Rice Cereal - A New Frontier

It happened on Saturday. After being an eating and sleeping champ for about a month, Emil decided that he needed to eat every three hours day and night. Thinking he was going through a growth spurt, we humored the boy for about 2 weeks. We finally acknowledged that this feeding pattern was not at all realistic and decided to try a little rice cereal and see if that would improve the situation. We're dying to get back to 6 consecutive hours of sleep at night!


We had to get a high chair for the big event. Emil was thrilled with his new seat.

All suited up for the big event. Thanks for the cool bib Ms. Edwards!

The first taste. Hmmm, not bad...

What's with this spoon thing?

Close up.

By day two Emil was an old pro at the cereal thing. We got rid of the unnecessary head support and he could relax a little. He was comfortable enough with the spoon to try to smile while eating. That move could use a little more practice.

Emil Does Devil's Lake!!

On Sunday, July 27th the whole family took a little jaunt to Devil's Lake. We've been dying to try out the backpack our Harbor palls gave us when Emil was born. We were concerned that he might still be a touch too little for it but as you can see, he managed himself just fine. What a great contraption! We're strongly considering taking it to Colorado with us next week!


"Oh my stars! I'm riding in this"?
We'd better be moving fast! I'm a man of action!
I had no idea this guy was going to be my driver!
Enough with the pictures already! Let's get moving!
Emil sleeps through stop number 1.
The happy family


Emil sleeps through stop number 2

Backseat driver

This is the life!

Mini-Me

Guess who graduated from the Moby to the BabyBjorn? Don't you just love the shades? Someday he will make us pay for this!

No Longer A Newborn

It has been 3 1/2 months since Emil arrived. Life at the Apodaca house will never be the same again! Here is our attempt to summarize the high points of the last 15 weeks. Man, this would be so much easier if we did regular Blog updates! Enjoy!!!
April

Emil could not wait to get home so that he could go for his first Chariot ride.
Emil has been a huge fan of bath time since the early days. He is a twice a day kind of guy.

Here's the little man showing off his muscles for his sister, brother and daddy. Emil loves Breezy and enjoys seeing her almost daily. He met Ryan in May and fell in love with him instantly. He cannot wait to see him again in August!

Too cute!

May

Here's the whole family on Mother's Day.

Emil was baptised on May 17th. He liked the water (no big surprise there) but was not so keen on the application of the oil.

Emil took his first trip to Harbor's warm water pool at the end of May. He loved the water! We loved the end result. Wonder what he is dreaming about?

June

Emil went to his first triathlon on June 7th. He really enjoyed watching the water and the bikes. The whole event wore him out though.

One of Emil's hobies is watching his mobile. He gets really focused and then talks to it.

On Father's Day, Daddy, Mommy and Emil went for a loooong bike ride. He was a trooper for 26 miles in the Chariot. He was all smiles! We all love the Chariot!

Emil loves his friend Lily!

Oh those crazy kids!

The guy can't help himself. He's just a happy baby! He got tired of batting at it with his hands...

Olbrich Gardens with mom on her birthday.

Readers are leaders!

July

Daddy built me a sweet changing table!

Emil loves to push up on his legs so we tried him out in his exersaucer. He loves it because he can "stand" while he is playing. It has many bells and whistles but we've just start with the baby I-Pod to cut back on over stimulation (his and ours).

We've Got Emil!

That's right! Mr. Emil William Apodaca arrived on Sunday, April 6, 2008, at 5:33 a.m. He weighed 7lbs 2oz and was 18.5 inches tall. He is healthy, handsome and has dark brown curly hair. Emil had us all fooled; almost everyone that guessed thought he was a girl.

He doesn't look too happy here but I think he is all broken up because he finally got to meet his dad. His big sister Breezy was present for his birth, no doubt these two have a special bond. It was actually very cool. Just as he was born, I looked at Breezy and she had this huge smile on her face and tears streaming down her face. Beautiful!

Jennifer was incredible, she never complained and she never broke a sweat. Something to be said for being an Ironwoman. She was rewarded for all of her hard work and commitment to being fit and active throughout her pregnancy. Both Jennifer and Emil look great after a very intense but fairly quick experience.

We named Emil after my mother, Emily. His name is an old one and not very common. It is pronounced eh-MEEL. His name means eager. He is already living up to his name having arrived 8 days early. His middle name is William - after William Schwartz, who lived next door to Jennifer when she was a little girl. He was like a grandfather to her and they spent many days together thinking big thoughts, eating Bugles, red licorice and Wrigley's spearmint gum. He was very special to Jennifer.

Emil loves a schedule! Imagine that? He is eating every 3 hours like clock work. He and his mother have figured out the whole nursing routine and the boy is gradually gaining the weight he dropped after birth. His mother is recording a lot of data and making note of key trends in his development.

Here are a few pictures of the early days.

Emil's first bath at home. What a handsome boy!

Emil and his big sister Breezy.

Emil during play time.

Emil after play time. Ok - so he's only a few days old and he gets tired quickly. We know this won't last for long.

We are so happy to have the little man home and we are excited to share life with this sweet boy.

Check in again for an update on his progresss.

Peace friends.

Whose Muddy Shoes

Nope, they’re not Elmore’s.



I don't think this is what Elmore had in mind when he wrote Whose Muddy Shoes. These shoes aren't even muddy - small, but not muddy. It’s a mystery really; packages and boxes have been arriving with things too small for anyone at our house. The nature of these items would indicate that someone is planning for an extended stay. Still, who is the owner of these things? Some say it’s a shorty – a tot, a peanut, a tulip, a baby. Could it be true? You be the judge.



Pretty sure that’s a baby in there, but is it a lass or a lad? So far, speculation has it that those adorable shoes belong to a lass. Apparently there are some that can tell you the sex of a baby by simply looking at an expecting mother’s belly. What do you think? Is this a lass or a lad? Perhaps the results of a "scientific" poll will tell us. Please go to our poll and cast your vote – lass or lad? You'll find the poll on the upper left side of this page.

There is another debate around when the barefoot contessa/count will come to collect their shoes. We were told to expect their arrival on April 14. But a reliable source tells us that there is only a 5% chance that the peanut will actually show on this day. We were told that there is a 10% chance we will see the tot before April 6th and a 10% chance they will show up after April 21. That means there is an 80% chance that the owner of these soon to be muddy shoes will show up sometime between April 7 and April 20. A vague idea at best. This is unacceptable and will never work with our specific lists and schedules! This may be a good time for a family meeting.

Thankfully, not everything is a mystery. We know that as of 3.23.08, the tulip is healthy, about 19 inches tall, weighs 6 lbs. and was last seen sucking on their arm and thumb. Based on their weight, they are in the 47th percentile when compared to their peers, so they are of average size. We know that they have a beautiful profile and that they love to dance and kick. We know that they have a strong heart, pounding out 135 to 145 beats per minute, a sound indication of an endurance athlete in training. Their lactic threshold remains unknown as well as most other details. Oh, and there is this too ... a happy foot!
We have decided that the details don’t matter, we are ready. We aren't in control anyway. Lists, schedules and birth plans are simply distractors and don't really prepare you for what's to come. Perhaps the smartest thing to have at the ready is a packed suitcase full of stuff you won't use. Besides, this man helped his wife get through a similar situation. If he can help keep things together, I think I can too. Take a look at what he helped make. Really, LOOK!



We have taken every baby class the hospital has to offer and we are even certified in infant CPR (or at least certifiable). We have researched everything from pacifiers to second grade teachers. We are ready for a long term visitor. Just for clarification, long term does not exceed 22 years. Our lists are complete, the crib is made, diapers are washed and the car seat is in the car. Now we wait.

Here is where the lass or lad will sleep.


This is where guests will sleep when they come to visit. I made this bed with my bare hands; I even included a James Bond-like bed underneath.

This is me drillling it old school. It's amazing what you can do with a cordless drill. The hat helps me think as I feel my way through my home projects!










This is where baby A will play.











This is IronBaby’s first piece of training equipment. This machine morphs into a car when your kids turns 16. Until then, we are planning on spending many hours chasing or pulling this thing.



Mommy is doing well. Jennifer puts in long hours at work and continues to cycle and swim, staying strong for this upcoming endurance event. Jennifer’s walk has seen some changes and sleeping with a dozen pillows has become the norm. Except for the blood clot (leg cramp) and bronchitis (cold), Jennifer doesn’t complain. Jennifer is happy, beautiful and eager to meet baby A.




A long awaited update, but there you have it.

But the question remains...Whose Muddy Shoes?