Just hanging onto the craziness of life here! Analise is GREAT – growing every day. I’ll post again tomorrow and include a couple pictures. If you’re really bored, though you can check the video album.

I love my daughter and husband! 😀

First, before I get to the fun adventure story, here’s a picture from my dad’s recent visit.

As I was on my way to work last Friday, my cell phone rang. It was Brian calling to relate the latest moment in his adventure as a Stay-at-Home-Dissertating-Daddy. Analise had been happily gurgling at her fish mobile, sitting in her swing. From up the stairs, Brian heard “mild explosive noises”, that almost always indicate a Blowout In Progress. [Note – Once you’ve changed a Blowout, you would understand why it’s Capitalized!]

As he gently extricated her from the swing, he noticed that the diaper hadn’t YET leaked onto her sleeper. With luck, he might not having to change her clothes. Carefully, he managed to get the diaper off Analise without incident. Throughout any Blowout event, Analise always has the sweetest, most innocent smile on her face. So as Brian’s getting the diaper ready, Analise proceeds to “fountain” [Note: Aptly named because when she pees without a diaper it makes an amazingly high little fountain, quite a feat that initially impressed us, but now it’s more annoying than impressive]. So the sleeper and changing pad are now wet. Unfortunately, now he needs to change her.

So as Brian gets a clean sleeper under Analise and is wiping her off – for the 2nd time – she sneezed and squirted poop [Note: Another thing we’re amazed our little girl can do!], requiring yet another sleeper change! So finally, Analise is clean, in a new sleeper, and Brian puts her on his shoulder, wanting to call me to relate the adventure.

But the fun is not over…. As he’s picking up the phone, Analise unloads breakfast all over his shirt. Poor girl… she’s got tummy issues so no one is safe within an hour of her eating. Here’s the after picture…

All that to say, Brian’s a SUPER DAD🙂 He’s definitely dealt with more Blowouts than I have. There are frustrating moments for both of us when I’m wanting to be the one at home managing all the moments and issues and blowouts and seeing all the fun little things Analise is doing, and Brian would rather I was to be the one at home full-time. But, honestly, we’re really lucky to have some great people watching Analise part-time, and Brian’s loving the special time he’s got watching Analise grow in these early months.

Check back soon for more Adventures of the Super Dissertating Daddy!

Hello world! Hahahahaha. If you have ever taught yourself a computer programming language, you probably chuckle every now and then at such a greeting because of its perennial usage in the first program you are instructed to write.

I have been thinking a lot about the subject of this blog — organizing my life. From papers and books and mementos on my desk at school to papers everywhere in my office area at home, I am surrounded by physical clutter most of the day. This is not too mention the countless files that I have replicated, duplicated, and distributed on five computers that I use regularly. Similarly, my mind is also full of clutter as hundreds or maybe even thousands of things vie for my attention every day.

In short, it’s right about time for some good organizing in my life. What better place to begin could there be than with my spiritual life. Jesus commands us to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33) even before the seeking the things we deem vital necessities. Paul sets the example of a focused life:

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. ^{Philippians 3:12-14}

This then is the substance of what I am writing about tonight. I want to organize my life, but I must set my focus above on Christ Jesus, lest I get lost in all the clutter and the noise.

I don’t know about you, but I have to say, my daughter has the MOST BEAUTIFUL smile I’ve ever seen:) I’m sure every mother thinks so. But when Brian sends me a picture at work or I look at this great website with pics of my smiley little girl, my heart honestly just melts. She’s such a cutie!

This picture is one Brian sent me at work. She kind of looks like a little stuffed doll sitting in the glider rockers. She’s still a bit droopy when we sit her up:)

Not much new here. Grandpa Dale is here for a visit – he’s amazed at how big and interactive Analise has gotten. She’s started sucking her thumb, but she’ll also suck her middle two fingers to put herself to sleep. Last Wednesday, she was 3 months old, and she’s already 24″ long and 13pounds, 2 ounces! That’s quite an improvement over her tiny 19.5″ and 6pounds, 15 oz when she was born.