Tilson Tales

February 1

2012-02-01T11:59:00.002-06:00

Here's a brand new video of Shea babbling and giggling:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

January 23

2012-01-23T05:28:00.002-06:00

Today is the 23rd of the month. That translates to: Happy 173rd Anniversary to Jennie and me!

Shea is trying so hard to sit up like a big boy. His latest trick is doing push ups on Mommy's thigh until he flops over on his back. He doesn't seem to giggle as much as Daphne did at 6 months, but he's got an incredible toothless grin with dimples!

Daphne's behavior is only getting worse. Increased discipline and attention do not seem to help. The Terrible Twos and Trying Threes were nothing compared to the "I can do whatever I want and you can't stop me" Fours. Oh brother!

More pics to come:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

January 13

2012-01-13T13:45:00.003-06:00

We had a very light dusting of snow yesterday. Daphne was so excited! She is dying to build a snowman...

Shea really enjoys sitting up like a big boy! Here he patiently waits while Mommy gets ready to feed him some yummy peas.

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

January 11

2012-01-11T07:08:00.006-06:00

Shea had his 6 month old check up yesterday at the doctor's office. He is developing well and appears to be a healthy baby boy. His weight is 13.2 pounds, length is 24.25 inches, and head circumference is 41.1 cm.

Flashback: Daphne's 6 month vitals...

Earlier in the week, Mommy painted Daphne's toes for the first time with sparkly, pink polish. My little Daphne is no longer a baby (she weighs 40 pounds, but feels much heavier than a bag of mulch).

Shea is sleeping on his tummy in his crib (usually until 2am or so), has begun eating rice cereal with puréed pears, and can roll over from his belly to back with ease. He takes 3 or more naps per day, while Daphne takes none.

Daphne loves to smooch and hug her baby brother. But, when he gets too much attention, she still asks us to put him in the garbage can. Daphne gets overwhelmingly excited when he smiles at her. "He smiled at me! He just smiled at me!" ~ Daphne exclaims.

Daphne can make it through the night without tinkling in her overnight pull up (training underwear). She does a great job throughout the day using the potty all by herself. Occasionally requiring adult assistance for wiping (especially for her #2 activities), Daphne proudly wears big girl panties. What a relief that she is almost completely potty trained!

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

January 2

2012-01-02T06:54:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year!

More to come...

December 25

2011-12-25T23:23:00.006-06:00

Merry Christmas!

December 18

2011-12-18T11:15:00.002-06:00

Only a week until Christmas!

Here are some new photos of Daphne & Shea:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

December 13

2011-12-13T11:30:00.002-06:00

Today was Daphne's semi-annual choral recital at her Mother's Day Out program. I was unable to attend, but a teary-eyed, proud Jennie phoned me and filled me in with all the details after it was over. Her class has between 8 and 10 kids and they sang holiday favorites such as: Jingle Bells, Silent Night, and I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas.

As you can imagine, Daphne was very animated and full of personality during the performance. Apparently, Daphne seemed to be singing a solo for some of the songs (as the other kids were not singing, didn't know the words, or were just being shy). When Daphne does not know the words, she gladly makes them up:

"Silent Night. Holy Sprite. All is corn. I love Sprite."

I will post some new photos soon...

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

December 2

2011-12-02T10:16:00.003-06:00

Jennie and I are hoping to send out Christmas cards this week...

Here are some new photos for your enjoyment:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 28

2011-11-28T01:47:00.003-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 22

2011-11-22T10:18:00.004-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

MILESTONE ALERT: (Afternoon update: 1:19pm CST)
Shea held his head up while doing tummy time with Mommy.

Here are some new photos of Shea and Daphne from this past weekend:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 14

2011-11-14T06:24:00.008-06:00

Last Thursday, I celebrated my 39th birthday at home with Jennie and the kids. Jennie made my favorite cookie cake from scratch (see below) as she does each year.

On Friday, Shea's 4 month old routine physical went well. His weight was 11 pounds 6 ounces and length was 22 3/4 inches. The doctor seems pleased with his development. He has not rolled over from tummy to back yet, but we continue to give him tummy time on the floor. He is starting to grin a lot more and will hopefully giggle by Turkey Day.

Here are some new photos for your enjoyment:

My birthday cake

My two gals

Discovering fingers

Hi there!

Shea loves being held

Sleepy

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 8

2011-11-08T14:47:00.004-06:00

Here are some new photos of Daphne & Shea... (more to come)

Daphne dressed as SpongeBob for Halloween

Shea posing for the camera

Shea

Shea

Daphne loves holding baby brother...

Daphne's favorite restaurant, Red Robin

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

October 29

2011-10-29T06:26:00.004-05:00

Happy birthday to Jennie!

Here's a video of Shea cooing:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

October 25

2011-10-25T08:31:00.003-05:00

Can you believe that Shea is almost 4 months old? Wow! Time sure does fly...
Daphne loves holding her baby brother and constantly asks to do so.

Here are some new photos for your enjoyment:

Learning to smile...

Holding baby brother

How tall am I?

Our Halloween pumpkin

Guess what costume Daphne chose?

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

October 17

2011-10-17T13:16:00.003-05:00

Jennie took Shea to visit the doctor today. It appears that Shea has an allergy to a protein present in cow's milk (i.e., dairy products). Daphne had the same allergy for the first 6 months or so of her life. Jennie is already trying to be dairy free (no cheese, no butter, etc), but Shea's sensitivity persists.

Daphne is showing a teeny bit of jealousy towards her baby brother. "Daddy, can we put Shea in the garbage can? We don't need him anymore." It took a lot of effort to keep from laughing. I explained to Daphne that Shea is more than welcome to live in our household and that we love him very much. She was not impressed and still wants him gone. As they grow older, I think she will love him completely.

Here are some new photos of Shea playing on the floor:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

October 14

2011-10-14T08:36:00.004-05:00

What's new?

My Mom is visiting us this week. Shea has begun cooing and discovering new objects (he loves ceiling fans just like Daphne did). He does not return to the doctor for a checkup anytime soon, but he's probably pretty close to 10 pounds.

Here are some new photos of Daphne & Shea:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

October 3

2011-10-03T22:47:00.004-05:00

I weighed myself and then myself holding Shea on our home scales over the weekend. The difference was 9.6 pounds -- he's steadily gaining. Yay!

Daphne is being a typical 3 year old (not listening, acting out, throwing tantrums, and showing signs of baby jealousy). We're trying our best to keep her involved and disciplined. It's got to get easier someday, right?

Here are some new photos of Daphne acting crazy and Shea getting an old fashioned bath:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

September 26

2011-09-26T07:48:00.002-05:00

I attended my 20 year high school reunion over the weekend. It was a lot of fun to spend time with my classmates and see how their lives have changed.

Here's a brand new photo of Shea from the weekend:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

September 16

2011-09-16T08:18:00.002-05:00

Earlier in the week, the restaurant Chili's was having one of their regular "Kids Eat Free" promotions. Daphne exerted her independence and blurted, "Daddy, I want to order for myself." She told the waitress with no hesitation, "I want cheese pizza, fries, and Sprite". Nothing like eating healthy, eh? She continued to tell the waitress about her finger paint kit and "Cake-Muh Station" (PlayDoh cake making station). Daphne can talk non-stop to anyone for hours (if they let her).

Last night Daphne told me she does not like boys. I reminded her that I am a boy, but she shook her head stating, "Daddy, you are old and bald. I love you. You are not a boy." Hmm, she got me there...

Here are some new photos of Shea resting on the couch:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

September 8

2011-09-08T01:10:00.002-05:00

Today is Shea's two month old doctor visit. He will be weighed, given a few routine immunizations, and evaluated by the doctor. Stay tuned for more details...

UPDATE: (11:10am CST)Shea weighs 8 pounds 4 ounces! Wow!!! And, his length is now 20 1/2 inches. I looked back to see what Daphne's 2 month old vitals were and found that she was 10 pounds 5 ounces and 22 inches long. But, keep in mind that Daphne was born just shy of 38 weeks and Shea was born at 34 weeks (so an apples-to-apples comparison is somewhat misleading).

Daphne's nightly tantrums and disagreeable nature has gotten worse over the last month. Between 4 and 8 pm, I swear she grows horns and turns into devil spawn. Well, maybe she's just being a typical 3 year old? She can be so sweet during the night like when she calls out for me to help her potty at 3am. "I love you, Daddy. Why don't you stay home from work and play with me today?" or "Daddy, you are my very best friend ever!"

Shea is gaining incredible neck control and losing the "wobbly head" typically found in infants. He still cries a lot, but honestly nowhere near as much boohooing as Daphne. Shea seems to spit up easier than Daphne (unless my memory does not serve).

By the time Daphne was two months old, I had snapped somewhere close to 4,500 photos of her. With our day to day activity busier than ever, poor little Shea has only been photographed about 100 times. Sorry if my photos appear uncomposed and rushed lately, but here are some new pictures of the kiddos nevertheless:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

September 3

2011-09-03T14:36:00.003-05:00

Shea is two months old today! Doesn't time fly?

Here are some new photos of Shea:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

August 29

2011-08-29T06:26:00.003-05:00

Shea continues to eat well and grow like a weed. His 2 month old doctor visit is next week. I purchased and assembled a brand new crib for Shea yesterday.

It's that time of year again. Daphne has a nasty cold and is a mucus machine. She looked at me last night and said, "Excuse me Daddy, I need to go vomit now..." Poor little baby. She refers to the downstairs sink in the half bath as the "vomit sink".

Here are some new photos from this weekend:

Shea's new crib...

Shea seems to like his crib

I can almost roll over!

Class clown Daphne

Daphne is a silly goose

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

August 24

2011-08-24T07:11:00.002-05:00

Happy Anniversary to Jennie and me! We celebrated 14 years of marriage yesterday.

Shea's room is slowly coming along. Jennie has organized all of his clothing and has a pretty good idea how we will decorate his room in the upcoming months. We have still not bought Shea a crib. I suppose we will break down and buy it this weekend.

Shea is growing fast. I stood on the scale with him and without him this past weekend. The difference was 7.2 pounds. Yay! He is over 7 pounds now and is well on his way to catching up with Daphne.

Notice anything new about this blog? Yep, I finally updated the header at the top. I will be playing around with it in the next few weeks and should get newer photos integrated as time passes.

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

August 17

2011-08-17T06:47:00.003-05:00

Daphne occasionally mentions how she wants "to be bald, just like Daddy". Yesterday, she experienced her first ever haircut in 3 1/2 years of life. Well, she's not bald but they did trim a few inches off the length.

NOTE: I am currently working on a new banner for this blog. I have been told by a few different people that the current photo is way out of date and needs to include Shea as well.

Here are some new photos:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

August 15

2011-08-15T23:45:00.004-05:00

We had a busy weekend chock full of family and friends. We appreciate all the visitors to meet Shea. Here are some new photos of Shea & Daphne:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

August 9

2011-08-09T06:03:00.004-05:00

Shea is one month old today! He weighed in at 6 pounds 0 ounces last Friday (a gain of 9 ounces in 10 days). The doctor said if Shea gains approximately an ounce per day, he would be pleased.

My Mom flew home last night after graciously helping us around the house for a week. I know Jennie is going to miss the extra hands with a crazy Daphne running around the house...

Here are some new photos of Daphne & Shea:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

August 4

2011-08-04T07:35:00.003-05:00

Shea returns to the doctor tomorrow for a routine check up and weigh in.
We are crossing our fingers that he's gaining weight...

Here are some new photos: (many more to come on my Facebook profile)

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

July 26

2011-07-26T14:34:00.002-05:00

RESULTS FROM DR. VISIT:
Shea has grown an inch (18 inches long).
Today he weighed 5 pounds 7 ounces.
Yay! That's an increase in 4 ounces over the last doctor visit...

Daphne seems to love her new baby brother. She loves kissing him on the forehead and once I saw her plant a big pucker right on his mouth. Her behavior has predictably gotten worse (as she is no longer the center of attention). We are trying our best to make sure she receives a fair amount of attention and love.

Unfortunately, Daphne has regressed a bit with her overnight peeing since her brother's arrival. She sleeps in Huggies Overnight Pull-ups just in case of such an accident. Hopefully, Daphne's bed wetting episodes will cease before her fourth birthday in February. Prior to Shea's birth, Daphne was staying dry all night.

Jennie and I still need to purchase a crib for Shea in the coming months. His baby room has not been decorated and remains mostly empty. Shea will sleep in his bassinet beside us in the master bedroom for a few more months at least.

It's funny how we had so much baby stuff before Daphne arrived, but after Shea was born we were scrambling to find socks and any kind of baby clothes that would fit him. Thankfully, a co-worker of mine loaned us a bunch of preemie clothes for Shea. Otherwise, he would be wearing diapers, old Daphne T-shirts, and receiving blankets only.

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

July 25

2011-07-25T15:35:00.005-05:00

Shea has his 2 week physical tomorrow morning. We are anxious to see how much weight he has gained in the last week and a half. At his last visit, Shea was tipping the scales at 5 pounds 3 ounces (3 ounces below his birth weight).

Here are some new photos of Shea:

Happy baby

At the doctor's office...

Aunt Tammy

Zzz...

Resting

Thumb sucker

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

July 17

2011-07-17T20:03:00.003-05:00

Shea seems to have gotten over his jaundice and has an ever increasing appetite. He is one week old today!

Here are some photos of my sister's two sons, Daphne, and Shea:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

July 16

2011-07-16T09:14:00.003-05:00

Shea came home Thursday afternoon!

We are trying to get used to the routine of a newborn with a crazy 3 year old added to the mix. I'll share more anecdotes soon...

Here are some photos of his trip home:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

July 13

2011-07-13T08:18:00.004-05:00

Jennie and Shea are still in the hospital due to Shea's elevated bilirubin level (jaundice). If all goes well, he is scheduled to be discharged on Friday morning.

While Shea's weight has dipped down to 5 pounds 0 ounces, he has begun to nurse really well.

Here are some new photos of baby boy Shea Aston Tilson on his 4th day of life...

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

July 10

2011-07-10T00:33:00.005-05:00

Guess what? My son has arrived! Jennie's water broke at 4:30am yesterday.

Shea Aston Tilson was born at 7:59am CST.

Weight: 5 pounds 6 ounces
Length: 17 inches

He went to a transition area in the NICU department for a few hours of observation.

Afterwards, Shea was allowed to go to the regular nursery. He went under the lights of an Isolette incubator until he was 12 hours old. He is so itty bitty...

Here are some photos:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

July 7 (34 weeks pregnant)

2011-07-07T23:38:00.004-05:00

Jennie had an ultrasound last week. Everything looks normal with baby boy (and he was slightly over 5 pounds and growing). He will be here before you know it!

More updates soon...

Here are some recent photos of Daphne:

Visiting Grandma

Storytime

Like my new dress?

Cheese!

I'm craaaaaazy!

Ride 'em cowboy!

Ferris wheel fun!

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

June 29 (33 weeks pregnant)

2011-06-29T14:16:00.004-05:00

We arrived home from our Florida beach mini-vacation safe and sound.

Daphne had so much fun digging in the sand with her little shovel and overfilling her pail. Destroying the sand castles with her tiny fists was Daphne's favorite thing to do. We rode a Ferris wheel after lunch one day and she could not stop giggling.

Here is a photo of Daphne serenading Mommy with "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star":

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

June 21 (32 weeks pregnant)

2011-06-21T22:36:00.003-05:00

Baby boy weighs approximately 4 pounds 1 oz and will be born in just a few weeks!

Great news! Jennie's doctor appointment today revealed that baby boy no longer has PACs (premature atrial contractions). His heart has matured and developed with no issues. Yay!

Daphne decided she wanted to make snowflakes from a slice of bread earlier this week. See photo below:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

June 15 (31 weeks pregnant)

2011-06-15T06:12:00.003-05:00

I really don't know how Jennie can possibly get any rounder! She's toting around an extra large basketball of a baby boy in her midriff. She is tolerating the hot weather fine, but gets winded climbing the stairs. Only a few short weeks and baby boy will be here!

Meanwhile, here are some new photos of Daphne:

Hi, Daddy!

Cheese!

Pout, pout fish impersonation

A tasty corn dog!

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

June 2

2011-06-02T15:34:00.002-05:00

Happy birthday to PopPop (aka Jennie's Dad)! He is 2/3 of the way to the century mark...

Jennie's lab results from yesterday's visit came back today. She passed the routine diabetes test taken by all pregnant women. But, her iron levels are reading low. Oh well, she's preparing herself for increased iron supplements and the accompanying constipation. Yay!

Daphne talks to monsters and aliens in her room at night before going to sleep. I have to admit I was a little freaked out listening to her conversation the other night. "Hi monster! Why do you come into my room and watch me all night? I see you over there in the corner. Will you please leave me alone? Why don't you go eat a dog? Our neighbors have loud barking dogs. Are you going to take my bones and leave me squishy?"

What's the deal with Tilson babies and irregular hearts?

Daphne was born with a hole in her heart (common murmur) and it predictably sealed up by the time she was a few months old. She presently has no heart issues.

Baby boy has a consistently irregular heartbeat (fairly common). His heart rhythm is called premature atrial contraction. Basically, his atria (the top chambers in the heart which fill with blood) are contracting early and try to dump the blood into the ventricles (the lower chambers that do the pumping to the rest of the body). There is some irritability in the conduction system of the atria and the doctor can hear a pause as the conduction resets the beat. While it is occurring regularly, it is irregular overall.

Jennie has to begin coming in weekly to her OBGYN's office for a Doppler/heartbeat listen. They are monitoring the situation closely to see that the rhythm does not convert to SVT (supraventricular tachycardia) which occurs in only 1 to 2% of babies.

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

June 1 (29 weeks pregnant)

2011-06-01T07:16:00.007-05:00

Jennie's round belly is ready to pop! Baby boy will be joining us in two short months.

I will update this post later today (Jennie is currently at two doctor's appointments - routine & pregnancy glucose test).

MORNING UPDATE: Jennie sent me an email stating that baby boy weighs 3 lbs 3 oz based on current ultrasound measurements. He is in the 64th percentile for his age.

Photos from today's ultrasound:

Frontal view

Profile

Until later,
Dave T.

May 23

2011-05-23T06:40:00.005-05:00

As Jennie begins her 28th week of pregnancy, all is well in the Tilson house. Daphne wrestles with what to name her brother on an hourly basis. She is leaning towards "Drink" at the moment. Either that or her other favorite, "Daphne 2". It's funny that she refers to him as her "big brother". Does she know something that we don't? She asked Mommy what kind of diaper he would be wearing when he was born.

Here are some photos showing Daphne in all her craziness:

I love my undies on my head!

Why am I not supposed to jump on the bed again?

Pele Daphne scores another goal!

Look at all the strawberries I picked!

Eating wears me out! Zzzz...

Like my new shoes?

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

May 13 (26 weeks pregnant)

2011-05-13T15:23:00.002-05:00

Happy Friday the 13th!

I attended Daphne's recital (choral presentation) at her Mother's Day Out school on Tuesday. Watching the group of 3 year olds perform was priceless! I shot fifteen minutes worth of video with my little camcorder. If any of the video looks promising, I will upload a snippet to YouTube and share with you.

Daphne is now fully potty trained. Just to be safe, she still sleeps in an overnight diaper. But, she wears soft little panties the rest of the day. She is such a big girl!

More to come...
Dave T.

May 6

2011-05-06T00:51:00.005-05:00

Jennie had a routine doctor visit yesterday. Baby boy is 1 pound 12 ounces and growing fine. His heart rate measured 158 beats per minute (normal). Jennie's labor will be induced in 3 short months...

Here are some new photos of him:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

May 5 (25 weeks pregnant)

2011-05-05T23:14:00.006-05:00

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Happy birthday to my big sister, too!

Daphne wants to name her unborn baby brother, "Broccoli Casserole Tilson".

As promised, here are some new photos of Daphne:

Tell me a story, Daddy...

Do you like my boots?

I love dyeing Easter eggs!

Let's go on an Easter egg hunt.

I don't want to take a nap!

What color should I make this egg?

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

April 28 (24 weeks pregnant)

2011-04-28T14:21:00.002-05:00

Daphne called me at work today with terrific news.

"Daddy, I went poo poo in the potty! It was a little one and a big one. Now I get a lollipop!"

Daphne has been trying so hard to come up with a new name for her unborn baby brother. The latest name she really likes is "Banana Tilson". I guess that name is better than her last suggestion of "Microwave Tilson".

Daphne climbed into my arms two nights ago and whispered, "I want to be just like you when I grow up, Daddy. I want to be a bald boy!"

I will post some Easter photos from last weekend soon...

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

April 22

2011-04-22T00:06:00.004-05:00

Another exhausting week has come to an end. Jennie's pregnancy (23 1/2 weeks) and Daphne (the little Energizer bunny) contribute to our never ending fatigue. I am anxious for a nap!

Earlier in the week, Daphne had a fever of 102 with the accompanying ear infections. The doctor described her infections as "horrible" and "even worse". Bubble gum flavored Amoxicillin to the rescue!

Daphne is doing much better (her cold is nearly gone) and her Mother's Day Out school had an Easter party yesterday. She came home with 23 plastic eggs filled with various goodies. She loves for you to find the eggs she has hidden all over the house.

Here are some new photos:

Where did Mommy hide the Easter eggs?

Do you like my pretty basket?

More Sponge Bob please!

I found all the eggs.

A yummy hot-dog...

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

April 18 (23 weeks pregnant)

2011-04-18T07:02:00.003-05:00

Jennie is doing much better. Her bleeding (knock on wood) seems to have ceased for now. I believe I jinxed it the last time I reported this, so please pretend I said nothing.

Baby boy routinely punches or kicks Jennie between 8 and 10pm. GOOD NEWS: Only three short months until we get to meet him. BAD NEWS: We still have not decided on a good name. Why is it so much harder to name a boy? We agreed on the name Daphne in a few short days. But, there are so many boy names we just do not like.

Daphne cannot wait to take care of her baby brother as well. Let's hope she is a wee bit more gentle with baby than she is with her dollies.

New photos coming soon,
Dave T.

April 11

2011-04-11T01:22:00.002-05:00

Each night, Daphne sleeps with her "Duck-Duck" (stuffed animal), "Pooh Bear" (Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal), and "Blanky" (a small polar fleece baby blanket). She says they are her babies and can hold an intelligent conversation with any of them. "Duck-Duck, he is a girl. Let me tell you about Blanky. She's a boy!", smiles Daphne. Huh? My daughter is so contrary. She finds it hilarious to say the opposite of what you expect.

"I don't love you this week, Daddy, but I will love you tomorrow. You are my best friend."

Holding both palms outstretched, Daphne exclaims, "I have five and five babies in my belly just like Mommy!"

"I have a great idea! I will be the fastest girl ever; watch me run back and forth!"

It is not unusual to see Daphne prancing around the house nude from the waist down. "I just went pee pee, Daddy! Give me two M&Ms."

Daphne has not quite mastered the art of poo poo on the potty, but she's a terrific tinkler. She knows all about wiping, washing, and announcing to the world what she just did in the loudest voice possible.

Here are some new photos:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

April 6 (21 weeks pregnant)

2011-04-06T06:13:00.003-05:00

Jennie has two more doctor appointments tomorrow to look at the progress of our unborn baby boy.

Daphne has been attending a Mother's Day Out program twice per week for a few months now. She likes to come home and share with us the songs she sings in chapel. Unfortunately, I don't think she has mastered all the lyrics. She does have a great imagination though. She sings, "He's a mighty one. Jesus loves his makeup." and something about Jesus on a rocket ship in outer space and surfing in the ocean. Oh well, it's hard not to giggle and she really believes she is singing something important, too.

Earlier in the week, Daphne was doing flips in our living room. Pop Pop said, "You did a somersault." Daphne replied, "No, Pop Pop, I believe it was a somer-pepper."

New pictures coming soon...

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

March 28

2011-03-28T01:30:00.002-05:00

Jennie's 20th week of pregnancy commences this week.

I spent several hours yesterday cleaning, organizing, and preparing the baby nursery for our son. Until yesterday, it was a dumping ground of boxes and junk not yet placed in the attic. Daphne has been warned to stay out of the crib. hehehe

Last week was Daphne's routine 3-year old doctor visit. Here are her stats:

HEIGHT: 38.1 inches (75th percentile, she's tall)
WEIGHT: 31 pounds (she's lean and mean)
RESULT: She is a normal, healthy kid.

Here are some new photos of Daphne:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

March 18

2011-03-18T09:14:00.003-05:00

Jennie gave me some exciting news last night....

Daphne is pleased to have a baby brother in less than 5 months! She still calls him, "baby Max".

More to come....
Dave T.

March 16 (18 weeks pregnant)

2011-03-16T07:51:00.002-05:00

Last Thursday, I came down with a mild case of the flu. Or, at least that's what the doctor tells me. Friday began with nausea, dizziness, dry cough, body aches, and a low grade fever. I had a fever for four consecutive days topping out at 102.7 on Saturday and tailing off Monday evening at 99.5 degrees.

The good news: I feel 100% better and other than my occasional cough, I cannot complain.

The bad news: Jennie is fevered and coming down with the sickness.

Daphne has almost recovered from a common cold with ear infections. I pray she does not catch the dreaded flu bug.

Today, Jennie has a routine OB exam and she returns to the specialist next week to evaluate her subchorionic hemorrhages. We will find out soon if we are having another princess or a bouncing baby boy.

Dave T.

March 9 (17 weeks pregnant)

2011-03-09T07:27:00.003-06:00

Jennie felt the baby kick for the first time late last night. Until now, it has been easy to confuse stomach rumbling (or gas) with baby kicks.

She had a specialist appointment yesterday afternoon to monitor her subchorionic hemorrhages. Another ultrasound was performed and all appears fine with the baby's development. Jennie has been ordered to more bed rest for the next week or so.

Daphne refers to the "baby in Mommy's belly" as Baby Max. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with the cartoon Max & Ruby, but it is funny. If we find out that we are having another girl, Baby Max might need to become Maxine. She originally wanted the new baby to have the name Daphne. We told her that might be a little confusing and she replied, "huh?"

More to come,
Dave T.

March 2

2011-03-02T01:38:00.005-06:00

Happy birthday to Daphne! She turned 3 years old yesterday and celebrated all weekend. Her current passion: Sponge Bob Square Pants. Anything Sponge Bob themed is her favorite...

Jennie's 7-day bed rest adventure ended last night, but her upcoming doctor visit is not until next week. The doctor wants to monitor the baby's progress every other week for now (and as long as bleeding continues).

Here are some new photos of Daphne from the past weekend:

This is typical -- Daphne playing Angry Birds on my iPhone

Daphne loves her new Thomas the Train set. Choo! Choo! Conductor Daphne

Opening one of her many birthday gifts

I helped her blow out the 3 candles...

Trying on Mommy's high heels

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

February 23 (15 weeks pregnant)

2011-02-23T09:33:00.002-06:00

Where do I begin? So much has happened in the last two or three days...

On Monday afternoon, my final living Grandparent passed away. My maternal grandmother was placed in quarantine at the nursing home with pneumonia and had suffered another stroke recently. She is in a much better place now.

Yesterday morning around 4:15am, Jennie woke up to heavy bleeding and cramping. Naturally, we thought she was having a miscarriage. Her subchorionic hemorrhage has grown like a large dam holding back a river of blood. Well, the dam broke and it is devastating.

We spent many hours seeing doctors, having ultrasounds, and running tests to make sure our unborn child is still viable. We learned that 1 in 4 pregnancies experience some sort of bleeding. In fact, Jennie experienced various amounts of bleeding during her pregnancy with Daphne all the way up to 16 weeks.

Jennie has been ordered to be on strict bed rest for the next week. The doctor assured us that Jennie did nothing wrong to cause the bleeding and it appears more frequently in IVF pregnancies (for unknown reasons).

This weekend is Daphne's 3 year old birthday party on Saturday. Jennie will have to sit or recline for the party and cannot do any sort of housework. I did not want to deny Daphne of her yearly celebration, so I am cleaning the house at every opportunity. Instead of making Daphne's cake and treats, all food items will be catered.

GOOD NEWS: The baby appears healthy and is growing with no amniotic fluid loss.

BAD NEWS: Jennie may or may not continue bleeding and the subchorionic hemorrhage is being closely monitored biweekly or sooner if it increases.

More to come,
Dave T.

February 21

2011-02-21T10:06:00.002-06:00

Jennie reaches her 15th week of pregnancy this Wednesday.

Nothing new to report.

Daphne is enjoying her Mother's Day Out every Tuesday and Thursday. Mommy gets a much needed break from her crazy baby.

New photos of Daphne coming soon,
Dave T.

February 14

2011-02-14T07:39:00.004-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

On this 14th day of February, Jennie begins her 14th week of pregnancy. She is waiting to hear back from her doctor's office regarding the date of her next appointment. It's either late this week or early next week for the next routine visit.

Here are some new photos of Daphne from this weekend:

"Look Mommy, I'm diggin' for gold!" ~ Daphne

"Mommy said I could have a tiny sip..." ~ Daphne

Just a swingin'

"Watch this trick, Daddy!" ~ Daphne

"Hello, can you hear me?" ~ Daphne

"Cheese!" ~ Daphne

"I'm exercisin'" ~ Daphne

All tuckered out

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

February 8

2011-02-08T06:08:00.004-06:00

Playing air guitar in Mommy's shoes...

Daphne loves her cousin Josh

"Look Mimi, I'm exercisin'..."

"I'm all toddled up, Mommy" (swaddled)

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

February 4 (12 weeks pregnant)

2011-02-04T08:35:00.005-06:00

Jennie has an ultrasound and some routine blood work testing this morning. She is still vomiting multiple times per day and nausea is making her life miserable.

Daphne has been accepted to a Mother's Day Out program at a local Presbyterian church. I am unsure when Daphne begins attending, but it will give Jennie a much needed five hours of peace and quiet occurring two days a week.

AFTERNOON UPDATE: Jennie just called and said that everything went well. The baby's nuchal fold measurement was normal. I believe she said the baby's heart rate was in the 170s and the baby's length today was approximately 55m (or 2.165 inches). I will verify tonight after work.

More updates later,
Dave T.

January 31

2011-01-31T08:29:00.002-06:00

Jennie's 12th week of pregnancy is underway. The bouts of nausea are still hanging around, but it does not seem to be nearly as bad as it was a few weeks ago. Tomorrow is her final injection of estradiol valerate in the booty. Yay!

Daphne keeps asking us daily when her birthday party will take place. Jennie & I should be mailing out Daphne's birthday party invitations this week (hopefully). Daphne's party is scheduled for Saturday, February 26th in the afternoon.

I have lots of new Daphne photos and video to post here (if I can ever set aside some free time at night).

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

January 25

2011-01-25T10:44:00.003-06:00

As Jennie enters her 11th week of pregnancy, her nausea and morning sickness have increased exponentially. She had very little (if any) morning sickness with Daphne, but this second baby is giving her more than she can handle. Simply talking about dirty dishes in the kitchen or gross smells is enough to make Jennie gag...

10th week ultrasound

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

January 20

2011-01-20T15:34:00.004-06:00

Today, Jennie had a routine doctor visit (ultrasound, bloodwork, etc).

Here are the stats from today's exam:

Baby XYZ is 33.9mm in length
Baby XYZ has a 189 bpm heart rate
A very small subchorionic hemorrhage is present (this is found in 33% of patients)
Jennie is considered 10 weeks, 1 day pregnant

The doctor assured Jennie that the baby appears healthy and normal.

Her next doctor visit is in 1 - 2 weeks to have an iron level check, vitamin D level check, and a measurement for the nuchal fold.

Her next ultrasound is at 20 weeks (that's when we find out the baby's sex).

I will post today's ultrasound photos tonight...

More to come,
Dave T.

January 19

2011-01-19T13:55:00.002-06:00

I rushed Jennie to the Emergency Room last night at 7pm. We arrived home just before 2am this morning.

The baby appears fine, but poor Jennie has a bladder infection and is in extreme pain.

More to come...

Dave T.

January 12

2011-01-12T07:26:00.006-06:00

Jennie's 9th week ultrasound appointment was yesterday.

Baby XYZ has grown to a whopping 21.4mm (up from 6.5mm at Jennie's last visit). The heart rate of the fetus was 179 beats per minute (doctor wanted it to be between 170 and 200 for healthy development).

Jennie noticed that the ultrasonographer notated "venous lakes" on her chart. The doctor did not raise this as a concern and believes the baby is doing well.

The next ultrasound appointment is currently scheduled for January 26th, but Jennie is going to try to move it up if her OBGYN has availability.

More to come,
Dave T.

January 4

2011-01-04T06:51:00.004-06:00

Happy New Year!

Jennie will be 8 weeks pregnant on Thursday. Her next two ultrasounds occur during the 9th and 11th weeks. The end of March or early April seems like forever away to find out if we are having a brother or sister for Daphne.

If you ask Daphne, she does not have a preference for a brother or sister. But, she has asked for Mommy to deliver five babies.

Last night, Jennie went out on the town with her girlfriends to celebrate a friend's birthday, eat a nice dinner, and watch a movie. I used her time away to have a Daddy/daughter date with Daphne.

Once Daphne woke up from her late afternoon nap, I got her dressed and brushed her frizzy bed-head. I can't seem to master the art of pigtails, so Daphne's hair was a little crazy.

The night began with a kid's meal at our local Chik-Fil-A. Daphne loves "Chick-uh-lay" as she calls it. How can you go wrong with chicken fingers and an over-sized play area for kids?

After half an hour of going down slides and crawling through tunnels, Daphne had the play place to herself. "Daddy, I (grunt grunt) need to (grunt grunt) go poo poo", cried Daphne. Uh oh! She was high above me in an area I could not reach. I bargained and pleaded with Daphne to come down and use the big girl potty.

Finally, bulging diaper and all, Daphne decided to venture down the slide headfirst on her belly. Wouldn't you know? My diaper bag that I carefully packed did not have any wipes. Hmmm...

I grabbed a diaper with one hand and Daphne with the other. Luckily, the back stall of the restroom had one of those fold down diaper changing stations. How can such a petite little princess produce that much shoo shoo when she eats so little? Imagine a stubborn three year old kicking and flailing her legs with pounds of poo dangling from her tush. I bet I used half a roll of toilet paper to clean her hiney.

Needless to say, I felt obligated to give Daphne a bath when we got home. Donning fresh pajamas, we snuggled on the couch to an episode or two of Richard Scarry's Busytown.

As Daphne's eyelids became more heavy and the yawns were plentiful, I carried her upstairs and softly told her a few "Daphne Rose Tilson" stories at her request. She's always the protagonist of her stories (e.g., Princess Daphne slays evil monsters while finding a chest of magic beans, she serves a giant birthday cake to a gracious duck-duck, and rescues a family of birds or fish while operating a runaway train or building a skyscraper out of scrap materials. Phew!) Zzz... goodnight Daphne!

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

December 30

2010-12-30T08:18:00.002-06:00

Today marks Jennie's 7th week of pregnancy. Her land-mine scarred booty will receive 9 more shots per week for at least another 5 weeks. Ouch!

Each night before bed, I inject Jennie with a 2cc dose of progesterone in olive oil. On Tuesday and Saturday nights, she also receives an injection of estradiol valerate. I was under the impression that these shots were supplemental to the health of her uterus. But, the doctor told us these shots were keeping Jennie pregnant right now. Her body will take over the baby making process around the 12th week of pregnancy.

If you ask Daphne just about any question, her answer will be "five" about 90% of the time. She is infatuated with showing her finger extended hand while shouting, "I want five!" Jennie asked her if she wanted 7 or 8 of something not too long ago and Daphne replied, "No Mommy, I want 5!" To her, five is like infinity. "I want five brothers and sisters!" "I want five dollies!" "I want five pancakes!"

This week Daphne discovered an even larger infinity. With both hands outstretched, she now proclaims, "I want five plus five (insert random item here)".

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

December 27

2010-12-27T23:22:00.004-06:00

Today, Jennie's 7 week ultrasound was performed.

We have one healthy 6.5mm embryo with a sweet sounding heartbeat (125 beats per minute). Here's your first look at our second child:

Baby XYZ

Daphne had an exciting, white Christmas! She received so many wonderful dolls, toys, and clothes... I think she is truly in heaven.

Here are some new photos of my little pooh bear:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

December 21

2010-12-21T08:00:00.005-06:00

PREGNANCY UPDATE: precise dates below based on a routine doctor visit yesterday.

EDD (estimated delivery date) = August 17, 2011

Jennie will be considered 6 weeks pregnant this Thursday. Based on Daphne's early arrival, I predict baby XYZ's delivery date will be closer to August 10th.

Jennie's next ultrasound is Monday, December 27th in the morning.

Here are some new photos of Daphne with MiMi & PopPop (Jennie's parents):

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

December 16

2010-12-16T14:28:00.003-06:00

It's official!

Jennie's third blood test to measure hCG came back with a value of 1817. It needed to double over the previous reading of 690 to be considered prego. She had an extra 437 to spare...

An ultrasound to count the number of yolk sacs (number of potential children) will occur the week of December 27th. That will be considered the week 7 ultrasound.

Re-read Daphne's 7 week ultrasound transcript.

A baby at 7 weeks looks like:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

December 14

2010-12-14T22:28:00.004-06:00

Jennie's initial hCG reading from last Friday was a 195. (A very high starting point)

Jennie's second hCG reading from yesterday was a 690. (The value needed to triple and it did)

She has a third blood draw tomorrow at 10:30 am. (The value should double)

Embryo(s) are approximately 22 - 23 days old (7 days old at transfer on November 29th).

By LMP standards, Jennie is considered 4 1/2 weeks pregnant.

Re-read similar transcripts when we became pregnant with Daphne...

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

December 13

2010-12-13T00:41:00.004-06:00

Jennie has a follow up visit later this morning at the doctor's office. They will draw more blood and compare the hCG levels to her initial test from Friday.

Here are some new photos of Daphne while we continue to wait on the pregnancy test results:

Daphne riding a motorized kiddie cart

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

December 11

2010-12-11T07:36:00.002-06:00

Yesterday's pregnancy blood work was merely a baseline to measure Jennie's beta hCG levels.

She is scheduled to have another reading on Monday and if it has risen, they will schedule a third reading to determine if she's truly pregnant. The third test date is to be determined (maybe Wednesday?).

The peepee sticks are not entirely accurate due to all of the shots, hormones, etc that Jennie's body has been experiencing.

More to come...

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

December 6

2010-12-06T07:27:00.003-06:00

Jennie's first of potentially three pregnancy tests (by blood draw) will occur this Friday, December 10th.

We have three possibilities: not pregnant (boo!), pregnant with one (yay!), or pregnant with two (oh geez!).

New photos coming soon,
Dave T.

Implantation complete

2010-11-29T12:05:00.007-06:00

Baby #2 (and possibly #3) implanted successfully this morning.

The embryo on the left was an "A" grade and very nice looking.
The embryo on the right was a "B" grade and appears to be doing well.

Remember, Daphne was a "B" grade embryo and we think she is absolutely perfect!

Re-read the transcript of Daphne's implantation...

Here's a quick recap of our babymaking history beginning in the Summer of 2007:
===================================================
A hyperstimulated Jennie produced 61 follicles for harvesting.
32 eggs were extracted for a fertilization attempt with a Petri dish of my finest sperm.
16 eggs became properly fertilized through ICSI and began dividing.
Only 6 embryos developed beyond the blastocyst stage in "A" or "B" grade (well enough to be used for IVF).
2 fresh embryos were implanted to produce Daphne and the other 4 were placed in the freezer at -280 degrees.
Today, the clinic thawed 2 embryos successfully and implanted them into Jennie's uterus while leaving 2 in the freezer (for possible future use).

November 29

2010-11-29T00:39:00.003-06:00

Today is the big day!

Jennie's implantation of two frozen embryos will occur (if all goes well) in the mid-morning. Keep your fingers and toes crossed for a good outcome.

There is always a risk of the embryos not thawing properly or the implantation not succeeding, but we are trying to remain positive.

Daphne wants a little brother to boss around.

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 23

2010-11-23T13:04:00.003-06:00

While Thanksgiving is only two days away, I am already thankful for the many blessings I have in my life. Daphne keeps asking us for a baby brother (to torment). She has been practicing her mommy skills by dragging her little dolly around the house by an arm or leg (and not bumping the doll into too many walls). She loves giving her "baby" a pretend bottle and rocking it to sleep.

Jennie had her follow up doctor visit today to inspect her uterine lining. The ultrasound nurse assured Jennie that her lining looked great and we are still on schedule for implantation next week.

Of the four embryos we have in the freezer, we have 3 "B" quality and 1 "A" quality ready to thaw. Since Daphne was a "B" quality embryo, I can only imagine how perfect the "A" will become.

I will post some new photos before Thanksgiving Day.

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 15

2010-11-15T07:55:00.003-06:00

Here's the latest news:

Jennie had her suppression check (routine doctor appointment) on Wednesday, November 10th. She was fully suppressed by Thursday morning and began the estradiol valerate injections (.1 mL two times the first week in the rump) at night. She continues to take injections of Lupron in the belly each morning after waking up.

At her appointment last Wednesday, an ultrasound of her uterus was also performed. Everything is progressing well and she returns to the doctor next week.

I will post some new photos of Daphne-doodle this week.

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 9

2010-11-09T21:17:00.003-06:00

Jennie has her suppression check tomorrow. Basically, her hormone levels will be evaluated (blood draw) and an ultrasound will be performed. She is on day 9 of her Lupron shots in her belly.

The embryo transfer is still on target to be implanted the week of November 29th.

Oh yeah, tomorrow is my 38th birthday. I'm old...

Daphne is spending the night with Mimi and PopPop since I have to take Jennie to the hospital at 0 dark 30.

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

November 7

2010-11-07T10:16:00.004-06:00

More to come later,
Dave T.

October 30

2010-10-30T14:53:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow I will post some pics from Daphne's Trunk or Treat at the local YMCA.

Here are some other new photos of Daphne for you to enjoy...

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

October 28

2010-10-28T07:20:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is Jennie's birthday! I won't reveal her age, but she will be 2 to the 5th power plus 5 years old.

Upcoming dates of interest for baby #2:

Jennie has received her hormone medication and has a scheduled doctor visit on Wednesday, November 10th (suppression check?). The embryo transfer is tentatively scheduled for the week of November 29th.

I will be posting photos from the Trunk or Treat at the YMCA tonight...

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

October 16

2010-10-16T15:17:00.003-05:00

Here are some photos of Daphne at a local "punkin' patch" as she calls it. "I really like punkins, Daddy!"

She had such a great time in the Hay Maze, walking through the sea of pumpkins, and seeing all the farm animals. I believe we will be going back next weekend.

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

October 15

2010-10-15T07:23:00.003-05:00

I am terribly sorry. I have not forgotten about promising to post the new Daphne photos. Many apologies, but I am attempting to function on less than 3 hours of sleep.

After the exciting hockey game last night, I had to log into work to do some "after hours" tasks. So, I will post some photos tonight (hopefully).

I have my work cut out for me this weekend! Our freshly seeded yard keeps getting shredded by bicycles, foot traffic, and visiting cars. I feel like I am walking on eggshells trying to maintain it. My deepest fear (and I know it will happen eventually) is that someone or something will end up destroying one or more of our irrigation sprinkler heads. Three have been ran over so far... ouch!

I will be chipping away at Jennie's "honey do" list of chores all weekend long.

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

October 14

2010-10-14T13:11:00.003-05:00

Daphne called me at work a few days ago to say, "Daddy, I just ate a hot dog all by myself."

Since I last wrote, she has gotten over her cold and appears to be fighting off another.

I'll post some photos after the hockey game tonight (honest Abe).

Until later,
Dave T.

October 5

2010-10-05T07:12:00.002-05:00

Brrr... it's cold outside! Temperatures have been dipping into the 30s and the middle Tennessee region was under a freeze warning last night! Unbelievable.

Daphne is running a fever of 101 and has shared her sniffles with me. I have a sore throat and feel a little dizzy myself. Oh well, colds come and go.

Hockey season begins in a few days! I'm so excited...

I will post some new photos of Daphne this evening.

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

September 28

2010-09-28T00:06:00.004-05:00

Today, Jennie had another hydrosonogram to verify her uterus is ready for another pregnancy. Good news! She is doing well and we are on target to have a frozen embryo implanted approximately 67 days from now (give or take a day or two).

Here are some new photos of Daphne from our camping trip last weekend:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

September 20

2010-09-20T09:33:00.003-05:00

Daphne is excited about Halloween! Jennie and Mimi took her shopping over the weekend and bought Daphne a duck costume. I will post some photos of her trying it on tonight.

It has been awhile since I have posted any Daphne statistics.

Height: 38 inches
Weight: 29 1/2 pounds
Shoe size: 8 1/2 toddler (big foot)
Clothes: 3-T (soon to be 4-T)

Daphne's favorite character is Thomas the Train. She can spend hours watching Thomas and playing around the train table at Barnes & Noble. When asked if she wanted a Dora the Explorer or Elmo backpack, she insisted "No, my want Thomas!"

More later...

Evening Update: Daphne trying on her Halloween costume. We still have to get some orange tights and a yellow undershirt, but she's already quacking all over the place.

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

September 12

2010-09-12T23:33:00.003-05:00

Here are some new photos of Daphne from Labor Day weekend:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

September 5

2010-09-05T23:16:00.005-05:00

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

An update is targeted for later tomorrow...

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

August 27

2010-08-27T00:17:00.002-05:00

Daphne loves to count everything. In fact, one of her favorite sayings these days is, "Daddy, let's count 'em" (speaking of any random item or collection of items).

Singing the ABC song is another of Daphne's favorite activities. Sometimes she forgets M and substitutes O in the place of U, but otherwise she's right on the money. She usually aces the challenging, "L-M-N-O-P" where she used to always say, "Elmo Pee".

Whether she's imitating a penguin sliding on ice or performing a chicken dance around the room, Daphne is always full of surprises. You can never guess what's about to come out of her mouth. "My go nuts, my go nuts, my go nuts!" she proudly exclaims as she runs in circles around the couch in the living room.

Jennie, Mimi, PopPop, and Daphne met for lunch at Captain D's on Wednesday. They serve Daphne's favorite food group: Mac 'n Cheese. While finishing up their meal in the dining room, the cashier walked by and said, "I have a 2 year old at home."

Daphne asked, "what's her name?"

The cashier replied, "I have a boy. His name is Cameron."

Mimi prompted Daphne, "Are you a girl or a boy?"

"My a girl, " asserted Daphne in a serious tone. Everyone smiled.

With a straight face and absolute certainty, Daphne said, "My have a penis." Unfortunately, everyone laughed. "My also eat my boogies."

We are so proud of our little gender confused, boogie eater!

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

August 22

2010-08-22T16:28:00.003-05:00

Jennie and I celebrate our lucky 13th year of marriage tomorrow. Mimi & PopPop are watching Daphne while we go out on the town. I scored some free tickets to see the Titans in a luxury suite. Yeehaw!

Today I knocked out a ton of chores around the house. I did some touch up painting, fixed a broken armoire, vacuumed the dining room, and unpacked a few more boxes (only a few remain). Jennie & Daphne went on a play date with a friend and her kids.

Daphne and I took a bath today in Mommy's incredibly large garden tub. She flopped around like a fish while I soaped up her 2000 parts and washed her hair. She made sure to point out that my tootie was different from hers. I continually tell her that Daddy is a boy and she is a girl. "Daddy, when will I grow a penis?" I told her that she is a princess and does not need one. "But, Daddy, I NEED a penis like you." I insisted that her tootie was all she would ever need. "I bet Mommy & Mimi have lots of penis." I laughed and said, "yes, they do." I sang some nursery rhymes with Daphne to change the subject...

Here are a few photos of Daphne:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

August 20

2010-08-20T09:11:00.003-05:00

Last night was difficult for Jennie. It was the first time that she has ever been apart from Daphne overnight. (Daphne spent the night with Mimi & PopPop).

Here's how our morning began:

4:50am - Alarm clock buzzes and I droopily walk to the shower. I wake up Jennie and get the car loaded.

5:45am - We arrived at the surgery center on time. Paperwork and waiting.

7:37am - Jennie is called to the back by a nurse. I wait patiently for a few minutes and get called back to join Jennie.

8:05am - the doctor meets with us (pre-op) and explains what is about to occur.

8:16am - Jennie is carted away and I return to the waiting room.

9:04am - Surgery successful! The doctor consults with me and explains our next steps. He gave me a color printout of Jennie's polyp. What a great item to leave on the coffee table for your guests!

9:17am - waiting for Jennie to wake from the anesthesia.

NOTE: The doctor said we should be home by noon.

9:50am - Jennie is groggy, but is starting to wake up.

10:45am - Discharged from the hospital!

11:30am - Prescriptions filled; OCharley's curbside to-go for a starving Jennie.

1:03pm - Nap time! I'll write more later...

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

August 19

2010-08-19T12:45:00.002-05:00

Cross your fingers and toes! Tomorrow morning is Jennie's surgery. She is having a minor procedure to get her ready for the embryo implantation in October.

If I get a free moment, I will upload some new photos of Daphne tonight...

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

August 10

2010-08-10T00:53:00.004-05:00

Over the past month, several contractors have visited our house (irrigation, landscaping, finishing punch list items, etc). And each one of them has heard about Daphne's kitchen and her bonus room more than once. She is so proud of her toys and will talk your ear off if you let her.

Before fading into sleep, Daphne follows a strict routine. We pick up her toys, brush her teeth, read a few books, and tell her a "quick story about Daphne Rose Tilson". One of her favorites is Daphne & the Beanstalk. Last night I heard her mumbling, "Fee fye foe fum, I smell Daphne Rose Tilson" after I kissed her goodnight.

Here are a few photos from the weekend...

Daphne attending a local butterfly exhibit

Yoga on the dining room table?

I want to play with my kitchen.

Can I have a hug?

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

August 4 - Again

2010-08-04T22:32:00.003-05:00

MILESTONE: Daphne recited her ABCs today from start to finish without any mistakes. Not bad for a 2 1/2 year old, I guess?

Here are some photos of Daphne taken with my iPhone over the last few days (sorry for the poor quality):

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

August 4

2010-08-04T07:17:00.002-05:00

Daphne pretends to be a chef, a grocer, and a waiter in "her bonus room". I asked Daphne what she wants to be when she grows up and she responded, "waiter" with no hesitation. I was hoping for something along the lines of doctor, lawyer, or Indian chief. Oh well, maybe she will change her mind? I wanted to be an astronaut, a dentist, and a baseball player before settling into my software developer role.

Construction has begun on the property adjacent to our lot. I am terrified that a bulldozer is going to damage our irrigation system as they have breached our property line twice now.

This weekend is Tennessee's semi-annual tax free weekend. Jennie has been itching for a new laptop for quite some time now.

Labor Day is right around the corner. Do you have big plans?

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

July 31

2010-07-31T23:40:00.002-05:00

Wow! Tomorrow is the beginning of August...

Our irrigation system was completed a week ago. Our new landscaping is about 90% complete. Now we just need some grass, a fence in the backyard, and some free time to finish organizing our house. It's hard to believe that we moved in over 10 weeks ago! Other than my Dad and parents-in-law, not a soul has visited us.

Here are a few photos of Daphne:

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

July 27

2010-07-27T07:01:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, Jennie had a hydrosonogram to reacquaint the doctor with her uterus. A small polyp was found (uh oh), so a minor surgical procedure will be scheduled for next week. If all goes well, Jennie should heal quickly and be on pace for the targeted October 4th implantation date. We could *potentially* have a July 4 baby (or babies) to go along with our Leap Year Daphne.

More photos coming soon...

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

July 22

2010-07-22T23:39:00.003-05:00

Jennie had a doctor appointment today (consultation, blood work, etc). We have officially begun trying for baby number two. Yay! Updates will be more frequent...

Since Labor Day is only six weeks away, we cannot start immediately with our fertility preparations. Instead, we will have to start a month from now and if all goes well, Jennie will be impregnated in early October. Assuming the embryos implant successfully, we would have a late June / early July baby in 2011.

Our lawn irrigation system will be fully installed as of this weekend. Next week, a highly recommended, local landscape company will begin with a clean slate. Our builder's basic landscape package was a little disappointing. We have decided to kill off our entire yard of weeds and undesirable (builder-grade) grass. In early Autumn, our yard will be re-seeded and we will cross our fingers for a better lawn.

Here are some new photos of Daphne:

"Watch me sleep under covers" ~ Daphne

"My so ticklish!" ~ Daphne

"My want to jump on Mommy's new bed." ~ Daphne

"Pftttt..." ~ Daphne

"Call me waiter! My bring you some yummy noodles." ~ Daphne

Daphne wears everything on her head like a hat

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.

July 15

2010-07-15T22:58:00.006-05:00

Daphne's birds on her bathroom wall...

Daphne's shower curtain

"Look at me, I'm exercisin'!" ~ Daphne

"Ahh, I love my Duck-duck!" ~ Daphne

"Hot doggies, get in the bath of mustard!" ~ Daphne

"My so cute!" ~ Daphne

"Hot doggie gone! My want some M&Ms already..." ~ Daphne

"Daddy, my love you very much!" ~ Daphne

Until tomorrow,
Dave T.