Father's Day 2009

A few new photos - Miles' 1st Twins game!

"i like baseball" - Miles P. Tepley

The Wave


The Wave coming...


Rally Time!

Pooped!

3 Generations Tepley Men

By popular demand...

Here is the much requested photo of Miles' 1st tooth. Enjoy!
(double click image to enlarge)

Everbody wants some...

Miles learns to share...

Exploring...

The Tepley family has been enjoying the warmer days of June, working on lots of projects around the house and enjoying many new firsts for Mr. Miles.

His list of warm weather favorites are as follows:

1. He loves to be outside - Miles has been dining "al fresco" with Mama and Papa on the deck. Some of his new favorites are: sweet corn; peas; carrots; whole bananas; cantaloupe; berries; lentils; parsnips; alphabet pasta.

2. Long walks around the lake or the falls. Well, he rolls; we walk. But, we're enjoying the exercise as much as he's enjoying the new sights. He loves watching airplanes, birds, dogs, cars and other people - especially other babies. Other babies make him laugh and giggle. All this excitement usually leads to another favorite passtime, napping in the stroller outside in the shade.

3. Miles votes for playgrounds on every block. He's a big fan of swings and slides. To date, his favorite slide buddies are Mama, Papa and his older cousin, James. Also, Miles seems pretty sure the only thing cooler than running his fingers through grass, is running his fingers through sand.

4. Helping in the yard. Miles likes to pick flowers and grass. Watching Chloe chase the birds and bunnies makes him giggle wildly!

5. SWIMMING!! Based on his enthusiasm for bath time, we fully expected him to be a fan... Here's Miles' 1st dip in his new pool:


All in all, this family is incredibly happy to bust out of the house after a long cold winter and spend more time exploring our neighborhood and city with a new perspective - through Miles' eyes.

There is lots to do and see and it is a blast to watch Miles experience everything for the first time.

It has also been a busy several weeks professionally for Papa with the PGA drawing near and Wolfgang in town... Miles decided to check it out for himself:

"What you talkin' 'bout Wolfy?" (Miles & Wolfgang Puck)

Best Impression

As I sit alone at home for the first time - I can remember anyway - in a long time, I'm going to pound out a blog entry for the first time in long time. (Enter: "choose your witty comment about how this isn't a coincidence.")

You see, as we're discovering, growing into parenthood is a wonderfully overwhelming experience.

As any parent will tell you, parenting truly runs the gamut of emotions, experiences and responsibilities. All of which normally leaves me speechless* by the time Miles goes to bed each night. (*And, by speechless, I mean totally mentally spent.)

But, never before have I felt so speechless*. Likewise, never before have I played a significant part in the life of a developing eight-month-old.

Furthering my bout with speechlessness, I can't seem to find the words that would do justice in explaining what it's like to bear witness to growth of my Lil' Man.

To shed some light on how this currently tongue-tying journey makes me feel, last week marked a watershed week in my professional career. I lead a couple high-profile media days for the upcoming 2009 PGA Championship on Tuesday and for celebrity chef, Wolfgang Puck on Friday. Exciting and fun work that, when all said and done, will accumulate more than 5 million consumer impressions.

(Miles and Wolfgang Puck)

Yet, the best impression of the week in the Tepley household, in our opinion, was still made by its smallest member. Miles finally cut his first little tooth this past Sunday. Quite the memorable moment.

About last night...

Last Thursday night, that is...

It was about 10:30 p.m. when Miles woke up a very unhappy baby. And, anyone who knows Miles personally, knows "unhappy" is out of character. At 6.5 months old, teething was the first suspect, often the cause of tears. A little Tylenol, mommy's kisses and a good nurse later, our little man was not soothed...again, out of character.

He showed very little interest in the usual Miles tantrum tonics; nothing was working.

Three hours later, I realized that he was not getting better. Honestly, I started to worry long before - he wouldn't look at us or react to our voices. I started to think something was really wrong. My heart started beating hard and I tapped Troy on the shoulder and blurted, "Honey, something is wrong - I want to take him in."

I realized, as we were getting our very sad baby boy into his car seat, covering him with a blanket, that this is one of the things that we heard about from more experienced parents. The emergency room visit in the middle of the night is sort of a rite of passage for new parents, I think - but what I am speaking of is the fear, the worry.

It's amazing the places our mind goes when we are scared. I felt helpless that I couldn't make my little guy feel better, that I didn't even know what was wrong.
I started thinking about the what if's:
What if I waited too long?
What if I had reacted more quickly? Why didn't I react more quickly?
What if it is really serious?
What if he's not ok?

Fortunately, it was not serious. Miles had his first ear infection.

I think back and realize that it all seems a bit silly. I almost didn't write about it, but did, if for no other reason to have a record of the experience. I figure that that someone out there might be able to relate.

Mama

Weekend Breakfast Time

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones were in the air, and Harvest Vegetable Medley was dripping down his chin as he was madly gumming the spoon. He gave that special look of pure joy.

We danced, dined and talked gibberish.

Sunday morning with Miles is a good time.

Miles has 3 New Cousins!

Miles will be welcoming 3 (yes 3!) new cousins into our extended family in the very near future. My sister, Sarah and her husband, Jeremy, have been matched with a sibling group from Ethiopia.

Hirut is the oldest child and she is 8 and a half, followed by Helen, 5 and a half, and then Binyam 2 and a half. Two big sisters and a little boy...why does that seem familiar to me...?

We could not be more excited for our growing extended family! If you would like to check in on the process from now until they travel to Ethiopia to bring their kids home check out their blog.

Miles was so excited he wanted me to share the good news.

Six Months

Miles turned six months old on April 11. In honor of this occasion, here are the top-six things I’m going to miss about his first six months of life:

6.) Being able to lift him and hold him in the “flying position” with one hand as I take him flying around the house

5.) The not too stinky, stinky diapers

4.) Sticking his whole hand and arm up to his elbows in my mouth while saying, “Miles, you taste like chicken,” to his grins and laughter

3.) Immobility

2.) Dancing on the kitchen countertop (So far, I think his favorites are James Brown*, the Beatles* and the Beastie Boys*)

1.) The best damn toothless grin in the history of mankind*



*So says this bias daddy

Overheard in the Team Tepley house

On Sunday morning, Katy was sitting on the couch, holding Miles in a standing position in her lap when she said, "who's my handsome man in his nightgown?"

Since I was in pajama pants and a t-shirt, it became painfully obvious she was referring to Miles.

Good to know my wife can find bald, diaper-wearing, toothless men in nightgowns handsome for my senior years....

A first major Miles-tone

Miles started eating solids last week.

We think he likes bananas.

D-Day for Daddy

I recently got back from my first business trip since Miles was born. Before I left, I dreaded it for weeks.

Most days I miss him by noon, which made me wonder how the hell I was going to make it four days without seeing the world’s best toothless smile in person. Not to mention, knowing my departure was going to create even more responsibility for Katy certainly didn’t help ease my anxiety about the situation.

My imaginary fears envisioned coming home to a wife in a three day old, coffee stained t-shirt, with the hair she hadn’t pulled out pointing in all directions, cursing me over a screaming baby wearing nothing but a dirty diaper….

But, since business travel is an occasional fact of life, I knew this would come, and like it or not, it was time for me to get this “first” over with.

The trip kept me quite busy, so I had little time to fret and think about what I was missing at home.

I was in Dallas, and during my last evening there, our entertainment was provided by a cowboy who was a ropin’ and bullwhippin’ expert. As a part of the fun, he pulled a young boy from the crowd and mock hogtied him. Hey, when in Rome…

The thrill of experiencing something so exciting and foreign was painted all over the kid’s face. And, for the first time I got the sense of how seeing that must have made his father feel.

As I choked up over a mock, modern day cowboy tying up some kid, I decided I’d had enough whiskey for one evening. When I got home the next day, I shared a long hug with Miles.

Oh, and Katy was well groomed and in good spirits...

So, this is what it's like to get old

A couple weekends ago, a friend threw us a sip-n-see party to show off Miles that got insanely wild. It didn’t even really get rolling until 12*. And, while parties like this usually wrap up around 3*, we kept partying until well past 5*.

(*All references to time are in the p.m.)

It really was a great party that mostly consisted of friends I’ve practically known since I was Miles’ age. Amazingly, that’s just a mild exaggeration.

With such history, to state we haven’t been strangers in getting together in a celebratory capacity through the years would be a mild understatement. But this was truly a first.

All of a sudden a baby in a baby carrier became the new twelve-pack as practically everyone was carrying one into the party. Brunch with fresh fruit and stinky cheese replaced the late night frozen pizza. People were sprawled all over the floor…playing with babies.

At one point in time, I entered the living room and reality hit me with the sight of Miles as only one of four babies poking, or laughing at, one another in the room. My first thought was whoa, whatever happened to, never mind, I was told there was need of a diaper change…speaking of change…

Big thanks to Casie who threw a killer baby bash. And, to all the friends, loved and wee ones who joined.

Pictures to come.

Li'l Man or Li'l Mama's Boy?

While Katy attended a couple events for work last night, I was excited for some man time with Miles. I guess I was the only one...

After Miles and I got home from daycare, I started to feed him. Although he initially took the bottle, about a minute or so into it he all of a sudden burst into tears, looked at me and wailed something that sounded exactly like, "Ma! Ma!"

The initial shock of hearing my son speak, what were perhaps his first words, quickly eroded into slightly hurt feelings. Come on man; I know I'm a poor man's Ma! Ma!, but the bottle's full of breast milk and you know I can put on a hell of a puppet show...(or is the kid giving me courtesy giggles...hmm...)

"Miles," I said, and continued, "mama's not here, you're just hangin' with your papa..."

At that point, with a beet-red head, he turned away from me and shouted, "Ma! Ma!"

Miles turns 100

Miles is 100 (days old) today. That’s 14 weeks and two days… Or, about 3 ½ months… Or, about 2,400 hours and counting…

Before Parenting (BP), I always laughed at people who tracked the age of their children by weeks… Or, even worse, days…

Proud papa is guilty as charged.

Here are a couple recent shots:

Kyra: New Master of the Team Tepley Universe

I was upstairs with Miles on Sunday morning when a shrill scream came from the main level.

“Ahh! Eww…. Oh yuck…. Honey!!,” Katy shouted.

From past experience, I assumed there was some really gross bug scurrying across the kitchen floor. Deep down I relish opportunities like this, as they allow me to put on my big boy pants.

Feeling manly as I grabbed Miles to head downstairs and save the day, she continued, “Kyra is chasing a mouse! There is a big, ugly mouse in our house!”

A mouse! The mere thought sent shivers down my spine. I’m happy to swoop in and handle a bug of any size, but a mouse has fur, and a tail, and eyes… My big boy pants turned into a skirt as the horror of sequestering this rodent over took me. (On a side note, all fingers are crossed that this not the start of a terrible new trend.)

As I quivered in the corner trying desperately to find some semblance of manliness, Katy went on to say, “well, Kyra is hunting it down, maybe she’ll handle the situation for us…”

‘Oh yea,’ I thought to myself, ‘the cat that sleeps in hiding 25 hours* a day is going to do something noble…’ As I tried to grow a pair and finally entered the living room, where the mouse was last seen, I was shocked to see Kyra standing triumphantly by her “taken care of” hunt.

Kyra: 1; Mice: 0; Troy: -50,000,000

After I mustered up a clean-up effort, well-deserved congratulations were showered upon our new hero, Kyra.

After she patrolled the main floor one last time, she gave me a look that read, “Now that’s how you take care of business. I’ll be upstairs napping if you need me, Sally.”

*Kyra could not be found for a photograph