our closest to kin...now for some data points on the rest of the trip, Post 1.0 of the Seaside visit has arrived.  Yes, I'm wearing Microsoft logo gear in the majority of activities that become documented in my life...
We stayed that Huey Mansion, just a few blocks north of the promenade and a couple of blocks off the ocean.  So nice for Greg and Tiffany to open up Greg's parents place for our consumption for three days!  I made reservations for the Shilo Inn, beachfront.  let's run down the advantages to the Shilo Inn:

• Location, right next to the prom & beach.
• Wireless internet
• Allowed dogs
• Swimming Pool

Disadvantages to the Shilo Inn:

• We can't even imagine the feelings our shared-wall neighbors would have in the hotel during one of PJT's witching hours!! 
• Wireless internet - (a negative given Mrs. Totten was convinced it was "vacation")
• Tiny Tots is a really, really loud sleeper...sharing a room is less than desirable
• Olive the Beagle is an even louder sleeper...in her old age, she's taken up snoring and random yelping in her sleep (obviously due to dreams of chasing rabbits and the sort).  Again, less than desirable....
• No kitchenette, backyard, Vanity Fairs to read, etc. (the finer things in life)
• Location - I'm not sure being right next to the Promenade is a "good thing" per se...

The kid is in the pouch.  We didn't lose him.
But the dog?  No idea where she is at this point...

At the end of the day, the Swimming Pool couldn't out-muscle the convenience factor of getting to do laundry when we needed to, or have separate rooms for both Parker and Olive's beds.  Moreover, having a separate room even to feed Parker and put him down for naps was a gigantic bonus!  Chalk this one up as lesson number 2,134 I've put in the books since having Parker:  staying overnight places requires more "amenities" than you think it does.  So the answer?  Find better, more generous friends, who have alternatives to the Shilo Inn.

More beach talk in post 2.0 later this week, but only another couple of hours on this flight and I need to sneak some sleep in! 

dwt.

Discipline is key!

Do not think for a minute that a Wednesday night red-eye to Chicago for me and wine night for Treva means we're going to forgo the routine we're establishing with Tiny Tots!  Discipline is key around here, and it all starts with a schedule.  The man eats, then it's some serious wake-time.  And then, he shall sleep.  It's all good when it works.  But even if it doesn't, the schedule is the framework for which all activities will reside within!  If nothing but to set the precedent that we will not compromise THE FRAMEWORK!

Which is the beginning of a long line of deliberations and debates surely to take place in The 418 as Parker grows in age and boundary-pushing-curiosity.  So whenever you've got some negotiations happening from the bottom up (well, middle management since technically, Olive would be the entry level and she's not very good at articulating her position), it's crucially important to establish a unified front line to listen, provide empathy for said requests outside of the framework, and then systematically shoot down anything in the realm of ridiculousness.  That's best case scenario.  Worst case scenario?  A divided leadership team - Mrs. Tots on one side, yours truly meandering about on the other.  So who becomes the disciplinarian in this family unit, who fits the better good cop / bad cop role?  I have my thoughts....and it's not looking good for Tiny Tots....

I'm off to middle America while the rest of the world sleeps.  Be amazing all you interwebbers, use your powers for good.

dwt.

It's Wednesday!!

Only a short post today because it's been a crazy week, I've got a ton of things to take care of tonight, and Treva has me on a sleep schedule now.  Three key updates for tonight:

1. Parker's two month birthday, TODAY!  How incredible is that?!  Two months?!  Seriously?  Look for a traditional "getting old" post later this week...
2. Parker is becoming a trained assassin at his "wake-time" requirements.  He's so much fun, so expressive and happy during planned wake times now, it's pretty good stuff.  He sits there making all kinds of squeaks and peeps, looking all around the room, and his ability to find eye contact and keep it is better than two people on my team at Microsoft.  Awesome milestones with this new kid who can see and smile :).
3. Parker's favorite color is beige this week.

Announcements went out last week, and my apologies for not having better content up for those who are just seeing the blog for the first time...I should have planned for more entertaining and/or relevant posts this week.  I promise on our next kid, I'll be more prepared.  Until then, focus less on the writing and more on Master Parker...

dwt.

Work stinks....

It's Monday, I had to go into work today - and it was a LONGGGGGG day.  And I started thinking about my life and what has become of it.  While very blessed with my professional path and the opportunities I have developed since grad school, it is time to come clean - work just stinks.  I would much rather be at home watching Bourne Supremecy for the 15th time during wake-time after the lunch feeding, while sitting in sweat pants and some sort of logo-gear sweatshirt.  Having the past three days to hang out with Mrs. Totten and Parker...it's just not the same having to leave them for the day.

Speaking of blessings beyond belief, Treva and I celebrated seven glorious years of marriage together last night.  And although it seems like just yesterday that I convinced her to deal with me forever (over bottomless soup, salad, and breadsticks), we've had plenty to be thankful for over the past seven years....we talked a lot about our favorite memories, and there have been some good ones!  Some of my favorites, with stories a plenty for Parker J when he learns to read and comprehend classic bullet point presentation style:

• Buying the Bellevue house...and bringing Olive home to it
• Paris trips to visit the European half of FC Italy (The Johnsons)
• Moving out of the Bellevue house, taking advantage of every square inch of the storage POD, and then taking off for our three-week voyage to Italy, France while the Queen Anne house was going through Phase 1 and I just switched jobs.  Awesome reckless abandon there...sweet! 
• Speaking of, Hotel Pannoni!  Best Bed and Breakfast in King County!!  Yelp it!
• The night we bought our new car after Olive and I hoofed it from Contintental Garage in 117 degree heat...with no water...uphill the entire way...
• Vanessa (the neighbor) killing Sarah's hamster, Bear
• Friday nights at the Paragon
• Dwarf Pene.  Thank you Johnsons
• Hosting Jessica's birthday parties - we need more of those.  I hereby request Jessica celebrates more than one b-day party a year
• Chelan - 8 years and counting...
• The countless visits in Damian's travel schedule, filled with bourbon, sports-watching, and ping-pong matches.  Olive loves his visits as well, so will Parker!
• Treva quitting her job, going to school, getting a new job and liking her new job.  Crazy when that works out...
• Did I mention Parker Jackson Totten yet? 
• In Bellevue, after a late night out with friends and/or just ourselves, nothing beat fast food on the drive home.  We never do that anymore.  And we should.  I'm going to start again.  It's my FY'12 (Microsoft calendar) Resolution
• Our first co-ed soccer match, where I convinced Donna Goins to give me a shot and I didn't trip on or over myself in the entire game, earning a repeat invitation "so long as I paid season dues."  What great friends and good memories we have with our soccer group, love those guys!
• All construction phases...pain in the form of dust and validated personal checks

The good news is, it only took me 18 years to get Treva to go out with me and only seven years to do some amazing things (see above).  Imagine the stories we'll tell on our 80th anniversary, am I right?!

dwt. 

What a weekend!

On this beautifully windy Seattle Sunday night, we're reminded of what a quality life we live here on Team Totten!  After coming back into town on Thursday, I took Friday off and was able to have a nice relaxing day at home with the family.  We're working hard on keeping Parker on a schedule - and every day is a new experiment focused on measuring sleep / eating / wake-time to better predict nighttime sleep duration.  That's a long sentence that states:  we ARE going to get Master Fussbucket to sleep better at night. 

To be fair to Tiny Tots, he's not a bad sleeper, all things considered.  Only at night in fact is his pattern not exactly predictable at this point in time.  Interestingly enough, his biggest fun factor comes in the form of appearing completely exhausted directly after feedings during the day, struggling to stay awake, only to get wide-eyed and ready to listen to some alternative rock and drink some rootbeer as soon as we get him near his crib. 

Each day starts at 7am, when we're lucky...and it's all uphill from there!  Breakfast in the morning, followed by coffee and wake-time with me, and you can tell...Parker wants to change the world after that first feeding, the sky is the limit for this kid!  On Saturday, after the brunch feeding, Parker made his first trip to Ballard Avenue, pretty much one of five key milestones in his young life...Carte de la Oaxaca (as I call it) was his first touch-down spot in the tradition rich Scandinavian Heritage represented by the City of Ballard.  Pretty cool "first Ballard" story if you ask me.  My first trip to Ballard was to Fred Meyer.  Infinitely less impressive. 

Anyway, a solid lunch for us with the Huey's and Huhmenson and then....wait for it...FAMILY NAP TIME!  Saturdays are awesome.  I snuck a run in late afternoon and then I got my shower just before Tiny Tots got his bath!  One of our favorite things to do, clean that kid up!  He likes it too, we've discussed.  At nights during the weekend, Treva lets me take one night to get up during the mid-night feeding so she can sleep and I get to slap a bottle in that mouth.  Parker loves eating - almost as much from me.  With that said, it's pretty fun to feed him, you'd think he was starving by how he gets after the bottle.  Unfortunately for me, last night was not one of his best eating or sleeping nights, so multiple trips were required. 

All worth it though because Sunday's routine is almost as nice as Saturday's - Breakfast...Church...Coffee / Bagels....Football....More Football.  Today was particularly special as Queen Bee Amy was so kind to come over for a couple of hours at night so Mrs. Totten and I could enjoy our first dinner out and away since Parker was born.  He missed watching football with me and I missed the many chances we have to belch together after snacks.  We'll make up for both activities next week though, I promise. 

Much love,
dwt.