9 Months Later

She was born 11/29/12 at 6:40pm. She's 9 months today. She's crawling all over the house. She's all over semi-solid foods. She's going down to about 3 bottles per day. She's jabbering whenever her binkie is out of her mouth. I can put two books in front of her and she'll hit the book she wants me to read and it's not always the book in my right hand. The Little Blue Truck seems to be her current favorite. She's pulling herself up. She's balancing straight up. She's bending down, picking up a toy, and standing straight up again. She's climbing stairs - don't worry I'm at the base of the stairs with some scissors. She's able to scoot her butt on the stair and plop her feet down on the stair below, so she's getting it figured out.

She was 8lbs when she was born. Well, the scale read 8.00.8. She's just over 19lbs now. She was 90ish percentile in height when she was born. She's 90ish percentile in height now. She's getting so big!

Getting the scissors

She's finally here!  

Just getting cleaned up. 

She was so exhausted. 

8.00.8lbs - what does that mean? Does that mean 8lbs 8oz? I've always just said 8lbs. 

So snuggly!

So sleepy!

Those feet are the cutest ever! 

Thermos

So, I don't remember too many things from when I was a little tike - selective perhaps, but be that as it may, I do remember my Dad's thermos. That thing was beat up. It was super cool green with a fresh coat to limestone dust every night when he got home. It had a screw-top lid and had a dent in the side from chalking a bulldozer - or so the story went. It was a Stanley Thermos and I won't truly count myself a grown-up, a man, or a dad until I have one in my truck, but until that time I'll have to make due with the plastic Starbucks one I use everyday.

A few weeks ago I was holding Pops before I had to leave for work. I had my Starbucks thermos in my hand, fresh hot coffee in tow, the lid was hot from the coffee. I was holding her in my left arm, coffee in right hand. She bent over and started to gnaw on the lid and I instantly remembered Dad's Stanley thermos. It wasn't a Stanley, but I felt like a dad. I felt a bit like my dad. I was happy. I was sad. My time of admiring my Dad's coffee thermos was over. That moment, which caught me completely off guard, that moment that I knew instantly I would never forget, was over like ... that, snap of the thumbs. The sound of my Dad's thumb snapping and it was over. It was incredibly, terribly, awesome. She is so, just, the best little person ever - gnawing on my thermos with her little toothless grin, making me realize how priceless she is to me. I think she's a genius.

Look at her with her swimmie shirt!

Just look at this and try not to laugh. 

The Amazing Popster

I'm convinced that most people write blogs because we all want to feel some sense of importance. The internet can make anyone famous (hello sex tapes). You can live forever (hello sex tapes). Your life can be immortalized in ones and zeros for generations to come (hello... you get the picture) - or at least until the hyper-internet or internet-blue or global warming internet is created. I am no different. I like to hear the sounds of my fingers rhythmically typing. There's few things as satisfying as smacking the space bar after a successfully spelled series of words. The delete key is like my snare drum though - always going on in the background, sometimes overpowering the vocals. I mess up a lot.

So let's get down to the business of getting down. I'm no different. I think I have important things to say. I think I have original points of view. I do think I should be remembered for all time just because I like to provide my thoughts, but that's not why I started this blog. I've started a couple blogs before and I think I approached the whole thing all wrong. I typed out pages of nothing and work frustrations - boring. Who wants to read 1000 words about why I think I should quit my job - 27 people to be exact. It's completely self-serving. It's too long. It's boring, boo-hoo, nonsense.

This one is different. I vow to you to not bore you with work. My vow is to provide regular updates about the most important little person in my life - my daughter Amelia "Popster". I'm not doing this for you. I don't want to forget what my life is like now. I don't ever want to forget the moments that she brings to my life. I don't want to forget funny things my wife says. I don't want to forget her reaching out to Wally so he can lick her hand - Wally's our dog btw. I don't want to forget her as a baby - ever.

So, without further ado my daughter, your 2052 President, former astronaut professional gymnast swimmer track star and marine biologist - Popster!!

Look at those dirty feet!! 

She's so much fun! She's my little girl. I started this because I want to capture my thoughts and feelings. I want to capture, forever in ones and zeros, my life at 34 with a mortgage, car obsession, two dogs, married to my absolute best friend, and as a father. I am no different - I have a dumb, who-cares-about-remembering-today outlook. What was once my go-to, favorite song turns in to, "Oh yea I kinda remember that song". Well not now. It is my duty as a father to remember every laugh, cry, frown, smile, and smell (yup those too). I'm going straight Aerosmith on this one - you know the song and now it is firmly in your head so you're welcome. I want to remember this time.  So that's that.