Dale and Mel

Stories like this make my day

2008-01-16T12:08:00.000-08:00

Melissa called me at work this morning and shared this story with me...

The dishwasher door was open this morning (the cycle had recently finished, so the dishes were cooling) when Noah went to put his cup on the sink. He decided to use the open door to step a little higher (what three year old boy can resist, right?).

The whole dishwasher unit tilted back before the hinge hyperextended (fortunately the hinge is made to take this kind of abuse) and apparently gave Noah quite a scare (in addition to the adjusting feedback that he received when Melissa found what he had done.

But here's where it get cool; a few minutes later, Melissa overheard Noah praying and asking God to help him to do better next time.

Guys' Night

2007-09-04T21:07:00.000-07:00

Noah and Daddy had their first guys' night out tonight. They went to dinner at Denny's, and Daddy took some pictures of Noah enjoying his chicken moons and stars. Noah was really excited about the rocket ship cup, and ran in to show Mommy first thing when they got home. Olivia and Mommy had a girls' night in, where we ate corndogs together, and then drew and played with stickers. It was fun for all of us. It was still 'toddler-speed', but it was a taste of things to come. I really look forward to having these special one-on-one times as our kids get older.

Now that¹s sour!

2007-08-17T22:07:00.001-07:00

Like all kids, Noah and Olivia love candy. We don’t feel too bad about giving them an occasional “Ice Breakers Sour”, since they’re sugar free and don’t get their hands all sticky.

This evening, on the way home after dinner with Grandma and Papa (who are in town for a short visit), I handed Noah and Olivia each a piece of candy. No less than a minute later, Noah started screaming. We soon learned that he had decided to “hide” his candy for later – IN HIS NOSE!

Of course, I thought that we should go to the ER to have Noah ‘de-candied’, since it was not visible at all, and vigorous blowing didn’t help at all, but cooler heads prevailed (thanks, Grandma Charla!) and we decided that we could allow the candy to, uh, dissolve.

After we came home, Noah calmed down quite a bit, and the crisis seems to have passed. (For our bedtime reading tonight, we got out our book “The Holes in Your Nose” which reminds us that ‘your nose is not a pocket, so don’t put anything in it!’ Hopefully Noah will remember that.)

At LAST! (Well, sort of...)

2007-08-04T19:25:00.000-07:00

We have been working diligently to get Noah to poop on the toilet, but have had no success... until today, that is! Usually when we ask him if he will poop on the potty, he says "No, I have to get bigger first". We have asked his pediatrician in front of him if he is big enough to poop on the toilet, and she told us that he is; we have spent entire days setting the timer every half hour and then getting him to sit on the toilet, but he manages to do his thing between 'sessions'; we have even BRIBED him (for shame!) with a really great toy if he will do it, but he refuses, and we end up with a poopy diaper when we're not looking. This saga has been going on for, literally, months.
Today, however, Noah was sitting on the toilet to pee, when he said (very excitedly) "Mommy, I'm going to try to poop right now. I FEEL it!" So of course we rushed in, told him "Way to GO! You can DO it!" and held our breaths. Immediately we heard something hit the water, but when we looked in, what did we see but the world's smallest poop, ever. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I guess this is typically Noah - everything at his own pace (and size...).

Slip-Sliding Away

2007-07-23T13:35:00.001-07:00

Melissa relayed a great story about her trip to the grocery store
with Noah last night...

After deciding he was finished riding in the "car" cart at
Albertson's, he asked Melissa if he could get out and walk. After he
got out, he proceeded to run for a few steps and slide on the floor,
belly first. I think that Melissa even said that he had his hands at
his sides. It was all that she could do to keep from laughing while
explaining to him that he shouldn't do this.

Melissa and I tried to think where he could have some up with the
idea that he could do this, and the only thing I could come up with
is the penguins short from the movie Madagascar. I so much want to
ask, but I'm afraid that I'll just encourage him to do it again.

Oh, and apparently he slides much further on the hardwood floor of
the Albertson's bakery than on the linoleum throughout the rest of
the store.

Daddy, can you get the hair out of my face?

2006-12-11T12:44:00.001-08:00

I love my daughter, and I really should take the time to learn how to properly put her hair in a scrunchy/hair tie/rubber-band at the the top of her head, but I will readily admit that most of the time I let it hang in her face. (Occasionally I will clip it to the side.)

I know that to everyone else she probably looks like a rag-a-muffin (not to me, of course), but she never seems to mind.

Seatbelt, Mommy!

2006-12-04T21:22:00.000-08:00

When Noah was little, Melissa encouraged him to always remind her to put on her seatbelt. Today, he found a funny way to remind her. It went like this:

Noah: Mommy, I have a question.

Melissa: Ok, what's your question?

Noah: It's called, "Put on your seatbelt."

2006-09-25T13:09:00.000-07:00

Some friends of ours were asking whether we had any more recent pics of the kids. Yes we do, and here are a couple.

2006-08-24T20:42:00.000-07:00

Tonight as I was walking out of the kids room after I put Noah to bed, I heard Noah tell his sister, "I love you, Olivia." This kid never ceases to amaze me.

Noah's idea of a smile

2006-06-29T14:28:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, when I ask Noah to smile, I sometimes get this:

Squint

Blogged with Flock

My, what big ears you have!

2006-06-20T18:52:00.000-07:00

Ears
Originally uploaded by flannelbored.

I took this shot on Easter Sunday, 2006

What a smile!

2006-06-20T18:50:00.000-07:00

Smile
Originally uploaded by flannelbored.

Tricycle Riding

2006-06-20T12:56:00.000-07:00

Tricycle Riding
Originally uploaded by flannelbored.

Noah still hasn't totally got the hang of riding the trike yet, but he's working on it!

Tricycle Assembly

2006-06-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

Tricycle Assembly
Originally uploaded by flannelbored.

For Noah's second birthday, we picked up a little red tricycle, and took it with us when we went to visit Papa Jeff and Grandma Charla. They had a blast putting it together.

Glasses

2006-06-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

Glasses
Originally uploaded by flannelbored.

While hanging out with my parents, Noah found this old pair of kid's sunglasses that were missing the lenses. Obviously, Noah didn't care that the lenses were absent.

Noah & Melissa (with a new do!)

2006-03-11T20:31:00.000-08:00

Noah & Melissa (with a new doo!)
Originally uploaded by flannelbored.

Melissa caved in and got the 'Mommy haircut', which should make getting ready in the morning a little easier.

Olivia & Dale

2006-03-11T20:25:00.000-08:00

Olivia & Dale
Originally uploaded by flannelbored.

Mommy's favorite picture (so far!) of Daddy and Liv.

Hat Trick

2006-02-16T15:16:00.000-08:00

Hat Trick
Originally uploaded by flannelbored.

Tim E. took this with his Digital SLR. Maybe someday I will get a digital SLR. Maybe when Tim gets a new one. ;-)

Socks!

2005-12-12T12:30:00.000-08:00

Socks!
Originally uploaded by flannelbored.

Noah was (not surprisingly) unable to get his socks on, but at least he's giving it a good try. Of course, a trip to the park is pretty good motivation.

Me and the kids

2005-12-12T12:23:00.000-08:00

Me and the kids
Originally uploaded by flannelbored.

This is a typical scene, not because they both want me to hold them at the same time, but because anytime I'm holding Olivia, Noah has to join in on the fun.

Still, I'm getting fairly proficient at hoisting Noah up with my free hand.

Noahs New Hat

2005-11-15T13:44:00.000-08:00

Noahs New Hat
Originally uploaded by flannelbored.

My boy is *such* a character!

Olivia looking outside

2005-11-02T14:15:00.000-08:00

Olivia looking outside
Originally uploaded by flannelbored.

I love this picture of Olivia looking outside. It was our second choice for the birth annoucements that we sent out.

woof woof

2005-11-01T12:15:00.000-08:00

woof woof
Originally uploaded by flannelbored.

We did not take him trick-or-treating, but Noah did put on a dalmation costume, which we borrowed from some friends.

And in case you're wondering, we had zero kids some to the door for candy. I guess it's out of vogue. No worries, though; more candy for me.

Tender Moment with Mommy

2005-10-31T20:54:00.000-08:00

Tender Moment with Mommy
Originally uploaded by flannelbored.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Melissa and Olivia.

Announcement Picture

2005-10-31T20:36:00.000-08:00

olivia.announcement.JPG
Originally uploaded by flannelbored.

This is the photo that we will be including with the birth announcements we are sending out. Olivia is eleven days old.

A few pictures of Olivia

2005-10-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

Resting in the warmer.

Sharing a few moments with daddy.

Sleeping.

On the way home.

Proud Father.

Going home

2005-10-20T18:16:00.000-07:00

The bilirubin test is back, and the count was 7.5, so we're getting packed up and will be on our way.

Bilirubin Tests

2005-10-20T17:35:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read that right; I said tests.

In order for us to leave the hospital, Olivia must pass a bilirubin count test. A count of 8 is a pass, and to complete the test, the lab needs two cc's of blood, which they collect from a heel prick.

Apparently Olivia doesn't "bleed" well, so she had to be pricked about four times to get enough blood the first time around. When the test results came back, the count was 10, but the lab said that the blood was a bit coagulated, which may have contributed to a high reading. So, another two heel pricks, and now the second "draw" is done. We probably won't have the test results for a couple of hours, but we're hoping to be able to sleep in our own bed tonight, even if it's not for very long.

Olivia Dayle

2005-10-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

Olivia Dayle Lee was born today (October 19, 2005) at 4:30 in the afternoon. She weighed in at a ten pounds one ounce, and was twenty one and one quarter inches.

Baby is here!

2005-10-19T16:37:00.000-07:00

At 4:30 PM, our daughter was born. Now, those of you reading it here, don't go spoiling the surprise for those who don't read the blog!

Labor Beginning

2005-10-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

It looks like the walking has helped. Contractions have begun, though they don't seem to be very regular. They are getting stronger, though. More details as they occur.

Breaking of the waters

2005-10-19T12:27:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a quick run home for lunch. Dr. Garcia is here and they are going to break Melissa's bag o' waters.

Apparently Melissa wants me to point out that I have a purple striped wristband to signify that I'm an expectant father.

--

Water's broken and they should start the next round of antib any minute now, and we'll probably try to walk around a bit.

Antibiotic joy

2005-10-19T10:21:00.000-07:00

Can't you just feel the sarcasm?

The antibiotics normally used to treat group b strep is ampicillin, but since Melissa is alergic to penicillin, they have substituted erythromycin.

The only down side is that instead of waiting four hours for the second treatment, they need to wait six. Which means 12:30PM until the second dose and the breaking of the waters.

So while we wait, I've fired up the laptop and we're letting iPhoto run a slideshow of pictures we've taken of Noah (yes, all 3500+ of them). This should keep us busy for a couple of hours. It's not like we're going anywhere.

Now that we're situated...

2005-10-19T08:28:00.000-07:00

...I snapped this pic.

Getting a bit of rest

2005-10-19T08:22:00.000-07:00

I went down to the cafeteria here in the hospital for some breakfast, and when I returned, Melissa was asleep. Good thing, too, since we didn't get to bed until 11:00PM last night (not tired), and she woke up before 4:00 AM (though she showed great restraint and didn't get out of bed until 4:30AM.

Hopefully she will be able to get some good rest. She will need the energy.

At the Hospital Now

2005-10-19T06:27:00.000-07:00

We're at the hospital now, and Melissa is getting the first round of antibiotics, since she has group b strep.

She's answering a load of questions from the nurse right now, and it looks like we're going to wait about four hours until we break the water.

Soon!

2005-10-19T05:13:00.000-07:00

By the end of today (hopfully much sooner), we will have delivered our second child. There is no office pool, but I think it's another boy.

Gotta run; we need to be at St. Jude's Labor and Delivery at 6:00 AM.

To grandmother's house we go...

2005-10-17T19:30:00.000-07:00

Since the baby hasn't arrived yet, tomorrow Melissa and I will take Noah to spend a few days with my mother.

On Saturday, after Melissa's mom arrives from Oklahoma, I'll probably bring him home (since Nana is coming all the way from OK, it would be a shame if Noah wasn't able to spend some time with her).

Due date is today

2005-10-17T09:41:00.000-07:00

Today (October 17) is Melissa's due date. She's having lots of brackston-hicks (sp?) contractions, but nothing that would indicate real labor.

We are scheduled to go in the morning of the 19th for induction if she hasn't had the baby by then, but in spite of our hopes, I'm guessing that it will be Wednesday.

Sick Boy

2005-10-13T22:11:00.000-07:00

Noah is sick. He came home from Grandmothers with a runny nose (probably from church), but it seems to have developed into a full blown cold. Tonight he threw up, and had a fever. We gave him some Tylenol at about 8:00 (and then again after he threw up) and now his fever is down.

Poor little guy. Makes me wish I could be sick for him, but he's a strong boy, and I'm sure that it will be good for him in the long run (even though his mommy still doesn't like the process).

Here's hoping the baby doesn't arrive before Noah is better. And that neither I nor Melissa gets whatever Noah has.

flannelbored's blog: TivOhNo!

2005-10-10T12:26:00.000-07:00

My TiVo upgrade went *mostly* according to plan. I've posted a detailed explanation: on my blog, but if you're not interested in the details, I did get it fixed.

Free Weekend

2005-10-08T12:18:00.000-07:00

Noah is at grandmother's this weekend, and Melissa and I have the weekend to ourselves. (Our last hurrah before the baby comes.)

So, we had breakfast at Bernies, and now we're at the movies waiting for the new Wallace and Grommit feature to begin.

Later tonight I'm hoping to finish up the tivo upgrade that I started yesterday, and Melissa will be out with the girls to celebrate Kari's birthday.

Runnin' Through the Grass

2005-10-06T16:24:00.000-07:00

Runnin' Through the Grass
Originally uploaded by flannelbored.

Yeah!

The ducks already got theirs. This is my bread.

2005-10-03T16:56:00.000-07:00

The ducks already got theirs. This is my bread.
Originally uploaded by flannelbored.

We took Noah to feed the ducks on my Noah's birthday. I think that he ate more bread than he tossed to the ducks. This was one of the best pics of the day.

Update: Melissa reminded me that it was actually Noah's birthday when we went to feed the ducks. Fatherhood has apparently affected my memory. (Melissa would suggest that it's not fatherhood that is the problem. ;-)

...not the child you are looking for.

2005-10-03T12:44:00.000-07:00

I am not the child you are looking for.
Originally uploaded by flannelbored.

I know that it's only a sweatshirt, but I still think he looks like a little Jedi.

Grilled Cheese. YUM!

2005-10-01T08:18:00.000-07:00

Grilled Cheese. YUM!
Originally uploaded by flannelbored.

This picture is from a visit to Sundowner's in Fontana, CA, and this is the first meal that we purchased for Noah. He definitely enjoyed the meal, and polished off the entire sandwich (and some of mommy's lunch as well).

Dale 3 (circa 1972)

2005-10-01T08:15:00.000-07:00

Dale 3 (circa 1972)
Originally uploaded by flannelbored.

This is the third picture in a strip of three that mom gave me shortly after Noah was born. He's a real chip off the old block, don't you think?

The Escape Key

2005-09-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

Any self respecting IT manager knows that it is a basic responsibility to provide your less-than-a-year-old son an old keyboard to play with and drag around the living room by the ps-2 cable.

Lest you think I stopped there, let me assure you that I did not. No, I dutifully pointed out the location of the Escape key, the Enter key, and the Space Bar to my young son, probably four or five times over the course of a week.

Imagine our surprise last night when Noah is playing with his keyboard and I ask him, "Noah, where is the Escape key?" and he reaches over and presses it. Sensing we're on a roll, I ask Noah where the Space Bar is, and as if he's performing an encore, he presses that key as well.

So, while Melissa is sitting there on the couch with a look of amazement on her face, I'm thinking to myself, "That's my boy!"

Strange Quote

2005-09-23T09:18:00.000-07:00

Melissa heard the strangest quote yesterday. Apparently a man "died from injuries sustained during a suicide attempt."

Does that mean that the life insurance company has to pay out now?

Too Early!

2005-09-22T06:46:00.000-07:00

Melissa woke up this morning @ 5:30 am and could sleep no longer. It wouldn't have been so bad if I had been able to go back to sleep, but no. So I lay in bed until 6:30, then gave in and got up. Thank the Lord for coffee; it certainly makes getting up more fun.

[composed and posted with ecto]

Technorati Tags: home

Blog consolidation

2005-09-15T17:02:00.000-07:00

Being the tech geek that I am, I have been playing with several different blog platforms, but not really posting with any regularity. I plan to rectify this and to see if I can talk Melissa into posting as well. In the next week, I hope to make this the more-oft-updated home for our personal blogs, and to place references to this blog on all those other blogs I have scattered among multiple platforms.

[composed and posted with ecto]

Technorati Tags: home

Party in the Park

2005-06-14T12:59:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday (June 11, 2005), we celebrated Noah's birthday with some friends. A good time was had by all (at least that's what they told us) and as you can probably tell by the picture below, Noah enjoyed his cake.

Happy Birthday Noah

2005-06-10T12:16:00.000-07:00

Today is Noah's first birthday. Hard to believe that it's been a whole year.

Today we're going to take him to feed the ducks at the La Mirada park, and tomorrow is the big party.

Noah's first steps

2005-06-10T12:14:00.000-07:00

Just a few days short of his first birthday, Noah took three steps yesterday (June 6). there is no video or pictures to confirm, but Melissa and I were both there to see it.

2005 Calendar

2004-12-09T11:46:00.000-08:00

Last night Melissa and I put together a calendar with pictures of Noah for the grandparents. I'm sure that it will still be a surprise, since none of them read this blog. Tim recommended Ofoto , but Shutterfly had a special going until yesterday (sorry for the late notice, right?), so we went with them.

We have some of the cutest pictures of him, and my favorite (at least right now) is this one, which was taken in Mariposa at Jeff and Charla's (Melissa's dad and step-mom). Melissa asked why the picture is my favorite. It's because the picture isn't typical of a five and a half month old. The shot is from a high angle, and it almost looks like he is standing on his own (he's actually leaning against the back of an easy chair).

Ah, toys!

2004-12-02T17:38:00.000-08:00

Noah is sitting in front of his little toy basket, completely contented. I got him up at 6:30, since the baby monitor was making sounds like he was awake. He's got about half of the toys out now, and is just playing quietly. Sometimes I'm amazed just how content he can be with the simplest of objects, whether it's the bag of baby wipes or the drawstring on my sweatshirt.

First Tooth

2004-09-09T12:45:00.000-07:00

Noah cut his first tooth yesterday. It's not fully out, but you can definitely see it.

Announcing the arrival of Noah Jefferson Lee

2004-06-10T18:35:00.000-07:00

This evening at 5:22 PM, our first child arrived. Mother and son (and dad) are doing well, but we're all a bit tired. Here is the text of the official announcement that we will be sending:

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights". - James 1:17

Noah Jefferson Lee
June 10, 2004
5:27 PM
8 pounds 14 ounces
20.5 inches

Dale and Melissa Lee

Rejoice with us in the birth of our first child!

Childbirth Classes - Done!

2004-05-11T12:47:00.000-07:00

Nearly ten weeks later, we are done with childbirth classes.

We have been taking classes in the Bradley method, also known as "Husband coached natural childbirth." The goal of the Bradley method is unmedicated childbirth, and encourages this by teaching the husband how to be an active participant in the birth process.

New Car (mostly)

2004-05-06T12:49:00.000-07:00

So we broke down and purchased a new car (2004 Honda Odyssey) a few weeks ago. Melissa was having a difficult time getting in and our of our Saturn (it's fairly low to the ground), and with the baby coming, we wanted something a bit larger in the first place. It (almost, but not quite) seems a bit extravagant that we're expecting our first child at the end of May, and now have a car that will seat seven, but we talked to quite a few friends about the convenience of a mini-van and we were really sold on it.