Life's Good in the NeighborHOOD

Always amazed

2009-03-25T20:48:00.003-05:00

We're going through a massive reorganization at work, and it has altered my job considerably. The last few weeks have been intense. That's not a bad thing... just reality. Every night, though, when I've come home I have been wiped out. It's still amazing to me how meetings turn into more meetings that turn into more meetings. All my words get used up; quite an accomplishment for an extrovert! And that little spot on my neck that the chiropractor has been working on for years starts to throb and my shoulders get stiff. There is a reason Christ commands us to cast our burdens on Him....

When I walk through the door in the evenings there is a little boy who does not care even the least little bit what kind of day I've had. To Isaac, I am home to read and play and wrestle and chase. As I make my way up the sidewalk to the front door, he stands peering through the glass, squealing with a delight grown-ups sometimes forget exists. I love being his daddy. And miraculously, in that place where exhaustion collides with a toddler's love and innocence, the cares of my day seem to wash away.

Here we go

2009-03-25T20:21:00.002-05:00

I realize that few will believe that I actually plan to write consistently on our blog since it's been oh, I don't know, um 8 months since the last post. Well, it's been a VERY eventful 8 months; raising a baby and having another baby means there not a dull moment in our home. Of course you're saying to yourself that's no excuse for never writing on the blog. And I'm sure you're right. But I must say that Janet and I both have experienced new levels of exhaustion. In fact, we've about decided we won't be caught on sleep until the year 2025! Anyway, my intention is to do better and keep folks posted on life in the neighborHOOD. Janet and I are grateful that you care and thankful that people continue to ask for updates even when we're not real faithful to share them.

Do come back again... there should be LOTS to see and read.

Yes, of course I know it's not January!

2008-07-14T19:48:00.002-05:00

Sorry folks!! I know there are lot of people who have been checking this blog regularly for updated pictures of Isaac only to still find us celebrating Janet's birthday. No, we're not neglecting him ... nor is he ever camera shy. We have many photos to post. It's just that, well, okay, here it goes... I forgot the password for our blog. And it was only tonight that I realized I could request a reset. Oops!That's right, somehow every bit of technological intelligence my father possesses-- which is tremendous--almost completely by-passed me. But fear not. Life is still good in the neighborHOOD. And we (I) will be posting regularly again.

30- Happy Birthday Janet

2008-01-15T12:50:00.001-05:00

Today is Janet's 30th birthday. That's right... 3 decades of life. I've tried to make the day special for her but there is no gift I can give that compares to the gift she is to me. It is the greatest privilege to share life with her, and I thank God for allowing me to be her husband! I love you, Janet!

"I got me some teeth...."

2008-01-15T12:37:00.001-05:00

Isaac now has some teeth... two little ones in front, coming through his bottom gum. And he has got some bite! I (Tim) nearly yelled out loud when he got my finger the other night. So we've started him on some "real" food. It's just cereal, but it's hard to believe he's already old enough to handle this. He wasn't wild about it but got it down okay.

Janet got a little emotional watching her baby boy eat with a spoon. Bless!

Some Christmas Photos

2008-01-15T11:53:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Isaac's first Christmas at home, and we had a blast! It was a great day, and though he got lots of fun presents he was, of course, most interested in shredding the paper. Typical!

Our Christmas tree.
This nail resembles one that might have been used in the crucifixion of Christ. It hangs on our mantle until we read the Christmas story. Then we move it to the inside of the Christmas tree as a silent reminder of why Christ came into the world... to redeem sinners just like us. Jesus is our Emmanuel.
Christmas cards from friends and family. We ran out of room very quickly! Thanks to so many of you who faithfully keep up with us.

This is the "Africa" table; there is a nativity from Chad and a picture and candlesticks from Uganda... just a little something to remember Tim's folks and the work going on there and around the world.

Isaac loves the Pod that Gigi (Tim's grandmother) gave him. He sits up like such a big boy!

This is an adorable wobbly elephant from our neighbor Angel. God has blessed us with such sweet friends!

Isaac is reaching for the piggy (or warthog) bank that Tim's parents sent from Uganda. Yeah, it's just a wee bit scary, but there was already some money in it... party on!

Isaac LOVES his jumper. I don't think a better child's toy has ever been made. He could spend all day in it.

Hanging out with Nana & Papa (Janet's parents). They came to spend a few days with us after Christmas. We had lots of fun with them and enjoyed Papa's first Christmas home since serving in Iraq with the Alabama National Guard.

The Godfather- Happy Birthday Hulyn!

2007-12-23T13:37:00.000-05:00

Today is Hulyn's birthday; he's my godfather. I have no idea how old he is and probably never will because he and Anne (my godmother) just never seem to age at all. So we'll call him 39 and be done with it.

Like Marlon Brando & Al Pacino in the Godfather movie trilogy, Hulyn is known for his one-liners. Though he never said anything to me like: "Tim, you've got to keep your friends close and your enemies closer" with a raspy voice and an Italian accent, his sayings are no less memorable. One time I asked him why a funeral home in Rome, GA (where he and Anne live), had closed up, because it seemed rare to see a funeral home out of business. He very calmly replied, "Well, they were building funeral homes faster than we were dying...." I laughed my face off. Oh, I wish I had time to write them all down. Those of you who know Hulyn, feel free to post a note on this blog with your own funny story.

Aside from a great sense of humor, Hulyn has imparted a lot more to me, and now to Janet and Isaac as well. He and Anne have been such strong and consistent examples of godly character, discipleship, faithfulness and commitment to Christ. We are blessed to know then and to belong to them. They are family to us and we're grateful for them.

Happy Birthday Hulyn! We love you, Tim (for the Hoodlums)

Mother Russia (think Rocky IV)

2007-11-23T19:29:00.000-05:00

The last couple weeks of October I (Tim) went to Russia to meet with some of our personnel who are working there. It was an incredible and eye-opening trip in so many ways. But it was hard to be away from Janet and Isaac for so long. You see I tried to pack him in my suitcase....

The folks who are seeking to share the Gospel in Russia certainly have their work cut out for them. The mission statement for that region (Central & Eastern Europe) is: "Hope for every heart... a church-planting movement for every people group." And hope is certainly what these folks need. Their expressionless faceless and distant looks speak of tremendous sadness and a lifelong fear and suspicion.

The Kremlin. When a Russian woman was asked why all the "intellectuals" who wanted revolution fled Russia in the 1920s instead of embracing the communist ideology they said they wanted, she replied, "What we wanted was revolution. What we got was terror." What a sad history.

St. Basil's cathedral and night. Beautiful!

This Orthodox cathedral, Church of Christ the Redeemer, was destroyed by the communists and actually turned into a community swimming pool. When religious freedom was restored to Russia money was collected to restore the cathedral to its original beauty.

A typical street in Moscow.

Uzbekistani pottery. I brought Janet back a plate. Each piece is hand-painted and so detalied.

Apparently Moscow and Russia are known for bears. These poor souls are kept just outside a major tourist market for cheap, silly pictures. I guess it's sort of a Russia Gatlinburg... pose with the bear. It's just plain tragic. I DID NOT pay for this picture!

Riding the METRO. You might imagine that I, along with my other American co-workers, stuck out a lot. Americans are pretty loud and border on obnoxious. Those of you who have ever traveled with me know that's a pretty accurate description of how I tackle the countries I travel to.

Catching up....

2007-11-23T18:33:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends. Happy Thanksgiving! We hope that each and every one of you had a very special holiday yesterday. Grandmother Hood-- or Gigi, as Isaac is learning to call her-- came up from Atlanta, and we've had a wonderful time with her here. Isaac is her first and only great-grandchild and she's enjoyed making memories with him.

We know it's been a very long time since we've blogged and many or most of you feel clueless about life for the Hoods in the past couple months. So we'll try to update y'all with the latest on life with our little boy. Thanks for reading....

Our Pumpkin in the Pumpkin Patch

2007-11-23T18:31:00.000-05:00

Lazy & Educational Sunday Afternoon

2007-10-09T20:22:00.000-05:00

Visit to Uncle Gardner's-- Blue Ridge Mountains

2007-10-09T20:01:00.001-05:00

Our good friend and former neighbor, Gardner, has been building this home in the Blue Ridge Mountains for almost as long as we've known him... 3 years! Many times we've wondered if the house and the "glorious" mountain views he often told us about even existed. But Gardner didn't exaggerate even a little. It's incredible! And it's a wonderful retreat from the madness of the city. We enjoyed our time with him and at his new home so much. Thanks Gardner!

This is the view from the upstairs deck! Imagine waking up to this every day.

Country roads.... This is Gardner's 1/2 mile driveway.

The "Mountain Man" himself... and his dog Angie.

Isaac got to enjoy cool mountain air for the first time in his life; he loved it!

Reagan loved it too. And he loved playing with Angie, romping through the woods, chasing sticks and wasps (yeah, he's not the brightest light in the harbor), and peeing on everything that didn't move. He was meant for the mountains.

Lion King

2007-10-09T19:54:00.000-05:00

Okay, so we got TONS of pictures of Isaac in his lion towel, so be thankful only 2 pictures made it on the blog. He looked like he was part of some Ugandan tribal ritual.

Isaac- Son of Laughter

2007-10-05T09:26:00.000-05:00

We are firm believers that children take on the meaning of their names. And Isaac is no exception. Some of the things we've read say that he should just be starting to laugh and smile spontaneously. But he's been doing that for several weeks. And we pray that laughter and joy will mark his little life always.

Florida blood

2007-10-05T09:23:00.001-05:00

Our little boy is a Virginian by birth, but he's got Florida blood running through his veins. These pictures are proof. Doesn't he look like his PeePaw (my dad)... or Rick Warren!?

Anne's birthday

2007-09-25T05:16:00.000-05:00

The night I was born my dad was away at the Southern Baptist Convention. Now, I came right on time, but for some reason he was convinced that I would wait until he got back in town. I didn't. Thankfully, though, my godmother, Anne, was there to drive my mom to the hospital. And in so many ways, Anne & Hulyn have been there ever since. In fact, they surprised us and traveled all the way to Richmond to be here for Isaac's grand entrance into this world. They have always been precious friends and in so many ways have inspired the pilgrimage Janet and I are now own, as I watched them travel all over the world and share the love of Christ. Today is Anne's birthday. Happy Birthday, Anne. We love you!

Don't you love this kid!?

2007-09-24T18:18:00.000-05:00

Dad said when Isaac was born that he isn't my toy. Yeah, I beg to differ. Any chance I get to make Isaac talk or sing or dance, I take it. As well, I've been known to put his diaper (of course clean) on his head and call him George Washington. Or, when I'm changing him for bed I sometimes pull his onesie off up to his head and make him look like a shepherd or an Arab Bedouin:). Isaac just smiles and laughs (and Janet sighs)... he's got a lifetime of this ahead of him. As for dad, all I can say is that the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree.

As for this shot, I really resisted the urge to put a cigar in his hand. He looks so chilled out... like he's anticipating a very exciting game of Wheel O' Fortune.

Multiple times since Isaac's birth 2 months ago he's looked at me with an expression that says, "How exactly were you allowed to be my dad!?" This is one of those faces. Some of you may be asking same question.

What are blogs for?

2007-09-23T15:18:00.000-05:00

What are blogs for? I said when I started this that our purporse was to share stories of Isaac. In fact, there are multiple stories it seems I've started and not returned to. However, the passing days bring new journey that takes precedence over what was intended for this site. Like this past week; there's so much I need to get out... to talk about. It's a little soon, but writing helps me process. And I need to process these days. Thanks for taking the time to read....

Moses writes in Psalm 90: "Teach us, O LORD, to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Well, numbering my days is actually what I've been doing. It turns out, you already know, that there was no pulmonary embolism but instead something related to my GI tract that is causing issues. So I really didn't stare death in the face any more this past week than at any other time in my life. But it sure felt like I did... repeatedly. On Monday the doctor said a clot had lodged in my lung and that it had to pass through my heart to get there. He continued with the startling and not so gentle announcement, "Yeah, if it had been any bigger it would have killed you." His coolness and dismissive nature angered and troubled me. This was my life he was talking about. I'm only 30. Janet and I have been married less than 3 years. We have a 2 month-old. How could he act so callous. Death, though, is, in fact, part of life. That wasn't God's plan from the beginning. His Word, the Bible, is very clear about that. Life was to be lived in complete joy and sweet fellowship with Him forever. And how thankful we are, as followers of Jesus Christ, that Heaven will be just that, as God always intended it to be. Again, in Scripture we're comforted with the truth that "to be absent from the body is to be present with the LORD". And Jesus said that He has prepared a place for us that where He is we might be forever. What incredible and abiding truth!!

Still, I have to say I wasn't ready to go. Now, I'm confident that Heaven awaits me after death because of the grace and mercy of God expressed through Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross. But I still wasn't ready. As I held our little Isaac I wept at the thought of missing him growing up, not being there for baseball games and someone else teaching him to fish. My heart ached at the thought of Janet becoming a widow at 29; who would walk beside her, with whom would she share her life? What 30 year-old has to even think of these things. Part of this whole experience seemed so unfair. The other part pure divine. For God redeems all things and really does "work all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes". Numbering our days, as Moses ask of God, is an important part of this journey of walking with Jesus.

So many times growing up my parents shared the little poem, "Only one life twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last." Walking the 5th floor halls of Henrico Doctor's Hospital I started praying and asking Christ about what might last when my life was over. And I discovered as He gently walked me through the pages of my life's story a tremendous sense of mediocrity and complacency. Oh, there's always a desire in me for something more... to be a better husband, father, son, brother, friend, student, employee. But I've been content to look to another day, somewhere ahead, when I might be all that God has created me to be. A day when the purpose God ordained for my life is fulfilled. Well, today is that day.... Life for me has become about the next 5 minutes. There is no surety or promise in tomorrow. It may never come. All we have is really right now. And that's where I must live radically and passionately and totally for the glory of God.

Moses asks that God would teach us to number our days so that we might gain a heart of wisdom. What is wisdom? I've heard wisdom defined as: seeing life from God's perspective. And that seems right. I'm easily distracted and tragically satisfied by the silliest and most temporal things. God calls me to incredible intimacy with Him, and I settle for the next season of Survivor. God calls me to make His Gospel known among the nations, and I settle for being a "good neighbor". God calls me to feast on His Word, and I settle for devotional thoughts on the radio or a few minutes reading before rushing out the door. But seeing life from God's perspective means that I understand the wonder of knowing Him and being His and living in complete abandon to Him. Funny thing is that this is a lesson I thought I had already learned while studying at Berry College or living in the deserts of Chad. How gracious our God is to patiently teach us again and to continually draw us deeper into fellowship with Him.

The words of Annie Flint's hymn capture so much of what I'm thinking and feeling:

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials he multiplies peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

Home... Thanks for praying

2007-09-20T10:36:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been a long and trying week. But it's been good and we're so thankful for God's goodness, His presence, and His grace. Turn out that my pulmonary embolism was misdiagnosis. After meeting with the Pulmonologist, he was very suspect that my symptoms were indicative or a clot. So he ordered a CT scan and that showed very clearly that there was NO embolism, nor was there any reason to suspect there ever was one. Either way, God really used this season of rest to draw me closer to Himself, and I'm so thankful for that. Some times He really does "MAKE us lie down in green pastures". And indeed that's what He did to me.

I am home with Janet and Isaac and am thrilled to be here. We are resting today and recuperating. I have A LOT of medication in me that will take some time to where off, so that's first on the list of things to do. Janet has been an incredible trooper through all of this, balancing taking care of Isaac and taking care of me like a pro. Of course we had tremendous help from folks in our church and folks from work. It's great to have "family" here in Richmond!! We welcome your calls but do ask that you might wait a couple days to do so. E-mails are always a blessing. Thanks for standing in the gap for us. We love you.

In the hospital... please pray

2007-09-19T09:07:00.000-05:00

I'll get back to the Alabama story eventually. There are some more great pictures that need to be posted. But I've been traveling and involved in a lot of other things lately and haven't been able to do it.

Another issue we're facing is that I was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism in my right lung. And I've been in the hospital since Monday, September 17th. The doctor's aren't certain about how it arrived but are working to make sure it doesn't happen again. Please pray for wisdom, patience, and rest in the Lord. I meet with a pulmonologist this morning and that should shed some more light on where we go from here. Pray for Janet. Pray for Isaac. This is a new journey... especially since this isn't the kind of thing you expect to hear at 30. But we know that God is sovereign and has purpose for all things.

Road Trip: Sweet Home Alabama- Post 1

2007-09-03T20:16:00.001-05:00

I had to teach the introductory course for Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (http://www.perspectives.org/) in Auburn and Montgomery, Alabama last Monday and Tuesday nights. So we decided that a family road trip was in order since Janet's family lives in Dothan. Visiting her family was especially important this time because her dad had not had a chance to meet Isaac. Mr. Sewell just returned home from a year in Iraq with the Alabama National Guard. And before he left for his tour of duty he specifically requested another grandbaby by the time he got back. Well, he got his request.

We started our journey on Friday, August 24th, at around 9:30 in the morning. That's about as early as we could manage with a 5-week-old.

I've decided to call our mini-van the man-van. I'll have to agree with some friends who lamented when they got a mini-van that their "cool days" were over. However, get a load of all that space. You can fit that much junk in a Honda Accord!!

Janet and Isaac look excited about our journey... Isaac's first departure from Virginia and into the true South.
Yeah, Reagan wasn't quite as excited. He did get his on air condition vent, and that seemed to make life a bit easier. Bless him.

Wal-Mart in Waynesboro, VA, was the first place we pulled off to feed Isaac. While Janet was taking care of filling him up, I filled up on need supplies. You've got to love Wal-Mart. They all have EVERYTHING!

Our next stop wasn't too much farther down the road, but scenery throughout southwestern Virginia was beautiful and we enjoyed the ride a lot. And we had some good food along the way too.

After lunch we loaded back up in the man-van and got back on the road. Once again, we didn't make a lot of mileage, but at least we entered new territory: Tennessee. Go Volunteers!

The trip took a lot longer than usual. Normally we make it to Atlanta in 9 hours and then on to Dothan in 3 more. Well, the first day of our trip we only made it to the other side of Knoxville, TN. Turns out that there was some kind of tremendous motorcycle meet in the Knoxville area, so it was quite a challenge to find lodging; a challenge that was made more complicated by having Reagan with us. But eventually we found a place to lay our weary heads. And that was at the Super 8, which was a bit of a surprise since Janet and I are pretty committed Hampton Inn patrons. Growing up, though, family vacations ALWAYS included staying at Super 8, so it was a little nostalgic to sleep under that glowing yellow sign.

Would you believe it was actually very comfortable and clean. And with our AAA discount, it was only about $50 for the night. That's not a bad deal.

Couldn't wait!

2007-09-03T20:03:00.000-05:00

Janet, Isaac and I just returned from a 10 day trip to Alabama. And I'm working on a post to show you some of the highlights down there and in route. In the meantime, I'm going to post a couple of shots that are too adorable to wait for. Can you believe how much our little man has grown already!?! He'll be six weeks old on Wednesday....

Bath time... for real

2007-08-11T19:22:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know the picture from the bathtub box threw some of you off several weeks ago. But this time the pictures really are of Isaac. Isn't he adorable!? He was cracking us up! As the weeks have progressed Janet and I have become more skilled at bathing him... not a lot more but at least some. We still get water everywhere, but now that his little belly button cord has fallen off we can actually submerge him in the tub. And that's just tons easier.

Eat... sleep... poop

2007-08-03T18:16:00.001-05:00

Everyone knows that babies only eat, sleep and poop. That makes documenting the average day a little difficult because it would be indecent to photograph Isaac eating, and it's pretty yucky to photograph him pooping. So that just leaves sleeping, and we got some great pictures today!

We did manage to catch him with his eyes open a few times too....

Our boy's first week

2007-08-02T20:42:00.001-05:00

Lots of folks have asked about pictures, and I promise that I'm trying to find a way to post them all on-line so that they are easier to view. In the meantime let me share these....

Our son Isaac

2007-07-28T16:28:00.000-05:00

Last Tuesday afternoon Janet had a doctor's appointment. She was just past her due date, but because of the potential size of the baby, the doctor wanted to induce and felt Janet coming into the hospital on Tuesday evening was a good idea, so that they could prepare her body to be induced the following morning. That was quite a shock to us, but we returned homed, finished packing bags and doing other things around the house, then headed to St. Mary's Hospital around 4:00pm.

When we checked in, Janet was hardly dilated. In fact, she'd been at the same place in dilation for weeks. The doctor administered drugs to soften her cervix for induction and we anticipated a rather uneventful evening; I even tried to find a Blockbuster Video so that Janet and I could watch movies while we waited. As the night wore on Janet became more and more uncomfortable. Her body was consistently and painfully contracting, but the contractions were sort of dismissed by the hospital staff as cramps-- a side effect of the medication. At 3:30 in the morning Janet just could not take the pain anymore and asked for an epidural in order that she might get some kind of sleep. That turned out to be a very smart request. Around 6:30, the nurses were going to give the medication for induction, but when they examined her, she was 7-8 centimeters dilated. That was a huge surprise!! The doctor came in and was very excited; she had told Janet many times that a "natural" delivery would be almost impossible and had really geared us to expect a c-section, but she also admitted her job was humbling and that she liked being wrong. Still, she had concern that the baby's head was too high. However, when she came back a few hours later, she examined Janet and said, "Uh, his head is right here... let's get ready to push." And push Janet did!!

In about 45 minutes Isaac left the warmth and protection and safety of the womb and slipped into this world in one of the most miraculous moments of my life. Nothing could have prepared me for the tremendous experience of watching my little boy's life begin. And nothing could have prepared me for the deep and abiding sense of love and respect and pride and joy for my wife. She is truly an incredible woman. And she will be an incredible mom. She is my heart and the purest reflection of Christ to me.

We had been praying fervantly that Janet would not have to have a c-section and that she would not have to be induced. That the Lord answered that prayer so specifically and thoroughly blessed us beyond words, and it was great to get to share with those we encountered in the hospital that He is faithful to answer the prayers of His children.

We named our son Timothy Isaac and call him Isaac. Timothy means: "one who honors God" and Isaac means: "son of promise, son of laughter". Our prayer for this precious lamb is that he will honor God with his life, bringing joy and laughter to the nations as he proclaims the marvelous grace and mercy of God through Christ Jesus.

What you've been waiting for!

2007-07-26T12:26:00.001-05:00

Well, the story of our little boy's birth is incredible, and I will try to write it out soon. But for now let me just take time to announce (to those of you who haven't read my parents e-mail:)) that our son, Timothy Isaac Hood, was born July 25th, at 11:46 in the morning. He weighed in at a chunky 9.9lbs and is 21 inches long. He is healthy and fat and the cutest kid in the world!!! See for yourself....

Mom and baby are doing great- Praise Jesus! And I'm doing just fine too:). Thanks again to so many of you who prayed with us through this sweet journey....

Overdue

2007-07-24T08:42:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was the due date for the Hoodlet's arrival. But he made no appearance. Nor is he giving even the least bit of a sign that he plans on making an appearance anytime soon. Bless him. He's just too content to stay in his mama's tummy.

We have a doctor's appointment this afternoon. Hopefully that will shed some light on what's going on in there. Then tomorrow they will induce if nothing has changed. So we're thinking that no matter how he actually comes into this world, we're going to be holding our little boy in our arms by tomorrow evening. Many of you reading this blog have prayed so faithfully for him and for us, and we are very grateful. Please continue to do so in the days ahead.

Birthday Boy!

2007-07-22T13:59:00.001-05:00

While we've been waiting for our little Hoodlet to arrive we celebrated the 3rd birthday of another little boy who is very special to us... our godson, Samuel.

Can you tell that he's a big Thomas the Tank Engine fan!?

This was his cake. If you were 3, and you had a cake this cool, wouldn't you think Jesus Himself had baked it for you!? I mean, cakes just don't get any cooler than this. Of course Samuel's parents had to talk to him for several days prior to the party about the reality of eating Thomas the Tank Engine. Yeah... he was okay with it:).

Baby's first bath

2007-07-20T10:31:00.000-05:00

Check out our baby's first bath. Isn't he adorable!?! We told y'all he was big... like the size of a 3 month old. Okay, okay. I'm kidding. This isn't our baby at all. In fact, we have no idea who he is. Our friend Jonny B (who is just a tab bit on the crazy side) took a picture of the box our baby bath came in. It's amazing how life like he looks.

Our baby is still in the oven. Janet went back to the doctor yesterday, and there still isn't any new news. But we really are just fine with that and know he'll come in God's perfect timing. While we wait, there's still some "nesting" to be done, so Janet's got quite a long list going. I'm staying busy and out of the way....

This kid is big... but slow

2007-07-11T15:38:00.000-05:00

Janet's due date isn't technically until July 23rd, but because the baby is bigger (he is now measuring 8.12 lbs.) and Janet is not, we thought surely he would come early. And he still might. He's so active sometimes it's as if he's already here.

Last Saturday night it really seemed like the Hoodlet was on his way. Janet started having contractions the evening before and all through the night and all day Saturday. After dinner the contractions were getting more painful and much closer together. We made sure the bags were packed, the van full of gas, and enough card games to last through 2-3 days in the hospital. Around 10:00 Janet's contractions were about 5-6 mins. apart. She called the doctor and we were told to come on into the hospital. So we did. Once we got there the stubborn little kid decided he wasn't going anywhere and the contractions spaced back out to 10-15 mins apart... then even longer. So we walked the halls of the hospital for a couple of hours, staring longingly at the sweet little bundles in the nursery and wondering when our little lamb would be in there. However, it seems not any time soon. We came home early Sunday morning and crashed into bed. I told Janet not to wake me up unless she was screaming in pain!

The contractions are still continuing. We had yet another doctor's appointment today and the doctor told us this period is called "latent labor". I think they sometimes make these names up on the spot to pacify anxious and annoying parents. Anyway, "latent labor" can last from hours to weeks depending on mom and baby. So... no baby... not yet. We did decide today, though, that if the baby doesn't come by the 23rd, we will induce on the 25th. That's seems like good news; at least we have some goal, other than eternity, in sight. I did ask the nurse if scheduling an induction was kind of like going to bathroom when you're waiting for a table at a restaurant. You know how that goes: you put your name on the list and the hostess tells you it'll be 30 mins. At about 10 mins you excuse yourself to the bathroom and return to find the rest of your party has been seated. It's magic. Maybe the same thing will happen with this delivery. Now that we're scheduled for an induction Janet has to go into labor any minute....

Prego... It's In There!

2007-07-07T09:15:00.000-05:00

Janet has received multiple nicknames throughout pregnancy. She has sweetly smiled in response to some... physically winced in response to others. Prego was one of the "others". As you might imagine, that only tempted to me to use it more; I have way too much of my father in me. Anyway, here are some of my favorite Prego pictures of Janet....

Getting ready for our Peanut

2007-06-07T18:30:00.000-05:00

You know, I've heard lots of stories of fathers assembling baby cribs, cussin' and fussin' and kickin' the wall, trying to get all the pieces to fit exactly together. But ours went together in about 5 minutes without any problem at all. And I had no pieces left over. Now, the kid may fall right to the ground the first time we put him in, but I'm hoping it'll be sturdy enough. Besides, we learned in baby class that newborns are pretty durable. If he can come successfully through the birth canal, he can handle a little tumble on the floor (I'm just kidding, Mother).

Janet helped some too....

And Reagan wanted to...:)

Please pass the Geritol....

2007-06-06T20:46:00.000-05:00

My parents have had a blog for over 2 years. That's right, though in their early 60s they're hip and cool and blogging. Janet and I drive a minivan, enjoy Jeopardy, try to go to bed at 9:00pm and find Microsoft Outlook to be quite a challenge. Oh, and the doctor said I'm developing arthritis. Apparently we're the ones who are old and out-of-touch with this technological age. But we have a baby-- a little boy-- on the way that is sure to quickly launch us right into modernity, whether we like it or not. In fact, he's really the reason for this blog spot. Our life presently is positively fascinating to the two of us, but it's probably not worthy of a Barbara Walters Special or even a blog. However, our little peanut is going to be stellar! Everyone is going to be pure spell-bound but the stories of his little life told here. So stay tuned to what's going on in the neighborHOOD....