My mom is hanging in there. No hospital visits this week so that has been good. I know my mom is ready for her to come so we'll see what happens. I got to see my little sister at the ultrasound the other day and that was pretty fun.

Grandma invited us out to dinner the other night. We stopped by a local buffet and I had a good time. I like going to buffets because sometimes I can be a picky eater and only want to try a few bites at things. I get a whole plethora of choices at a buffet and my mom always surprises me when she comes around the corner with my plate. Talk about a mystery, sometimes she gives me crazy yucky stuff like spinach. No thanks mom. I will however have some cookies or maybe even some ice cream if you are feeling daring.

We stopped by the library the other night and picked up some Backyardigan DVDs. I am beginning to really like that show. My mom likes to watch me dance to their music. They have some pretty good songs that are really fun to dance to.

We haven't done too much this week because we have been taking it easy on my mom. We didn't want to give her pain or contractions so we haven't been walking around too much.

As you can see from my picture of the day, I really like computers. Whenever I get a chance, I am over there tapping away at the keys. Sometimes my dad gets a bit freaked out though because it is about to fall off the table or maybe I'm about to rip off a key. If the keys weren't meant to be taken off, why are they so easy too? That's the question I have. My dad got me a preschooler game for the computer upstairs but I wasn't too interested in that one. Maybe some day though. Best thing about computers that I have found so far is that they are real fun to turn off. Especially when we are at my dad's office and he is in the middle of working on things. Talk about funny.

I guess that's it for the week. If anything exciting happens this weekend like my sister being born, my dad will certainly post it up here. Have a good weekend.

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This is Kaitlyn at 35 weeks and 5 days. She is actually showing a bit large however and per the calculations she is roughly 7lbs 5oz already. The machine tells us that my wife is showing at more like 36 weeks and 5 days. Rylan was also a larger baby so this wasn't too much of a surprise for us. My wife has been mentioning for weeks that the baby is much larger than people are expecting. We now have confirmation of this.

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A few years ago, my sister bought me a few sets of tea that were kept in wooden boxes. After the tea was long gone, I kept these boxes because they were neat looking and I always figured I could use them for something else one day.

I had a bit of free time at work a while back and thought about how I could use these boxes. I figured that they would work great as a small secret box for Rylan and then it dawned on me that they would work great in a pirate themed room with a bit of work. I got on it right away.

My idea was to sand down the rough box and get rid of the printed writing on it. After that, a simple stain was to be applied and then to top it off, a nice pirate themed front side. These front side images were done with a bit of Photoshop skills and some easily found images on the Internet.

After sanding and staining, I secured the front image with modpodge. The entire box was covered in a few layers of the modpodge to ensure durability. Overall it turned out great. I think that they will be a fun addition to a pirate room and allow Rylan to keep a few goodies in or maybe even bury someday and leave as a long lost treasure. It will be fun to see how his imagination runs with it.

I have since found that they sell these same boxed teas at Ross so I may end up buying a few more and doing a similar project for Kaitlyn once we determine a great theme for her room.

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We made another trip to the hospital after work on Friday because my wife noticed that her mucous plug had begun falling out. We were told to head in because she is only at 35 weeks. They were able to confirm at the hospital that her plug had in fact fallen out. My wife was monitored for a bit. At the time, she was not contracting which is good news. They checked to see if her water had broken which it had not.

We took it easy over the weekend and plan on doing so until atleast Thursday. Thursday is the day they will allow her to go into full labor and not attempt to stop it. It is going to be interesting to see how long before our new baby is here. It seems that it will be sooner than later.

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Phew! When my mom started having some pain and contractions I got a bit worried. Ya know, I love my baby sister and all but I really am not sure I am ready to be a big brother. It's a lot of responsibility ya know? Furthermore, do you know how terrible new baby poops smell? Ey Caramba! I don't know about you but it is something never worth looking forward too..

On a lighter note, my dad noticed a deal at the restaurant Village Inn where they are doing a promotion in which you take your gas receipt in and you get a stack of unlimited pancakes for whatever the cost of a gallon of gas is. We got a couple stacks for $2.87 yesterday. Not a bad deal if you ask me. I got to eat off my dad's plate so that was pretty fun. I had some apple jelly and strawberry jelly on my pancakes. It was good. It was a pretty funny meal because I reached over the table and grabbed the dessert menu and immediately yelled out 'Cake!'. Boy was my dad surprised.

I am learning new words left and right these days. Last night we were moving around the bed and we found a Minnie toy that was hidden away. A few minutes later when I was trying to put it in the baby's bassinet, I said 'Minnie'. Of course when mom and dad heard this they wanted me to say it again but I wasn't too interested. The other day I went upstairs and said 'Donald' when I noticed Donald laying on my bed. My dad thought it was the best. I like surprising them.

Speaking of surprising, I have learned how to unlock the baby gates that separate me from the kitchen and also the stairs. I am one smart cookie they tell me. Ya know, cookies sound good right about now. I should wake my mom up and head down stairs..

Playhouse Disney hours have shifted recently and boy are they crazy. They shifted everything like 2 hours ahead so now I need to wake up super early to watch all my favorite shows. This especially isn't good for my mom because she needs all the sleep she can get because she is working hard at making a baby sister for me.

This weekend we are going to my Grandpa's house so we can give him his Father's Day gift. It's always fun going over there because he gets on the floor and plays with me a lot.

Have a fun and safe weekend, I know I will.

P.S. It is really hot here in Arizona. Can anyone throw us some snow or at least some rain? I would appreciate that. Thanks.

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A lazy Thursday results in a bit of free time to have some Photoshop fun. (sorry for the poor quality)

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My wife is just shy of 35 weeks through her pregnancy and she has been really pouring on the contractions and general discomfort as of late.

Yesterday we made a trip to the hospital because she was having pretty strong pains but unlike contractions. By the time that we got to the hospital they had gone away but the doctor confirmed that they were in fact contractions. Contractions that were anywhere from 2 to 8 minutes apart. They monitored her for a bit and gave her some medicine to slow down the contractions but not entirely stop them.

Right now everything is back to normal. We have been told that if she continues to have these types of contractions after 36 weeks they will go ahead and let her continue to have them rather than use the medicine again to stop them.

The clock is ticking and a new pooper is about to be dropped on our door step. As it gets closer and closer I am starting to feel a bit more worried about having to go through those first 6 weeks of getting cried at in my ear while I am in a zombie sleep.

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For those who are not familiar with the Disney channel morning line up, Daniel cook has a short 5 minute show each morning in which he learns new things such as milking a cow, trying new fruit and making a pizza. Rylan has always enjoyed watching him because he is pretty funny otherwise just entertaining. My wife and I even enjoy watching him.

Welcome Emily Yeung. Miss Rip off if you ask me. She now has a show that is a duplicate version of the Daniel Cook show but with her. I understand little girls may enjoy watching another girl but at that age do we need a girls perspective on how fun it is to milk a cow or write a poem? They took an entertaining show and attempted to clone it but as most sequels go, it isn't nearly as great as the original.

We'll see how her show does in the future weeks but my bet is that it will get no better. Long live the original Daniel Cook!

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Here lies before you proof that I am the world's greatest daddy ever. This was presented to me yesterday of course by Rylan. There are so many people that I would like to thank for helping me get this fine award. Huggies, where would I be without you? You have provided me the ability to give support, protection and comfort all year long. My wife, thank you for balancing me out and keeping me sane during tantrums. I would like to thank Rylan as well for being the greatest son a father could ever ask for.

Father's day weekend is made for relaxing right? Not in our home. During the weekends Rylan is always the first one up and he proceeds to climb into our bed or decides to trash the room. Father's day was no exception. There is nothing better than when Rylan whacks me in the head with a book so that I can wake up and read it to him. Good times.

Father's day really started for me on Friday in which I got 2 gifts. A picture frame with a picture of Rylan and I reading a book. One of those moments that begs for a picture to be taken. I was also given a digital picture frame for my work desk. It is now hooked up right next to me as I write this and is displaying a massive amount of photos. A wonderful gift for any parent that needs something nice to look at while working.

We will be working on a stepping stone of Rylan's feet soon as well. This should be an interesting project and I can only hope it works better than previous things we had tried like this. Having your child stay still for something as simple as footprints is always more difficult than necessary.

Overall, I had a wonderful Father's Day weekend. My mission this year is to be an even better father so that I can get this award again and again.

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Well last weekend was pretty fun when we went to the KinderMusik short class. I did enjoy my time but I just was a bit shy. Out of the 4 kids, I was the oldest. There were a couple 3 months old or so. I like to see babies so that was fun.

Speaking of babies, my aunt sent us a picture of my cousin. He sure is a good looking kiddo. I was excited to see the picture when dad was pulling it out of the envelope. I got this big ol' smile on my face and wouldn't let go of the picture. I think it will be a lot of fun when he is a bit older and I can show him how to do all the bad stuff my mom and dad yell at me for.

Speaking of yelling, did someone say No!? Nah, I didn't think so. I seem to have gained selective hearing recently because when my mom tells me "no" I just don't seem to hear it correctly the first, second or even third time. Maybe my mom needs to clean out my ears. Tantrums are all the rage these days I hear so I have joined the club as of late. Turning the lights on or off? I may just throw a fit about that. I do think I have a few teeth coming in so maybe that is the reason for these recent changes but we'll see.

This weekend is Father's day so maybe I will be nice to my dad and not whack him in the head with a book tomorrow morning. They are always sleeping when I want to be read a book. My options are either to whack him with a book or just climb over them both until they wake up. I did get my dad some great gifts this year. I think he will like them very much. He is a good father to me so I think i can be nice to him this one day of the year. :)

Shoes. It's another word that I have learned lately. Shoes are also a source of entertainment for me. When my mom or dad come in the door and forget to put their shoes away, I like to run over there and put my feet into them and walk around. It's pretty fun. When I wake up in the morning and I feel daring, I like to open up the closet and find my old shoes. They do not fit but I still try to squeeze into them. Funny funny stuff I tell ya.

Have a good weekend and a Happy Fathers day.

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With the new baby on the way we are making sure that we are stocked up with some necessities this time around. Of course, the big item of necessity for a baby is diapers and you really can never have enough of them. I was waiting for a good deal to roll around before we went ahead and purchased a whole bunch of them and last week was that time.

There are many websites out there that keep tabs on great deals from all stores. They explain how to best use coupons to get the prices as low as possible. Last week, this was possible at CVS where they have Pamper diapers for $7.99 for assorted sizes and quantities. I knew this was my chance to stock up.

Through the additional use of a $4 coupon from CVS.com, if you create or modify your account, I made my first trip to the store. The great deal included the use of one of their (free) membership cards in which you can get free money coupons for your next visit. So, I purchased 3 packs of the diapers at roughly $24 minus the $4 coupon. My receipt included a $5 coupon for my next visit. My next trip I bought another 3 packs of diapers minus the $4 coupon again and the $5 coupon they last gave me. Now the diapers were only $16 or so for the 3 packs.

My wife and I both used this great deal twice and then we noticed a new jackpot. CVS is offering a $25 gift card for anyone switching their prescriptions over to them. Prenatal vitamins are going to need to be used for quite some time so we figured this was a great opportunity to get some additional diapers for free. Last night I went back in and picked up 4 additional packs of diapers. At this time, the sale price had gone away so diapers were back up to $10.50. This trip cost $42 minus the $25 gift card, $4 coupon and $5 coupon for a whopping $10 and change final price.

So what is the outcome of all of this? Simple, we have enough diapers for about 6 days with a newborn. We now have a stockpile of 816 diapers which only cost us roughly $85 instead of the normal price of $168. A smashing good deal. This makes each diaper about 10 cents rather than around 20 cents a piece.

As I write this post, another great deal just came up for Luvs diapers. Click here for a buy one get one free printable coupon from Luvs. It is to be used at Target only.

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This past weekend we made a trip to our local Babies'R'Us to check out their Play & Learn event. This time, they had a company called KinderMusik that was having demo shows so we decided to sign Rylan up. He is a huge fan of music and we figured he would enjoy dancing around with some other kids.

Our event slot only had 4 participants which was nice I guess. It was held in the middle of the store so everyone could watch us and make fun of us I imagine. I was the only father that stepped foot into the circle it seems and I watched other fathers just stare at me.

When the music started and the coordinator began giving us a demonstration on how their normal classes are. Rylan got a chance to try some shaker balls and they taught us how to shake them and then stop on request. Rylan wasn't too interested in listening so he would sometimes shake when she said to stop and then not shake when others were. It was clear that Rylan had a good time but ultimately was very shy. He enjoyed participating in the activities however would run off to the corners of the designated areas and peak out with a smile on his face. A bit further interaction with other kids is certainly going to be good for him.

We are contemplating the KinderMusik classes for Rylan because of his shyness and lack of interaction with other kids. The program seems fun for the kids and they focus on both learning new skills and just having fun with music. It seems like a fun and worthwhile program.

Here is a video of Rylan and myself participating in the first song activity. A bit goofy but Rylan did seem to enjoy it.

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These days, it is not uncommon to hear about employers using Google to research someone before hiring them. This can both work to your advantage and can also lose the job for you. This is something that Disney executives may not have thought about with Kay Hanley.

For those who do not know, the new show on Playhouse Disney is "My Friends Tigger & Pooh." For the past couple of months they have been doing promotional music video in which they have a young lady (Kay Hanley) lead some kids through the forest and then into Pooh's land. My wife decided to Google the singer of the new Pooh theme song and she found some interesting tidbits.

Get ready bitches, because in the next month or so, Playhouse Disney is going to begin pummeling the 2-5 year old set with a promotional video for the theme song to "The New Adventures Of Tigger & Pooh".

I just walk into people's offices shouting "Do you know who I think I am?!!" and start fucking shit up. In fact, after tripping Robert Redford (by accident, I was drunk) in the lobby of CAA a few weeks back, I then booked it up to the second floor with a can of lighter fluid, some matches and a chainsaw to have a little unscheduled meeting with our agents on the Disney project.

There are a few other interesting comments that can be found on the entire blog post here.

I'm trying to think in my mind who else from Playhouse Disney may use these words and get drunk like Kay. Johnny from Johnny and the Sprites? No I can't see that. What about the Imagination Movers or Ralph from Ralph's World? They appear to be involved fathers so I cannot see them talking like this. I just can't think of anyone that would have this immature attitude that Kay Hanley appears to give off on her blog posts. Did the Disney executives not do their research or did they just not care? Am I just complaining about something worthless again? You decide.

Update: 06/22/2007

Hmm, a song entitled "Lets Get High" [lyrics] sung by Kay Hanley at her band Letters to Cleo concert in 2003.

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Another week has come to an end.. I wonder what my dad has planned for this weekend. I hope that it's something inside because it is super hot outside these days. Luckily we still have the Seat Chiller that my dad reviewed last year so at least my seat isn't hot when I get in.

We went back to the library recently and picked up a bunch of DVD of Disney classic movies. Like way long ago classics. Way before even my dad was born. He's an old fart. Anyways, the movies are good to watch and they interest me because they are only black and white. Very different than the colorful shows they have on now.

Last night when my dad was taking me upstairs to brush my teeth I spotted Donald on my bed. I pointed him out to my dad and said his name. Dad was very pleased with me and mom too. They always seem to be surprised when I say a new word.

Dad tracked down a great deal at CVS drugstore and how to pickup cheap diapers so we have been running around to each of the stores buying them all up. We are preparing for my little sister by getting a huge pile of diapers. I know from experience that babies poop a lot and even little poops turn into big messes. I am not looking forward to her stinky poops. Yucky!

We stopped by grandmas house the other night and had pizza. We tried a new place and boy was it good. I sat on her lap the entire time just munching away at my pizza. I think I had 3 slices of it. It was that good. I don't eat the crust though because it is usually a bit tough. Mom is the same way. I must have gotten that from her.

I'm going to wrap it up there. I just remembered we have an event we are going to at Babies'R'Us this weekend so that should be a bit of fun. If it's any good I will have my dad take pictures.

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Like everything, parenting is always evolving and new products come out daily. It is difficult to keep up on it all and certainly impossible to purchase it all. Sometimes it's nice to be able to sit at home and read a review or view a video of a new amazing product and just imagine getting it for your child rather than actually doing it. Here are a few products that I came across recently that you may find amazing or otherwise helpful.

HiLo Kids Chair [Video] - A great modification on your typical high chair.

SunCutters Car Window Shades [Review] - I came across this review on Thingamababy.com and instantly was hooked. Normal shades are coverage lacking but this seems like the great alternative.

Peepers Puppets - One of the most interesting but simple ideas I have seen in quite some time. Turn that basic hand of yours into a real 'eye' catcher.

Baby on Board T-shirt - Are you looking to have a child but are not sure just yet? Try parenting on for size with this t-shirt. You are sure to get some looks.

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For the women who are looking for a fathers day gift for the dad in their family, I have a simple suggestion. Keep reading...

There are many times at night that only one parent will wake up to change the babies diaper or feed them. In my case, I woke up a decent share of the times to do diaper changes. The last thing you want to do is turn on the bright lights to both wake up your spouse. So how do you change the diaper in the dark? You don't.

Because I am professional and experienced father I can now provide you with the ultimate fathers day gift. A head lamp. Why turn the room light on when you can use this bright head lamp to blind anyone that you look towards including the half dazed baby. This also works great if you are a hard sleeper and need an extra boost at waking up. Just shine this bad boy in your face and in just a split second your eyes will burn and sleep will be the last thing on your mind.

*Note* These also work great in the delivery room so you can make sure you have all the necessary light in the necessary places and so that you can tell your new baby who's boss by shining it directly into their glossy eyes.

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With Fathers Day right around the corner, I am reminded of the things that my son does that make me extremely happy to be father. It may have taken a long time before he started doing some of these but they are certainly worth it now that he does...

Reading time... I have always had a vision of reading to my kids. My wife and I tried reading to Rylan from a young age but he was just not interested. The past couple of months though have been great and he simply cannot get enough of reading time with dad.

Hugs and Kisses... For whatever reason, I do not recall my family being super huggy or kissy but with Rylan there is nothing better than getting a strong hug or kiss from him when I come home from work. This is another new skill from Rylan that we really enjoy.

Holding hands... This was another thing that Rylan simply hated. When walking, he never would let us hold his hand. He would rather roam around at his own pace and direction. All of a sudden though, he is a lot more interested in this and I couldn't be happier.

There are tons of things that make me proud everyday but the list would continue on forever. The best part about having another child is that I get to go through all of this again. I'm looking forward to it.

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The other day I got a chance to see my little cousin. I really thought he would be running around and able to play with me but he just laid there. He was a bit boring. He sure was a good looking kiddo though. I hope to see him often.

I was a bit worried earlier this week because my mom noticed the baby not kicking as much as normal. Luckily though, she began kicking a lot again yesterday and today so everything seems to be just fine. It's only a couple more months before I get to see my little sister. I sure am excited.

Oh boy was it funny this morning. My mom was sleeping and dad had already gone off to work. I quietly got into my moms bed and laid there on dads pillow all tucked under the sheets. My mom was a bit surprised when she saw me laying there. We had a good laugh and she gave me a big ol' kiss.

Last weekend I went to the mall with grandma and my mom while dad held an open house. I had a good time with them and we even went to get some food. Dad stayed home and held an open house which no one showed up for. He sat there hungry while I lived the life of luxury as my mom and grandma pushed me around. Nanner nanner dad.

Have I learned any new words lately you may be wondering. Well I certainly have. Yesterday was the big unveiling of the word car. Dad asked me if I was ready to go in car and I simply said "car". Then I said it over and over again. I like learning new words.

Oh man, dad scared me yesterday. I was in the bathroom with my mom and when I popped out he was there with a shirt over his head. I ran back into the bathroom and hid in the corner. When he would ask me to come out, all I could was shake my head and grunt. I eventually came out and discovered it was just my dad playing a trick on me. I like when he does it as long as he doesn't go overboard and then I go run to mommy for protection.

I think that's it for the week. This weekend is Grandmas birthday so that should be a bit of fun. Have a safe weekend.

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