Author Archives: Father

12 Weeks Come and Gone

You are now the size of a lime!

Well, the length of one, you only weigh half an ounce.

Some of the more incredible developments this week include that you now have reflexes. You are able to open and close your hands, curl your toes, clench your eye muscles and even make sucking motions with your mouth.

You are also at the point where your kidneys are developed enough that you can create urine, which is just weird. Here is an image of what you kinda look like:

Picture of your developing baby

Look like a little alien in there!

We have a doctor’s appointment next week where we will get our next look at you. We will also get to tell everyone soon after because the chance of a miscarriage will be so low.

Next Thursday when we meet with the doctor you will be 13 weeks, and I will have another update on how big you are at that point. Can’t wait to get another picture of you and see you squirming around in there. Can’t believe how much you already mean to me.

Love, Dad

What Does Dad Do?

The last couple of days have been pretty exciting for me, as I was a contributor to a pretty major inbound marketing piece that was put out. Figure at this point it is a good idea to fill you in a bit on what it is that I do. I am very excited because I work in a field that changes it seems by the day, so by the time you are old enough to read this my role will likely be completely different.

In a nutshell, I help companies optimize their websites so they show up higher in search engines (primarily Google). I do this a variety of ways which I won’t go into, but it is a combination of code changes in addition to off-site factors that help to create basically an online reputation for the company website. My current title is SEO/Product Marketing Manager and this encompasses a few other things as well.

In addition to SEO (which is explained above and stands for Search Engine Optimization) I also manage web analytics, social media product development and PPC strategy. Let’s start with analytics.

Web analytics track everything that happens within a website, from traffic to time on page to the links that are clicked on. It has thousands of metrics that are accounted for, and I use these to draw conclusions on how we can better optimize and arrange the sites as well as report out to the brands that we work with.

On the social side, I manage the product strategy in what we develop. For example, we recently built a Facebook product that allows major brands (Wendy’s in this case) to post in geo-targeted areas on their national page. We are working on Twitter and Pinterest product currently.

Finally, on the PPC side (pay-per-click) I work with new clients on their strategy in terms of paid search. I work on what their approach should be in each market and then we have a team that will execute on making it happen.

It is almost guaranteed that I will not be at this company by the time you get this, but I currently work for a company called Balihoo that works with Fortune 1000 companies to help them market on a local level. Some of the clients that I do all the above for are Aflac, Pearle Vision, Kohler, Wendy’s and Behr.

The goal, and one that will hopefully be reached within the next decade or so, is to become a CMO or VP of Marketing for a company. I aspire to be an executive that runs an entire marketing department, or at some point possibly a company in general.

Anyway, thought I would fill you in on what I do now at the age of 29 and see where things are in the future. Can’t wait to see you!

Love, Dad

Back From Fishing, On To Rocking Chairs

Fishing Trip

I survived the camping trip. Not only that, but it was a great trip all around. We stayed at Garden Creek Campground on the East Fork of the Big Lost River, and it was pretty amazing. Basically just followed Trail Creek road, up over the pass and about 4 miles past the turnoff for Copper Basin (Wildhorse Road). Ended up being 29.9 miles from the stoplight in on Main and Sun Valley Road in Ketchum.

The campsite was killer, right on the river and no one else around. Here is a pic:

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After getting there and setting up camp we set out to fish. We caught about a dozen fish in an hour and a half which was a great start. That night we cooked up some chicken burgers for dinner and gutted some fish for breakfast the following morning.

After having breakfast, bacon and cutthroat, we headed out to fish the main waters of the Big Lost river. We started just below the dam of Mackay Reservoir and did really well. Caught another dozen or so fish, almost all on dry flies (orange stimulators) and then headed to the upper waters above the reservoir. Did not fair as well there, as Uncle Matt pulled just one fish out and other than that we were stifled.

We decided to head back to fish around camp, and the next couple hours were pretty dead. After that the fishing picked up, and while your uncle went for a hike I pulled 4 rainbow trout out of the river just south of the campsite. Overall is was a success. Here is the biggest fish from the trip:

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Rocking Chairs

Mom has this weird obsession with the south. She loves plantation style homes, the big trees, the culture and the large lot sizes. She wants us to move there and has for some time. When we were looking to leave San Diego, she was sending me jobs daily in places like Charlotte, Atlanta, New Orleans, etc… and asking me to apply. I of course obliged, but the jobs were never really specific to what I do. The funny thing about it is that mom has never really been in the south for an extended period of time. She has never been to Atlanta, Charlotte, Charleston or a number of other places that she wants to pick up and move to. I cannot explain how she came to have this fascination and love for the area (although I am pretty sure that Young House Love had a lot to do with it), but regardless she feels a connection.

With that in mind she came up with the idea of how to tell our extended family and friends about you when the time comes (which is only about 10 days away now). We ordered some rocking chairs that were delivered last week and we will be taking a picture on our front porch with Layla, your mom and I. We will be holding up signs that say the due date and that we are pregnant. The signs will be blank and I will photoshop in the text later on. We will then be sending out an email with the news, as well as posting it on Facebook and Instagram (really curious to see if these social medias still exist when you are old enough to be online). We will of course contact directly our immediate family that doesn’t know and tell them before posting it anywhere, but this way we can hit everyone we know and care about.

One thing that you will learn about your dad is that he is good at a lot of things, but handyman tasks are somewhat of a weakness. It is weird, because MY dad is great with these kinds of things. He actually built the first house I ever lived in from the ground up. Unfortunately I was too busy with other things growing up to learn from him (although he will tell you I never took the time to learn despite his best efforts). Anyway, I will be assembling the rocking chairs this week all by myself as your mom is still gone for another 5 days, so if the picture is missing the chairs it is probably because the assembly did not go according to plan. 🙂

 

We have another doctor’s appointment a week and two days from now and get to see you again in the ultrasound and I am counting down the days. Cannot wait to tell EVERYONE about you next week either. Enjoy your time in that womb of yours, because once you get out of there you are going to be smothered by people who want to be around you and love on you.

Love, Dad

 

11 Weeks & A Couple Trips

11 weeks has come and gone, today is 11 weeks and one day. More importantly, it is just 13 days away from our next doctor’s appointment. Really nothing all that cool will happen at the next appointment, other than we will be at the end of the first trimester and can safely tell people about you.

Today also marks the day that your mom is leaving for a trip to the Caribbean, St. Maartens to be exact. Yes, your mom is spoiled. She will be going for a little over a week. This will actually be the longest we have been apart since being married, if you can believe that. Here is what mom’s life will look like for the next week (this is even a pic of where she is staying).

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However, in her absence, Uncle Matt and I are going fishing/camping over the weekend. We are heading up to Copper Basin, which is about 30 miles Northeast of Sun Valley. Going to fish a river called the Big Lost, starting with the East Fork of the Big Lost and then heading to the main waters tomorrow. Here is our campsite as well as where we will be fishing tonight.

Trail Creek Rd Mackay ID 83251 Google Maps

 

Just to keep you in the loop on me, I am also training for another half marathon. The funny thing is that I don’t care for running all that much, but I have found that unless I have a goal that I am working towards it is hard for me to stay motivated regarding fitness. I will be running in the City of Trees half marathon here in Boise on October 13th.

At this point you are apparently the size of a fig. Your hands are forming and your fingers are as well. Your bones are beginning to solidify and you are starting to get teeth as well. Most exciting part is that you are beginning to stretch and kick! Even though mom won’t be able to feel this for another couple months, it is pretty cool to think that you are starting to rock out there in the womb.

I will be out the next couple of days, but will try to get some pics of the fish. Hopefully someday you and I can go together, as that was one of the best things I ever did with my dad and I would love to share that with you. You are constantly on my mind, and cannot wait to meet you.

Love, Dad

Uncle Matt is “in the know”

So I know it must feel at this point like we have told a lot of people, but truly this is not the case. We have told key individuals mostly because our daily lives could not operate and we would be caught in a constant lie. But in this case, we told Uncle Matt because he is in town from college and will only be here for a short time.

It was a pretty simple process. We got back from breakfast, were standing in the kitchen, and we just dropped the bomb. He was in shock. Good shock, but had no idea that is what we were about to tell him.

You will learn that Uncle Matt is pretty freaking smart, so it was no surprise that he then dove in to telling us all about the biological process that mom was about to go through. He would have spurts of nerding out on the anatomical aspects and then jump back to the realization that we were pregnant with you. Bottom line, he was extremely excited.

Here is a recent picture of Matt and I for reference:

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Uncle Matt and I are going fishing next weekend, and your mom is in SV with him as I write this (I had to stay back and finish up some consulting work). After he leaves we won’t see him again until Christmas, when mom will be close to pop with you!

Anyway, the day that we can tell everyone is getting closer and closer. We can’t wait to meet you, and love you already.

Love, Dad

Another Person “in the know”

It is funny writing about these people that we are telling about you. Not because there is a random reason for letting them know or any other reason than by the time you read this they may no longer be around. Hopefully they are, and my assumptions tells me that they will be, but you never truly know.

Regardless, we told Gina about you the other night. Gina is mom’s best friend, and one of mine as well. She is absolutely awesome and we are lucky to know her.

The reason we spilled the beans is because mom sees her on the regular, and at this point it is impossible to hide. She is around us too much to try and lie and, honestly, we wanted to tell her anyway.

How did we do it? Well, in true Gina fashion, we incorporated a dumb commercial that is currently running right now. Doubtful that this link will work when you try it, but you never know:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWBhP0EQ1lA

I found this commercial to be fall on your ass funny. I know it is stupid, but wow I could not stop laughing. Gina shared my love for the commercial and it prompted me to buy this:

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I know, stupid right? Well, right now it is awesome!

Anyway, I brought this out when Gina was visiting and her eyes lit up with excitement over it. Just for reference, here is your mom’s reaction to it:

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So after showing her the shirt, I said “and there is something else a little less exciting but also worth showing to you” at which point I pulled out your ultrasound picture. I laid it on the table, she looked at it briefly, looked up at us astonished, and broke into tears. She was so excited she couldn’t stand it. She then proceeded to ask one million questions (which if you haven’t noticed yet is a trait your mom shares) and hugged us vigorously.

We can’t wait to tell more people, August 17th I believe is the day that we can make it public, and are trying to hold it in until that date. We can’t wait to tell everyone, but even more so cannot wait to meet you. Love you already.

Love, Dad

4 Year Anniversary

Today is 4 years that your mom and I have been married. Not just saying this, but they have really flown by.  My next task is to write about our story and how we came to be, but today is not that day as we have plans and I don’t have time.

Just to give you a bit of insight though, July 26th, 2009 was our wedding day. We got married in SV at Trail Creek and it was an amazing day. Here is a pic:

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As you can see, I had a lot more hair than I probably do now.

Anyway, tonight I am taking your mom to the Shakespeare Festival here in Boise. We haven’t been yet and the venue is pretty close to the house, so we are going to ride our cruisers down there with a picnic basket and watch the play from the grass. We also got each other a present yesterday: new rocking chairs for the front porch. Now don’t think I am totally lame for wanting a rocking chair as my gift, I would much rather have had some type of new electronic device, but mom really wanted them and sometimes it is good to compromise. They are pretty sweet chairs, and we will be using them to take a picture in the near future to announce YOU to the world!

The festivities this evening will have to be brief, as Uncle Matt is flying in from North Carolina after finishing his first year at UNC. That reminds me that I need to give a brief synopsis on everyone that you will know in their current state, because by the time you read this he will likely be much older and established. Want to ensure that you know what a little shithead he really was.

4 years may not seem like a long time, especially since your mom and I have been together for over 10 as of now, but it really is quite an accomplishment. We really waited to make sure that we were right for one another and have established over and over that we are. I love your mom more than anything in life, and cannot imagine going on without her. She is an intelligent, strong, loyal, stable, funny, and beautiful person. She is everything I could have ever asked for, and if you ever ask Nonnie or Boppie about her and I getting together they will say that she is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

This is the first picture I could find of your mom and I together, I will continue to look but as you can see we are pretty young:

IMG_0544Every great relationship has to have a great story, so in the near future I will write about ours.

This is the most exciting anniversary we have ever had, and it is because we know you are coming. We love you already and cannot wait to meet you.

Love, Dad

 

9 Weeks Today

Just a quick update, but today is officially 9 weeks! Just 31 more to go.

Mom and I are ordering in because, well, we are being lazy and don’t feel like cooking. Not to mention your mom has been craving this mushroom and swiss hamburger from The Tavern at Bown Crossing for a while now. Figured tonight would be a good night to get it for her.

Anyway, just wanted to say hi.

Love, Dad

What Happened Before This Site Started – Part 2

When you find out you are pregnant, planned for or not, your life changes in a variety of ways. We talked already about the drinking and hanging with friends, but there are also plans that must be amended and people that have to find out.

Mom has had a trip to the Caribbean planned for a few months, and while she is still going, she had to tell her friend Laura (not the same as the Seattle one) about you. We have had to back out of a couple boating and camping trips with friends, as well as a few nights out. It makes people a bit suspicious as well as put off, but once we can share the news all will be cured.

One of the fun parts was telling Mia about you, as she was actually the first person we told just a couple weeks after finding out. Mom wanted some advice and another woman to talk to about the pregnancy so we went over to Sun Valley and told her the news. But telling people is actually really fun for us, so we wanted to do something kind of cool.

We got into SV that evening and stopped by Atkinsons (I am assuming you will know SV well by this point but just in case) to pick up a ribbon and a card. We got to Mia’s house and wrote on the card. We then tied the ribbon around Layla’s neck and attached the card, knowing full well she may just devour the card and we were taking a risk. The card spoke to the fact that Layla was about to be a big sister.

We let Layla out of the car and she made a beeline for Mia. I mean a beeline, there was no control and absolutely no after thought about the yellow ribbon around her neck. At full speed she jumped on Mia and about knocked her over. She then sped off through the house and we had to track her down. In our minds, naively of course, we pictured Layla strolling up to Mia and sitting nicely before her while we told her that there was a note around her neck. She would read it, Layla would lie down while we all hugged, and it would be out of a movie type thing. Instead Layla was a freaking maniac and turned it into a circus.

Finally, I was able to grab Layla and pin her and pick her up to bring over to your mom. The ribbon was trashed by this point and was all tangled in her collar and neck hair. We finally managed to get the ribbon free, and got your mom the card. She handed it to Mia and her face lit up. Our plan was flawed from the get-go, but the point was made.

Outside of the previous post and this one, there have not been many big items to talk about. No complication thankfully and haven’t told many people.

Today actually marks 9 weeks, so just 31 to go!

Love, Dad

 

What Happened Before This Site Started

I didn’t start this site until after the first ultrasound, but before we had that we knew about you and there were already some cool things that had happened.

The big question, that I am pretty sure any kid asks at one point or another, is were you on purpose? Without the details, which I am sure you could care less about, let’s get out of the way that you were planned for. What we didn’t expect is that you would be so easy to conceive. Mom had gone to the doctor about 6 months before we started “trying” for you and began taking prenatal vitamins as well as got initial tests to ensure she was healthy. They also gave us tips on how to find the times when our chances were highest. We began tracking what we needed to in order to establish these times months before we really began to intentionally try to create you. A couple weeks after we got into the new house there was a peak time, and this is when you were created. Normally it takes up to a year for a couple to conceive, so we feel extremely blessed (and remember this for when you are at the age where sex becomes something you are interested in, you are extremely fertile whether you are a boy or girl).

(As a side note  one thing that you will learn about me is that I am a planner. I plan everything I possibly can down to the smallest details. I have had a plan since I was in middle school as to how my life was going to play out and have always tried my best to ensure that it did just that. It has not always gone perfectly, but for the most part is had gone according to what I mapped out. Before you we had a few priorities. First being to get married (which we did 4 years ago two days from now), next to find a place to live (which is the aspect that has seen some mixed results regarding the planning as we have lived in 3 places in those 4 years), next to get a dog (sounds stupid but was a great idea getting Layla) and finally to buy a house which we did earlier this year (this being the most important aspect, especially to your mom, as we wanted somewhere to bring you home to that belonged to us). Plans are my thing, to a detriment in some circumstances, but I am sure when you read this you will be well aware of this already.)

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So obviously it takes a little while in order to find out if we were pregnant or not. We were waiting in anticipation, but also not really sure if it took or not. From everything that we had been told and had read the chances seemed slim. We had also been together for 10 years and had only had a handful of “close calls” so neither of us figured that it would be a quick turnaround. The end of May was the time we calculated as most fertile, but the odds were not on our favor. Throwing all that to the side, we decided to take a test to find out.

We took the test on June 16, 2013 and found out that mom was pregnant…it just so happened that was also Father’s Day.

I can’t speak for your mom, although I am sure she shares my sentiment, but it was the most excited and overwhelming feeling I have ever experienced. There was no anxiety, stress or doubt but simply incredible pride and love. It was like nothing I have ever experienced, and I am sure will be trumped only by when you come into this world. When I think back on that moment, finding out that way with your mom handing me the test with the biggest smile I have ever seen on her face, and the feelings that were going through me I know that I will never forget that. It is a memory I will have forever.

There are other things that happened before this site started that I will continue on with, but I wanted to end this post here as nothing else we talk about that happened prior can compare to this. We are currently about 9 weeks in with 31 weeks to go, and we are trying to enjoy this as much as possible but both go to bed every night and wake up every day talking about what you might be like. It is fun to speculate, but we can barely handle the anticipation. We are extremely lucky to be in the position we are, have the love and admiration for one another that we do and a healthy baby on the way. Cannot wait to have you here and share our lives.

Love, Dad