Father's Day has come and gone. PuddleMama made a great breakfast in bed (although I just can't eat in bed- we had to move out to the loft) and I got to spend the day hanging out with Lucy. My dad asked me on the phone if it felt any different from any other day, and I had to be honest, it didn't really. At first I was sad about that, but then I realized that it didn't feel too different than any other day *with* Lucy. It certainly felt different that the days pre-PuddleBaby. It really does feel like little Lucy has just always been here, and that feels more than good.
We don't think PuddleDoggy feels exactly the same way. PuddleMama remarked that when she arrives home with Lucy in tow PuddleDoggy will run down and meet them at the door. PuddleDoggy will then see Lucy, lower his head a little, and go sulking off to his doggy bed. Poor guy. Add on top of that the fact we're trying to sell our house resulting in a limited supply of doggy toys laying around and the result is a sad puppy. I have been trying to give him some extra belly rubs, and next week he is going to be the happiest dog around when he visits his cousins Brock, Indy, Sophie, and the enigmatic Tommy.
Oh, there was one small event on Father's day that made it feel unusual. I got mooned. I was walking PuddleDoggy by the softball fields and two boys (maybe 12-14 years old) gave me the old Glen Modean. They then yelled "Yeah, you like that a$$!" before riding off on their BMX's. It momentarily made me glad that I had a little girl and not a little boy... But then thoughts of Girls Gone Wild ran through my head and I quickly and forcibly changed my thought pattern to less terrifying things, like picking up PuddleDoggy's poop. And I used to *like* thinking about Girls Gone Wild. Just another unexpected side-effect of having a girl.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Holy Water, Raspberries, and Gas
Lucy is finally catching up on her normal schedule after a wonderfully full weekend. Lucy was baptised on Sunday surrounded by family and close friends.
She cried a bit during the ceremony, but as I have been told and love to repeat, that's just a baby's way of praying. My dad was actually disappointed she didn't cry more. She didn't yell when they finally poured the water over her, but she certainly made a stink face. (PuddleMama just yelled from the other room that Lucy is actually smiling in her bath- that would be a first. Maybe a little holy water and an eccentric priest was all she needed to start loving water.)
Lucy now has her very own Godmother and Godfather (like she didn't already have enough people doting on her!) They are two people who we know will always be positive forces in her life, and as I said before, I can't wait to see her relationship with them grow.
We were overwhelmed by all the love and support of not only the Godparents, but of all those around us, and we can't possibly thank everyone enough. Lucky truly is lucky, as are Lucky's truly lucky parents. Get that?
For the record, here's a picture of Lucy resting up for the big moment in her Godfather's arms:
On a different note, Lucy belly-laughed tonight harder than we have ever seen. I was giving her raspberries and she was loving it. Then she passed some gas, and was not loving it so much anymore, so I'm thinking it was a combination of gas and raspberries (I know that combination always gets me.) Either way, PuddleMama and I just sat there and laughed with her. I could have given raspberries all night. Too bad Lucy couldn't have had gas all night as well.
She cried a bit during the ceremony, but as I have been told and love to repeat, that's just a baby's way of praying. My dad was actually disappointed she didn't cry more. She didn't yell when they finally poured the water over her, but she certainly made a stink face. (PuddleMama just yelled from the other room that Lucy is actually smiling in her bath- that would be a first. Maybe a little holy water and an eccentric priest was all she needed to start loving water.)
Lucy now has her very own Godmother and Godfather (like she didn't already have enough people doting on her!) They are two people who we know will always be positive forces in her life, and as I said before, I can't wait to see her relationship with them grow.
We were overwhelmed by all the love and support of not only the Godparents, but of all those around us, and we can't possibly thank everyone enough. Lucky truly is lucky, as are Lucky's truly lucky parents. Get that?
For the record, here's a picture of Lucy resting up for the big moment in her Godfather's arms:
On a different note, Lucy belly-laughed tonight harder than we have ever seen. I was giving her raspberries and she was loving it. Then she passed some gas, and was not loving it so much anymore, so I'm thinking it was a combination of gas and raspberries (I know that combination always gets me.) Either way, PuddleMama and I just sat there and laughed with her. I could have given raspberries all night. Too bad Lucy couldn't have had gas all night as well.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Little Lucky's Spirit
Lucy will be baptised on June 14th. PuddleMama and I are very excited. Although my Catholic upbringing didn't produce the most devout Catholic, I do consider my spirituality, soul, and link to God to be very real. For me, it doesn't matter what denomination Lucy will be baptised in (other than some cool points for continuing family traditions) but it does matter that the baptism symbolizes her unique spirituality and the beginning of her relationship to God.
Part of the excitement includes the new special relationship Lucy will have with her Godparents- PuddleUncle (my brother Luke) and PuddleMamaBFF (Kat!) They are two people who we know will always be involved in a very positive way with Lucy's life, and who's values align very closely to our own. Based on my own experiences, I know what a wonderful deal it is to be close to a Godparent. I am closer to God through my relationship with my Godfather and step-Godmother, even if beer, baseball, and bonfires have facilitated that relationship more than rosary beads and bibles. I hope (and am very confident) Lucy will find her own unique relationship to her Godparents that in turn brings her closer to God.
We see more and more of Lucy's spirit everyday. She was very vocal today, appearing to finally realize she is the one making those gurgles, yips, and giggles. We gurgle, yip, and giggle right back at her of course. (In fact, we do it so much I found myself smiling at a coworker today like I do at Lucy when I'm trying to make her smile- in other words, with a wide open mouth and quenched up eyes. The great thing is, the coworker smiled back. I guess it works on all ages of peoples.)
Lucy's spirit is already lighting up my world, and I'm looking forward to watching it grow and bond with the world around her.
Part of the excitement includes the new special relationship Lucy will have with her Godparents- PuddleUncle (my brother Luke) and PuddleMamaBFF (Kat!) They are two people who we know will always be involved in a very positive way with Lucy's life, and who's values align very closely to our own. Based on my own experiences, I know what a wonderful deal it is to be close to a Godparent. I am closer to God through my relationship with my Godfather and step-Godmother, even if beer, baseball, and bonfires have facilitated that relationship more than rosary beads and bibles. I hope (and am very confident) Lucy will find her own unique relationship to her Godparents that in turn brings her closer to God.
We see more and more of Lucy's spirit everyday. She was very vocal today, appearing to finally realize she is the one making those gurgles, yips, and giggles. We gurgle, yip, and giggle right back at her of course. (In fact, we do it so much I found myself smiling at a coworker today like I do at Lucy when I'm trying to make her smile- in other words, with a wide open mouth and quenched up eyes. The great thing is, the coworker smiled back. I guess it works on all ages of peoples.)
Lucy's spirit is already lighting up my world, and I'm looking forward to watching it grow and bond with the world around her.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Are you feeling Lucky?
Yes!
Exercise for the reader: Get another browser window open and go to http://www.google.com/. Type "Lucy Kleczka" (including the quotation marks) and hit the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button.
Expected Result: I have rigged it so the google "I'm Feeling Lucky" button will take you straight to a blog post about my little Lucky! Have you ever seen anything quite so cool?!
Exercise for the reader: Get another browser window open and go to http://www.google.com/. Type "Lucy Kleczka" (including the quotation marks) and hit the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button.
Expected Result: I have rigged it so the google "I'm Feeling Lucky" button will take you straight to a blog post about my little Lucky! Have you ever seen anything quite so cool?!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Laugh 1, 2, and 3
Lucy Kleczka laughed for the first time last night! It was amazing. Brief, but amazing. PuddleMama was attending baptism class and my good friend Seriously Dangerous Nick was hanging out with Lucy Kleczka and I (so there was another witness to this feat.) I immediately called up PuddleMama to brag that I just heard Lucy Kleczka laugh for the first, second, and third time. I heard the mixture of excitement and disappointment at not being there from PuddleMama that I expected. I appreciated PuddleMama's Facebook status later that night.
PuddleMama missed her daughter laugh for the first time. Effing baptism class!
Seriously.
I always anticipated that watching "firsts" would be an exciting and rewarding part of parenthood, but there is simply no way to anticipate the joy of watching your little girl start smiling because of gas, then smiling bigger because of gas, then start smiling because of you, then start smiling bigger because of you, then start almost-almost-laughing, then start almost-laughing, and then finally letting out a smiling, gurgling "Heh!" that makes your heart melt. Ridiculously amazing.
PuddleMama asked, as I'm sure most of you would, what I was actually doing to make Lucy Kleczka laugh. Well, I was actually just talking to Seriously Dangerous Nick. We were laughing quite a bit, so Lucy Kleczka just felt like she had to join in. Don't worry Seriously Dangerous Nick, I think she was laughing with us, not at us.
More please Lucy Kleczka!
FYI: I am not going senile. I did a google search on "Lucy Kleczka" and no hits were returned when I used the quotes. Hence I used "Lucy Kleczka" instead of just "Lucy" in this blog post to hopefully create some concrete hits on google. For the record, this blog did return as the 5th link if you did a search on Lucy and Kleczka without the quotes.
Seriously.
I always anticipated that watching "firsts" would be an exciting and rewarding part of parenthood, but there is simply no way to anticipate the joy of watching your little girl start smiling because of gas, then smiling bigger because of gas, then start smiling because of you, then start smiling bigger because of you, then start almost-almost-laughing, then start almost-laughing, and then finally letting out a smiling, gurgling "Heh!" that makes your heart melt. Ridiculously amazing.
PuddleMama asked, as I'm sure most of you would, what I was actually doing to make Lucy Kleczka laugh. Well, I was actually just talking to Seriously Dangerous Nick. We were laughing quite a bit, so Lucy Kleczka just felt like she had to join in. Don't worry Seriously Dangerous Nick, I think she was laughing with us, not at us.
More please Lucy Kleczka!
FYI: I am not going senile. I did a google search on "Lucy Kleczka" and no hits were returned when I used the quotes. Hence I used "Lucy Kleczka" instead of just "Lucy" in this blog post to hopefully create some concrete hits on google. For the record, this blog did return as the 5th link if you did a search on Lucy and Kleczka without the quotes.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Happy Mother's Day PuddleMama!
Today is Mother's Day, and like every Mother's Day at 9:08 a.m. I am smelly, tired, hung-over, and just plain feel like a dirty gym sock. However, my yearly fishing opener weekend tradition doesn't mean that it isn't an absolutely special Mother's Day because it is PuddleMama's first one with Lucy. So, despite feeling like soggy Frosted Flakes left in sour milk on the counter for two weeks, I am writing a very special blog post for PuddleMama to wish her a happy mother's day.
After Lucy came, we decided to tighten our belts and start a stricter budget, so I spent a time thinking of how exactly to give PuddleMama something special (and cheap.) And as I was looking in my closet last week I saw the infamous "Poem Pants." When PuddleMama and I first started dating I used to wear a pair of khaki cargo shorts on some of our dates. I would write a few lines of rhymes, or even a full fledged sonnet, and slip the poem into the cargo pockets. I was usually rewarded with a kiss and smile. (And yes, I realize that I call them the "Poem Pants" even though they are shorts. I am not above a little literary inaccuracy for some cheap and satisfying alliteration.)
ANYWAY, I thought in the spirit of creating something special (and cheap) for PuddleMama this Mother's day I would revive the spirit of the poem pants, and write a special sonnet dedicated to PuddleMama and Lucy. Remember, making it more special, is that it is 9:14 a.m. on Mother's day and I feel like the runny diarrhea Clancy had when PuddleMama was pregnant (see previous blog post for more information on that fun adventure) and yet I am sitting here creating a sonnet on the fly (or should I say on the "bumblebee"?)
So here it is:
Lucky Bumblebees
A pair of gently floating bumblebees,
softly sparks the peering eyes below.
Her smile dances brief before it flees,
but not before igniting cheeks to glow.
The mother's matching pair of eyes above,
illuminate in sync with Lucky's light.
Her smile lingers as she thinks of
another ray of sun from her little sprite.
The mirror of smiles reflects the constant flares
of tender love and bond uniquely theirs.
After Lucy came, we decided to tighten our belts and start a stricter budget, so I spent a time thinking of how exactly to give PuddleMama something special (and cheap.) And as I was looking in my closet last week I saw the infamous "Poem Pants." When PuddleMama and I first started dating I used to wear a pair of khaki cargo shorts on some of our dates. I would write a few lines of rhymes, or even a full fledged sonnet, and slip the poem into the cargo pockets. I was usually rewarded with a kiss and smile. (And yes, I realize that I call them the "Poem Pants" even though they are shorts. I am not above a little literary inaccuracy for some cheap and satisfying alliteration.)
ANYWAY, I thought in the spirit of creating something special (and cheap) for PuddleMama this Mother's day I would revive the spirit of the poem pants, and write a special sonnet dedicated to PuddleMama and Lucy. Remember, making it more special, is that it is 9:14 a.m. on Mother's day and I feel like the runny diarrhea Clancy had when PuddleMama was pregnant (see previous blog post for more information on that fun adventure) and yet I am sitting here creating a sonnet on the fly (or should I say on the "bumblebee"?)
So here it is:
Lucky Bumblebees
A pair of gently floating bumblebees,
softly sparks the peering eyes below.
Her smile dances brief before it flees,
but not before igniting cheeks to glow.
The mother's matching pair of eyes above,
illuminate in sync with Lucky's light.
Her smile lingers as she thinks of
another ray of sun from her little sprite.
The mirror of smiles reflects the constant flares
of tender love and bond uniquely theirs.
Pretty good for writing it while feeling like the inside of a clogged garbage disposal, huh?
As I said, I was usually rewarded with a kiss after digging into the poem pants, but as part of my Mother's day gift to PuddleMama I'll postpone that collection of that reward until I've brushed the cigars/booze/potato chips/maybe something grosser out of my mouth. I know, what a guy!
PuddleMama, go look in the leftmost desk drawer. Lucy picked out a card for you. Can you guess what's on it? Oh. And because I'm in danger of feeling too much on the "cheap" side why don't you go get your hair did. On me. I love you and will be home in a few hours! Happy Mother's Day PuddleMama!
Below are Cliff's Notes on the poem for those who need it, but don't worry- there won't be a quiz.
Cliff's Notes:
Form
- This poem is a sonnet, my favorite poetry form
- It follows a typical rhyming scheme, abab cdcd ee
- It is written in iambic pentameter
Symbolism
- Lucy's name means "light", hence all the "light" imagery
- Lucy's initials are L.U.K and I call her "Lucky" as much as I call her "Lucy"
- Lucy loves two bumblebees that hang over her on her play-mat. They are by far her favorite inanimate objects (or maybe semi-animate as the bumblebees have painted faces)
- Lucy has beautiful blue peepers, much like her mother (Cliff is maybe stating a little too much of the obvious here, egh?)
- The card I gave to PuddleMama has two bumblebees on it!
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