A string of firsts

Traveling has always been part of my job, and for the last two weeks I had to be in Florida. One week was for a SAS70 audit in Ft. Lauderdale and the other for training in Orlando. Normally two weeks on the road is a pretty lonely experience. But this time, the math worked in our favor: traveling daddy + maternity-leave mommy = whole family in Florida!

So... Andrew experienced a string of firsts over the last couple of weeks. His first plane ride, first out of state trip, first time in a hotel, etc. He was great to travel with - didn't fuss much on the plane at all. Enjoy some pics from the trip!


Andrew's first plane ride.


He gets his very own boarding pass! It's off to Ft. Lauderdale.


Staying comfy with Mommy - but not for long! While it's air-conditioned heaven in the terminal, as soon as we stepped outside we were reminded what Florida summers really are: a sauna in disguise!


I've always been a huge fan of the Heavenly Bed. It's the most comfortable bed I've ever slept on. If you must travel, at least get a good night's sleep. Andrew seemed to like it as well. We requested a crib at the hotel, and whenever we'd put him in the crib, he'd immediately start crying. As soon as his head hit the Heavenly pillow, he'd float off to dreamland. In fact, he loved the bed so much that when we told him we couldn't take it home with us, this was his reaction:


Andrew: "I want my Heavenly bed!"


Like father, like son. It's time to relax after a long day of work!


Bonus picture from right before the trip:

The good, the bad, and the sleepy.

A sense of what was to come?

Stephen, Kathlyn, and Andrew (birth minus 21 hours).

Originally, Andrew's due date was April 26. However, about two weeks before the due date, both Kathlyn and I had a sense that we needed to be ready for anything. We spent the final days before Andrew's birth putting the finishing touches on his room, sterilizing his bottles and pacifiers, and washing all the new clothes he received from friends and family. On April 16, we headed to Target for a "couples" photoshoot. Being a photography buff myself, our photo albums are filled with pictures of everyone but me, as I'm mostly behind the camera. We had decided that it would be nice to actually have a photo where both Kathlyn and I appeared. We took this photo right before noon on the 16th. About 12 hours later, we were at the hospital waiting to meet our son!

Two month visit

Andrew had his two month checkup today. The doctor says everything is FINE! What a relief... we haven't botched up parenting too much! :-) Little Andrew escaped his immunization shots this time around. We're about to do a bit of traveling, so it was best that he gets his shots after we return. It'll break my heart to see him poked with a needle again!

Another doctor's visit means updated growth numbers! Personally, I think the nurse made a mistake on measuring Andrew's length... it's way off, and has throw the percentages off as well. Regardless, it's good to see Andrew growing nicely, and following the growth curves for the most part. See the updated charts (use the tabs on the bottom of the new window to switch charts).

Bath time for Andrew

Andrew is smiling... but it's elusive. Those fleeting moments are hard to catch! Will have to try harder to post a smiling baby picture soon...


Andrew: "You may think I'm taking a bath... but I'm really practicing my Bruce Lee moves."


Andrew: "Are you done yet?"


Andrew: "How come my bunny hood doesn't have bunny ears?"


Andrew: "Hee hee... that tickles!"