Daddy Diary 07

Daddy Diary 07
September 30, 2009

The waiting is the hardest part.

I can't believe how much more time has to pass before TJ joins us.

It seems like it was last year that Lesley and I sat in doctor's office and had the pregnancy confirmed.

Wow, time doesn't fly... when you are expecting fun.

It's like waiting for kick off at a Saints game... It's just never comes fast enough.

I want TJ here now.

UPDATE: We want to thank Uncle Justin for being so gracious during his stay in Denver. Not only did Justin pull some weeds in the back yard... he also bought us our first stroller.

What a guy!

Justin we love you. Thank You for being a friend. Thanks for everything.

MAGIC NUMBER: The Dodgers are closing in on the play-offs and so is Justin when it comes to being TJ's godfather.

Updated Standings:

1. Justin Vandercook - Stroller, yard work.

2. Joey - Two Saints outfits, baby carrier.

3. Jonas - Clothes for Lesley, nothing for dad.

I hope you all know I am just kidding... The person who is to be the godfather doesn't have to give the most gifts... just cash!

I am joking!

HOW CUTE IS THIS?

I can't wait until TJ wears little UCLA/Saints/Broncos/Dodgers/Rockies stuff.

Bye for now

Busy Day...

So, my day off today was anything but. We started the day checking out two daycares that have been recommended to us. Luckily, both are really good and really close to our house (just minutes away.) It's definitely going to be a tough decision... both have really good qualities and we like different things from each. We're really going to have to weigh what is most important. We plan on looking some more and hopefully coming up with a decision in time to secure a spot for TJ.

Then... it was off to Babies 'R Us for some registering. It was a little overwhelming at first, but Frankie had the scanning gun, and he was pretty into. I got home, looked at the registry and didn't remember half of the stuff he scanned! :) It was fun going through and picking things that TJ is going to sleep in or poop in, or both!

There were a few things we didn't like at Babies 'R Us, and will probably head to Target to finish things off... but we were pretty exhausted by the time we left that first stop. I came home and had to take a nap! :)

A little baby humor...

I saw this video on a friend's Facebook page... and can't stop laughing. Here's to all the single babies! :)

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1921700

21 Weeks

So... we're more than halfway there! And there's still so much to do, but we're starting to make some progress. We're finding it's really difficult to get things done when we don't have any time off together!

I'm taking Monday off to be with Frankie & get some baby things done. First on the list: finding a daycare. It's hard for me to believe, but everyone tells me that now is the time for us to get TJ signed up for daycare. I mean, he's not even here, yet!!! I'm planning on taking 12 weeks off, and hopefully that works out okay. Luckily, we've had some great referrels to daycares within five minutes of our house, and with my sister being an infant/toddler teacher in Canon, we'll know what to look for and what to ask. I can only imagine how difficult it's going to be to leave TJ at a daycare, but we really have no choice... Mommy AND Daddy have to work.

Speaking of Daddy... he finally got to feel the li'l guy kick yesterday morning. TJ is definitely a mover, and for a few weeks now, I've been able to feel him from the *outside. But, whenever Frankie would run over and put his hand on my belly, TJ would stop kicking. I think Frankie thought I was making it all up. :) Well, that changed yesterday morning, when TJ kicked for him twice. I'm so glad Frankie got to experience that... it was awesome hearing him giggle with each little punch.

Daddy Diary 06

TOMMY BOY!


Well, It's a Boy...
And I am happy about that. Don't get me wrong, I would have loved a little girl just as much. I jsut wanted a healthy baby with two arms and two legs...
To prove my point... I even asked the ultra sound nurse, "Okay I see it, but is it okay? Does it have two arms and two legs?"

So, I wasn't thinking boy or girl... But it's nice to know the Reno-Martin name will live on past my generation.

The ultra sound itself was an amazing experience. I like to think of it as my time to be with the baby too. Lesley gets to be with Tommy all day, everyday... which I know is hard on her.

But for me to be able to see the little guy moving around (and he does move around a lot. Slippery when wet folks!) made my heart jump.

I can't describe the feeling. Seeing his little heart beat. Or seeing his little toes kicking at Lesley. (Looks like he's going to be a handful once he starts walking.) It's awesome.

I can't wait until I feel him kick.

Move that Bus!!!
Crib Update: We got the crib and changing table. Up next, the paint. We should start the preliminary work on the baby room by next Sunday.

Clean-out, Paint, Build furniture, hang pictures... Done.

It will definitely be done by Monday, October 12. The Saints have a bye on the 11th. No excuses that weekend.

It's a...

So, we went to our 20 week ultrasound yesterday. We got to see the baby's heartbeat, spine, brain, little arms and hands moving around, little feet and legs... and then, a little something in between the legs. That's right, Baby Beans is a boy!!! At first, Frankie and I both thought, "Are you sure?" Then, he made it quite evident... he wouldn't stop flashing us!

He's also VERY active. The little guy wouldn't sit still for a second. He was playing with his toes, waving his hand, and even lifted a finger at us (Grandma Reno was a little offended. :) )

The doctor says everything is on track... his heart and development is perfect for 20 weeks. Our ultrasound tech says he's about the size of a Qdoba burrito and weighs in at 13 ounces.

Daddy's going to buy him a Brees jersey, and as for Mommy, well, I can't wait to get him a pair of baby Chuck Taylors. :)

You're probably wondering about names, well, we already have one picked out. His name is Thomas Joseph, after his Grandpa Reno & Uncle Joey. We've been calling him TJ for short.

We have a DVD of the ultrasound and some 3D pictures. We'll post the clips soon.

20 Weeks

Saints won, Broncos won, and it's our one year anniversary! All in all, a pretty good day! And, our Future Saints Fan is moving around quite a bit lately... mostly when Mommy wants to sleep. :)

I can't believe we're already halfway there! Looking back, it's gone by fast, which is fine for me. People say to cherish this time it goes by quickly... while there are great moments in being pregnant, I'd be happy if things went by a little faster. :) I'm impatient like that!

Case in point -- I wish it were already tomorrow. :) That's when we find out if Baby Beans is a boy or girl. It's going to be huge being able to give the baby a name, not just a nickname, and finish getting stuff for the nursery.

I'm not sure how quickly we'll get the posting up on what we're having since right after the ultrasound we're leaving for Breckenridge to continue our anniversary celebration. Grandpa & Grandma Reno will be coming up for the ultrasound, so maybe I'll have them post something.

Daddy Diary 05

Daddy Diary 05

Does Someone Have to Die?

Madden Curse strikes Troy Polamalu
September 11, 2009 1:36 pm
When will NFL players ever learn? Never appear on the cover of a Madden football video game.
One of this year's cover stars, Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers, was injured in Pittsburgh's first game of the season on Thursday.

A look at The Curse:
Madden 2000: On the box -- Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions. Sanders shocks fans and his team by announcing his retirement just before the start of training camp.
Madden 2001: On the box -- Eddie George, Tennessee Titans. George, who the previous year had led his team to the Super Bowl, bobbles a pass that is then intercepted and returned for a touchdown in the Titans' divisional playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Madden 2002: On the box -- Daunte Culpepper, Minnesota Vikings. Culpepper, who the previous year led the Vikings to the NFC championship game, sits out the last five games because of a knee injury as the Vikings finish 5-11.
Madden 2003: On the box -- Marshall Faulk, St. Louis Rams. After leading the Rams to the Super Bowl twice in three years, Faulk is hampered throughout the season by an injured ankle as his rushing yards drop to 953 after four consecutive seasons of at least 1,300 yards and the Rams fall short of the playoffs with a 7-9 record.
Madden 2004: On the box -- Michael Vick, Atlanta Falcons. Coming off a season where he had led the team to the playoffs, Vick breaks his right leg in an exhibition that takes place only one day after the Madden game is released to the public. Vick plays in only five games during the season and the Falcons finish 5-11.
Madden 2005: On the box -- Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens. Coming off a season in which he intercepted six passes, Lewis fails to get even one interception as the Ravens don't make the playoffs after finishing 9-7.
Madden 2006: On the box -- Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles. McNabb was selected for the cover after leading the Eagles to the Super Bowl the previous year. In the first game of the season, McNabb suffers a sports hernia and sits out the last seven games of the season. The Eagles finish in last place.
Madden 2007: On the box -- Shaun Alexander, Seattle Seahawks. The season after he was selected league most valuable player for leading the Seahawks to the Super Bowl, Alexander breaks his left foot in Seattle's third game.
Madden 2008: On the box -- Vince Young. One of the biggest busts in NFL draft history.
Madden 2009: On the box: Brett Favre. Do we really need to recap his last few months?

Daddy Diary 04

September 10, 2009

Just 3 more wake-ups until the Saints play!!!
Ooops... I mean,
Until Les and my 1 year anniversary.
Who Dat?

I hope everyone is doing well.

Lesley jinxed herself last night.
We had our first "bad night." Les just didn't feel good. Plain and simple.
But on the bright side, I actually got to play father for the first time ever...
4 am. Lesley: "I don't feel well. It's too hot. I am going to turn on the air conditioning."
Frank: "No, I will do it." And I ran down and turned it on... (j/k I don't even remember the walk I was so tired)
And just like that I did my first "sleepwalking, father, husband, dad type duty."
Went down and turned on the A/C.
After I got in bed again,
Les: "Did you bring up some water?"
I didn't have any water. What's wrong with me?
Let's just say, I went back down and Les got the best water of her life.

But what's your point? - I guess what I am trying to say, is I feel like if the baby wants to come at 4 am... I can handle that. I will be ready. I know water doesn't translate into childbirth... But, if my mind believes it... then it's good enough for me.

Mind over matter.


Cobra Commander - Public Enemy No. 1

My 2 cents - Just one more day until the 9-11 anniversary. It seems as if we are back to normal in America. Economy and Health Care debates are all anyone cares about.
My hope is that "Baby Beans" will never have to go through anything like that in his/her lifetime.

19 Weeks

We're almost halfway there! I've been getting weekly baby updates from babycenter.com, and while it's helpful, I mainly tune in to find out what fruit Baby Beans is this week! So... the baby is about the size of a large heirloom tomato, weighing about 8.5 ounces and measuring six inches head to bottom. I can't believe how fast the baby is growing... and me, too! :)

I know you're supposed to gain weight in pregnancy, but I have never weighed this much before! It's still a little shocking when you get on the scale. I'm supposed to gain about a pound a week, and so far, I seem to be on track now. I hadn't gained any weight until my last appointment, so doctor was pleased I was finally putting on the pounds.

My energy is coming back now, too. It's been a while since I've felt sick, I'm mostly just tired. I usually hit a wall around 7:30 or 8 at night, which is unfortunately my busiest time at work. Everyone there has been so great, and I couldn't ask for better people to work with.

I've started doing some prenatal yoga workouts, which is a big deal since I hate yoga! And hopefully it will start cooling off here soon so I can get out there in the morning and walk and not have it be too hot.

I can't believe that in less than a week our baby will no longer have a nickname, but his or her real name! I'm not good at surprises... so waiting even this long has been driving me nuts!

Mommy's Not a Slacker :)

So, I'm feeling like a slacker since I haven't posted anything yet. :) Frankie was pretty on about the naming of Baby Beans. I couldn't think of anything, then I thought the baby was the size of a bean. My childhood nurse used to call me Baby Beans, and I loved the nickname, so I passed it on to our little one. :)

Here's a link to the crib:
(Thanks Grandpa & Grandma Reno.)

http://www.target.com/Delta-Childrens-Products-Martin-White/dp/B001P1SZ1Y/ref=sc_ri_1?ie=UTF8&pf_rd_r=0JCMHTMKW7P7H9KJ0RP0&pf_rd_p=481923911&pf_rd_i=0&pf_rd_s=bottom-10&pf_rd_m=A1VC38T7YXB528&pf_rd_t=201

Here's the changing table:

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=DX410200/175-2043076-4231552?ie=UTF8&asin=B001P1WIO4


And... here's a link to the bedding set. Even though we're finding out what we're having, we decided to go with a neutral nursery. Mommy doesn't like pink. :)

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3066899

Daddy Diary 03

Daddy Diary 03

09-07-09

Happy Labor Day all!

Baby Beans - So why do we call the unborn child, "baby beans?"

That's actually the question Lesley asked me this morning. She was interested to see what we woudl say. Truth is, I thought it was her idea. Les wanted to give the baby a name so that we don't just keep saying... "It."

So she came up with "baby beans." It doesn't really mean anything, but at least it's a name.

Furniture update - The crib and changin table have been ordered. They are in transit. Maybe Lesley can put up the link so that you all can see what we have decide on.

Pre-emptive Thank You to Uncle Rocky for helping us with paint.

Daddy Diary 02

09-06-09

Daddy Diary 2

The Bruins Won!!!
Now it's the Saints turn.


Opening Statement: I will try to write on this blog as much as possible. But, It's already getting hard. I guess I am not as creative as I thought.

Les and I both want to "give props" to our immediate family. Tara, Joey's wife and Irena, Greg's wife are also pregnant right now.

Looking Ahead: According to the Dr.'s schedules... we should go "Baby Beans", Baby Joe-Ta II and then baby Ire-g third.

I can't speak for all them, but I know that I personally want to have a big family (3 or more, even though Les will kill me for saying that). The reason... I had so much fun with my brother, cousins and friends growing up that I want our children to have the same experience.

My buddy Jonas and I are hoping to one day live near each other... so that our kids can grow up with each other too.

I can't wait to see what Thanksgiving will be like in 5 years... AWESOME

Tomorrow: I will tell you why we call our unborn love-child, "baby beans."
In the news business that's what we call a tease.

Daddy Diary 01

Daddy Diary 09-05-09

The Bruins play today. GO UCLA!!!

I am really excited about "Baby Beans" Martin.

This is by far the coolest thing Lesley and I have ever done together. I am really excited for the future.

-

People ask me if I am freaking out yet. The answer is... no. I have been really calm. I think that's b/c my mom really prepared my brother and me for this step in our life. She always told us, "make sure you ready to become a father, make sure you have done everything you have ever wanted to do, because being a father changes everything." I am ready.

-

Things I am excited about part 2 - Lesley told me last night that the baby can definitely hear loud sounds outside the belly now.

She also said, the baby enjoys the UCLA fight song. (Les, plays the song from her phone. She has a playlist made up solely for "Baby Beans.")

I think Les is just saying the baby likes the UCLA fight song for my sake... In reality, it's a girl and the girl is already dancing to Kenny Chesney like her mom.

-

Looking forward - I can't believe that in only 9 days I will get to see my child again (ultra sound). And we will learn if it's a boy or girl.

-

Who dat?

New In Town

So, Frankie & I are attempting a blog for Baby Beans. We thought it'd be the easiest way for friends and family who don't live nearby to stay up-to-date on our little munchkin on the way. We'll see how this goes... :)