April 30

Knock on wood, today is our final day with no health insurance coverage. My new hire benefits kick in tonight at midnight. Technically, we could buy COBRA coverage retroactively for the April 17 to May 1 time frame if necessary. But, I would rather spend the $1,000+ towards a new MacBook Pro!

My new computer


Guess what? I bit the bullet last night and purchased a new MacBook Pro laptop. Since the Predators missed the playoffs and we have not vacationed in over a year, I felt justified in the purchase. It's true what they say, "owning an iPhone is merely a gateway drug to purchasing a Mac". I have been researching and comparing all of their features for a few weeks now to make an informed decision.

My six year old Sony VAIO laptop is being decommissioned from active duty and will be passed along to Jennie (and Daphne in a few years). Our home computer count has grown to four. Hey, we have more computers in use than televisions!

Jennie taught Daphne the word "cookie" this week. I have a handful of new photos to be uploaded this evening. Check back later...

EVENING UPDATE: As promised, here are some new photos of Daphne.









Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

April 28

Daphne is so smart! She points at my photo id badge for work and proclaims, "da da da". And when I call home in the afternoon, she excitedly recognizes my voice on speakerphone by doing a little dance. I think she loves her daddy!

Yesterday, Jennie taught Daphne the difference between green (Daphne calls it "geen"), red (also known as "that"), and other colors. Daphne calls just about everything a "ball" or "this" or "that". I love asking her where her knee, chin, ears, nose, etc are located and she gets it right every time! Be careful asking her about your nose because she will not hesitate to ram her finger up your nose holes! Ouch!

More photos coming soon...

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

April 23

Daphne has several rubber duck toys she plays with in our bathroom. Recently, she discovered the art of keeping her ducks in a row, literally. She gently and neatly places each duck side by side with an almost obsessive, compulsive tendency. Oh well, I like to believe she is simply developing organizational skills. She also enjoys picking her nose!

Here are some new photos of Daphne:








Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

April 21

Fussy and full of drool, baby Daphne has sprouted two more teeth! Her first molars have arrived along her upper palate. That's a grand total of eight little toothies featuring six up high and two down low...

Here's a photo of Daphne's recent fascination (her bellybutton):



Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

April 20

MILESTONE ALERT: Daphne gave me several bear hugs this past weekend. And when you ask her for a kiss, Daphne usually obliges with a misaligned pucker.

What's new? The Stanley Cup playoffs are consuming my evenings and by day, I am getting settled in at my new job. Life is grand!

New photos of Daphne coming soon...

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

April 16

Gardening time is here!

Many thanks go out to Jennie's parents for preparing our garden and planting tomatoes. As you see in the photos below, Daphne (our little dirt-loving sunflower) was eager to climb into the garden and help turn the soil.

Daphne has learned a funny trick. She rapidly rubs her fingers up and down over her lips while she hums like a kazoo creating a "bleeb-uh-bleeb-uh-bleeb-uh" noise. I guess it's better than her constant nose picking or playing with her newly found bellybutton. She seems so fascinated with her own anatomy!









Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

April 13

Was your Easter filled with life-sized milk chocolate bunnies and marshmallow peeps?

USELESS TRIVIA: Tomorrow evening marks the 97th anniversary of the RMS Titanic sinking to the bottom of the sea. Rest in peace...

On a brighter note, Daphne had a terrific Easter holiday! Although we chose not to hide eggs for her this year, Daphne received a really great Easter pail with lots of beach themed goodies from Jennie's parents. Being her usual clown self, Daphne decided to wear the pail on her head and prance around the house. See the new photos below:








Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

April 11

Happy Easter!

A lot has happened over the past few days... the hockey season in Nashville ended abruptly, several tornadoes ripped through the region, and Daphne learned several new tricks.

The Nashville Predators were safely nestled in a playoff spot through game number 81 of their season. After a valiant comeback win the night before against the evil Red Wings, the Predators blew their final game in Minnesota and now have five months to play golf...

On Good Friday, thunderstorms and tornadoes devastated Rutherford County. Take a moment and watch the Flickr slideshow of the aftermath caused by the tornadoes.

Daphne is now beginning to give hugs and smooches. She is such a little mimic and desperately tries to communicate with us. Climbing on furniture and turning over the occasional houseplant, Daphne is a handful!

Here are two short videos of Daphne filmed this week:






Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

April 7

While Daphne's vocabulary only consists of a few words ("ball", "uh-oh", "Mama", "Dada", "duck", and "dog"), she recognizes many more phrases. If we say, "let's go get the mail", she scurries to the front door and waits for you to carry her to the mailbox. If we say, "it's time for a bath", she runs to the bathtub and tries to climb in (before the water has even been drawn). If we say, "are you hungry?", she patiently waits for you to lift her into the high chair and fasten her in the seat.

Daphne loves bouncing on Mommy's belly and riding on Daddy's neck. Here are some new photos:

The view is great up here if you don't mind the glare


Daddy's head is like a bongo drum


Blowing raspberries at the camera


Fast asleep after a long trip to the grocery store


Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

April 5

Daphne absolutely loves to swing at the park. I really need to videotape her excitement sometime. She's so funny...

It's official! I have successfully cleared all background checks (criminal & credit related), previous employment verifications, and character reference checks for my new place of employment. Now, I simply need to finish up my current project and contractual term ending April 17th. Soon enough, I will be able to move ahead with the new job. What a relief!

Here are some new photos taken today with my iPhone at a local park:







Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

April 2

Hope you had a wonderful April Fool's Day!

All is still mum on my new job front. Background checks, new hire screenings, and negotiations are ongoing. I am wrapping up my final tasks at my current job and it is winding down.

I bought a new iPhone last week and absolutely LOVE it! Let me know by email if you want my new number and I will pass it along.

More photos of Daphne to come this evening...

EVENING UPDATE: As tornadoes rip through the middle Tennessee region tonight, we are safe and sound at home.






Until tomorrow,
Dave T.