I haven't written in a while. My life keeps changing so fast. Things keep happening. Some of them are good, some of them are painful.

On July 4th, 2007 something very terrible happened. I've been holding it in, but it hurts so bad. I don't even know how to explain it. But I'm hoping by writing it down I'll be able to deal with it. I've always been a sensitive guy. I've always loved animals. I bought a bird in April of 2002. He was beautiful, or maybe it was a she. We never found out. I remember getting to the breeder. Several people were already there holding birds, Senegal parrots to be exact. Sam was still in the playpen because he wouldn't let anyone else hold him. When I went to pick him up, he ran away. Then he turned around to show how tough he was. I told him to step up and he did. Unlike the other birds he stood tall and proud. The other baby Senegals were cowering on the fingers of their new owners. Not Sam, he cowered for no one. Everyone noticed his posture. Some even asked if I wanted to hold the other birds. I told them no. I knew he was mine.

The next 5 years of our relationship had their ups and downs. Most of them were up.  Sam taught me that I didn't own him. He made me respect him. We spent the best time dancing to music, driving to see Janelle, or just being goofy for a few minutes.

In April we took Sam to live with my mother. He was unhappy sitting in a room with little attention. Janelle and I were busy with Jayden, a new house, school, work, and all the things of life. At my mother and grandmother's house he would have company all day. He had kids to love on him. He was happy. My mom called me often to tell me what he was up to. He even got my younger cousins to read to him. Their grades even went up.

On July 4th, someone went into the gazebo where Sam spent his afternoons. I don't know what happened, but my parents found him dead on the floor. Someone killed my baby. I can't understand that. I mean he could be demanding and persistent, but that made you love him more. I don't know who did it or why. 2 weekends ago I went home to bury my friend near the gazebo in my mom's garden. I'm glad that I spent time with him. I think he taught me a lot. He taught me how to love and care for another. How to respect those smaller and weaker than me. Maybe he was getting me ready for fatherhood. Shortly before Sam's death, Janelle and I conceived another child. This will be our second. I will love and respect him/her. I love you Sam. I'll see you again one day.

Josie 

This past weekend was a little out of the norm. Janelle's grandfather had passed away and we were to fly to Pennsylvania to attend the memorial. I was nervous. I was nervous because it was only our second trip with Jayden on a plane. I was nervous, because I had no idea what to expect. See I'm the emotional type. I hide it well, but it hurts me to watch others hurting. (I thought I knew what I was going to type before I started, but now I don't. So I will just have to let it flow.)

Jayden was exceptionally well behaved on the flights. Janelle was strong and patient. Karla was supportive, helpful, and outgoing as usual. It was an easy flight there. There was no stress. The rental car held our luggage perfectly. The map got us exactly to our hotel. Even when we couldn't check in early it was no big deal. We went straight to Janelle's parents house. We were welcomed by excitement, hugs and kisses.

There was lots of great food this weekend. I got to meet one of Janelle's closest friends. Although they were great, I don't want to write about them at this time. I want to write about Janelle's grandpa.

I've met Elmer on a few occasions. The first time I met him was at Kristin and Matt's wedding. He was sitting in the lobby of the hotel. He was beaming with pride. I had heard that he had changed since his stroke, but he seemed quite sharp to me on this day. He told me he was in town for a wedding. He seemed very excited. One of his granddaughters was getting married. There was such a sense of pride in his voice as he winked at me. Then he began telling me a story about his farm, about a rental house, and some great stock purchase he made several years ago. He talked about his work at GM. I had to listen intently to someone who spoke so passionately about his life. Then I shook his hand to say goodbye when Janelle came to get me. My respect grew immediately. His handshake was firm, and he looked me right in the eye. (You can tell a lot about a person by their handshake.)

You can tell a lot about a tree by the fruit it bears. I didn't know Elmer well, but I've learned a lot about him by looking at his fruit. This weekend I enjoyed the my time with a wonderful family. I learned that they are hard workers. I know that they encourage higher education. Most of all I saw their love. Most importantly I had a chance to share this love. They give each other hugs and kisses, words of encouragement, gifts, acts of service, and quality time. The whole experience was beautiful to watch and share. And especially to see my son as a part of it. From the fruit that I see, Elmer must have truly been a great and loving man.

Thank you all for sharing your joy in what would normally be a time of grief. I love you all.

Josie 

Love is patient,

love is kind.

It does not envy,

it does not boast,

it is not proud.

It is not rude,

it is not self-seeking,

it is not easily angered,

it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil,

but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects,

always trusts,

always hopes,

always perseveres.

Love never fails...

 Corinthians I, 13.4-8

The trip to Louisiana was a memorable one. It's fun to see Jayden's aunt and uncle interact with him. I believe he had a good time. He was certainly a good boy, and even decided to stick with his eating and sleeping schedule.  I enjoyed hanging out with Matt and Kristen, and Jane and Rene as well. Now we know what it's like to travel with a baby.

Lately Janelle and I have been knocking out some home improvement projects. 2 Fridays ago, I had the yard aerated. Then we had 2 tons of compost delivered. Unfortunately I had to shovel and spread it myself. Luckily Karla's friend showed up and helped me spread it. We almost got the whole yard done before dark. The next morning I got up and finished. Then I fertilized, seeded, and watered it. While I was in the backyard Janelle and Karla were in the house painting the dining room and kitchen. It looks great inside. They sanded the walls, and then did 2 coats of paint. It's a drastic difference.

The compost and aereation must have really helped. The grass is getting really full and thick. It's spreading faster than it ever has. I'm sure by the end of the year, I will have a backyard completely full of dense turf. Even the ground under the compost is much better. The hard clay that I had before wasn't letting anything grow.

This weekend I get the pleasure of putting up crown molding and framing the windows. I keep asking Janelle if we are moving soon. I know she watches a lot of shows where they fix up houses to sell. She says no, but I'm not sure. Hopefully I'll get some pictures up soon. Thanks for reading. 

So last week was a big event for our church. We had our Back to Acts conference. One of the guests was Bishop Eddie Long. He said that we had found great favor with God. That now God was facing us, and we had his full attention.

The trip started off simple enough. Jayden went to sleep, as we left Easley at 4:15 for Atlanta. There were crazy drivers everywhere. We got to Atlanta at around 6:30 and met traffic. Then our gas light came on. So we proceeded to get lost trying to find a gas station. We finally found one and got through traffic as fast as we could. We were going to be late. We got to the parking lot and saw a man walking towards his car.  My wife hopped out and I popped the trunk as he was backing out. She grabbed some bags, and Jayden and I pulled into the space. It was 7:15 and our plane was leaving at 8:05. Then a lady drove up on a baggage cart and loaded our stuff. (coincidence?) She drove us to the walk ramp, and we ran into the building. We started the check in process and realized that we were too late to check luggage. One of the Delta attendants explain the situation, and we explained ours. She said that if I got onto a later flight, I could check our bags. It was the last seat on the plane and the last flight out of the airport. Janelle took off to catch the flight. It was after 7:30. When I finally got to my gate, I realized that I had Jayden's baby food. I jumped back on the train to Janelle's gate. It was 8:00pm when I got off. She was standing at the gate when I got there. Her flight had been delayed. Thank God I had gotten there when I did, because she really had to go to the bathroom. When she returned, she fed Jayden some baby food and told me how a stranger had carried her bag for her while she pushed Jayden to the gate. They took off a few minutes later. And I went back to my gate.

I don't think any of this was coincidence. Janelle and I had prayed while on the road. God had heard. Now my battery is dying, as I wait for my flight. I'll have to finish this later.

Josie 

I never got around to posting this last week. Janelle, Jayden, and I went to see my mom for her birthday. We also took Sam to live there. The trip started off bad. We couldn't get out fo the neighborhood because we kept forgetting things. Then Sam began chirping everytime Janelle talked. She couldn't say a word with out him chirping at her. I remember her ordering food at Arby's. It was so funny. She was ordering, and couldn't hear herself order. When I talked, he was quiet.

It got pretty bad as we kept driving. Jayden was hungry, and sick of being in the car seat. We pulled over more times than I ever had while traveling. It didn't help that Sam decided to scream  while Jayden was crying. Poor Janelle. When it got dark everyone fell asleep, except for me. It went from a 3.5 hr drive to over 6 hrs.

We dropped Sam off at my grandmother's first. The house there is looking great. Then we got lost a few times downtown trying to find a friends place that we were to stay at. Thanks again Nickles.

The next day we went to the SC Aquarium. It was awesome. I loved it, but Jayden loved it more. His eyes were lit up the entire time we were there. After that we spent time with my family. The next day we went to the beach, and Jayden saw the ocean for the first time. Janelle must have taken 300 pictures that day.

 The ride back was crazy too. However this time Janelle sat in back with Jayden. That was much better.

I've really put my body to the test this week. Janelle and I went dancing this past Thursday at the Eastside club. It's a nice place. We were both impressed with the dance floor. What was really cool is that Karla, my sister-in-law, went with us. I think she may have had fun. We were glad to have her with us. A co-worker of mine also came. It was great to go dancing again, but it was a little scary leaving Jayden with a babysitter. He was a champ thought. The babysitter said he did everything right on schedule. All I can say is Baby Wise. Anyway, it was a late night for us. We got back at about 10:30pm. Then we stayed up talking for a while. The next morning was brutal. However, oddly enough I had more energy than usual once I got going. Must have been the exercise.

Today I did something crazy. Although I am still sore from Thursday, I decided to remove 3 bushes from my front yard. I used to have 3 large boxwoods that were crowding my walkway. Now they are gone. Thanks to my neighbor, we go them out in record time. My boss at work told me to be ready for a long day, but those boxwoods were no match for us. It took about 3 hours to finish. Tomorrow we plant flowers.

That's all for now. I will be adding the salsa pictures to the salsa club. Thanks for reading. 

Last month was pretty hectic. I've had the last week off from school, and I needed it. I managed to pull off a B in Business Law. I'm very pleased with myself. For the most part I've been working on the website, playing with Jayden, spending time with Janelle, school, work, and the list goes on. Of course watching Jayden change and learn new things has been one of the biggest highlights. He's so interactive now. He initiates conversations. I think that's a great skill to have. I can't wait till I can actually understand him.

Last weekend we toook him to meet his 3rd set of grandparents. He is going to be so spoiled with so many grandparents around. I think it was good for him to meet that side of his family. The trip really wore him out. I think he was a little over stimulated with so many people around. I also enjoyed spending time with my family. They are all clowns.

I haven't been able to really work on my yard lately. With this crazy weather I never know what's going to happen. This weekend we have som major changes in the front planned. I can't wait. Wish me good luck.

I was talking to someone about marriage today. She said that being married is good if you are happy. I think that married is good even when you aren't as long as you know happiness will return. That's why God gives us memories. It gives us something to hold on to when we are sad.

These last few weeks have been tough. It's been tough at work, and I have been sick. Now Janelle and Jayden are sick. It's sad to see my baby boy sick. He's usually so playful. Especially lately since he has a habit of calling out to us now for attention. I like sitting with him in my lap and hanging out. It's good to be a dad. I really enjoy it.

I came home yesterday and Janelle was in bed. She isn't felling good. I brough her some juice and soup. She ended up making soup for me. She's so awesome. God made a good choice in her for me.

It's been a while since I have posted. I apologize for that. The season is changing again, and with it so is my routine.

 One of the things that my pastor in church talks about all the time is seasons. There are many seasons in life. Since the beginning of January I have been in a work season. With Janelle back at work, Jayden in daycare, and me going to school and putting in more hours, the winter is flying by. It feels like we do the same thing everyday. We wake up get dressed. I take Jayden to daycare. I spend all day at work. I come home and eat. I do school work. I go to sleep. It's amazing. Somehow I have managed to get my self into a very good rut. The thing about ruts is that they are easy to stay in. But everything has a season, and seasons change. I've successfully completed a few projects at work, and my workload is already getting lighter. (don't tell anybody)  Janelle has been exercising. Jayden is learning new noises, and will be rolling over soon. The weather is getting warmer.

 I'm excited about the new season. I'm going to spend a lot of time outside this year. We will probably go on a few hikes while Jayden is still light (relatively speaking of course). So if you see me out, say hi. Thanks for reading.

Josie 

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So what am I learning this year? I'm learning to listen to my wife. :)

I'm also learning that shrimp is only good for 2 days once it's thawed. Unfortunately wife had to learn that lesson with me. That was a rough weekend. Luckily my sister-in-law lives close enough that she could come and save us. It was a really good seafood gumbo. I promise.

I have a renewed excitement to rush home everyday. Jayden is at a stage where he not only recognizes me, but he wants to play. He also watches football with me. His favorite team is the Cowboys. He's a smart kid. He does like tv. It's kind of strange. Janelle says he is in his mouthing stage. In church on Sunday, he was lunging at her finger while she was trying to zip up his coat. I thought it was hilarious. He finally got her and started chewing on her finger. I felt a sense of pride at my son's playful aggressiveness. I think he may make a good football player one day. This evening I picked him up, and he attacked me the same way. It really is funny. I'll have to see if I can get it on video.

Every morning I drop my son off at daycare. He falls asleep in the car. I take him out and put him on my shoulder. He leaves me a little drool to take to work so that I will think about him. (I hope it's drool).

Anyway thanks for reading. I have to get back to my school work. Goodnight.

What shall I say about 2006? It was a great year. It was probably one of the best years of my life. I started the year off by going back to school. We bought a house, had a baby, and I got a new job. It was a blessed year. It's amazing how new responsibilities make you grow up quickly. I thought I was a grown up before I had a house and a baby.

So what did I learn last year?

I learned to write. By starting a blog, I learned to write down what I was really thinking. So that I could order my thoughts. Now I also keep a notebook of future business plans. So that I don't forget. I jot down notes all the time about everything. It keeps my head clear.

I learned to create. I created a new website, a new idea that I hope flourishes. I finally put a solid dream and goal to action.

I learned to listen. I learned to listen to my wife, to God, to my friends, coworkers, and boss. (This was a tough lesson)

2007 

I expect great things to happen in my life this year. I have a job that is giving me more responsibilities and chances to learn. I have a new business that is growing rapidly, and challenges what I know about business. I have a new son that I am sure will challenge everything I think I know about life. I'm sure this will be another exciting year. One that I will enjoy every moment of. And when I get a "free" moment to relax. I'll make sure to share those enjoyments with anyone that will listen (read).

Happy New Year! 

I saw the most beautiful thing Sunday. I can't even explain it. We went to church on Sunday, at RWOC. (Redemption World Outreach Center). The children were doing a Christmas event. They sang and they danced. But more importantly, they praised and they worshiped. Those parents must be so proud. I kept thinking that I hope Jayden grows up and praises God like that. I've never seen such passion after the heart of God. It was overwhelming. I cried like a baby. I hope that one day I'll praise and worship like that.

Apostle Ron didn't use his notes that day. Instead he taught from real life. He pulled testimonies out of the crowd. It most amazing thing I've ever witnessed. There were amazing testimonies about healing, redemption, and salvation. I can imagine that we came closer than ever to what church is really about. I imagine that Sunday was the type of service that broke the bars that held Paul captive so many years ago.

I've contemplated writing this blog for quite sometime. In fact the moment I heard that you were reading my blog, I wanted to write to you. I've talked myself out of it for several days. In my opinion a blog is a great way to be transparent. It allows you to be more of yourself.

I've been reading your blog as well. Janelle keeps me  up to date with everything that is happening with your wife. I can't imagine what you have been going through. I know she is the one that was sick, but as a husband, it must be a lot to deal with. I remember telling you last year before you got married, how tough the first 3 months were. And how it got so much better after that. I told you that your relationship would grow strong after the transition phase. It seems that you have had a tough year. I could not have predicted that you two would go through so much.

When Janelle was giving birth to Jayden, I was terrified, especially towards the end. It drove me nuts knowing that I couldn't help her. (At least that's what I thought). I hated seeing her in pain. I didn't realize how being with her and breathing with her, telling her how much I loved her helped. It helped me as much as it helped her. (Maybe more).  I had been told by our premarriage counselors, that I am the priest of my home. So I prayed for her during contractions. Now I pray for you. I pray that you will grow strong as a husband. That you will continue to have so much patience. I pray that you will have peace of mind. I prayed that when this is over, God will return your lost time to you.

You are the priest of your home. God knows your heart. After this is over, you'll have a mighty testimony. Everyone that hears your testimony will be blessed by it. Keep writing Showie. You never know who's reading, and who your words are really for.

Wow, I have so much to write about.

If you read Janelle's blog this week, then you know I have recently had a birthday. Before I write about that, I want to write about my company's Christmas party.

Janelle and I got all dressed up for this party on Friday. She looked terrific in her purple dress. We arrived a tthe party at a decent time. There were so many people there. There was so much food. Janelle and I enjoyed the shrimp the most. We ran into several of my coworkers and had some great conversations. There was a dessert bar there that had several cheesecakes and some other cakes. The cheesecake was excellent. There were several toppings to add. From there we made it upstairs to the Mambo room.

As soon as we got upstairs, we ran into an old friend, Milton, that we new from dancing at The Big Chill, formerly known as Dockers. There was a decent crowd there. Not too many people on the dance floor. I soon found out why. The DJ was crazy or drunk. I think she was drunk. She was drunk, with a microphone in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. She was attempting to speak spanish. Anyway, I didn't care because we hadn't been salsa dancing for an entire year. (I know that's crazy). Plus now I had new shoes to try out.

Janelle was amaing on the dance floor. I was impressed at how well she moved. She certainly didn't move like someone that just had a baby. We had a lot fun. Besides dancing, we talked with some friends and got invited to diner sometime to have Puerto Rican food. We love Puerto Rican food. I was also impressed with how relaxed Janelle was. This was our first night out, and she only called home once. We did get home by 11:30pm. That was my fault though. I was tired.

So my birthday started great. I woke up at 6:30, because Jayden is now on a 6:30 schedule. ( I can't beliee we set this up on purpose.) I changed his dirty diaper and gave him to Janelle. Then I emptied the diaper pail, because it was full and clogged with dirty diapers. After that I had to unclog a toilet. (It was a great start to a birthday. You have to have a sense of humor to get through life)  Janelle's grandma and aunt stopped in on their way from Florida. It was great to see Jayden's great-grandma holding Jayden. It was obvious that she loved it. Jayden fell asleep in her arms. Later we went to Lieu's Chinese Bistro for lunch. There food is excellent. Try the Dan Dan noodles sometime.

Hello everyone. Life has been good lately. I got salsa shoes for my birthday. My son is sleeping 6 hours a night. Bottle feeding is getting better. I'm going on my first date with my wife in a few days. The site is doing well.

Last weekend we did a lot of shopping. I got some time with Jayden by myself while Janelle and her sister did more shopping. We I'm excited about going dancing again. It's been so long.

I haven't blogged in over a week. I've spent my work hours preparing for a new project, my lunch time looking for new modules to make this site better, and my evenings understanding Jayden more.

My evenings have been spent reading books, giving baths, and trying to bottle feed. Then I spend the rest of the evening talking about it all with Janelle. One of the toughest things so far has been getting Jayden to bottle feed. Wow! He was so determined not to eat from a bottle. In fact he would cry at the site of one after a while. Every night for over a week I tried it to no avail. Janelle also tried during the day, and even she was starting to lose the battle. Finally I found a site online, sorry I can't remember the URL, that said to walk around with him as far away from his mom as possible, while trying to bottle feed. At first it was a little nerve wrecking, but he drank 2 oz that night. Unfortunately I was dead tired from walking with a 10lb baby while trying to feed him. The next night he let me sit down. Tonight, the 3rd night of success, he ate 3oz.

So how do I feel? I'm proud of him. I'm glad we worked it out together. I'm glad I was able to hang in there.

Today's post is inspired by a Starbuck's white chocolate mocha and the swing band Big Bad Voodo Daddy.

It's funny that I'm drinking coffee this morning. When I met Janelle I didn't really like coffee. In fact Janelle told me she wouldn't marry a guy who didn't like coffee. This cup is for you baby!

Anyway, I feel like opening up and being transparent today. I never blogged before I started this site. It's kind of addictive and freeing. I'm actually inspired by my sister-in-law, Karla. If you haven't read her blog, you should. She writes so beautifully. http://klwhitcomb.blogspot.com/

So I called this post "See It Big". I'm trying to give everyone a peek into my personality. Often people see me as the sometimes melancholy or choleric personality. It's true that I am especially when at work. But all of my life I've been a dreaming sanguine. My Grandma on my dad's side used to say that my eyes were bigger than my stomach. Actually a lot of people used to say that. They don't say that anymore, because my appetite has grown. That's how it is with everything in my life. My eyes are usually bigger than what I can take on in the beginning, but eventually my appetite grows and I can handle it. (Thanks Mom.) All of my parents have encouraged me to dream big in life. My mother always tried to make sure that I was in an environment for those dreams to grow. (She made me read books).

I'm looking at my life now, and I realize that it has been an uphill climb. I am loving the view from this peak. I have the most wonderful wife and son. I have a good relationship with my parents. I have a great relationship with God. I have many friends that love me. I have a great job. Life is great, but I'm not done dreaming. Apostle Ron referenced a scripture Habakkuk 2:2

"Yahweh answered me, "Write the vision, and make it plain on tablets, that he who runs may read it. For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hurries toward the end, and won't prove false. Though it takes time, wait for it; because it will surely come. It won't delay."

So here it goes: I have dreams of doing great things in life. Janelle has a big heart, especially for children. So in the future I see us doing things for children who's needs aren't met. Maybe we will start a camp or something. Or maybe we will adopt. I want a big sailing yacht, to enjoy the ocean. I also have dreams of us owning a ballroom. Someplace that plays latin, swing, and ballroom music through the week. We love to dance.

I see everything big. I look at Janelle and I and see 60 great years of marriage. (I know we have only been married for one.) I look at Jayden and see a grown man that contributes to society. (He's 3 weeks old)

I encourage others to write down their visions as well. You don't have to share them with the world. Share them with God. After all, he provides the vision.

Check out this weeks picture. Notice how big that out fit is on Jayden? I had Karla hold it up in front of her to show how big it is. Janelle put Jayden in this outfit to go outside for a walk in the stroller. The outfit completely swallowed him. Karla and I laughed so hard, she finally got another outfit that was smaller, but still too large.

We had a good night last night. Jayden had a good bath time. Then he went straight to sleep. Our neighbors and their friends came over for some games. We stayed up late playing Battle of the Sexes. By the way that game is severely biased for women. But the guys still won.

Yesterday was the Marine Corps birthday. I didn't celebrate. I was too caught up with things happening at home. I had yesterday off, so I got to spend lots of quality time with my wife and Jayden. We laid him on his tummy for a while. I got to see him look from left to right for the first time. He also tried pushing up. We got some cuddle time in this morning also. It was great. My friend Chad was telling me to enjoy it as much as possible now. Chad has two boys, so I value his advice. Janelle and I have been reading this book called Babywise. It's a great book. It's just tough to follow the rules some times. Sometimes I don't want to put him down when suppose to be sleeping, especially when his eyes are wide open. The book has made night time easier. Plus Janelle let's him cry a little now. She still gets teary eyed over it. You should see it. He cries and his lip sticks out. She sits with her lip sticking out looking at the clock. It's the cutest thing. He has her smile too. I can see it.

 Janelle may not be blogging for a few days. We bought her a nice Acer laptop from Circuit City last weekend. She stepped on the mousepad yesterday and broke the hard drive. It's odd how that happened. Turns out that the mousepad is directly over the hard drive. Acer is sending a new one free. She took him for a walk after she broke the laptop. She was gone for a long time. When she came back she told me she took the long route and then stopped off at our neighbors cause she was afraid to come home. I actually thought that was funny. I told her it was no big deal.

We bought the movie Cars for Jayden to day. He didn't watch it, so his mom and I did. It's a good movie.

More later.

I don't have much to talk about right now. This last few weeks with Jayden have been a blur. So I'll write about one of my favorite memories.

I was a Marine at the time stationed in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. All year my friends and I had been planning to go to Orlando for New Years. The New Years before had been amazing. We were on ship and celebrated New Years in Malta. This year I would be with the same friends, but we were now back in the states. One of my friends was soon to be sent to Cuba to watch Aghganastan prisoners. So at the last minute they changed their minds and dragged me to Greensboro, N.C. I didn't know anything about Greensboro, and didn't really want to go. They dragged me with them.

 So we get to Greensboro and no one has plans. Which of course upsets me. (I've changed since then, so I don't talk the way I used to). So some of my friends had brought girlfriends. We sent them out to find a club downtown. They find the N club. (If you haven't been and you live in that area, you need to go.) Mary decides to use this wonderful tactic that I use to get into places. (Now I may tell this story wrong, but that's because I don't remember all of the details.) Mary tells the people at the N Club that I'm coming to this club tonight with my friends. She tells them that we don't want to wait in line. So they let her prepay and get tickets to get in. (It works better if you call first, and then pick up the tickets. The clincher is to have a limo drop you off at the door.) Anyway we go to dinner, buy alcohol, and proceed to get ready to go out.

So we arrive at the N Club, and I'm not impressed. I still have to stand in line, just not a long one. Once we got in, I spent time scoping the place out. I didn't feel like drinking much. TJ and I spent time dancing and walking around. Anyway, it gets close to the count down, and I'm thinking I don't want to be by myself when the New Year comes in. So I walk out onto the floor. I see a tall girl and walk right towards her. From no where this girl jumps in front of me and starts to dance.  So I danced with her. The New Year came in with us kissing.

 I'll never forget how much of a hard time she gave me after that. She refused to give me her number at first. She took mine, and lost it within an hour. She asked me to see my ID. It was bad.

Here we are almost 4 years later, married with a child. Love you babe. 

Hello,

 Tonight was Jayden's first Halloween! Janelle dressed Jayden in a little Halloween outfit. You can see him on her blog http://www.tellgreenville.com/blogs/janelle He is adorable. It's also our first Halloween in our house. We had a photo shoot with Jana Candler our photographer. He did so great. I can't wait to see the pictures. We'll make sure to post the pictures when Jana has them ready. Jayden is starting to get into a good routine. Tonight he was ready to go to bed by 8pm. No fussing about it.

We had a time with diapers today. We started with me changing him this morning, and getting soaked immediately. Jayden now crys before he's actually wet. I told Janelle that we need to go ahead and potty train him. He blew out a few diapers today too. I never knew that babies go through so many diapers, and so many clothes. We are constantly washing changing pads also. He was awake more today also. I worked from home, so I was able to come downstairs and check on him and Janelle. She got some good nap time with him. I'm going to hate going back to work next week.

The website is growing well. Thanks everyone for joining and visiting. We are now up to 35 members. Hope you like the new look.

Here is a great video of Jayden trying to kiss me. It was hilarious. I finally kissed him, and he went to sleep.

Some videos of Jayden's first week. These were taken by Karla.

So being a dad is very different. The first thing I've noticed is that my language has changed. I use words like "cute" and "awww" way too often. I talk about Jayden at least once in every conversation. I think about him all day, and even dream about him at night.

The first week has been terrific. Karla has been here to help us get settled in. Thank you so much. She has been a real blessing with making breakfast, doing laundry, and especially with helping Janelle. Kristin and Matt are in town now. It's great to see them both. It was cool to see Matt hold Jayden today. They get along well.

I've learned a lot this week. I've learned that warm wipes are better than cold wipes, if you turn your head you might get soaked, wait until he's done before changing him, and there is no such thing as too many kisses.

Well I'm tired. I'll try my best to add more tomorrow. Good night.

He's finally here. Notice I said he. Jayden was born 8lbs 4oz on October 19th. He is beautiful. My wife, bless her heart, went through 20 hours of labor. I've never met anyone so strong. finally we had to have a C section. My wife and baby are fine. I'm thrilled to be a dad.

Nothing so far. No sign whatsoever. You know I was early, and Janelle was late, so I was hoping it would be on time. BTW I say it, because we have no clue what we are having. It's a surprise. Unfortunately I'm getting a bit anxious. I had a dream last night that I was playing with a little boy. He was cute and had big bushy hair. I can't wait to meet him/her. Janelle's mom is in surgery today for a hip replacement. We prayed for her this morning. My wife is so strong. It amazes  me how well she handles life. I love her.

So this weekend was great. Friday morning Dan and I went to Spice Diner for breakfast. The pancakes were perfect. Played some tennis after that. I got my butt spanked. Dan beat me 6 to 2. I dont' remember what happened Friday night.

Saturday we went to Fall for Greenville. This was my first year going. Once again, this is why I love this town. Of course I was there for the food. I have to give The Cazbah props for their chocolate empanada. That was excellent. I also did some chili testing while I was there. We met a cool couple while we were there. They happen to be from our church. What's up Jimmy and Danielle? Anyway then we walked down to see Tree 63 play by the river. That was sweet. This is an awesome band.

Sundaay we met another great couple after church. As you can see, I like meeting people. Then I carved pumpkins with Janelle and the neighbors. I did pretty good for my first pumpkin carving. I'll post pictures.

Wow what an amazing day. Janelle and I went to RWOC today for the 15th anniversary of our church. We had special guest from Baltimore preach, Cynthia Brazelton. It was a powerful service with a powerful word that really spoke to my spirit.

 Afterwards we went to Olive Garden to celebrate my sister-in-law's birthday. Happy Birthday Karla. Then we played a card game called Nerts for a while. Janelle made her amazing apple dumplings. Now I'm kicking back and watching the Dallas and Philidelphia game. I'm rooting for the Cowboys of course.

 Happy Anniversary Redemption! If you've never been you should check us out. Here is the link to the church website. http://www.rwoc.org

Today was a checkup day for my wife. The baby is doing well. Unfortunately nothing is happening yet. We have 12 days until the due date. So to help pick things up, I took Janelle to Sweet Basil for some Thai food. We hope the spice will help kick the baby out. Dinner was great as usual. If you haven't tried Sweet Basil yet, then please do. Tell them you heard about them here.

It's October 2nd, the day of atonement.

So I had a good weekend. For the last 2 months, my neighbor and I have been in a weight loss competition. Understand, neither one of us is overweight according to medical charts, but somehow we ended up challenging each other. The deal was who could lose the greater percentage of wieight by October 1st. We started off great. I ran in the mornings, and ate healthy lunches. I was down 10 pounds or more twice. I kept going on vacations or out to eat. So last night we weighed in. I lost 4 pounds, and he lost 1. So now we get our windows washed and my lawn cut. I would like to have crushed him, but I like good food too much to turned down seconds.

My wife is pregnant. We now have 2 weeks until the baby is due.

Thanks for reading.