Sound ticker...

Dear Nicky,

Today we went to good ol Dr. Solo to have him take a look at your heart. He was very pleased and said your heart function is excellent. You still have mild valve leakage, and that shunt is still there, but everything's holding steady, and you have no pulmonary hypertension or unusual cardiac enlargements. He says he doesn't need to see you for nine months. All in all, a very good exam. On the way home, we got White Castle, then I went and did a bunch of errands like getting a new TV for upstairs, ordering a sofa and loveseat, etc etc. When I got home you were already asleep. You were quite tired and cranky according to Mom, probably because you didn't nap this afternoon. Kid, you gotta nap more.

Love,
Dad

Moving, eating...

Dear Nicky,

You're all over the place in terms of mobility, and your acceptance of different foods keeps growing. Your OT kept going on about you today. She also said she could tell you adored me. Well, that sure warmed my heart. The feeling's mutual, pal.

Love,
Dad

Finally, some rain...

Dear Nicky,

It rained pretty much all day yesterday and all day today, which is great because our lawn really needed the water. What's nice about living in the suburbs is that one (meaning, I) doesn't dread the rain like one (meaning, I) does in a more urban environment. In Hoboken, for instance, a big rain meant major puddles and traffic congestions. Out here in the suburbs, a big rain is good for your lawn and makes the air fresher than it's ever been in Hoboken. So I like it, is what I'm basically trying to say. This morning I went and got a haircut, nice and short, but not buzzed. Your DI came over later. She's nice, but I don't think she's ever encountered a little boy as cute and smart as you. Then Mom took you guys out to Granny's so I could finish the hall bathroom and attack the mildew in the basement without distraction. I used a propane torch for the first time to solder. It was awesome, and I think I did a pretty good job. Then you guys came home and you were insane with tiredness, since you didn't nap all day. Junie was her usual screaming self. And that's it for today.

Love,
Dad

Alligator...

Dear Nicky,

I'm sorry I haven't been very detailed over the past few days. Mom and I get so tired sometimes we can't remember a thing. Let's see...recently Aunt Erin came over and loved our new house...you went out to Granny's...uh...um...sorry, that's all I can remember.

This morning you showed great physical adroitness when you climbed over the lower bar in the base of your highchair, then climbed over the higher one to extricate yourself. You've been a little spitty today, but you seem comfortable. We took Junie for her first vaccinations today, and you came along for the ride. Boy, did she howl, but you're still the all-time champ. Then we went to Whole Foods and got some stuff. Then this evening while I was prepping the hall bathroom for repair tomorrow, Mom comes up and tells me you clearly and definitely said the word "alligator" in reference to her Izod shirt. You're amazing, my little friend.

Love,
Dad

Time is a maelstrom...

Dear Nicky,

Time goes by so fast sometimes, and yet the same thing seems to go on forever. I'm sorry I'm so tired all the time, but I am, and it robs me of memory and creativity.

Love,
Dad

Too tired, my man...

Dear Nicky,

I hope to give you a summary tomorrow, because right now I'm just ready for bed.

Love,
Dad

More toil...

Dear Nicky,

Worked a lot today around the house and now I'm so tired that I'm falling asleep. I'll get you more details tomorrow.

Love,
Dad

Good eating continues...

Dear Nicky,

You took a nice nap after your bath today, which was after your speech therapist came and worked with you. You're doing extremely well with textures lately, making major progress. You had quite a bit of pizza crust after your regular dinner. And your climbing/crawling/kneeling skills are continuing to develop impressively. That's all I can remember right now, pal.

Love,
Dad

Alone with Dad...

Dear Nicky,

You're getting really good with your getting around and out of the Hole, and your cognitive skills seem above average, even for typical kids. It's really quite amazing, as are you. This evening Mom went into the City for a work dinner, and it's been just you, me, and Junie since four this afternoon. It wasn't so bad. It's just a matter of focusing on the particular scenario at hand. For instance, you wanted to go sleep right after eating, while Junie needed to cry it out for a while longer. I put her in her crib for the time it took me to get you ready for bed, then dealt with her. One thing at a time, see? On another note, I got me a pressure washer this afternoon. I can't wait to use it!

Love,
Dad

Franks and beans...

Dear Nicky,

This morning some cleaning people came over, and we went on the lam for a while. We drove along Rt. 22 West to see what was out there. Lots interesting stuff. Your DI came over this afternoon. You did well with her. You also ate well. Then I went to this super supermarket on 22 (again!) and got a bunch of stuff, inclluding charcoal for a new tiny grill. Later, we sparked it up and did some hot dogs on it. I think it needed to be hotter, but the dogs were good anyway. Mom got them at a speciality store. We had franks and beans, and you did too, and you liked them a lot! You've really come a long way in terms of tastes and textures you tolerate. My theory is that it's all in the ears, swallowing that is, and that your surgery helped a lot.

Love,
Dad

And the week begins...

Dear Nicky,

This morning your ST came over. You did okay, but spit up your milk halfway through. After she left, you and Mom went on some errands, which included fixing your glasses. They're much better now. I got a file cabinet delivered, and later set up my computer finally with its hard drive, printer, and extra burner. You're climbing in and out of the Hole with ease now. We're looking for some nanny help, fruitlessly so far. Junie was her usual difficult self this evening. You ate a number of pieces of chicken. Well done.

Love,
Dad

Out of the hole...

Dear Nicky,

In our new house, we have a somewhat sunken family room. Mom and I call it "The Hole" because it's been impossible for you to escape it. Till today. You've started kneeling, bending, and climbing your way out of it in the most effective ways. It's wonderful to see! Also today, you went over to Granny's and went in the pool, and you ate a bunch of new stuff.

Love,
Dad

Somewhat fussy...

Dear Nicky,

This morning you woke up around 2:30 or so, whiny and uncomfortable sounding. I think your diaper leaked in the middle of the night. My bad. We were supposed to meet some nannies today, but they were both no-shows. We did meet a couple of our neighbors this afternoon. They were very nice. One of them might babysit you guys in the future. You fussed a lot during dinner time, too. Hope you're not feeling bad or something. Tomorrow, we might go for a ride, weather permitting.

Love,
Dad

Beach for you...

Dear Nicky,

This morning, Mom and I woke up before dawn and left to go to Granny's house. You, Mom, your sister, Granny, and her sister were going down to LBI for the day to hit the beach and visit Aunt Erin, who's renting a house down there. I moved your seat and Junie's seat into Granny's Hondo Pilot, which is roomier than our Subaru, and off you guys went. I hope you had a great time. It was a nice day and the weather was good. I wonder if Mom got you into the water at all. I wonder if June drove you all nuts. Me, I've been busy all day doing chores around the house and am now just about spent. I washed part of the house exterior, did a bunch of laundry, fixed the toilet, paid a wad of bills, and I don't remember what else. You may get home this evening and find that you have to put me to bed tonight.

Love,
Dad

Target and a haircut...

Dear Nicky,

This morning we all went to Target early and got a bunch of stuff, then we went to Old Navy and got other stuff. You and Junie were both very good. Then we went to McDonald's and got some breakfast. Your PT came at 12:30 today for a makeup session. You were initially a little sluggish, but warmed up. Later I took you to your first-ever professional haircut. No one could take their eyes off you. You were very cute and sweet sitting in the barber chair and behaved very nicely and got yourself a good haircut. It's a little shorter and much neater and more even. Tomorrow Mom's taking you guys to the beach.

Love,
Dad

Middlin' sort of day...

Dear Nicky,

You did well with some push up and leg extension stuff today, but it was a good thing your OT called in sick, because you were cranky and napless almost all day. You and your sister are a handful. What's up with you kids? Don't you guys like to sleep at all? Sheesh.

Love,
Dad

Visitors...

Dear Nicky,

Hi pal, lotta people came to see you today. First was your new DI, a nice enough lady, seems competent. Of course she went nuts over you. Then came the cleaning guy. He didn't really come to see you, but he also thought you were cute. Then your PT came, and he gave you quite the workout. You really are such a sweet-tempered little fellow to put up with this stuff. Then Uncle Jon came by for a surprise visit. He loves seeing you and loves our new house. By the way, Mom taught you "nose" today. You sure are picking stuff up fast these days. We say, Where's my nose? and you unerringly point to our noses. Amazing. You're eating well and took a nice long nap this morning. Good for you.

Love,
Dad

Finally, number 3's

Dear Nicky,

You didn't nap this morning so you were fussy and tired working with your speech therapist, but she was impressed with you nonetheless. You took a nap after she left, then woke up and I gave you some Number 3 baby food, a large amount of spaghetti with beef in meat sauce. You really took to it. It's the first time you ate anything number 3. Many times in the past I tried to get you to eat them, but no luck. But today you wolfed it down. It only makes sense; you've been eating regular raviolli and Spaghetti-O's for a while now, but number 3's are baby-sized. The curtain guy came by this afternoon and finally finished up with everything. I'm goinbg to try to be more regular about the brushings, too, now that things are settling down. You can identify Mom's nose on demand. Most impressive. All in all, a good day.

Love,
Dad

Catching up...

Dear Nicky,

Sorry I haven't been able to write much the last few days. Junie's constant crying has worn Mom and me out; I'm sure it's not done you any good either. We're so tired from the stress caused by her crying that we can't even think straight. Anyway, there's not that much to talk about anyway. Slowly but surely projects around the house are getting checked off my to-do list. A bunch of stuff is assembled, including a large double stroller for you and your sis. A bunch of stuff is fixed, including the sink pump in the basement, which the previous owners took care of not at all. And a bunch of stuff is cleaned and/or neatened up, like the lawn getting mowed by yours truly. For the past couple days, we've been giving you some grownup food for lunch, like little raviolis and Spaghetti-O's. Your chewing skills are a little lacking, but your acceptance of the flavor and tolerance for the texture are great. Yesterday, you spent the day at Granny's while I did stuff around the house. The day before that was Friday, and I think that was the day we met with your new OT, a very nice, straightforward person. Thursday was the last day at Stones, and Mom wanted to take you. She was a little frustrated because you were kind of sleepy and not at your best, and she wanted to wrap up the summer session with a bang, I guess. Oh well, don't feel bad. You've got a lot of things on your plate, a lot of stuff to get used to, as do we all, and we'll do it together.

Love,
Dad

IOU 3...

Dear Nicky,

I'm so sorry, pal, but I can scarcely keep my eyes open.

Love,
Dad

IOU 2...

Dear Nicky,

You had a good day at your hearing exam today, and an off day at Stones yesterday. I'm so tired all the time. I'll catch up tomorrow.

Love,
Dad

IOU...

Dear Nicky,

I owe you a post, but right now I just don't have the energy. Later, pal.

Love,
Dad

No end in sight...

Dear Nicky,

Man oh man, today I tried to fix the darn sink pump in the basement. The previous owners hadn't done a bit of maintenance or cleaning on things like filters and such, so it was a real mess and was leaking water whenever we ran the washing machine. All the bolt bits came loose, so I glued them all back, except one keeps popping out. So I've taped the filter cover down with Gorilla tape, which works for now, but I've got to figure out a better solution. I did a bunch of other stuff, including putting together a real challenging slider chair. I hate Allen bolts, or whatever they're called. You took a nice long nap, but you woke up cranky. Then you rallied in the afternoon. Mom's taking you to Stones tomorrow.

Love,
Dad

New PT guy...

Dear Nicky,

So I went and got a new LCD TV because the first one went bad. You ate some ravioli. Furniture men tried to get a new sofa into the basement downstairs but couldn't fit it. Mom and Granny and June went and got a refund. Your new PT showed up. Nice guy, worked you nicely, and you were nice right back. Junie cried most of the day.

Love,
Dad

Sundae on Sunday...

Dear Nicky,

Sorry I haven't written much the last few days. Mom and I are just exhausted lately, what with the move and the organizing and Junie's colic. Oh yeah, she's colicky, man. She cries almost all the time during the day. It's not full-on colic, I guess, because she calms down when picked up, but who can hold a baby the entire day. Nothing exceptional happened the last couple days, so you haven't missed much. Today on the other hand was pretty busy. The lawn guys came first thing and worked all day. The end result was worth every penny. The yard now looks great. It really needed work. The chimney guy came and fixed the stuff on top of the chimney that had gotten too old and worn out. He's a very nice guy. He also has more to do, so he'll be back. Your new speech therapist came. Very nice young lady, who I could tell was impressed by you. Shortly thereafter, our service coordinator came to meet us. Wow. After she left, I could at last go run some more errands. That's all I do! Best Buy for a nice LCD TV, Home Depot for a variety of things, then Target for other things. Came home, fed you dinner, did some fixing, then put you to sleep.

Man, I'm losing it! I almost forgot to tell you about yesterday. Our next door neighbors invited us to an ice cream party as a welcome to the neighborhood sort of thing. It was very kind of them. We brought you and Junie and you both behaved so well and got so much attention for cuteness. Granny brought one of your girl cousins over and she had a great time, more so than with kids in her own neighborhood, she said. It was fun, and you tried some ice cream, which you've always enjoyed. It was a very nice welcome to what looks like a very nice neighborhood.

Love,
Dad

Party time...

Dear Nicky,

I owe you a blog about this evening's party. Suffice it to say, you were the star.

Love,
Dad

Lots of driving...

Dear Nicky,

This morning the landscaper came by to see what we need. We also got invited to an ice cream party tomorrow. We're not sure what that means. I was out and about a lot today. I went to get some more cable boxes, which went okay but took a long time. I came back and Granny and Grandpop were here. Then we had some sandwiches and I went to Home Depot and Target. It took a long time. You're doing great with your imitation and your signing, and you're looking like you'll be getting into four-point soon. All our noses are still running. Junie is still colicky. You grabbed her hair kind of hard earlier, which made her cry; that's not cool, Nick. I don't even remember what went on yesterday.

Love,
Dad

Same old, same old...

Dear Nicky,

Sorry, pal, just too tired to think straight to write anything tonight. But I'm thinking of you!

Love,
Dad

Raincheck...

Dear Nicky,

Sorry, pal, I'm having another of those exhausted days today. I'll catch you up tomorrow.

Love,
Dad

Our first night in our new home...

Dear Nicky,

Here we are all together at last in our new house. This afternoon the house was finally in shape to bring you, Mom, and Junie over, thanks to our great pair of professional organizers. Most of the furniture came today, but we still got a ways to go. I've been on the go all day. Tomorrow we go to Stones. The last time we were there was just last week, but it seems like a lifetime ago. Everything is shaping up nicely, and it's a pleasant, quiet neighborhood. Our neighbor from across the street brought us over some food and muffins and a very nice card. I think we'll settle in well. Now, if only your sister weren't such a screamer!

Love,
Dad

Getting the house ready...

Dear Nicky,

Yeesh, what a long, hot day. This morning we left the Hilton and headed over to Granny's, after first dropping in on Liz at the house. I don't know if I told you, but Liz is our move coordinator, and she's fantastic. When the movers were here, she was directing them like an air traffic controller. Today she and her associate were unpacking and again she was doing a thorough job. I left you and Junie over at Granny's and went to the nearby Target to get a bunch of stuff, then I came back to the house and got the phone line straightened out, got the cable hooked up, put Junie's changing table together, hooked up the computers, and a bunch of other things. I hope the paint smell isn't too bad, but it's so hot outside that opening the windows doesn't make much sense. I thought it would be better for you guys to spend the night with Granny. Mom was kind of mad. Tomorrow, we'll be together all day.

Love,
Dad