It's been a while. Over two weeks, right? Crazy how time flies. There's just so much to write about, and every time I sit down and get started, I'm all like, "Man, this is gonna take a while," and then I'm like, "Hey, what's that noise?" Then I'm like, "Munchkin, keep the door open," and then I'm like, "Don't worry, Shelby. We'll get you all fixed up," and then I'm like, "Man, the pot on the stove is about to boil over," and then I'm like, "See, Shelby? I told you everything was gonna be o.k.," and then I'm like, "No, I haven't been able to get to the litter yet, but I will." Then, the next thing I know, I'm like, "Cool! Thanks for doing the dishes!" Then I'm like, "Maddie, I asked you not to close the door," and then I'm like, "Breathe, Dave. Breathe," and then I'm like, "Hey, would you look at the time?" Then I'm like, "Oh, man, I forgot to tape that show," and then I'm like, "No, I don't need the computer on."

I mean, don't get me wrong - life is good. Great, in fact. I'm a family man now, and I've never been happier.

But sometimes being a dad can be pretty tiring - especially when one of your girls is as energetic as Maddie. And smart. She knows how to keep us on our toes, I tell you what.

Take the other night, for example. I make her some pasta. Nothing crazy - just pasta out of a bag from Costco. Pretty mild. But Maddie doesn't want to eat it.

"I want applesauce," she says.

"Well this is what I made," I answer.

"I don't want this," she pleads. "No thank you!"

"Sorry, but you don't get to decide," I tell her. "Eat some of your pasta, and then maybe we'll talk about applesauce. Until then, not a chance."

Her wheels start turning, and I mean noticeably turning. I can tell that she's trying to figure out how to win.

She takes a small bite of her pasta.

"Cough. Cough. It's spicy!" she yells.

"That's clever," I say, "but I'm no dummy. That's not spicy, and you know it."

She sticks out her bottom lip, knowing full well that that always gets me. I almost cave, but finally I catch myself.

"I'll leave you to your pasta," I say, and I walk out of the kitchen.

"Waaaah! Waaaah!" she yells behind me. "It's too spicy! It's too spicy!"

And from the living room, I answer, "Come on, Maddie, that's not even a real cry! All you're saying is, 'Waaaah.'"

Silence.

I look at Lori, who's feeding Shelby, proud as ever of my little girl and all her cleverness. "She's actually trying to trick me," I whisper.

"Yup. She's a clever girl," Lori answers.

I walk back into the kitchen. . . and guess who's eating her pasta?

I look at Maddie, smiling. "Hey, you want some applesauce?"

She sure keeps us busy.

And Shelby does, too.



Not because she's fussy. I mean, she's not. . . really. . . although she can be in the evenings sometimes (the time of day that Lori refers to as the "witching hour"). She's just. . . a baby, you know? Babies eat. They need to be changed. They get tummy aches. They get gas. They need to be held, hugged, kissed. They need their cheeks squooshed and their bellies razzberried.

But we're finally starting to find our way. Shelby's in her crib now, and she's so close to sleeping through the night, we can almost taste it. We usually get her down between 8:00 and 8:30, and she only wakes up once during the night - usually about eight hours after we put her down.

Shelby’s really a very peaceful baby, and she and I have some deep conversations. As a matter of fact, on the changing table yesterday, in response to a smile, she looked up at me with those big blue eyes (so far, that’s what color they are – don’t know if they’ll stay that way), took a moment to gather her thoughts and said, “. . Gggggg…” And I knew exactly what she meant. We understood each other completely.

Seriously - spend some time with her, and you’ll see what I mean. She has a way of looking into your soul.

She smiles a lot, too. And she looooves to look around.

By the way, we can already tell that Maddie and Shelby are going to be close.







In other news, Lori returned to work yesterday. So if you see her. . . you know. . . keep that in mind. Hard to believe it's already been 10 weeks, but it has. Shelby's spending the week at our apartment with Grandma Carolyn, and next week she's with Grandma Diane. I'm home with her the week after that, and then she's off to daycare with her sister. Pretty soon she'll be asking for the keys to the car. But little does she know, she's grounded until she's 25. . . just like her sister. And anyone that wants to date her will be subject to a series of rigorous physical challenges. Maybe a test of endurance as well.

In closing, I leave you with these two photos:

One of two close friends. . .



And one of a big girl eating ice cream with her grandma while her mommy and daddy are in the hospital welcoming her little sister into the world. . .



But also. . .

I leave you with this link:

THIS LINK

Have a happy Wednesday.

And like that. . . whoosh. . . there goes another two weeks.

There's nothing to write about, you know? Life is just so. . . boring.

If by "boring," you mean "not boring at all," then yes, you're right ("you," of course, meaning "me." Oh, forget it). Life is boring. So boring, in fact, that it's hard to find time to write. It's hard to find time to . . .



Well, you get the idea.

Shelby's about seven weeks old now, and we can already tell that she's smart as a whip. Just like her sister.



When she's awake, she's incredibly alert. She smiles, coos, and looks around constantly, soaking things up like a sponge. She sleeps for longer periods of time now, too. As a matter of fact, for the past couple of nights, she's only woken up once. She went down at around 8:00 and didn't wake until up until around 2:45. It's like she's turned over a new leaf. Part of the reason, I think, is that Lori and I have done everything in our power to get her on a schedule. It's been slow going, but it's finally starting to pay off. Also, thanks to a friend at church, we've recently (like a couple of days ago) discovered Gripe Water. It's this ginger and fennel seed infused water that comes in a little blue bottle. You buy it in the baby section of Whole Foods. It's completely safe, and it helps with gas. I mean, it really helps! Shelby's had a problem with gas since the beginning. Maddie did, too. And when she has an episode, this stuff calms her right down. It clearly makes her feel a whole lot better.

Last Saturday, Shelby rolled over. Seriously. I put her on her belly, walked away, and a moment later, she lifted herself up and rolled over onto her back. I don't think she'll be able to do it again for quite some time, but she does try. Her neck muscles are incredibly strong. She gets a lot of tummy time, and because we're absolutely determined not to have to put her in a helmet like we did with Maddie, we try to hold her on her back as little as possible.



By the way, as of a couple of weeks ago, Shelby weighed 9 pounds, 2 ounces. I reckon she's up to about 10 now. She's huge! Actually, she's only in about the tenth percentile, but for her, she's huge!

And Maddie, by the way, is also growing. She's still a little munchkin - 23 pounds, 15 ounces as of a couple of weeks ago - but she is a bonafide little girl. We have actual conversations with her. She speaks in complete sentences, eats with real silverware, drinks out of an actual cup (that's new), sleeps in her very own toddler bed and is almost completely potty-trained. And, man, is she funny. She makes up songs based on whatever is going on around her. The other night, she sang me "The Daddy Song." Here's how it goes:

The Daddy Song
The Daddy Song
The Daddy Song
The Daddy Song

I think it's brilliant. I said, "Wow, are you singing the Daddy song? Did you make that up?" And as proud as could be, she answered, "Yeah! I did!"

She looooves being a big sister, by the way.



And Shelby knows her. She actually knows her. She knows her face, knows her voice, and when Maddie talks to her (which is often), she's completely content. Most of the time.

Anyway, last Saturday, we went to the zoo with Auntie Speedy.



We saw baby chicks. . .



fed cows. . .



and Auntie Speedy got a chance to bond with the Jelly Bean.



On the way, we stopped at the coolest Farmer's Market ever. It's in Lincoln Park every Wednesday and Saturday through October. If you have a hankerin' for some fresh veggies, milk or cheese (we got ourselves some fresh mozzarella), you should totally go.

By the way, if you want to see a set of photos from the past couple of weeks, CLICK HERE.

In other news, my 365 Days Project is still going strong. Or at least it's still going.





I must confess that I've missed a few (o.k., more than a few) days these past couple of months, but who can blame me?

In other other news, my man Bob Fisher has officially started working on the graphic novelization of his play, The Meatlocker. I'm telling you this because I'm playing the Meatlocker - in the comic. . .er, graphic novel, and in the Mammals' 2009 production.



Pretty awesome, right?

Have a happy Wednesday (and happy other days leading up to my next blog)!

Yes, I know. I KNOW. It's been two weeks. I know.

We've been busy. We've got two kids now, you know. We're still adapting. We're doing fine, though; we really are.

Here are some highlights of the past couple of weeks.

I got a new phone. . .



We reconnected with the cast and crew of A View from the Bridge at Chris and Becky's baby shower. . .



I read to my girls. . .



We went to Rudden's birthday party, and all kinds of crazy things happened -- a robot parade, a "Yellow Submarine" jam session, and even some swimming. . .









Shelby and Don had a nice conversation. . .



Maddie smiled. . .



Shelby's neck grew stronger. . .



Maddie enjoyed being a big sister. . .





I watched Lori be an amazing mother. . .



Shelby slept. . .



I put together three Flickr sets. . .

BECKY AND CHRIS'S BABY SHOWER

RUDDEN'S BIRTHDAY PARTY

ENJOYING LIFE

And then the weekend began.

Hope you have a happy one.

P.S. Shelby's almost six weeks old!

Yes, it’s official (and has been for a while, actually): I am completely surrounded. Even our cats are female.

I wouldn’t have it any other way, though. I mean, seriously – look at my girls!



Those are MY girls! All three of em!

By the way, that sling Lori’s wearing is new. It’s the coolest thing, too. If you’re about to have a baby (or if you’ve just had one), you should definitely get one.

So, about our weekend. . .

On Friday, I took a much needed personal day and strolled around the neighborhood with Lori and the Bean.



That’s our corner. Our house is the yellow one in the background. We live on the second floor.

On Saturday, Lori made the Munchkin and me one of our all-time favorite breakfasts – chocolate chip pancakes a la mode. Delicious and nutritious.

On Saturday afternoon, we headed over to Ben Fest, a small but impressive festival in the courtyard of St. Ben’s.



They had all the usual fare – you know, food, music, drunk people. . .



. . . but what set this festival apart from the others was its kids’ section. The petting zoo, full of giant turtles, rabbits, ducks and a Burmese python (!), was unlike any we’d ever seen.





Sunday began with a bang, or, more specifically, a shower. While changing Shelby, I got shot in the face with a two foot geyser of yellow baby poop. I don’t know how that little girl did it, but in a matter of seconds she managed to soil our quilt, the floor, my shirt and my eye. Go ahead, laugh it up.

On Sunday afternoon, we walked up to the Folk and Roots Festival in Lincoln Square. It was fun but a little too crowded for my liking.





I’m back at work today. And that’s all I have to say about that.

We’re doing well. Very well. Shelby’s starting to put on weight, and she’s very alert. She's starting to sleep a bit longer, too. She’s so funny when she sleeps. No matter how tightly we wrap her, she figures out how to free some part of her body. Maddie was the same way.



Have a happy Monday. I'll talk to you soon.

By the way, wanna see a set of photos from the weekend? Well, o.k.! CLICK HERE!

I like taking pictures of my girls.

Here are some that Lori and I took this morning of the Bean:









Ain't she purty?

Believe it or not, there's a whole set of these. Really - I'm telling the truth!

Have a happy Saturday!

Maddie’s had a lot of changes thrown at her lately, and so far she’s been a real trooper. She did have a little episode a couple of days after we brought Shelby home from the hospital, but we dealt with it and were able to talk her down in a matter of minutes. Really, Maddie has been phenomenal.

This morning, she helped me put Shelby into her car seat.



And Shelby. . . well, Shelby’s awesome. She just goes with the flow, man, mellow as can be. As Lori said yesterday, she’s very easy to take care of. She doesn’t need to be held all the time, and she hardly ever cries. Mind you, she does love to be held. I mean, what baby doesn’t? But whenever we have to put her down or want to give her some “tummy time” (a very important thing), she’s totally cool with it.



By the way, she’s up past her birth weight. As of Saturday morning, she weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces. She’s huge!

And I almost forgot – her umbilical cord fell off this morning. Woohoo!

So anyway. . . how was our 4th of July weekend? Well, believe it or not, it was pretty relaxing.



We spent a lot of time outdoors, and on Sunday, Shelby met her uncle Joe, aunt Carol and cousin Lia for the first time.





We spent most of the day at the park. Want to see some photos? HERE YOU GO!

Have a happy Tuesday!

By the way, check out the teddy bears Auntie Speedy knitted for the girls.





Pretty awesome, eh?

Lori and I are discovering that we're actually pretty good at this parenting thing. I guess it's easier the second time around. It's hard to believe, but it's been almost two weeks since Shelby entered the world. Here's a set of photos from her first couple of days at home:

CLICK HERE.

But listen -- don't worry. I've got more. Oh, yes. I've got more.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of "The Day Maddie Became a Big Sister."

Have a happy MOidfjladksfnadmfnadsfdasf.;fa;dsjfk.

Sorry, for some reason, I just feel asleep on the keyboard.

:-)

O.k., first things first. Thank you for your love and support. You’ve called to check up on us, sent cards and emails (sorry if we haven’t responded just yet), watched Maddie, done our laundry (!), visited us in the hospital, brought us food (as I’m sure you can imagine, these days it can be pretty easy to forget to eat), sent Target gift cards, knitted our girls hats and teddy bears (the coolest in the world - I’ll post pictures soon). In a nutshell, you have gone above and beyond, and we are blessed to have you in our lives. We will never forget your kindness, and we promise to pay it forward.

Now, where was I? Oh, yeah. I’m happier than ever. And I was right -- the space in my heart that Maddie has occupied for the past two years and four months did not have to get smaller to make room for Shelby. My heart has gotten bigger. I’ve added a new wing.

By the way, Maddie has already proven herself to be an incredible big sister. We’ve never been more proud of her.







So here’s the Reader’s Digest version of the story. . .

Ahem. . . .

Part 1.

Monday.

Lori calls me at work, nearly in tears. “I can’t take this any longer,” she cries. “I’ve been having contractions for weeks, but nothing is happening. I can barely walk. I can’t come to work another day.” She calls her doctor, who agrees to induce her into labor the following morning. I leave work a few minutes early, meet Lori at her office, and together we head home. My mom comes over, and we spend the evening packing.

Tuesday.

We arrive at the hospital at 7am and check in at the OB triage. After checking Lori’s vitals, a nurse takes us to our room. Lori is already having contractions but is given a Pitocin drip to further them along.



Shelby’s heart rate drops. A lot.

They stop the Pitocin, and the contractions ease up. They start it up again, and Shelby’s heart rate drops even lower than it did before.





In a matter of seconds, a swarm of nurses closes in on Lori’s bed and tells us they’re taking Lori to the operating room. Lori looks at me with a confused look on her face, and I tell her she’s going to get a C-section. She doesn’t understand. I assure her that everything is going to be all right, tell her I love her, say goodbye, and the nurses take her away. Another nurse comes in, hands me a set of scrubs, and together we carry our bags to another room. I wait what seems like an eternity until finally I am taken into the operating room and placed on a stool next to Lori. She’s shaking like a leaf on a tree. I hold her hand and tell her I love her.

A few minutes later, we hear Shelby cry.

And then we see her.

I follow a couple of nurses to another room, where they get footprints, measure her and check her weight. She weighs in at 6 pounds, 14 ounces and measures 20 inches long.



One of the nurses picks Shelby up, and, one by one, she stamps my shirt with her feet. She smiles and says, “There you go. She’s walked all over your heart. And it won’t be the last time, either.”



I hold my daughter for the first time.



I bring Shelby to meet her mommy.



I take Shelby back to the other room. We sit down in a chair together, and she listens intently as I sing her a song. . .

"I’m just an old chunk of coal,
But I’m gonna be a diamond someday.
I’m gonna grow and glow ‘til I’m so blue pure perfect,
I’m gonna put a smile on everybody’s face.

But I’m gonna kneel and pray every day,
Lest I should become vain along the way.
I’m just an old chunk of coal, now, Lord,
But I’m gonna be a diamond someday.

I’m gonna learn the right way to talk.
Gonna search and find a better way to walk.
I’m gonna spit and polish my ol’ rough edged self
Until I get rid of every single flaw.

I’m gonna be the world’s best friend.
I’m gonna go ‘round shakin’ everybody’s hand.
I’m gonna be the cotton-pickin’ rage of the age,
Yes, I’m gonna be a diamond someday.

I’m just an old chunk of coal, now, Lord,
But I’m gonna be a diamond someday."

I'm on Cloud 9.

Stay tuned for Part 2.

And have a happy Tuesday.

We're home from the hospital, and we're doing fine. We have two daughters, by the way. We're a family of four now. Oh, my goodness gracious.

CLICK HERE to see a set of photos from the first few days with Shelby Jean, a.k.a. the Jelly Bean, a.k.a. the Bean, a.k.a. our little Honey Bee.

Have a happy Friday!

Allow me to introduce you to the newest member of our family.





Shelby Jean Goss was born at 1:50pm on Tuesday, June 24th. She weighed in at 6 pounds, 14 ounces and measured 20 inches long.

We couldn't be more proud.







I'll fill you in on the details soon. For now, just know that all is well. Lori had to have an emergency C-section, but she's recovering nicely, and we'll be going home tomorrow. Shelby's healthy, Maddie's met her, and yes, you are more than welcome to swing on by. Just give us a call before you come over.

Have a happy Thursday!