November 28

Happy Black Friday to you! I hope everyone had an excellent Turkey Day...

I did not even think twice about shopping this morning. I have lost the urge to fight crowds for this year's Ferbie or the latest Rubik's Cube gadget. Instead, we took it easy and relaxed with my Dad and Step-Mom at their house. After eating way too much tasty food, we watched the movie "Get Smart" featuring Steve Carell. I really love his movies and especially his TV show, "The Office".

Although Jennie, Daphne, and I are still on the road visiting family, we wanted to share some Thanksgiving photos with you:

Daphne prepares for her first Thanksgiving meal...

Daddy Dave holding sweet Daphne

'nanna Cyndee playing with Daphne

Grandpa Wayne loving on Daphne


Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 25

May you eat your weight in turkey while visiting your families and friends this Thursday! Relaxation and naps aplenty should fill your holiday. Be safe in your travels.

Fairly tiny developmental milestone update: Daphne can now bang two toys together --- one toy in each hand. Also, Daphne passed her eye exam today with flying colors. I was not present and have no clue how they tested her, but I am thrilled nonetheless...



Sleeping beauty says, "Mommy's breast milk really knocks me out!"


How on Earth does Daphne sleep like this?


Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 23

Only four days left until Thanksgiving! On that note, I thought I would share some new photos of my favorite little turkey, Daphne:





Our new deck was completed on Friday afternoon. I will try to post some photos soon (not today, it's really cold outside, brrr...). We are really pleased with the finished product. Some of the new features include: custom-made baby gate, extra wide stairs with dual landings, more supports under the floor, rounded handrails, and screwed down floorboards (no nails).

Well, Daphne seems to be waking up from her nap... so, I need to go play with my baby.

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 19

Daphne had her first "big girl" bath tonight in the bathtub (instead of the smaller infant tub). Can you believe she's only 10 days away from being 9 months old? And we are a little surprised Daphne is still toothless... I really hope she gets a bottom tooth before she starts walking.

Here a few new pics from today:







Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 18

Brrrr... it has been too cold here in middle Tennessee! With temperatures dipping down to the high 30s overnight, I cannot fathom being outdoors for more than a few minutes at a time. Unfortunately, our deck is still under construction. I imagine it should be finished this week though.

701 years ago on this day, the legendary marksman William Tell shot an apple from his son's head with a single arrow using his crossbow. If I were his son, I would run away from home after those shenanigans! hehehe I can hear it now, "Hey son, sit still for a sec, I want to shoot some fruit from your noggin!" Yowza! I would take my chances elsewhere...

Last night Jennie and I attended a Nashville Predators game while her parents watched Daphne. The game was a bit one-sided, i.e. Nashville never really had a chance. Oh well, it was entertaining and we missed Daphne the whole time. Here are some new photos of our Sweet Pea:









Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 16

Daphne tries so hard to stand without holding onto furniture. But, inevitably, she always ends up on her diaper-padded tush.

Only a week and a half to go until Daphne's first Turkey Day!

Here are some new photos of our little Pooh Bear:







Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 14

FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE ALERT: Daphne can now feed herself Cheerios (or better known as "crack for babies"). Watching her carefully grasp a bite of cereal using only her thumb and tiny index finger is quite entertaining. She gently places the morsel in her toothless gab and begins her drool-filled chomping spree. Chirping "muh-muh-muh-muh" and slapping the table with both fists, she anxiously awaits the next available Cheerio from Daddy.

Today Daphne discovered how to open a bathroom drawer and how to remove a few squares of toilet paper from a roll. Her curiosity increases exponentially each day...

Enjoy these new photos of Daphne:










Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 12

MINOR MILESTONE ALERT: Daphne clapped her hands yesterday for the first time. Also, she has almost mastered waving bye bye.

Happy birthday to my nephew and fellow Scorpio, Josh! I hope you got lots of birthday goodies and a huge cake!

Our deck is approximately 93% completed. Rainy weather coupled with family illnesses have slowed down our contractors' progress. Perhaps a new deck could be thrown together in a hurried day or two, but I prefer the "perfectionist" approach taken by these guys (even if it takes four to five weeks). Luckily, I am not paying them by the hour -- hehehe. I believe we will be more than pleased with the final outcome.

Today, Jennie, Daphne, and I journeyed to the local Red Robin restaurant for my free birthday burger. If you have not tried a Red Robin burger, they are incredible and worth every penny!

Well, I need to run for now, but check out the YouTube videos below at your leisure...

LINK OF THE DAY: Passive Aggressive Notes -- painfully polite and hilariously hostile writings from shared spaces the world over

Here are some new videos of Daphne recorded today:

Daphne with her toy paint roller


Daphne eating bread, fussing, laughing, and clapping



Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 10

Daphne loves playing with soda pop!





Well, I made it to 36! Another year older and wiser, I suppose. Little Daphne's smiling face is the best birthday gift ever. She is only 3 1/2 months removed from her very first birthday party. I cannot wait to see her dive into the mounds of chocolate icing head first (like I did 35 years ago).

Here is the type of cake I hope to NEVER see: (hehehe)



Have a great day!
Dave T.

November 8

My parents-in-law are taking me out to Buffalo Wild Wings for a "pre"-birthday lunch today. Daphne is waking up from a nap, so I need to run for now.

More to come... (check back later for some new photos)

Evening update: 4:39pm CST Jennie, Daphne, and I are back home after a long day of running errands and birthday lunching.

Now, Jennie and I are about to curl up on the couch and watch some DVDs. The popcorn is ready and Daphne is down for a nap...

Enjoy these new photos from today:







Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 5

Daphne's crawling speed has greatly increased and she can now cruise along the coffee table with one hand. Her vocabulary is now up to four words: mama, dada, bah-bah, and plftbtfbuh (raspberry noise with tongue between lips).


Daphne loves koozies


My employer is on the verge of signing a 3-year lease on a building near the Smyrna airport only minutes away from my house. If all goes well, we hope to move into the new space either December 1 or January 1. I suppose I will continue to work 10 hour shifts (with every Wednesday off).

Our new deck still needs handrails, but noticeable progress is made each day.

We have steps...


LINK OF THE DAY: Cake Wrecks

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 2

What a beautiful weekend! The warm weather was a pleasant surprise.

Jennie, Daphne, and I relaxed at home all weekend like lazy bums. Enjoy the new photos below of our guest bathroom and our deck.

Don't forget to vote this Tuesday if you have not already...

Daphne snoozing on her side.


Guest bathroom after completion.

The toilet works great!


Our new deck is almost finished...

The twin landings should ease the climb.

A view from the top.



Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 1

A belated Happy Halloween to everyone! Did you eat plenty of candy? In another year or two, Daphne will begin trick or treating and we can help her polish off those pesky chocolate goodies...



I'm actively doing chores today for Jennie while Daphne naps.
More to come later.

Evening Update: (8:24pm CST)Don't forget to set your clocks back tonight when you go to bed! It's daylight savings time and we gain an hour of sleep. Yeehoo!

I forgot to mention that Daphne had her 8 month doctor visit on Friday. Her percentiles increased or stayed the same in every category except height.

Weight = 16 pounds, 18th percentile - same as last time
Height = 26 1/4 inches, 27th percentile - down from 43rd percentile
Head Circumference = 42.1 cm, 14th percentile - up from 9th percentile


Here are some new Daphne photos:








Until tomorrow,
Dave T.