Friday, December 26, 2008

Of Miles + Merriment...

The Saturday before Christmas, a snowstorm knocked out our plans to attend an out-of-town family party. While Miles’ introduction to more extended family unfortunately had to wait, it gave us a day together to share in some good old, classic American family, holiday fun.

Bundled up, we ventured downtown to Macy’s to introduce Miles to Santa. Because at 10 weeks old Katy and I knew he couldn’t wait to get placed into the lap of a big, wild white haired, funny red suit wearing stranger…

But, as Katy and I remembered how days like this turn Nicollet Mall into a life-sized holiday snow globe, I couldn’t help but feel Clark W. Griswold-like excited for some family fun.

The day didn’t disappoint, and I’m happy to report there were no Clark Griswold-like meltdowns from me, and more importantly, Miles.

With a special nod to Miles for helping to make the season more bright, it’s great to be a parent during the holidays.


Miles and Troy in line to see Santa (note Miles' excitement)


Miles first Christmas with Santa (note Miles' excitement)



Miles and Katy, lunchtime at Brit's (note Miles' excitement...)



Miles and Katy, Nicollet Mall turned winter wonderland



Saturday, December 13, 2008

Early New Year's Resolution...

It was a little after five on Wednesday when Katy called me at work on my cell.

“Hey hon, just wanted to check in to see when you think you’ll be home,” she asked innocently.

“Umm, I don’t know, it’s late work night tonight,” I state in a manner implying she obviously must of forgot, because it was obviously the late work night we talked about weeks ago.

“No; you said your late work night was the 12th.”

“Yea.”

“Today’s the 10th. I had your late work night listed, as we discussed, on the 12th in the calendar. Are you still not checking the calendar!?”

Busted. And then, as if on-cue, I hear Miles start to cry in the background.

I go on to plead imbecile as my obvious failures at simple communication come to light.

She continues, “remember, I had plans…needed you to be home…that’s why I update the calendar….”

I needed to work late; at that point in time there was nothing I could do. The crying in the background just kept getting louder.

Note to self: Keep up with the changing times. Check the damn calendar.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

A new era

This evening I posted an overdue update to the "About us" section.

Our family has changed from our original description:

Katy, Troy, Chloe, Kyra and Baby Monster

Troy: Husband, Twins fan, music lover and avid griller who typically smells nice. Katy: event planning genius, loving wife and excited soon-to-be Mom. Formerly a foodie before getting pregnant, she's now currently just a production vessel for Baby Monster. Chloe: Faithful dog, who is unsuspecting of the future and sudden demise from the high life as "only child." Kyra: cat that's around from time to time. Baby Monster: Ever growing, disruptive force who specializes in making Katy nauseous and sick.

My how you've grown...

Miles recently* had his four-week check-up. (*and by "recently," the neglectful poster means two weeks ago...)

We're happy to report Miles got an all systems go grade from the doc.

And, during his impressive four weeks of life review, we also learned he grew by a couple in both height and weight;* measuring in at 23.5-inches and 10.5-lbs.

*If Shaquille O'Neal grew at the same rate he'd go from 7'1" / 325 lbs. to 7'6" / 406 lbs. But then again, this comparison is odd and irrelevant.

Enjoy the pictures.

Miles, as seen in week one:




Miles, as seen weeks four - six:


Tuesday, November 11, 2008

A Month of Marvel

Some Mogwai-esque gurgling noises – which we’ve become very fond of – woke Katy and me up at 4 a.m. this morning. By the time I was able to wipe the sleep from my eyes, Katy and Miles had already assumed their feeding position. This was no different from what has become the norm. But, the realization of this norm is what struck me.

After all, it’s only been a month since what was once a great mystery burst on to the scene as the newest, and certainly most popular, member of the family.

Most of the time it’s still hard for me to believe we’re actually parents. But walking into the TV room to find my wife with things that look like suction cups attached to her you-know-whats to draw and store Lil Man’s food certainly helps to drive the point home. Nobody but a mom would spend a Friday night this way. Nobody but a dad would make up nonsensical songs to the beat of this machine as it rhythmically pumps away. Nobody but a newborn would stare in awe to such out of tune, idiotic foolishness.

Becoming a parent is an amazing experience. But believe the hype, as it changes life quite a bit. For instance, it took 30-plus years for me to utter a phrase like, “whoa, does someone have a big doo-doo poo-poo pants?” Within the last four weeks, I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve said or heard such things from grown adults.

Never before have we been surrounded by so much love and joy from our friends and family… and occasional stranger at the grocery store.

The best part is that Miles is happy and healthy; and normally a splendor to be with. When he’s not eating or sleeping, he’s spent the good part of his first month meeting friends and family, and bonding with his mom and dad.

It appears his goal for next month is to master the art of lifting his head, as he’s already made great strides in this regard. Already, it makes us think: wow, how quickly he’s grown….

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Easy Like Sunday Morning


Another typical Sunday finds me reading the paper and drinking coffee with Miles by my side in his swing.

He likes SportsCenter.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Yes we can!



It's truly a historic time. A healthy and happy new son has given our family a new direction. And, we believe the election of Obama to President will bring a new, happy and healthy direction to our country.

We couldn't be more thrilled to be a part of such historic events.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

With one week…

…of life under his belt, we’re happy to report Miles is doing well.


Current likes:

Eating

Sleeping

Pooping

Visitors

Determining the perfect arch for maximum distance peeing during diaper changes


Current dislikes:

Bright lights

Wet wipes

Socks


Debatable:

When we (try to) sing him to sleep; particularly when it’s ‘80s hair metal

Mom and Dad are enjoying the incredible adjustment to parenthood.

Excellent. Things are going as planned...

Sunday, October 12, 2008

And all of sudden...

All,

It's my pleasure to humbly introduce to you the newest member of our family, Miles Patrick Tepley.

Born October 11, 2008 at 2:20 a.m, he entered the world as an 8 lb. 1 oz., 21.5" bundle of joy.







Monday, October 6, 2008

There is nothing to see here. Step away from the pregnant woman.

Katy's due date was last Friday, October 3. As you can imagine, she's showing a wee bit.

I feel for this woman. Her birthday was last Monday and we celebrated by enjoying take out at home and watching movies. Even though the take out was from our favorite, the 112 Eatery, dining out of plastic containers lacks that certain je ne se qua of going out to celebrate in a nice restaurant. But, according to my wife, sometimes being the spectacle in a room can get old and she just didn't want to deal with it.

I've witnessed this first hand on many occasions. The other weekend as we went for take-out (notice a theme here?), Katy decided to walk into the restaurant with me. Upon entering, jaws and forks dropped simultaneously. Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster could have made it through the restaurant in a sleigh being pulled by unicorns and no one would've noticed as all eyes were glued to my very pregnant wife.

Don't get me wrong, as a man I've made more than my fair share of stupid statements around and toward pregnant women. But spending the past month with my wife makes me want to get a bullhorn and state the following as we walk in public together:
"Stop staring at the pregnant woman. There is nothing to see here, being pregnant is completely natural. Have no fear, a baby will not instantly sploosh out of her at any time, ruining your breakfast. Step away from the pregnant woman. Keep moving. There is nothing to see here. She is not a Buddha with hair; you may not touch her belly for good luck. And, to answer your question Captain Obvious, yes she is due any day now. Thank you. Move along. There is nothing to see here....."

For the love of your mom Lil' Man, any day now, please...

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

The summer of ’08 happened and all we got was a doughnut…

A cool chill woke me up as it breezed through our bedroom this morning. And then, as I stood without a jacket, I shivered for the first time in a long time as I waited for the train. It’s official. Summer is over and all Katy and I got to show for it was a doughnut.

Well technically, Katy had two doughnuts, but I’m only counting because I can’t believe summer passed with such little summertime fun.

Between work and preparation for Lil’ Man, Katy and I took a total of one extended weekend vacation together this summer. One. Not to mention, we spent it with her family at their annual camping trip in Devil’s Lake outside Wisconsin Dells.

Don’t get me wrong, nothing beats bonding by the campfire, but sleeping in a tent on an air mattress, surrounded by extended family does little to scratch the “we time” itch.

Then again, this summer was all worth it. The doughnuts at Paul Bunyan’s in the Dells can’t be beat. That, and we got to enjoy the thrill of preparing for what will be one of the newest arrivals around next year’s campfire circle.


Don’t worry Lil’ Man, there’ll be plenty of room around the fire and doughnuts to go around for many years to come - with hopefully some more summer fun mixed in too...


Thursday, September 25, 2008

Your call is important to Li'l' Man...

I recently called our phone company to change our service. I was on hold for what felt like forever.


My on-hold experience included some looping background music that was only interrupted by a reassuring voice that informed me, “(my) your call is important to us, one of our service representatives will be with you as soon as possible….”


This was followed by more of the same background music, interrupted by the same statement every minute or so; repeat: loop….


This is what the last month of my wife’s pregnancy has been like. Day after day of people saying, “so, when are you going to have that baby?" And, I’m not even the one with the prego belly.


If everyone, including myself, feels like this pregnancy thing is taking forever, I can't imagine what it's like for Katy.


This makes me think that mother nature truly does move in well-intentioned, mysterious ways.


We've been bursting at the seams (literally for my wife) for the answer at the other end of the line for what feels like forever. I think it's all part of a grand plan to ensure we'll be as excited and ready as we possibly can be for this bundle of big change and responsibility.


Moms, particularly mother nature, are smart. But, being on hold gets old after awhile…. Answer the call Li'l' Man! We're waiting... Oh yea, time to get the car seat installed I suppose.




Sunday, September 7, 2008

Good things in four

We celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary on Saturday. Our actual anniversary, Sept. 3, fell on Wednesday, but my wife was in the middle of overseeing one or three of the 12 RNC events she’s been planning for months.

We’ve both been busy with work and transforming the house this summer, but booking, planning, coordinating and executing 12 RNC events in four days has definitely been the giant elephant in the room.

Naturally, everything went well and in the past few days, my wife has finally got the rest she richly deserves.

In honor of our anniversary, Saturday was one of the first entire days we spent together just relaxing and having fun in what has felt like… an entire summer.

Even Lil’ Man decided to throw a party. Reports, sightings and tummy touch confirmations indicated that he danced around the womb almost all day long.

Summer is over; we’re down to the final four weeks of pregnancy and no more elephants. It’s nice to have time to enjoy the excitement and anticipation of what we hear is one of life’s biggest changes.



Saturday, August 16, 2008

Katy: Dutch for pretty, flowery rock

Going through Katy’s pregnancy together has given me a new level of respect and admiration for this woman. Having a front row seat to the miracle of birth and its toll on women is nothing short of truly amazing.

Not that I haven’t been a completely wonderful and supportive husband…. I just can’t refer to it as, ‘our pregnancy’. While it is something we are going through, referring to it as, ‘our pregnancy,’ just makes me feel like a poser.

Besides a pint of ice cream every other night or so, I have no idea what my cute transformer is going through. Particularly what her body is going through.

I’m sure she thinks the occasional backrubs and the extra trips to the grocery store are nice, but until I work a nine hour day on my feet with a five-pound, foot-long rib kicker in my belly, I’ve really got nothing.

But, for how rough the first trimester was, the second and third trimesters have treated her quite well - minus having a five-pound, foot-long rib kicker in her belly.


I can tell its getting a bit old for her, but she carries on with almost no complaints. She’s got the glowing pregnant woman look thing down and beyond needing a little more rest than usual, she’s been solid as a rock…I mean…a pretty, flowery rock* of course.

*From: Katy TepleySent: Friday, August 08, 2008 10:35 AM
To: briddle; B Riddle; Troy Tepley; Michael Riddle
Subject: 32 weeks

32 weeks
The baby is about 17 inches long and weighs about 4.5 lbs.
The baby's toenails and fingernails are completely formed.
The baby's lungs are continuing to mature but will not reach full maturity for several more weeks.
The baby's skeleton has completely formed, but his/her bones are very soft and pliable.
The baby has now developed sensitivity to temperature.
The baby will gain one third to one half of his/her birth weight during the next weeks.

From: Michael Riddle
Sent: Friday, August 08, 2008 11:02 AM
Subject: RE: 32 weeks

Cool!! Hope Mama’s hangin’ in there.

On Aug 8, 2008, at 11:05 AM, Tepley, Troy wrote:


She’s like a rock.
I mean, a very pretty, flowery kind of solid rock…

Me, on the other hand…

We recently told Katy's dad that we had our delivery room walk-through during our last birthing class. He looked at me with a grin and gave this sage advice: “get ready to feel like a screen door on a submarine.”


At first I was a little surprised, because I felt he usually has something more insightful to offer.

Not like I didn’t feel virtually useless already. Then I got it. Thanks Mike. It's nice to know I'm not the only father-to-be who's felt like lipstick on a pig.



Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Paradigm Shift

Pregnancy and the expected arrival of a baby has changed many things. Here's one recent example I found kind of funny:

The "Fire Alarm" in the office as it hung for the past three years:






The new Fire+ Alarm in the new nursery, aka, "old office":



Mancation

In early June, I went on a vacation with my best friends, Andy, Eric and Travis. We grew up together in New Ulm and our life long bonds were set in stone helping each other make it through the awkward time of high school. We were so inseparable we even stuck together after that, as we all attended the University of Minnesota when we ventured from home.

Since the time we eventually separated in our early- to mid-twenties - Eric has lived in Chicago and Andy has lived in Portland for more than five years - we’ve gotten together in bits and pieces for things like weddings and holidays.

It’s also weddings and holidays that have kept us from getting together as just friends.

We finally met up for a “guys’ weekend” in Colorado at a cabin outside Cripple Creek. If you’ve never been to the Rockies, it’s a scenic splendor. But for me, like I think for all of us, it wasn’t the place, it was the people.


Prom '95: Eric, me, Travis and Andy


Having the weekend together gave us a chance to catch up, reflect and remember why we’re such good friends. I guess the old saying is true. No matter how long it’s been since the last time you met up with long-time friends, after a hug and some break the ice conversation it’s like old times again.

And for us, for better or worse, that means arguing about music and sports and trying to solve the world’s problems through drunken discourse. While we've never really solved any of the world's problems (outside of our own minds), the tangents are unparalleled.

During the vacation, we almost instantaneously interacted as if we were five years younger while we got to observe how much each other has grown in the past five years. Among many things, old friends make great life-long history markers.

For example, the job Eric followed has turned out alright as it takes him to places like Abu Dhabi, where he makes sure some of the world's most cutting edge skyscrapers won't fall down.

I remember when we once killed time in study hall for a couple weeks by drawing a picture of a fruit basket on the back of my notebook.

That picture, creatively named “fruit,” would later hang on a wall in our first dorm room.

Anyway, upon reflection, as father-to-be of a son, this trip gave me a new perspective on our friendship.

Of course, it’s pretty much impossible to spend a weekend with three other guys in a hot tub at cabin in The Middle of Nowhere, Colorado, and not gain at least one new perspective on life.

It just became very clear how much we mean to each other. It's not like the next sentence you read is going to go like, 'maybe it was the wine, maybe it was the moonlit scenery, but all of a sudden, our friendship took on a whole new meaning...' I'm just trying to recognize the bond between some really good friends.

Friends like I truly hope my son has someday. They’ll be able to support, understand, influence and walk through life with him in ways his loving parents simply won’t be able to do. It’s a timeless treasure.

So here’s to the Andy, Eric and Travis in wombs near you, Lil’ Man. I hope you’re all resting well. You're going to need it.



Tuesday, July 15, 2008

A Battle for the Ages!

Well, I stand corrected. Our little hop-a-long pinned a hopper....


When I came home from work this evening, I noticed a rabbit in our yard. This is nothing unusual as rabbits are all over South Minneapolis.


What was odd was that this particular rabbit couldn’t seem to find its way out of our yard as I walked through toward the house. Usually when I enter our yard the wildlife scurries as if I’m shooting leprosy from a sprinkler. This rabbit just stood still and tried to act natural as I stared at it from five feet away.


The rabbit looked at me like we were ex-lovers who ran into each other in public. Don’t make eye contact. Is that really him? Yes, it really is… Okay, I’m not going to make the first move. I'll just pretend I don’t notice him and hope he plays the same game…soon it will be all over.


There must be multiple exits through our fence that are well known in the bunny and squirrel world as they typically enter and exit at will. Either this one forgot the map or didn’t get the memo.


I went into the house, let Chloe out of her confinement room and grabbed the mail. From a previous phone conversation, I knew my pregnant wife was starving. A starving pregnant wife is a recipe for a disastrous evening, so my mind got fully consumed with getting dinner going as soon as possible.


Without thought, I ran outside to get the grill going and Chloe followed. This is when things got interesting.


Like a heat seeking missile after a jet, (or, in this case, like a turtle in hot pursuit of a snail) Chloe tore after the map-less rabbit stranded in our yard. A wild chase ensued. It ended in a corner of the yard as the rabbit simply had no place to turn. Chloe had it cornered and for one glorious moment she was like, 'what’s up now, doc?'


But that authority quickly turned into, 'whoa, I finally caught you….what in the hell am I supposed to do now…?' She's clearly the last of the great hunters.


The hesitation cost her. Mr. Rabbit seized the indecision by darting off and miraculously finding an exit through the fence.


The bunny hopped away and never looked back. Chloe was confirmed - in her head - champion of the fight. She ran back to our deck and gave me a look like, ‘I sure showed bunny who was boss, no doubt about it, I’m the woman.’


While I found the whole situation kind of pathetic - after all she’s hopping around on three legs - I bent down, scratched her behind the ears, patted her on the chest and said, “Chloe, I’m so proud of you for keeping me safe.”


She strutted with her chest out for at least the next hour. It was adorable.


Let me guess, our refrigerator will someday be plastered with squiggly laden, nonsensical finger paintings….

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Chloe Chaos

Chloe, our first kid, who happens to be covered in fur and have four legs, recently went under the knife to have the ACL repaired in her left hind leg. As it turns out, Chloe is an anatomical misfit. She's part Black Lab – a breed known to have leg problems – and part Boston Terrier. Obviously, her parents should've never co-mingled, but, we're glad they did as we're big fans of Chloe, even if she is prone to injuries like a torn ACL.

In a nut shell, this situation and her surgery couldn’t have left our pocket books lighter and our hearts heavier.

I have to commend the little pooch; she’s quite the trooper. The surgery was more invasive then anything Katy and I (knock on wood) have ever had to go through, yet her spirit is still up.

Actually, the little hop-a-long gets around quite well on three legs. I hate to sound like a jerk, but sometimes it’s quite funny. Like when she still tries to catch bunnies in the back yard. She couldn’t catch them when she had four legs, so, in my non-medical opinion, invasive surgery on her leg clearly didn’t make her more intelligent.

That’s okay. I love her passion for ensuring the backyard is void of anything that moves, by chasing everything she sees in it from bunnies and squirrels to fluttering leaves. Basically, when it comes to our backyard, she’s like an elementary school hall monitor who actually takes her job seriously. Totally ridiculous, but unbelievably cute.

Beyond that, she’s got a fun loving, quirky personality. Considering her mix, you can imagine she looks a bit odd, but we also find her pointy ears and crooked smile adorable.



She enjoys finishing the last couple drops of my beers before I toss them in the recycling bin and she cleans up the floor after I make lunch in the morning. She’s a fetcher and a lover. All in all, she’s a fantastic dog, who also happens to be a huge pain in the ass right now.

As in, right now, this dog is on more pills than Keith Richards at a Pink Floyd concert and we’re responsible for ensuring she takes them exactly when she needs to. Also, I’m carrying her up the stairs every night when we go to bed and carrying her down the stairs every morning before I go to work.

This wouldn’t be so bad if she didn’t act like she was a feisty old lady and I was a mugger who was trying to knock her over and steal her purse.

What’s worse, she’s been licking her stitches like they were covered in bacon. She's been so relentless that we had to get her a cone head to wear when we’re not around because her activities were compromising the stitches. Basically, our poor little Chloe and this whole situation is just a mess.





It’s tough because we know what’s good for her and we want to do what it takes to make her better. She just doesn’t get it and is simply confused by the whole thing.

Just in time, I think we’re starting to understand why people say that having a dog is good training for having a baby.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Like Father, Like Son…Already?

For the past few weeks Katy has started to feel Lil’ Man bouncing around the womb.

Beyond being a wondrous pregnancy related experience, she says it kind of tickles and can be distracting; particularly during important business meetings, which happen to be junior’s favorite time to cut a jig. So, as Katy is trying to be serious, Lil’ Man wants to make her laugh.

I find this hilarious. First, I think you’ve got to give the kid a break; there isn’t much going on in there, so I imagine entertainment is at an all time premium. Also, it reminds me of how Katy and I met.

It was the summer of the 2001 and I thought the best thing I could do with my recently obtained college degree was to continue waiting tables for the summer. So, I parlayed my serving experience at a chain Mexican restaurant into a job as a server at Brit’s Pub, a busy, Brit themed pub in downtown Minneapolis.

As it turns out, it really was the best thing I could’ve done, as Katy and I met there as colleagues.

When I started, she had already been working there for awhile and had a specialized job managing parties and events. Actually, she created the job she had at Brit’s, which I thought was pretty impressive for someone who spent her late teens and early twenties hanging out in Seattle working in coffee shops.

As an event manager, Katy catered to demanding customers who dropped thousands of dollars to host flawless parties. As a server, I specialized in joking around with customers and talking dirty in broken Spanish with the amigos in the kitchen. Clearly, the similarities between us were striking.

But, as we quickly discovered, there was something really special between us, and we like to think that we’re two different pieces that fit together well to make a better whole. And, luckily for me, Katy likes a man with a unique sense of humor.

Since I used to get to make her smile on the job, and that’s where all of this began, it’s sort of heartwarming, in a really odd way, to see that, perhaps, the apple already hasn’t fallen far from the tree.

Keep making your mom smile, Lil’ Man. From my experience, it’s simply the best advice I can give.

Friday, May 30, 2008

Uncle Bub & Aunt Katy

For whatever reason, when our favorite nephew James was even younger than he is now, I often referred to him as Bub. As in, "Hey, Bub, how you doin' little man..." And, for whatever reason, that really stuck with him. He's referred to me as Uncle Bub since he's been able to formulate words. I've been called worse, so I'll take it. Truth be told, I find it pretty endearing.

He was recently back in town for a visit, and Katy and I got our first opportunity to spend time with him out and about on our own. He was staying with his grandparents while his parents were on vacation and we were able to take him out for an afternoon, which was a great chance to flex some parenting muscle. It was really important to me to show him how we have fun in the big city.





It seems like he had a great time with Uncle Bub and Aunt Katy...

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Retail: The difference between First-Time Moms and Dads

I’ve lived on this planet for 30 plus years. A little more than 12 of these years, I’ve probably shopped at Target at least twice a month, if not more. (The first 18 years were spent in a town that actually didn't have a Target (but now does), yet, surprisingly, I was able to survive.) That means I’ve, at minimum, been inside a Target at least 288 times.

Yet, just recently, I found myself entering a portion of the store I never really realized existed – the Baby Department: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzlG28B-R8Y

I remember life as a kid, teen and a young twenty something, full of summers running into lakes and diving into pools full of cold water. There’s a slight initial shock, but your body quickly adjusts and you’re good to go.

Well, that is the male mentality at least. I also remember the ladies, dipping one toe into the pool or standing knee deep in the lake for what felt like eons as they, ‘adjusted to the temperature.’

So, there I was, standing in a somewhat foreign aisle of a typical Target store. It was somewhere in between the Office Section, Shoe Department and Women’s Clothing Department. My initial thought was, when the hell did Target get carpeting? I stood and stared and couldn't get myself to walk into this carpeted mystery land full of moms with crying babies.

Then, there was my wife with shopping cart in hand busting through the aisle like a run-away semi-truck. She barreled into the Baby Department as naturally as a recently hatched baby sea turtle makes a mad dash for the sea.

“Look at these booties and blankets, car seats and cradles,” she said ecstatically. She was so into it, I don’t think she noticed the obvious shock painted all over my face.

I put one foot onto the carpet then quickly brought it back to the safe and known Target linoleum. It was clear; I needed to ‘adjust to the temperature.’

But, I eventually ‘jumped in.’ Don’t get me wrong; I really can’t see myself in this Department for fun on a regular basis. But, it was pretty amazing to see what made up the retail space between where I buy cards and where I used to buy video games.

In a really odd way it made me feel like I was entering into a new Department of my life. I wasn't sure I wanted to let go of where I once was, but when I did, It was kind of fun splashing through this Department of miniature sized consumer goods that we’ll need for the next phase of life. Besides, itty bitty socks, frogs on small t-shirts and giraffes on tiny overalls are fricken cute, no matter what anyone says.

The next time we're at Target, shopping for Little Man, aka Baby Monster, I’ll dive right in. Yea, it’ll still be a bit shocking, but I know that once I jump in, I’ll 'adjust to the temperature' quickly and will be happy to be there.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Baby Monster is a Boy!

Katy and I had our big "20 weeks into the pregnancy" ultra-sound today. Baby Monster and Katy are 100% healthy. And, as you can see in one of the ultra-sound images, Baby Monster is a boy! Apparently, he's not very shy. That's my boy;)

Neither of us had a preference, but we couldn't be more excited. It's been a fantastic first Mother's Day for Katy.

Profile:


Face:


Another Profile:


Feet:


The Money Shot:


If you want to see larger images, just left click on the image you want to enlarge.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Minnesota Twins Love Baby Monster

Baby Monster attended its first Twins game on Saturday, April 19. Everyone rooted for home team and the Twins beat division rivals, Cleveland Indians, by a score of 3-0.

Although Justin Morneau homered, Nick Blackburn got his first win as a Twin and Joe Nathan got the save and held the shut-out, the biggest highlight for Baby Monster, who had an obstructed view seat, was the nachos and Malt Cup.

Big thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Tepley who made the day possible by buying the tickets.

Link to box score: http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/news/wrap.jsp?ymd=20080419&content_id=2553902&vkey=wrapup2005&fext=.jsp&team=home&c_id=min

Friday, April 11, 2008

Here we go!


I get to see my favorite (and only) nephew, James every once-in-awhile. I’m sure we’d like to see each other more often. I know I’d like to hang out with him more. Since it would be pretty sad if a diaper wearing two-year-old thought I was lame, I’m going to assume he digs me too.

As it turns out, James is a huge fan of trains. Good kid. The last time he visited The Cities, his mom, my older sister Tonya, decided it would be fun to take him for a ride on our light rail train. I was lucky enough to join.

I ride this train downtown to work every day. It’s a great way to get downtown, mostly because it’s quick and easy. I pop on my iPod and just grab onto something as I mindlessly get whisked to work with the same similar faces day after day.

This trip was much different. As I'm just getting to know, to a two-year-old almost every experience is new and amazing. It’s great to be a part of when I get the chance. I’m a 30-year-old cynic, which means it’s been a long time since I’ve been so excited that I screamed uncontrollably. James hit that level of excitement a few times on this trip.

He thought the train was about one of the coolest things he’s ever seen, much less taken a ride on. He took in so many new experiences, his wide eyes almost never blinked. His joy brought joy to everyone on the train. “Here we go!,” he shouted every time the train started from a stop and there we went to grins and laughter.

It was an enriching experience and a great day.

Recently, my wife and I had a routine Baby Monster check-up with the Obi-Wan-Gynobie. (Help us Obi-Wan, you are our only help. Please tell us how to soothe Baby Monster.)

Baby Monster is happy and healthy. Katy, though still nauseous, is healthy as well. The only thing that didn’t go as planned was that we were supposed to get to hear Baby Monster’s heart again and it didn’t happen. Our OBGYN grew impatient and said, “we’re going to try to do this another way.”

So, she had me dim the lights as she pulled out an exotic looking tool and some lube that looked like KY Jelly. I could tell it was going to get interesting and we eventually experienced things we had never experienced before. We got to see Baby Monster for the first time by ultra-sound. Inexplicably cool.

There it was; a real little baby in Katy’s belly. Our little baby.

At the time we voyeurd into Baby Monster’s world, it was kicking and bouncing from one end of the womb to the other. Well, there's the answer to Katy's nausea. The structure seems to be holding up fine; good work Doozer.

Baby appeared to be in an excited state of discovery and it looked like it was yelling “Whoopee! Whoopee! Yippee! Woohoo!” as it zipped around in the only world it knows.

It looked a lot like a two-year-old on a train for the first time, or a 30-year-old, soon to be first-time dad, seeing a growing little baby in his wife’s belly for the first time. I guess it’s just a matter of perspective.

At one point in time, it appeared that Baby Monster turned and looked right at us. Then, it lifted one of its arms over its head and moved it back-in-forth as if to waive us "hello" for the first time.

Hello Baby Monster, here is to many more exciting firsts for all of us.