Olive the Beagle...

So as we are in this state of change in the 418, I hope that all our friends and family pour a little out for Olive the Beagle.  The construction definitely throws us off our normal routines as well - but Olive can't even go to the bathroom on her own any more.  She needs an escort, with the boys working on the house all the time and open gates galore.  And then, throw in the fact that kid basically has carte blanche over any piece of furniture, including the floor, in the entire house, and Olive just has to deal with it.  I often hear Olive muttering to herself...."That two legged hairless dog....gets to eat 8 times a day....gets to cuddle in the 'off-limits' bed every morning....craps wherever it wants..."  It's not that she doesn't love the new addition to Team Totten - I think she's just trying to figure out how / why Parker gets away with so many of the things she gets scolded for on a regular basis.

Alas, there is an upside.  With Tiny Tots on the scene, we take about six more family walks a week than we used to.  And Olive, well, she's clearly accepted her lower hierarchical position in "the family," but she still is a charter member of Team Totten, and she knows it.  I can't get the mail anymore without her gazing gushingly up at her hanging leash by the front door.  Our neighborhood coffee shop, Bustle, has some of the most delicious caffeinated beverages on all of McGraw St., but also has free doggie treats.  I can't even walk on that side of the road with Olive in tow without her starting to sniff my hand quickly followed by some pathetic sitting up and begging. 

We've even noticed Olive has taught Parker a few tips and tricks as well.  e.g., if you pee...the people will clean it up, so let loose....how to make clipping one's fingernails the most difficult task in the household...blankets are for chewing....sleeping is fun, just make it on your own terms...etc., etc.

So, overall, happy or depressed beagle?  I think she digs the walks more than the unrestricted use of the backyard.  But I think she wishes she ate more and got even remotely close to the same attention as Parker....well, more doggie treats necessary I guess.....

dwt.

ONE MONTH!

Gigantic milestone this weekend!  Yes, the Sounders scored six goals including a converted penalty kick, both of which are pretty much unheard of.  But they did it on PJT's one month old birthday while he was in attendance!  What an amazing Saturday we had - breakfast with Treva, more breakfast and wake time with me, the standard Pre-Sounders drive-through meal and associated diaper change, 80-degree weather for the Sounders game (which leads to a sweaty baby boy and baby-being-held-tightly-in-front father), capped off by the best dinner EVER over at the Johnsons.  Family dinner at the Johnsons!!  We had bolognese, and CHEESECAKE!!  And Parker loved it all!  He was the 2nd best eater there - you get only one guess at who still holds the crown for best consumer of finely prepared cuisine in this household. 

Anyway, the little dude is getting older - see for yourself.  He'll be walking in no time!!

dwt.

Growing like a weed!

Well, a very, very busy week in the Totten household!  Parker is growing a lot these days - I personally feel like he's getting bigger every time I see him, not the frail little boy he was on day one any longer!  His belly button no longer looks like a Jackson Family roasted marshmallow, which is a good thing, he still has some hair, also a good thing.  He's getting chubbier by the feeding and his diapers not only fit him now, he's getting every little bit of utility out of that material.  We had a long talk today about the potential of changing his diet a wee bit - a little more veggies, a little less dairy.  He didn't seem interested....yet.

A really nice visit from Treva's family - Lois Arlene even took a turn at the wheel holding him.  She did pretty good, like she's done this before or something.  Good to see the Keller clan all in one place and all in Parker's life already.  I'm happy with that, and he's happy with that.  I asked him. He concurred.  We even got to sneak a quick picture of Great Uncle Gary holding the little man - which is a first.  Not for Gary, that guy loves babies as babies love him.  But for Parker - he's never been held by somebody from the village of "Oklahoma"...it's somewhere in Eastern Africa, I think.  He claims its a state.  Either way, a pretty good lookin' pair we have here...

The little man still likes his walks, though it's still considered more of a "ride" for him.  He's almost fitting into his car seat now - almost.  Still swimming in that thing a bit, but he's safe (Greg Huey approved) and he only fusses quickly upon buckling and tightening.  Speaking of, he's earned the nickname "fuss bucket" from his old man.  I think he fakes it a lot though - potentially a drama major on our hands?  Other key updates this week:

• Treva loaded him up for her first PEPS meeting this week, that's pretty exciting.  The moms all voted and Parker was named "best looking" and "most likely to succeed."  Okay, I made that last part up.  He finished 2nd in "most likely to succeed" - there's a six week old from a couple of Harvard grads who already plays chess.  He stinks at it - but he plays, and that's enough.
• He still has a bit of a witching hour 9:30-10:30 at night or so, but he's also a really good cuddler during that exact same time.  We're playing it as close to the book as possible though, setting in some rules and trends that we won't break on to ensure he gets into good sleeping and eating habits.  This is harder than it sounds, and can be really frustrating at times because again, we will not break the rules.  Bend a little?  Fact.  He'll thank us later, and I'm sure all of the work for us will be worth it. 
• Parker still hasn't said his first word.  I'll keep you posted.
• His favorite TV show is "Man vs. Wild."  He thinks Bear is crazy, but appreciates his tenacity and critical thinking in challenging environments.

That's all from the 418 today, more tomorrow - it's a big day for the little man, let him eat cake!!

dwt.

Construction Update!

This week, the Totten household celebrated two major milestones:

1. Parker's due date actually arrived - that's nice
2. We have a roof on our house!  Well, sort of.

The Shirtless Mafia (our construction team) has been hard at work since they got started, and most definitely since Tiny Tots came.  From the outside, the progression has been slow and steady, hard to imagine how it will all come together - more lumber keeps showing up and blocking my driveway, only to be applied somewhere under this gigantic tarp above.  The boys spend more time tarping and de-tarping than they do actually banging nails.  Apparently, in Seattle, you can never be too sure about moisture rolling in.

In any case, the walls are officially all framed up and we're just about ready for the sheeting.  We have a peak-a-boo view of the cascades from Treva's new closet, that's kind of nice.  I've got some pictures below of the progression - note that in the the first two pictures, there still is no roof, just a tarp over our front porch and it's flat behind that.  We still have a lot left to do, but pretty cool to see the rooms all framed up and waiting for me to leave piles of clothes in!

dwt.

Facing South - this is looking from back to front on our house

Facing north - more lumber

Official Nominee for:  Queen Anne's "Most Curb Appeal" Award, 2011

Back Porch view - with the ladder the boys use every day to get up to the roof

The "shouldn't you be saving the money you're spending on this remodel for my college education?!" face

These are a few of my favorite things....

Mama Tots made muffins this week.  I, personally, love muffins.  I think Parker will love muffins too.  As of right now, he just eats milk.  Which would seem boring in most scenarios, but he seems to be cool with it. 

When not eating, he's still either sleeping or making goofy faces at Treva and I.  We still can't believe how lucky we are that he's such a good eater, sleeper, and he's most certainly a good cuddler too - we don't want to jinx it, so this will be the last time you hear us make mention of those skills he's beyond competent in.  We moved upstairs during the night and after a really rough first night, the little man has been a model citizen in his new crib.  Even though we know he's growing, he looks like an ant in a bathtub in that thing - he's still so tiny!  It's been great to actually sleep in our own bed as well, but our ears are alive with the sound of baby!  I wouldn't say the sleep is a TON better, but anything slightly more consistent than the sleep we got in Camp Totten....well, we are grateful. 


We're holding up well - I guess I can only speak for myself.  But Treva's a machine at night right now, and she's still Parker's favorite.  Which is fine, for now.  Parker and I had a long conversation tonight about respect, humility, and "presentation maturity" directly after I watched an interview with this kid in the Little League World Series who had "LLWS" shaved into the side of his mohawk'd head.  I'm pretty sure he got the lesson.  Parker's first word may end up being "Mama"...but his second is surely going to be, "get a job and pay some damned taxes." 

Some of his favorite things listed below - until next time, much love....

dwt.

He's awake...when he should be sleeping.  Loves that.

Taunting the beagle with the whole, "I'm on the couch, and you're not" angle

This is his "surprised that feeling this full feels this good" face

Solid showing by Uncle Greg, one quarter of the Huey House.  The guy is a natural with kids, champagne, and a solid shout out to Beaverton.  Parker has no idea why he has to wear these lame gloves.

As stated above...a big cuddler with Mrs. Tots

Uh.  I don't even know.

Three Weeks!

Yep, seems like just yesterday he showed up - three weeks in and we've noticed a few new things:

1. He has butt cheeks now.  He didn't before.  He actually has leg rolls and stuff, fat kid legs and all the sort.  Really interesting.
2. His diapers smell now.  They didn't use to.  Olive the Beagle concurs.
3. He doesn't exactly love tummy time, but he is getting more of it and his neck is getting stronger.  Or his head is getting lighter, so it's just easier for him.  I doubt the latter.
4. He loves Barcelona and Lionel Messi. 

Three weeks means no pants - yep, he's my boy.


dwt.

There's absolutely a first of everything!!

Little Parker Tots continues to explore the world, irrespective of any semblance of a circadian rhythm.  It's actually kind of ridiculous how cool his life is, only a couple of weeks in.  Places he's been, things he's seen:

• First Seattle Sounders game - he's way too small to fit any of the sweet Sounders gear he's been gifted by our amazing friends, but he certainly knows enough to understand Fernandez shouldn't be taking our Penalty Kicks. 0-0 draw against Chivas wasn't "best case scenario" for him, but I'm pretty sure he had fun nonetheless. Hanging out with Oliver, Jeremy, Rachel, The Fabers...I mean, that's a pretty good introduction to scowling at the ECS section.
• Shannon Parks Bettesworth Johnson (the First) was so kind to contact Bethany on Parker's arrival and he got a beautiful rose and a callout in the Sunday bulletin last week. The first time his name was officially in print, by the way - hopefully in the future, he only gets published for things surrounding his unquenchable desire for community building and providing positive impacts to society as opposed to things I may have been "documented up" for.

• He's a really, really, REALLY exceptional walker.  Way better than Olive the Beagle.  I think there's a couple of factors that drive this excellence - namely, that he doesn't actually walk.  That, and he's basically asleep and all cock-headed in the stroller because his noggin is too small for that Gracco baby-safety-measure he's strapped down within. 
• First trip to Rainier Avenue too.  I mean, does anybody forget their first trip to Rainier Avenue?  We kept his head down, found the beautiful home of Andrew and Sarah tucked up on the hill as they were hosting Quiggle's "rehearsal dinner."  I call it that anyway.  It was a BBQ with beers and he slept for the majority of it.  But, he woke long enough to make eyes at Bri, Karen, and Donna...mission accomplished from his perspective.
• Starbucks and Noah's Bagels - a Queen Anne tradition on Sunday.  He requested reduced fat cream cheese (which was weird), but made no bones about making sure there was room in his venti Americano.... 
• He went to Ken's Market with me the other day.  Just me and him, me walking, him tucked like a football under my arm.  He probably won't remember....but it was fun.

We may lay a little bit lower here in the next few weeks.  If he's bad luck for the Sounders, that's going to be an issue.  And too many blueberry bagels...well, those grow straight to the hips, so he's going to have to pace himself on those type of indulgences.  But the walks / naps?  Those will probably continue....if you see us out, say hi and let the kid drop some baby noises on you!!

dwt.

Two Weeks in...

Two weeks down, the kid is still ours - nobody has come to take him away, so that has to be a good sign.  We're learning as we go, lessons too numerous to type.  Babies are fascinating creatures - which is quite surprising given the fact they do very minimal beyond eating, sleeping, and dirtying diapers.  He smiles though, and he grunts a lot...and he twitches in his sleep, just like his old man.  He's figured out he has hands now, but he's unclear of how he can use them to get more milk and/or make obscene gestures at the dog.  Stay tuned for an update on that evolution, I'm sure. 
Two week check-up went swimmingly well.  He weighed in at a nice round number of 7 lb's, which is a full pound heavier than his birth weight and basically a single lb past where he was a week ago.  We have chosen our Pediatrician, Dr. Hall at Ballard Peds - who was spooked enough by the weight gain to feel compelled to tell us that a pound in a week "is not too much, so don't panic."  Apparently, he's a good eater.  But not officially obese.  So, he's got that going for him, which is nice.  Treva and I can tell his cheeks are filling out and his newborn diapers just about fit him perfectly now.  The "0-3 month" onesies still sag though, he can't wait to get into that Sounders kit!

The Night-time is the Right-Time

Okay - I've told you he doesn't sleep well after midnight right?  I mean, during the day, the kid can't even stay awake long enough to taunt the dog regarding the disproportionate number of feedings he gets in comparision to the Beagle.  But during the night?  He's not interested in sleeping.  Just opts out of the exercise.  Thinks we're silly for even trying to get him to sleep during the hours of midnight and 6am in fact.  You don't believe me?  Check this video out - literally, this is what the kid does.  For hours. 

Okay, can't get that mad - pretty big eyes you have my love!

dwt.

Parker loves the People!!

We've had the little man for two full weeks now and after careful deliberation and some international (via the interweb) research, he is still the most beautiful baby boy in the entire world.  He's running out of shelf-space for all the "best looking" trophies he continues to receive. 

I've decided he's the Queen Anne version of Justin Timberlake.  I mean, I don't know that he can sing or dance, or act (sort-of....have you seen The Social Network?!), BUT, he gets all the best looking women (and Lars) to flock to him just like JT does!   We've had some fun-filled visits from a lot of family and friends - Parker and I discussed, we've picked a couple of our favorites:

 

• Shannon Johnson's zucchini bread.  I mean, seeing Shannon was fun too, but the bread was ridiculous.  Thank YOU Local Roots for that zucchini..and YOU Shannon Johnson for the magic that you and your kitchen creates!
• The visit from Donna in the hospital, middle of the workday (though we wouldn't have known either way!), and with a gift basket for....well, it was for Treva.  But I LOVE US Weekly too!
• Great Aunt Carol Bettesworth - yep, babies love Great Aunts!
• Grandpa Totten even got into the act! 
• Parker got to hang out with the ladies (and Erich) at wine night - which yet again proved that a) our friends are amazing people...and b) the Totten investment in Wapato Point Cellars is a sentimental one, clearly not a quality play.
• Aunt Tiffany came over, she's a ton of fun according to Parker.  She remembers when Roark was that small - soon enough, Parker will be running around with a Windows Mobile Phone soccer ball too :(
• Ernie came over recently as well - I didn't get the chance to snap any pictures with the two of them, but I do know that Parker felt some camaraderie with Ernie over the difficulties in eating corn on the cob.   
• Bigelow Johnsons swung by too - I think Parker has eyes for Paige already, watch out now!!

Aunt Sarah was nice enough to spend several days with Master Parker, so she's a crowd favorite.  But, after all the fun visits, all the kisses and hand-holds...it turns out, Mom is still the favorite.  He's soft - but he knows where the goods are :). 



dwt.

The Routine has been set!

Camp Totten is in full swing here at The 418.  I will be the first to complain about how ticked off I was that our old couch from the Bellevue house didn't fit down the staircase when we finished the basement out.  Believe me, we tried - i have dents in the hardwoods and I had to spackle the entire wall of the stairwell as a result.  Then I had to hock it on Craiglist to some tattooed teenage rockstar chick for, and I mean literally...pennies on the dollar.  So yeah, couches apparently aren't investment properties. 
Anyway, I sat on a camping chair for awhile, until finally caving and buying this sectional - actually, Treva bought it and one day last year I came back in town from...who knows...and it was all setup.  Anyway, it fits in the basement.  And it sleeps two (plus one dog) quite comfortably.  We're been living down here - it's cooler than upstairs, there's a mini-fridge, a snack table, cable TV (with DVR), and Treva doesn't have to climb into the clawfoot to cleanse.  Feels like a strong hand we're playing with.

The routine is what it is - every 2.5 hours, the alarm goes off (even during the day) and the first step is waking Treva up.  I won't comment any further on that Mission Impossible.  Then, Parker gets the goods - which involves a quick unswaddle and stripping, me poking at his belly and blowing on his face, finally cranking the lights and a fan to circulate some fresh air.  If waking Treva is a challenge, keeping Parker awake for feeding is an Olympic sport.  And I'm basically world-class at this point.  There's burping and rotating involved, then a diaper change and re-swaddle.  That's if I can paw Parker Tots away from his mother, who by that point in the exercise has a goofy grin on her face and starts making gooey eyes at the kid.   

He's usually a pretty good eater though - always gets a little milk-drunk afterward, which is kind of funny.  That's followed by some pretty cute facial expressions where he literally falls asleep sitting up.  He would NOT do well in a Fraternity House at this point in time - lord know what his "brothers" would do to him in this state.  In any case, we have figured out he's a bit of a night-owl, clearly sleeping better during the day than at night.  Which makes the graveyard shift pretty miserable - yet the time seems to just fly by, and I can fall asleep faster now than I ever have before. 

But, when he's awake, we get the chance to give him his first bath....

Until next time, keep it clean...

dwt.

One Week Down!

We made it - one week!  He's kind of camera shy....

Hospitals are fine, except for the sleep thing...

The staff at Swedish was ridiculous, they were all so very helpful and encouraging.  From our little "kitchen surprise" to baby in hand, it was just under two hours, so everybody had to know their role and execute flawlessly to ensure Parker and Mom were healthy and happy last Wednesday. 

Very specifically, a nurse named Jelaine - strange name, but she was impressive!  She's the one who got to deal with me after the baby was born, Treva was a little woozy, and I'm standing with something that weighs less than the amount of pork I just purchased for a DP dinner on Sunday saying, "Okay, let's do this - skin to skin, I'm in on this."  She was informative and very sweet - and she was able to keep my shirt on.  Cheryl was a second nurse - she was almost as good as Jelaine...and I only say almost because she had a University of Washington hair cap on the entire time.  Disgusting.  Beyond that, she was good - but a bad first impression cannot be cured.  And then at night, Mary and Sharon kept the lights on for us.  And by that, I mean very directly...kept the lights on.  All night long, in and out, in and out.  They pricked Parker's feet fifteen times to test his blood sugar, and Treva's blood pressure has never been through so many tribulations in her glorious 32 years.  Both Parker and Treva are good studies though - they passed most of the time.  Parker had a nasty fever on Day 2, so we got to play with more needles and formula then.  He knows enough to know the difference now. 

For those who do not have kids, or haven't had kids in since the interweb was invented, the hospital lodging experience is a trip.  They have free meals for patients - but guests have to pay.  Nobody questioned Treva's request for some Rigatoni Bolognese, Ceasar Salad with Chicken, Reuben Sandwich, and three ice cream sundays.  She's a big eater.  In truth, she was on a cracker diet on Day 1.  The things I will remember from the hospital stay:

• Had I to do it all over again, I would have figured out how the hide-a-bed worked before 4am on the first night.
• There's a distinct difference in training and pay (I'm assuming on the latter) from the doctors and nurses to the "Transport Team." 
• The food service really is remarkable - not of the highest quality, but sustenance none the less.  And they bring it directly to your room!  And they don't take tips!  It's basically what normal restaurants look like in a place like Greenland, I'm guessing. 
• The wireless internet was reliable.  That says it all right there.
• If you're a pillow company - you should attempt to create a "single-sourcing" contract with Swedish.  More pillows there than an Arabian Prince's love shack.
• They have free apple juice and graham crackers.  Yes, Parker is the kid - but how often can I feel like I'm back in Preschool?!  When was the last time you tried to eat as many graham crackers as you could in a 10 minute stretch?!  You do when they are free.  And delicious.
• We were "Charlie Sheen Winning" when Treva could get up and go to the bathroom without calling the nurses in.  That's a nice perspective to put things in.

Aunt Sarah and both Grandmas came up and visited the hospital immediately - all initially concerned for Treva's health, then shifting to meeting Parker.  They were a lot of fun and very comforting for me to have each of them there and sharing in those priorities.  We got some cute pics out of the deal too!

Birth Announcement Post

Oh, I do want to remember the birth announcement I sent to some friends and family the night of July 27th.  That's when we introduced the little man to the world...I want to remember that exact moment, forever! 

Friends, Family – it’s a long story. 

Yes, we are indeed a few weeks early and a bit of a hectic process actually….Tiny Tots just felt like today is the day.  So after some minor complications at “the house that has no roof” (AKA, our ‘home’) this morning, a quick aggressive and law-bending car commute to Swedish Medical Center, and some darn good medical attention from an unbelievable staff here….we couldn’t be happier to present Parker Jackson Totten!  We’re calling him “Taco” for short © Mollie Verhasselt.

Mom is amazing and in complete control – she’s unbreakable, this woman; baby boy is healthy – ten fingers, ten toes, two nipples, all that good stuff.  Special thanks to both Grandmas and Sarah Dawn for racing up here to help with mom (and the mess that is me).  We love you all – your thoughts and prayers today were felt and so greatly appreciated. 

19 inches, 6 lbs and .05 ounces, 10:48 am…handsome as all get-out!

Love you all –

Treva and David