Big changes

I am sure that no one has read my blog in quite awhile, but to be honest, life just doesn't slow down enough to write. I am enjoying my life as a new father (well--relatively new). I look forward to coming home each day and watching as Harrison squeals in delight to see me. It makes me so happy! And the odd times that he gets up early or in the middle of the night and disturbs my sleep that I cherish so much, as soon as he laughs or smiles or squirms at me because he is so excited to see me, it makes it all the more worthwhile, and I forget how tired I am. He's so much fun.

Anyways, as you have probably read on Devynn's blog, we are moving to Florida next week. Today, my sales staff at work gave me a farewell party and some small gifts and just told me how much I will be missed. It has been so much fun to work with all of them and to get to know each of them. I have learned so much from being there and I hope it will translate into success in my new endeavor.

I am going to try and blog more on a regular basis, especially since I will have some interesting stories (I hope) of tales from the Drive Through (hey, maybe that's a better name for this blog!). I will be getting a Blackberry so that I can keep abreast of emails and internet stuff, so maybe it will motivate me a little more. Anyways, for now, see you later!

Been awhile

So, it's been a little while since you heard from me. No, we did not drop off of the face of the earth, or have been sucked into an atomic wormhole or anything. We have all been pretty busy. Devynn's photography has really picked up, and she has started another business, since she wasn't really busy enough! I am still at the bank, and just passed my test to become licensed to sell Mutual Funds. I am pretty excited to finish the training program and move ahead. I guess I am really finished, anyways, I just have more responsibility once the training program is over.

Anyways, we are looking forward to the end of summer...OK, well, I am anyways. I really enjoy the colder weather. Less heat is always better. I find it is easier to warm up in the winter than to try and cool down in the summer. Especially when your A/C is broken in your car. It went kaput on us at the beginning of the summer, so we have gotten used to the other A/C (rolling down the windows).

Welcome Back

Well, I haven't posted in a long time. I have just been busy trying to be a new dad and adjusting to a new position at work, which, by the way, I am really enjoying. It is trying sometimes, but I really enjoy the challenges. I am getting my mutual funds license at the end of the month (provided I pass the exam), so I am really excited to learn that aspect of the financial industry. As some of you know, we are finishing our basement so that Dev can have a photography studio and take the awesome pictures that she is famous for. We finished the drywall this morning, and put the primer on before I went to work. We are hoping to be able to get it all painted and lay the floor before I go for surgery on Thursday. I'm not sure whether that will happen, but we're aiming for that.

Tough Lovin'

We have always been of the view that a good way to raise kids is with some tough lovin'. I understand that you want the best for your kids, and that you really want them to like you as a parent, but I also know that kids get majorly screwed up when parents are too relaxed and let the kids control their lives. So, since today is Harrison's 1 month birthday, Devynn and I decided to start letting him cry himself to sleep at night. Last night, after the feeding around 3:00, we let him cry himself to sleep. He would cry for about 10 minutes, then whimper and the sounds would die off. Then, a few minutes later, I think he would realize that he was asleep and that he did it himself, and wake up and cry again. We let him do this for about an hour, and he was actually asleep (or not making sounds, at least) for about 10 minutes at one point. However, after an hour, Dev and I decided that he probably wouldn't do it that night. But, have no fear, we aren't giving up that easily. We are going to keep trying this until he gets the idea. We'll see how it goes.

In other news, I have been taking this juice recently (Devynn can't because of the effects on Harrison). It is a Himalayan berry-derived juice that has a special chemical makeup that makes your blood alkaline, rather than acid. Having an acidic pH in your body is linked to cancer, Lupus, and a host of other maladies. Aside from the health benefits, it also gives you TONS of energy. Anyways, I think that a lot of people could benefit from it. Obviously, I have not seen for myself that it helps in cancer treatment and other ailments, but I have noticed increased energy, and I seem to not get sick as much. The reason I am telling you this is because I don't recommend products to people that I do not believe in myself, and would not use myself. This is one product that is worth it, to me. I think everyone should try it. If you are interested in more information on this, please let me know, and I will gladly let you know.

"Normal" Life

SO, I guess this is "normal" life. The family have all left, I am back to work, the house is messy and needs cleaned, and no one has come to claim this baby that appeared at our house a few weeks ago. I guess we will just have to keep him.
It is still exciting being a new dad. It's hard sometimes, but Devynn is good, and it was nice to have my family here to help out. I feel bad, though, because I don't know if my parents got to hold him as much as they wanted. There were just so many people around. I should have been more forward and told people that since my parents aren't able to be around as much, that they should have had priority on snuggles. Oh well, I guess they will just have to come and visit more often.

I'm really a dad

So I'm really a daddy. It's hard to believe, but this child just isn't going away. The first week or so, you have this feeling that this kid's parents are coming back any minute to take him back home, and then it dawns on you....you ARE his parents! Honestly, we have been really enjoying it. We have enjoyed getting to know Harrison and getting to learn his personality and temperament and that he already has likes and dislikes: he likes mom, and dislikes baths (I don't think that's all that unique, though). The cats are starting to realize that this is one crying thing that isn't going to leave any time soon, either, so they are starting to try and make friendly with him. Inde sniffs him down good every morning to make sure it's the same kid and we aren't trying to pull a fast one on him and change babies. I think he does get a little confused when we give Harrison a bath; he must smell a little different. All in all, it's been a good experience, so far. I know it's no where near over, but we really enjoy being parents, especially when he's so cute.

In other news, we found out recently that Devynn won't have to go back to work so soon, because I got a promotion at work, and have been hired on full-time as a trainee in the Financial Services side at our branch. The training is 3 months, but it's a position I have been working for now for quite some time, and I am very excited to start. After the 3 months, I will get posted to a permanent branch in the city -- mine is just going to train me. It's been a good couple of weeks, to say the least.

Harrison is home!

We brought little Harrison home on Monday afternoon, but had a rough night with him that night. I think it was just everyone getting into a routine and figuring out what was going on with this new baby thing. The cats are doing pretty good with it all. I think they are just waiting until his parents take him home so they can have their people back. Have I got news for them! They will be alright in the end. Last night was a better night. Mommy felt a little better, so she tended to Harrison through the night so daddy could get some rest so he could go back to work today. We'll see how that goes. Don't get me wrong, I will be trying to do my share, but I think it was good that Dev let me rest so I could be chipper-ish for work.
It's amazing that you can love a little guy so much. All of our friends said that his cry won't affect you as much as when someone else's kid is crying; it won't make you as anxious. They were right, even though I didn't believe them. I can listen to him cry, and it actually makes me laugh. Maybe that's bad, but I think it's funny that he can get himself so worked up, but that's OK. He needs to develop those lungs, I guess. If you ask me, they are a little overdeveloped. He's such a cutie, though, and I love him so much. And, loving him, and having him home reminds me how much I love Devynn, and makes that love even stronger, I think. She's such a trooper, and I'm glad she went through all of that and not me.

He's here!

Well, After months of waiting, little Harrison DeLyle is here. He was born on Saturday at 11:33 pm. He weighed in at 10 lbs, 7 oz. and was 21 inches long. He was taken by C-section because his little noggin just isn't so little. He and mommy are home now, and doing well. We have a whole new world to adjust to. We are excited to begin this phase of our lives that we have been waiting for the last few months. I will post some pictures once things settle. For now, check out the pics on www.ourlittleweeone.blogspot.com.

How big is 4 cm?

Well, Dev went to the doc today, again. It seems like she is there like every week. Hmmm. She said that she is 4 cm dilated, which is really good, considering we thought she would just be pregnant for the rest of her life. Hopefully by the weekend, we will have a new little baby (little is relative, I guess). We are still excited, just grateful we avoided a scare yesterday (www.ourlittleweeone.blogspot.com for those of you that haven't heard). We feel really ready, which is probably why he/she hasn't made an appearance yet. We have threatened to unpack all of the bags, take the carseat out of the car (which, I might add has been in there for almost 2 months now, "just in case"), "unpaint" the nursery, undo the quilt that Gramma Selk made for it, and take back the clothes that Tatik Bohn got for it. Then maybe, just maybe, it would squirt out. Who knows?
It is so exciting that in less than a week, we will really be parents. All the waiting will finally be over. It's not like maybe in a week, or in a few weeks or anything like that. It's actually less than a week. Less than a week from now, I will be holding my new little miracle that I already feel so much love for. Then will start the next phase. Can't wait. It will be fun, but I'm sure challenging, as well.

Hmmmm, something's not making sense...

SO, I thought this baby was going to come out on the 21st. At least, that's what the doctor told us. She said that was it's due date, and being in school, trust me, I know about due dates. When the professor tells you your paper is due on a particular day, you better have it in that day, if not before, or else you are in big doo-doo. So, this baby is in big doo-doo, because it was supposed to be here on Sunday. I will have to have a nice chat with him/her when it comes. Daddy is not very happy. Nor am I very patient (yes, I know it's a virtue and all).

The waiting game

You know, it seems like yesterday we found out we were pregnant. Then, it wasn't very long until we passed that "magical" threshold when it is relatively safe to tell your family and friends. Then, we passed the milestones of listening to the heartbeat, watching the movements, having the pre-term scares, etc. The time has flown by. NOW IT IS STANDING STILL!!! As we wait for this baby to come, the days seem to drag on and on, but still no baby. I know I'm not a very patient person, but it would be nice if we didn't have to wait any longer. It doesn't even seem real anymore; it just seems like Devynn has not been eating that well, and has gotten a little bit of a gut. But, I'm reminded that that's not the truth when I see her "gut" kick or roll over or do 3 backflips with 1 1/2 twists.
It is just so hard to wait right now, but as my wonderful mother-in-law so aptly pointed out, what's a few more days in the whole scheme of things? When they are 25, a couple of days doesn't really matter that much.
I guess she's right, but still....I WANT MY BABY!

Let's take a survey....

I think we should add 3 or 4 more hours to the day. 24 hours just doesn't seem like enough time to get everything done. Or, if we could all convince our bosses that a "full" day's work is 8 hours, or if we could all adjust to getting like 5 or 6 hours a night, that would work, too, I guess. My best friend says I'm just getting the pre-daddy stress. We have so much to do before this baby comes. We just decided that we should finish our basement in the next few weeks, so that we can have a spare room for company when the baby comes. Also, I am in the process of replacing the light in our bedroom and the light in the baby's room with ceiling fans....except the fan on the one in the bedroom isn't working. I haven't tried to put the one up in the baby's room, yet, so I will do that one and see how that goes. Maybe we just got a tequila Friday fan, because the light works, but the fan doesn't. Oh well, if life was easy, it wouldn't be hard.

And by the way, the fact that this baby is coming any day isn't scary at all. No, not at all.....yeah right, who am I kidding? It's scary, exciting, nervous, and all of the extreme emotions mixed in one, and I'm sure it will only get more and more emotional. No, I don't mean that I am going to start crying uncontrollably for no reason, but I think that the emotions will be right at the surface for a little while.

It's almost time!!

Wow, this is beginning to be more and more real as the time draws near. Devynn measured 36 cm at her last doctor's appointment. Also, that same night we went to our first birthing class at one of the hospitals here in town. It is making everything more real. We put the baby seat in the car, the nursery is ready to go, we have diapers, wipers, and more in a bag ready for the hospital. Whenever we go to Lethbridge to visit Devynn's family, we make sure to pack a "just-in-case" bag for her and baby. I am excited feeling the baby kick and be awake, and to get to have a glimpse of its personality. It is amazing to think that there is a little life inside of her that we are going to meet in the next few weeks or so. I am just in awe at the wonder of life, and I am sure that it will be more wonderful as we are in the delivery room waiting to meet this new one.

Where has the time gone?

10 weeks and counting!!!!! We are getting ready to meet this little person that has been slowly growing in Devynn's tummy for the last 7 months. It's crazy how the time has flown by. It seems like it was only yesterday that Devynn was peeing on a stick while I was at work. Now, we have a nursery, a crib, cradle, diapers, wipers, little outfits that even our cats wouldn't fit into! It is exciting and scary at the same time (and I think it's the 52,9471th time I've said that on this blog, I know). I really am excited to hold the little one in my arms and to look into its' eyes and see the person that he or she can become. What a journey!
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On another note, do you ever deal with people that you just want to give a piece of your mind to? In one of my assignments, there is a young man who I deal with who I really shouldn't even deal with in the first place. I look after the 12-13 year olds in our ward, and he is 15, almost 16, so in a totally different age group. Anyways, sometimes his group joins ours for activities, which is fine with me. However, if he does participate, he has to be the center of attention and has no respect for anyone. He comes in when he wants, does the activieies or parts of activities he wants, and then leaves without following up. Tonight part of our activity included the guys cooking a batch of Ramen (or Ichi-ban) soup. Not a hard task, right? Part of the task was also to do your dishes using things in the church kitchen. Again, not too hard, especially since two other groups had gone before and done everything as they were supposed to. However, "Chris" decided that he didn't have to do his dishes, or anything else, for that matter. He left them in the kitchen. When I confronted him about it, he said he had already done it, and I knew it was a lie. I caught him on it, and convinced him he needed to come and clean up. However, halfway to the kitchen, he ran across the gym in the opposite direction screaming like a school girl.
Later on, at the end of the night, he had the audacity to ask where his chocolate bar was for doing the activity. I only overheard him ask for it, or I would have given him a piece of my mind.

Some people's children...

Is this REALLY happening?

I still don't believe that we are really having a baby. Devynn is getting really big, so it looks like she could have it any day, although she isn't due for another three months. We have almost everything ready in the baby's room. I am so excited that if there is anything to do, even if it is little, to get ready for this new addition, I am trying to do it. I put the pad and sheet on the crib mattress last night, and started getting the diaper bag ready. Like I have any freaking idea how to put a diaper bag together for the hospital. I can only imagine that it involves lots of diapers and wipers, and I would imagine some clothes. Anything else I will need to put in it?

I am sure the pre-natal classes will also give some insight, but I want to be as prepared as I can be.

I don't think any other father-to-be has ever been this excited! Of course they have, but I think it's such an amazing journey we are about to enter. I know it's not just cuddles and giggles, but I am so excited to meet the little life form that has been sleeping (not really all the time) in Devynn's belly the last 6 months. I am excited for the challenges it will bring (although, I'm sure if you ask me that in 6 months, I might disagree) and to try and teach this child what is right. I think my parents taught me so much, and taught me how to be a good person, how to respect others and be polite, that I wonder if I can do as good of a job. There is so much I want for this and all of our children, but I wonder if I can accomplish it. I guess time will only tell.