Finding the Groove

Life was busy before Tess. But it is safe to say that life is extraordinarily busy with an infant in addition to twin 2-year olds. Not that I'm complaining -- ok, maybe I'm whining a little bit -- but it is a reality that we have been coming face to face with these past few weeks.

Luckily Amy & I were fortunate to be able to wade into this life change slowly as we had grandmothers come to town to offer their helping hands. But inevitably you come to the point where the diving board is calling, which is what happened this afternoon as GJ returned home to Kentucky. So off the diving board we go as we are on our own with Owen, Gus & Tess. I am certain there will be days where we fall on our faces and struggle with the energy needed to raise little ones. But over the long run, we'll find that pattern -- that routine that we all get into that works for us.

One thing that always makes things more difficult is sickness. This winter the cold/flu season has just been brutal. The sickness bug prevented a much-anticipated visit this past weekend from Aunt Mel, Uncle Dude and Corinne as a menacing fever and strep throat have invaded the Crumpton household. In our house the lingering cold/congestion/cough bug that has plagued us for five weeks has spread to Tess. She has the chest congestion which leads to coughing fits which leads to her spitting up after eating. The low point was Sunday, when she got sick after nearly every feeding and became really lethargic, sleeping all day long. We got concerned enough to call the doctor's office, who recommended we take her to the emergency room for fluids.

So Amy & I trekked up to Wake Med in Raleigh on Sunday night where the doctors contemplated a battery of tests on little Tess, including a spinal tap (!) to test for meningitis. After thinking it over and consulting a pediatrician in the hospital we pushed back on the ER doctors -- we saw 4 different doctors in our six hour stint -- who eventually acquiesced and ordered a more moderate approach of blood & urine tests and IV fluids. Tess perked up and eventually nursed a couple of times. After six long hours, an exhausted set of parents brought her home around 3am.

Tess is doing better the past couple of days. Until she can completely rid herself of the chest congestion she will continue to cough and spit up. But Amy is feeding her in smaller bursts to keep her hydrated and lessen the impact when she does lose her lunch, so to speak.

The boys are adjusting to their roles as big brothers. Some days are frankly better than others. Both Owen and Gus are fine to Tess personally. It is the lack of attention they receive individually that is the issue. Gus has shown that he is going to get his attention -- positively or negatively. The question is what he has to do to receive the attention. On his good days, Gus is the life of our house -- energetically bouncing from room to room with a song or something amusing to say ("GJ, do you have a penis?") On the bad days Gus can launch into a frustrated fit that completely fills the house with negative energy. So we try to manage that the extrovert as best can. On the other hand our introverted Owen can entertain himself a little easier than his brother. So a View Master, a Diego episode, or a can of Play-Doh goes a lot longer than with Gus. That said, Owen can certainly have his moments as well when the attention in the house isn't directed where he wants it so he acts out in defiance. Such is life with developing little boys.

I think it is safe to say that Amy & I are enduring right now, trying to find our way and our new routine for how we raise three under three on a daily basis. We will find that path -- it just may take us a few iterations before we blaze it out.

Cheers!

Owen & Gus enjoyed having GJ at the house, engaging her in Play-Doh, stories, walks, and instructions on how to turn Diego on the big TV.



Play-Doh is a mainstay in our house, where making alligators, ice cubes, and forks out of clay can fill a little boys face with big smiles.



Thank heavens Baby T is truly is an easy baby so far. She is happiest on a shoulder or a chest, much more so than in a swing or bassinet....


...unless she is hungry or doesn't like our color choice for her outfit.

Patterson

Looks like my March just freed up. What a downer for this kid, Kentucky fans, and the slim chance the Cats had of making the NCAA tournament.

http://www.kentucky.com/276/story/333161.html

An X-ray of Patterson’s sore left ankle earlier Friday revealed a stress fracture of the medial malleolus bone. UK’s star freshman will not play again this season.

Paternity Leave

The past week and a half I have been fortunate enough to have time off from work for paternity leave. (My hat is off to IBM for that great benefit extended to dads.) Being home with the boys, baby & Amy has given me a lot of quality family time and an appreciation for all the domestic things that go on behind the scenes to make house and family operate. At times the commotion and chores are an alarming harbinger of the days to come as Amy & I come to terms with our future with three kids under the age of three. But fortunately we have had a lot of help from family, friends and neighbors who offer help, meals, and an ear for listening. We will get into a routine sooner or later and adjust to this big (and awesome) life change.

Grandparents are always a welcome sight at the Rutledge household. Nana was here for a couple of weeks after Tess was born, and her help was much appreciated. GJ arrived this week to get some grandmother time with Gus, Owen and Tess which is fulfilling for her and a helpful reprieve for us.

Amy is hanging in there trying to catch as much sleep as she can between Tess's feedings. Tess gave us a break last night by going five hours between feedings. (I should say she gave Amy a break as Amy obviously bears the brunt of the sleepless nights.) We try to wake her up & feed her during the day to get that little belly full in hopes of stretching out those post-midnight feedings as long as possible. We just have to tough it out until she sleeps through the night.

Outside our four walls, our attention has turned to the political primaries. I cannot remember a more interesting, gripping political race in my lifetime than the Obama/Clinton race for the Democratic nomination. After 20 debates and several primaries and caucuses, "Crucial Tuesday" as it's being billed could decide the race if Obama can pull out wins in Texas and Ohio next week. And the excitement is not just limited to the Democrats. Personally I think the Republicans have nominated -- or at least are about to nominate -- a quality person with integrity in John McCain. The general election promises to engage tens of thousands of new people to the political process and should be engaging to watch play out. Now if I can just contain my overzealousness for Obama to get my wife to jump back off the Clinton wagon....

Don't look now. But if Kentucky can somehow upset mighty Tennessee on Sunday, they have the inside track on the SEC regular season championship. (BTW, I did a double take writing that sentence during basketball season instead of football season.) Who would have thought this would even be within reach after Gardener-Webb?

Here are some Paternity Week scenes from our household. Happy Leap Day -- cheers!

There's nothing like snuggling up next to Mom for a warm winter's nap.



GJ's shoulder proves not to be half bad either.



"I'm milking them folks. These people don't stand a chance against me."



Bat the eyes. Dad jumps. Got it.

Daddy's Girl

Guess who dressed Baby T today?

Cheers!

Caretakers

The big brothers are adjusting to life with their baby sister. Gus is very much the protective, caring big brother. He fetches diapers and blankets for Tess and kisses her on the cheek. When she cries he covers his ears with concern and finds Amy and me to tell us that Tess needs something. It's pretty sweet.

Owen shows his affection for Tess in a different way. Much like his personality of the introverted observer, Owen generally doesn't show as much outward affection for Tess. Instead he proudly shows off the pictures of him with Tess to his teachers at preschool. Both boys have their moments where they want individual attention and act out. But that is to be expected. Tonight the boys showed a really cool moment of looking out for their little sister.

Cheers!

Honeymoon

I remember one of the first nights after we brought the boys home from the hospital. Amy & I were so relieved to have them out of the NICU and have them in our house. The boys were sleeping in their pack-n-play with their bellies full. Amy & I relaxed by cooking a nice dinner & pouring a glass of wine to toast our new family. Naively, I commented that if this was what having kids was going to be like that we could do this without too much turmoil.

Then of course babies stop sleeping in between feedings. They learn to walk, talk, push -- both each other and their parents' patience -- and on and on. I know now that that those first several days were a honeymoon period that don't last forever.

Amy & I are in the honeymoon phase right now with Tess. She only cries when she is hungry, and as soon as she eats she goes right back to sleep. Add to that the fact that we have been fortunate enough to have Amy's mom here since Tess was born. So while Amy is pretty fatigued as she bears the brunt of the late night and early morning feeding schedule, we still have it relatively easy at this stage.

The honeymoon stage will be over at some point. But we'll adapt as parents do. For now we're eating it up.

Cheers!

Tess looks a bit like Rocky Balboa with her right eye swollen shut & weeping. At first we thought it was pink eye. But now we are hoping it was just aggravated from her flailing arms scratching it. Here she is with her first bath.


The calm before the storm. Tess was not a fan of being unswaddled & bathed. She defintely prefers to be wrapped up in one of the blankets friends and family have made for her.


So far Tess isn't much of a grinner -- except with the occasional gas. But we managed to catch a grin here -- definitely my favorite picture of her so far.


The boys are quite the helpers with their baby sister. Owen & Gus deposited Sally car and Lightning McQueen in her car seat in case Tess woke up to play cars with them. And a toilet brush in case she...um....well, they gave her a toilet brush. How sweet.

Homecoming

Amy & I brought Tess home from the hospital this past weekend to two anxious boys and four proud grandparents. The boys were waiting at the top of the street for us wearing their "I'm the Big Brother" shirts, courtesy of Amy's friend Julie. The boys have had a mixed reaction to Tess so far. At first they were very excited to see her and their parents, as they crouched down in the driveway to inspect the new arrival. As the weekend wore on (and their cough/congestion bug lingered) their patience withered for this little pink invader. By Sunday morning, Owen's comment was "Dad, I want to hit Tess. I want to hurt her." So we have some building to do with the boys -- their little worlds have been turned upside down with the events of the past several days.

Amy & I try to make sure Owen & Gus get some 1-on-1 time each day so they don't feel (too) left out. Gus really showed his tender heart this morning by bringing a balloon downstairs for Tess and clipping it on to her blanket. Then he proceeded to kiss his sister before his hacking and coughing forced his exit from the room. So there are signs of progress....

Tess got a great report from her first visit to the pediatrician yesterday. She is already back up to her birth weight, indicating how well she has taken to eating. She is nursing about every 2-3 hours which keeps Amy busy and fatigued. But overall Amy has recovered well from the delivery. She is obviously tired as she tries to sleep when she can. But we are trying to get her to take advantage of the help around the house while she can. I will say that we have walked Tucker around the block together the past two nights which is the first time that has happened in ages.

Three of the grandparents have left the scene as GJ and Pappy ventured down to see their granddaughter Corinne in Charleston and Billy returned to his FEMA job in Oklahoma. Nana will be staying with us for a while to lend a willing helping hand.

Cheers!


Proud Dad & Mom leave the hospital with Baby Tess.


The Big Brothers survey the new crying bundle of pink.

The boys were intrigued by their little sister. It will take some time for them to completely warm up to her, but we're on our way.

Tess, Day Two

Tess's birth and first two days have been such a different experience for Amy and me than what we had with Owen & Gus. With the boys being premature the doctors and nurses swept them away in an incubator the second they were born. For the first two weeks of their lives Amy & I came to the hospital every day to visit the boys in the NICU. We scrubbed our hands clean, put on hospital gowns, sorted through the maze of wires that were attached to their bodies, and negotiated the beeping monitors in order to bond with Owen and Gus. So while we certainly formed a bond with the boys, it was much more of a process to endure than this time around. From the moment Tess was born and cleared for landing, the nurse handed her back to us and said, "Here's your daughter, congratulations."

The past two days for us have been wonderful because everything has stopped. Nana, Granddaddy, GJ and Pappy are all here to help take care of the boys -- and my how Amy & I are grateful to have the grandparents taking care of under-the-weather boys. Dealing with work and the sea of unread emails is a distant worry far out of our minds. The singular focus of the past two days has been parent and child. What a fantastic way to spend the day.


Amy B cradles her bundle.

Tess and Dad share a nap.

Nana and Granddaddy get a glimpse of their new granddaughter.

Tess is no match for GJ's shoulder...

...nor Pappy's.

Amy & I so wanted the boys to bond with their new sister that we braved their cruddy coughs for five minutes so they could meet Tess at the hospital. We were very glad we did as the boys gushed over her. Owen presented his baby jaguar -- as permanent a fixture to Owen as the blanket is to Linus -- to Tess to kiss her foot. And sweet little Gus -- who lately has turned into his Mom's little boy -- wanted nothing more than to hold his baby sister.

Ah, the times to come. Cheers!

Tess Awaketh

Amy has already bemoaned that her status as "#1 girl in our house" has been relinquished. I told her that at least she's #2 instead of #3, which mine has been for the past three years!

Forgive a new Dad for gushing over his baby girl -- this is new territory. Here Baby T awakes, and then lets Dad know that he doesn't have the food she's looking for.

Cheers!

Tessa Lane

Every family has its own birth story etched in memory as every child's birth is unique from another. Like all parents Amy & I will always remember the circumstances surrounding the birth of our children. With the boys, Amy began having pre-term contractions and was on bed rest for months. When we went to the hospital at 33 weeks the doctors were trying to hold off labor for as long as possible. After 30 long hours the boys were born early but healthy.

With Amy's second pregnancy the pre-term contractions once again emerged very early. So all along we prepared ourselves for another early birth. Week after week passed though, and today marked the 39 week mark -- quite a feat for Amy B or as I like to call her, my miracle woman.

So when Amy woke me up at 4am this morning to tell me that she thought it was time, our own unique journey began. We gathered our things and left the house around 5am as our wonderful neighbor Mary came over to stay with the boys when they eventually woke up. When we arrived at the hospital, the nurses checked Amy and were not convinced that she was truly going into labor yet. So they told Amy to wait out the contractions either in the jacuzzi tub or by walking the halls. We tried both, but neither helped the pains that were really coming on.

After an hour of contracting and a shift change at the nurse's station, Amy was requesting pain medication as she was ready for her epidural. (By the way, "requesting" is Amy's word -- my words would be "unequivocally demanding.")

As the new nurse checked on Amy's progress, she spoke bluntly, "I'm going to be completely up front with you. I'm going to try to give you everything you want, but you are 7-8 cm's right now."

No more than 15-20 minutes later and still not officially admitted into the hospital Amy delivered a healthy baby girl, all natural with no pain medication whatsoever. Tessa Lane Rutledge was 6 lbs. 9 oz., 19.5 inches long and born at 7:46a.m.

My miracle woman delivered a daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, great-granddaugher and cousin as well as another unique birth story of our own.

Cheers!


Baby Tess, eyes wide open

Baby Tess, un-burritoed and unhappy about it.

Amy B. with her Baby T.


Proud Mama....

....beaming Proud Papa.

Nesting

These past few days have been filled with "prepare the nest" activities. Our weekend was a complete domestic one as we finished up the nursery by hanging the last couple of pictures, rearranged car seats and video screens in the van, and cleaned up the house in anticipation of a new arrival. Amy & I were on the same wavelength as we both realized the inordinate amount of time that we are about to be spending in our house with little ones. The only thing that is really left to do is to formally pack a bag for the hospital. But aside from the actual change of clothes to go into the bag even that is done for the most part.

So we began the week feeling totally prepared for anything to hit us.....and then Monday intervened. Yesterday was just a series of Murphy's Law episodes one after another. Gus was sent home from preschool with pink eye. Potty training accidents followed. I came home from work to try to rescue Amy so she could take some work calls. Gus had a bout of projectile vomiting at dinner. Tucker got into the act by eating deer poop in the backyard and then throwing it back up in the dining room. Then we were up most of the night with both boys as they took turns getting sick because of a stomach bug. When it rains, it pours.

But Tuesday is a new day. Today is Super Tuesday with a ton of delegates up for the taking so the Obama/Clinton showdown will be in full effect, including under our own roof. We are looking forward to watching the process unfold.....and to a vomit-free day today in the nest.

Cheers!

Four-Letter Word Friday

Today is a definite T.G.I.F. day after a long week. It is a relief that the weekend is about here. And although outwardly I may complain that the sunny 60-degree weather we're about to get here over the next few days is unwanted because I want winter weather, in reality I'll be a happy camper to get outside this weekend and enjoy the sunshine.

On the Amy front, her doctor appointment this week went very well. For the last few visits she has been in and out like a trip to a fast-food restaurant.

"Baby still in there?" Check.
"Not currently in labor?" Check.
"See you next week. Do you want fries?"

Amy actually took exception to my comment in an earlier post that she is at the "incredibly uncomfortable" stage of pregnancy. On the contrary, she says, she is not uncomfortable. She just gets tired easily. I stand corrected. Maybe I just look at that huge protruding belly and think, "Wow, that must really be uncomfortable trying to stay upright" and transfer my impression to her.

One thing for sure is that Amy is a very light sleeper at this stage. Maybe it's the mother's body gearing up for the light sleeping that inevitably accompanies a new baby. Amy lets me know on occasional nights that I am snoring and thus keeping her awake. I blame it on Tucker and then fall back asleep. One night this week she even tried to make conversation in the middle of the night when I got up.

"Oh, you're up too? I've been up since 2:00a.m. What do you want to talk about?"

I could only utter a sympathetic grunt as I walked into the wall on the way to the bathroom. Overall though Amy is doing really, really well at this stage and is playing the waiting game like a pro.

Then there are the boys. Next week Owen & Gus start attending preschool five days a week from the three-day schedule they have been on since August. This will undoubtedly be a change for them. But we feel that it will be a positive thing for them to get the increased learning experience and for us to have a little more time to devote to the coming life change.

Lately the boys have picked up an undesirable piece of speech. Apparently we parents -- more likely yours truly -- have not been as careful around them with the vocabulary as we should have been. The boys have taken note. Playing at their train table recently, one of the trains fell off the track crashing into the floor and made a mess.

"Oh dammit!" barked Owen.
Gus immediately followed suit, "Dammit!"

The boys then tried to outdo each other, repeating their new word over and over again as loud as they could. Amy looked at each other with wide eyes in shock. Then immediately we turned away from them and tried with all our might to contain our laughter. Laughing is of course the worst thing we could do. If the boys saw us laughing we would be guaranteed that their new word would be in constant repetition and they would keep it up until they got that positive reaction.

Another time this week Amy was cleaning Gus up after he had an accident in his pants. Owen walked in to the bathroom and surveyed the scene.

"What happened Mom?"
"Gus pooped in his pants, Owen."
"Ahhhhh, dammit Gus!"

I suppose we just have to cross our fingers that the newfound joy the boys get in repeating curse words is short-lived and hope that it happens at home instead of at school or church. And we have to keep the kids away from me while I'm watching the UK games on television.

I do have to hand it to them though for using the word in the right context.

Finally, a big congratulatory cheers goes out to our friends Dave O and Julie who are expecting baby #1 in June. It will be the first girl to be born into an Orthober family full of sons and grandsons. And good luck to Dave in persuading a reluctant Julie to name their daughter Wesley Woodyard Orthober in honor of the Kentucky football player. This UK fan is pulling for you.

Have a great weekend -- cheers!

Week 38

Florida is voting again today. Hopefully they have gotten rid of the old butterfly ballots. We've all been down that path before. The GOP vote is really the only one that matters today. Tonight should be interesting to see if McCain can emerge as the frontrunner heading into Super Tuesday next week or if Mitt Romney and his immaculate hair will lead the pack. If you believe polls, they seem to suggest that this is a two-man race.

The Democratic side shouldn't matter since there are theoretically no delegates at stake. The Clinton campaign will surely hype Hillary's win, if nothing more than to shift the focus from Obama's South Carolina momentum and from Bill's latest zipper trouble (courtesy of Tom Toles):

On the home front, Amy is starting to hit that "I am incredibly uncomfortable" stage where she doesn't sleep. Gus decided to take it easy on her one day last week by only having five (!) accidents in his pants while she had the boys. Ugh. Gotta love potty training. Owen then got in on the act and boycotted coming home from school yesterday, throwing a fit in the classroom when Amy arrived to pick them up. I chuckle that the boys have a rude awakening coming when Amy is no longer pregnant -- while she cannot pick up the boys and physically impose a mother's will on her two year-old right now, those days will very soon be coming to an end. On the bright side, the boys do seem to be in a pattern of 2-3 steps forward and then a step back with the potty training. So we feel we are on our way and heading in the right direction to having only one child in diapers by the time baby #3 arrives.

Amy has a doctor's appointment on Wednesday where we hope to continue to get good reports. It could be two hours or two weeks from now. We are just playing the waiting game for the time being.

Finally, on an indulgent note, Amy & I have partaken in season two of Bret Michaels' Rock of Love on VH1. It is tacky, cheesy, and completely low-brow. But it is shamefully one of our favorite hours of television each week. Twenty bachelorettes vying (for the second season, mind you) for the affections of a washed-up, has-been rock star where the race to the bottom wins -- entertaining indeed!

Cheers!

Politico Palmetto

The South Carolina Democratic primary is today. I know Aunt Mel & Uncle Dude will be voting for their candidates today and may be happy that all the television cameras & media attention will be leaving the state after today. Amy & I look forward to watching the returns tonight and the gear-up for Florida in a few days and Super Tuesday the following week. The political season is certainly heating up.

On a similar political note, there is a book excerpt n the current Newsweek about the Bush presidency. When I started reading it, I thought, "Ok, just another Bush bashing book -- get in line." But this one -- at least from the excerpt -- really seems to go deeper and examine Bush's struggles in his search for a doctrine and a legacy greater than his father's.

A really interesting critique.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/96372

At a temperamental level, the president has almost no ability to accept blame or learn from mistakes. Disagreement, whether from critics or allies, sounds like his mother's nagging and his father's disappointment. Thus criticism has the opposite of its intended effect on him. Disapproval hardens Bush's conviction that he must be right and reinforces his refusal to surrender. Believing he earned his position in life through willpower, he feels he shouldn't have to ask anyone for permission. This obstinacy has been evident in his personnel practices as well as policy choices. The more the media demanded Bush yield up a head—CIA Director George Tenet, Rumsfeld, Karl Rove, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales—the longer that person was likely to be staying around.

Bush's inflexibility is rooted in the old family drama. It reflects not just a personality forged in opposition to his father, but an idea of leadership developed in conscious contrast to him. Where George H. W. Bush weighed options, W. sizes you up and decides. Where 41 saw shades of gray, 43 finds moral clarity. "The son prides himself on being the guy who cuts through it all, who is decisive, not wishy-washy,"

The Great Day After

Every now & then a day comes along where you just feel awesome. No matter the hurdles that are thrown at you, it's still a great day. Today is that day at the Rutledge house.

So when Owen misses the toilet and pees all over me first thing in the morning, I shrug it off. When the boys' school calls telling us that Owen has fallen and banged his nose up and that he is pretty shaken up, we take it in stride. When I hear on NPR that the Clintons are gearing up their attack machine against my guy Barack Obama, it doesn't faze me.

The reason?

Because Kentucky beat 3rd-ranked Tennessee last night in a gutty, gritty performance on national TV in front of a hyped-up Rupp Arena crowd.

And while it may be silly to let my mood be dictated by a basketball game -- the outcome of which I have no control over if I listen to my beloved wife -- I just can't help but feel tremendous excitement over last night's game. The Cats hustled, battled, scratched and clawed to get that win and are finally showing signs of progress adapting to their new coach Billy Gillispie. The feeling after the win was part jubilation over beating a very talented Tennessee team and part sigh of relief that there is still hope that this team can have a respectable season after horrendous losses to Gardener-Webb and San Diego.

So to celebrate the feel-good vibe, Amy & I picked Gus & Bruiser up from school, went out to lunch, and all attended Amy's 37-week doctor's appointment. The boys were mesmerized when they got to hear the baby's heartbeat, and Amy got a great report. We are now just playing the waiting game -- it could be 3 hours from now or 3 weeks from now when the baby comes.

So in reality the news from the doctor is probably a better reason to have a great day than a basketball game. But it's still sweet when a big win gets the Big Blue blood pumping through my veins a little faster.

Cheers!



This man finally had a smile on his face after his Cats battled back from double digits to upset the 3rd-ranked Vols. And he wears a nicer suit than his orange counterpart....

"Bruiser" Rutledge shows his evil eyes and his roughed-up nose after losing a battle with a plastic dog at Montessori school.

A Skosh of Snow

Well, winter came and went this weekend with a half-inch dusting of snow for us in the Triangle. On Friday night the weather forecasters were calling for up to 4 inches of snow. I don't know who was more excited -- Amy & I or the boys. We had the boys all worked up with stories about playing in the snow the next day. But by the time we woke up on Saturday morning the forecasters had downgraded their estimates as the storm moved east of us. Oh well, we did get to see snow come down for a few hours towards the end of the day which was pretty. We woke the boys up from their naps to go outside and play in it, knowing that this could very well be the only snow we see this season. Regardless of the light amount, we had fun outside in the frozen stuff.

Gus was happy to go outside and play in the snow, namely because he got to prance around in his Diego hat & mittens, his mom's scarf, and his new blue lizard boots.



Owen took the more traditional route in terms of attire, but still had quite the time running around stomping on the snow. "We need more snow, Dad, we need more snow." Indeed we did.



Even the expectant mother braved the elements and got out in the snow for a few minutes. Amy B. has surpassed the 36 week mark, getting a great report from the doctor this week. The baby is head down, and the doctors have told Amy they won't stop labor from here on out. Our hospital bag is packed & list of phone numbers to call is ready to go. Our biggest challenge now is to try to keep enough Honeycomb in the house for Amy's twice-daily craving. (Stock tip -- buy stock in Post cereals from here until Valentine's Day.)

Cheers!

New Year Notes

The New Year is here. Down with the Christmas tree and plastic yard reindeer and up with the campaign banners as the caucus & primary season is underway. So many states have moved up their elections to these first few weeks of 2008 that there is a tidal wave of coverage on the races at this early stage. I have to admit that all the attention on the Presidential race has a political junkie like me excited.

With Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee winning in Iowa last week the remaining candidates are scrambling to craft themselves as the change candidate. Whatever your political affiliation, it is easy to admire both of these guys as experts at crafting and delivering a message of hopefulness that so far transcends left/right, blue/red, liberal/conservative. It is really interesting to watch.

Full disclosure -- I am an Obama guy. After reading his book, The Audacity of Hope, I began drinking the Obama kool-aid. Yes, he is light on experience. Yes, he speaks in platitudes that are devoid of many specifics on how he would change things. (As Amy says, he needs more "red meat" in his speeches.) But his vision for America to bridge differences both among people in the country and with people beyond our borders is genuine to me. I think it reflects an inclusive way of thinking -- that you have to listen to all points of view and not surround yourself with people who support your way of thinking -- that I believe is exactly what this country needs right now. His message resonated with tens of thousands of new voters in Iowa last week. We'll see if he has the staying power to take New Hampshire tonight and more states in the coming weeks. It will be fun to watch it unfold.



On the homefront, Amy is almost to 35 weeks with the pregnancy -- or as she likes to say, "5 weeks, 2 days, 8 hours, and 15 minutes until I can go 10 minutes without having to pee." She is a trooper as she waddles around the house scrounging for Honeycomb and keeping the three men in order. We go to the doctor tomorrow to get her checked out, and then it's an appointment every week from here on out. A couple of our neighbors pulled together a baby shower for Amy on Saturday which was great. Amy got to get a surprise night out on the town with her friends, and the boys got to eat pizza and roughhouse with pal Chad Guthrie.

We are still plunging forward with potty training with decent results. The boys are progressing at telling us when they need to go to the bathroom. Sometimes they tell us as they are going and sometimes right after they have gone. I'm sure you can imagine some of the mishaps so I'll spare you. Let's just say that so far the number of Fabreze bottles it takes to get the "accident" smell out of a certain two year-old's favorite pair of green lizard boots is at two and counting.

Finally, I have been receiving some good-natured ribbing from my friends here in Carolina about a certain basketball team's less-than-stellar start to its new era of basketball. After Kentucky's seventh discouraging loss to archrival Louisville on Saturday, I vowed to quit reading message boards because of the endless sea of negativity coming from the Chicken Littles among UK fans. That resolution lasted only days as curiosity got the best of me today. After reading the posts from the "This is all Tubby's fault" crowd and then posts from the "Gillispie was a huge mistake" crowd, I take solace in the calls for calm from the few sensible posters that still post on the boards. The reality is it is going to take some time for Gillispie to get his mindset instilled in his type of players. It will take time, which is never easy for a rabid fan base to accept.

The other reality is that after the second consecutive Music City Bowl victory and a win over the national champion LSU Tigers, Kentucky is a football school anyway!

Cheers!

Holidays with the Family

The Rutledge crew has had a really fulfilling Christmas & holiday break over the past couple of weeks. With Amy being 33 weeks pregnant we received the "no travel" word from her doctor. So we have been fortunate to have several visitors share the holidays with us in North Carolina. Pappy & GJ arrived the week before Christmas. Aunt Mel, Uncle Dude & Corinne came up from Charleston to spend Christmas week with us. And Nana and Granddaddy arrived at the end of the week to ring in the New Year. The last couple of weeks featured a lot of quality family time together.

Gus & Owen were really into Christmas this year. Seeing Christmas through the kids' eyes was rejuvenating for Amy and me as parents. With this being their third Christmas, the boys were excited about Santa Claus, the decorations, and all the family time together. They did not quite make the connection between Santa and presents. In reality this took some of the pressure off of us, and their innocence with it all was refreshing. On Christmas morning the boys slid down the steps to find a toy garage for their cars and had quite the time rummaging open boxes of clothes and goodies.

As I have had some extended vacation time from work over the holidays and there were several family members here with helping hands, Amy & I decided we were going to venture into potty training territory. The boys had been asking to wear "big boy underwear" since a couple of the kids at their preschool were not wearing diapers. No time like the present, so we bought several pairs of Thomas the Tank Engine & Lightning McQueen underwear and went to work. On the first day, the boys had accidents all morning long causing Amy & GJ to wash about 10 pairs of underwear by noon. Slowly throughout the week they began to get the idea that they needed to tell us when they had to go to the bathroom. We are still working on it, and they still have accidents here & there. But we are determined to get two out of diapers by February when the baby girl arrives.

Amy & I took the boys to see Santa Claus who as it turns out spends a three-week stretch in Apex, NC of all places before venturing to the North Pole for his midnight run. Just like last year the boys were afraid of Santa so he had to sneak away and come back through the trap door in order to get in the family picture. Maybe next year...



What is it about Christmas that brings out all the sweets? GJ and I decided that perhaps it was because candy and sweets are the one food that everyone can agree on when you have a lot of people together. Whatever the reason, our house was filled with fudge, cookies, sweet rolls, Chex mix, and all kinds of other sweet treats. Aunt Mel got to experience first hand how much easier it is to cook something when 2 two-year-olds help you. Banana bread batter was everywhere, but it was oh-so-tasty.




Christmas with the Crumptons meant we got to share time with Baby C, shown here adorning a makeshift Yuletide headband. Corinne is an absolute gem. She is the best eater I have seen for a baby. She has a contagious giggle that makes adults turn to mush and engage in humorous baby-talk. And she intently watched her older cousins, mostly from the vantage point of a plastic push-toy fire truck.


Another Christmas tradition with the Rutledge family is the Twas the Night Before Christmas puzzle. Melanie & C.E. have done the thing so many times that they can practically work it in their sleep. But the rest of us managed to work a piece or two in at nap time and bed time when the three little ones hit the sack. 1,000 pieces in less than 24 hours.



GJ and Pappy were gracious enough to keep the three grandkids one afternoon as Melanie, Roman, Amy and I ventured out to see -- of all things -- a movie! Amy & I were skeptical that movies were still being made after April 15, 2005, but it turns out they do. We thoroughly enjoyed Tom Hanks and Phillip Seymour Hoffman in "Charlie Wilson's War."

Uncle Dude and Aunt Mel played a tremendous practical joke on yours truly on Christmas morning. They had purchased North Carolina scratch-off lottery tickets on the way up from Charleston and put the tickets in everyone's gifts. When we opened our presents on Christmas morning, C.E. had a ticket that was a loser, Amy had a $10 winner, and I casually scratched my ticket. My ticket was one that if three of the same numbers appeared, you won that amount. I scratched off two $20,000 numbers and then raised my eyebrow as the last number appeared -- a third $20,000 number. I looked at the ticket, read the instructions on the front, then glanced at the back to make sure I understood how the game was played. After allowing myself to believe I had a winner, I let the excitement come out as I shouted, "Holy #@$% you all, this is a $20,000 lottery ticket!!" I passed it to Amy & I started screaming in celebration. Amy allowed herself to get worked up too. Just then, Roman and Melanie burst out laughing as they read the back of the ticket -- "All prizes $20,000 or greater must be redeemed by Santa Claus." Oh my. I felt like the Bugs Bunny cartoon when a jackass was superimposed on Elmer Fudd's face after being taken in one of Bugs's tricks. We all got a hearty laugh at the joke. All I have to say is paybacks are hell, my dear Crumptons, paybacks are hell!



Let's just say it is hard to get three little ones to look in the camera at the same time for a posed Christmas picture wearing their good outfits. These three have a lot of fun times together in the years ahead.




Nana and Granddaddy arrived on Friday to help us ring in the New Year. Billy is in between trips to Oklahoma to work with FEMA on the flood damage to a college there. Elaine has taken up traveling in her first few months of retirement, and we are more than happy to provide a draw to help her scratch the travel itch. For Christmas the boys were treated by their grandparents to a CAT back hoe tractor and some Lightning McQueen gear....



...as well as an awesome train table complete with train, tracks, flat-bed trucks, magnetized cranes, and even a helicopter. This is one present that is nearly as popular with the adults as it is with the kids.

So the holidays have indeed been joyous ones for our crew. We thank everyone who made the trek over to see us this Christmas and wish all our blog readers a safe, festive and very happy New Year!

Cheers!

Merry Christmas from the Family

Always a Christmas favorite courtesy of Mr. Robert Earl Keene. Cheers!

Why Amy Doesn't Tip Over

Hmm, I was thinking it was because she can still outrun Gus. Apparently there is a more complicated, scientific answer. Whatever the reason, my hat is off to the child bearers.

Cheers!

"Why Pregnant Women Don't Tip Over"
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/12/science/12cnd-pregnant.html?em&ex=1197781200&en=9ee163509360e953&ei=5087%0A

What they found, said Katherine K. Whitcome, a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard and the lead author of the paper, was evidence that evolution had produced a stronger and more flexible lower spine for women. After studying 19 pregnant subjects, Ms. Whitcome found that the lumbar, or lower back, curve in women extends across three vertebrae, as opposed to just two in men. And the connecting points between vertebrae are relatively larger in women, and shaped differently in ways that make the stack more stable and less prone to the bones shifting out of alignment or breaking.

Send 'Em Out Back

Home projects are never as simple as you imagine them to be. They take longer, cost more, and involve more decisions than you plan for. Last weekend we finished up work on our backyard, capping off a project that began eight months ago in the spring. The area behind our house was highlighted as a "natural area" on the flyer when we bought the house. That's real estate-ese for "unusable, densely overgrown Sweet Gum jungle with approximately 1,000 ticks per square foot." So realizing that we were about to have 3 kids under the age of three and that we would desperately want to be able to extend our usable space (translation: be able to boot the kids out back when they inevitably get too wild inside), Amy & I began planning to fix up our backyard.

We tackled the erosion problems, the brush undergrowth and tree stumps, and we added grass, a retaining wall, a small patio and play area. Finally we reached the point last weekend of adding the finishing landscaping touches. With their green thumbs Amy & Elaine picked out scarletta bushes, ferns and gardenias to go around the patio. I got well-acquainted with my wheelbarrow, snow shovel, and 10 cubic yards of mulch. When all was said & done we were really pleased with the result. Eventually we would like to add a play set for the kids and some more landscaping. But for now the simple pleasures of running up and down the steps, digging in the mulch, and jumping in the leaves make the kids happy which is fine by us. We have plenty of time down the road to add to it.

Cheers!


Prior to clearing out the undergrowth, the ticks outnumbered the mammals 10 to 1 in our backyard.


After clearing out the trees we had to tackle the drainage issues that had eroded the topsoil and most of the grass.

Fill dirt and a retaining wall were added to level out the area where we put a small patio and a mulched play area for the kids.


The back of the play area is normally sprinkled with dumptrucks, buckets, and shovels as the boys have a grand time digging in the dirt & rocks.

December in Shorts

I feel like I should go to confessional for the gap between posts. "Forgive me Father, for it has been a week and a half since my last post." So if I ramble on, it's just to catch up for lost time...

Life at the Rutledge house has been really good these past few weeks. It certainly has had its challenges as raising two-year olds does for any parent. Thankfully for us we have been fortunate enough to have Amy's mom Elaine -- wonderful Nana -- here to help us out for the past few weeks. Elaine has been such a huge help -- with the boys, around the house, cooking, doing laundry, walking the dog, providing moral support for run-down parents. She has even mastered the art of getting Gus to nap, always a prerequisite for a good day.

Gus continues to really, really challenge us as he forges his own little identity. He definitely marches to the beat of his own drummer -- and often it is a march he performs while naked, wearing green lizard boots, sunglasses, and a firefighter cap. As parents Amy and I try to envision in the long run when his independence and his love for engaging with people will serve him so well. In the short run we try to keep our sanity as he challenges us on such minute daily details as what shirt he will tolerate for the day and what he will eat at mealtime. So we try to keep positive attitudes as much as we can through those trying moments. Gus's preschool teacher raved about how much he talks with the students and how much he loves to read books and role play. So he's on someone's good list if he is not always on ours. ;-)

Owen continues to come out of his shell. He is such the little observer, possibly in part because his brother dominates the attention around the house. Owen is turning out to be a thinker, surveying the mood of a situation and pondering how he should act. He is quite good at getting his brother's goat when he wants to. Owen picks at Gus sometimes just to get a reaction out of him like taking a favorite toy away and sprinting to another room. But his actions are not always malicious. This morning when Gus insisted on taking the little bell necklace that Owen had been wearing, Owen looked at Gus and simply took Gus's beloved firefighter cap and waited. As if Owen knew what the reaction would be, Gus made the peaceful trade. And along with that quiet, introverted personality Owen has developed an endearing little sweet streak that gives us reprieve in dealing with some of his younger brother's tantrums.

Of course the humorous aspects continue to spring up with the boys as well. Both Owen and Gus are testing the waters of potty-training, getting rewarded with M&M's when they do the deed (3 M&M's when they do the major deed). Gus has been known to sit on the toilet for 30 minutes at a time, refusing to leave until some bodily function is performed. Owen beams from ear to ear, proud as a peacock when he goes to the bathroom. It is a nice reminder of how we all learn the most basic things at this young age. Naturally the boys are interested when other people in the house go to the bathroom as well. We often have to sneak away while they aren't looking so we can have a private moment of peace. Inevitably they find us after calling for us from all over the house.

"You need M&M, dad? You need M&M?" Funny stuff.

Amy continues to hang in there with the pregnancy. She overdid it over the weekend as we were putting the finishing landscaping touches on the backyard. Amy loves to work in the yard so much, but she was really wiped out & hurting on Sunday night after doing too much. Luckily her doctor visit yesterday produced a good report. 31 weeks this Thursday....she's getting there.

The weather has been unseasonably warm here in North Carolina this week. We hit a record high yesterday and today as temperatures are creeping up to 80 degrees. Amy & Nana love the warm weather; yours truly becomes a bit of a Grinch in trying to get into the Christmas spirit when it is so warm. Last night I tried watching "White Christmas" on TV, and it just doesn't cut it to sing Bing Crosby with shorts on and the windows open. Snow, snow, snow, it won't be long before we'll all be there with snow....

Still despite the heat wave we managed to decorate the house for Christmas -- putting up our tree, the lights around the house, and various Christmas decorations here and there. The fun part about it this year was that the boys were really into Christmas. This is the first year where they are really anticipating it. They know Christmas is coming, they really get into the decorating, and they point out the Santa Clauses that are sprinkled about. Nana and I have been walking the boys around the neighborhood to check out all the lights. The boys love the choo-choo trains that are lit up, the polar bears and snowmen in people's yards, and even the random "Christmas alligator" (not quite sure what it was that Owen saw). Again, it's fun to watch these things through younger eyes.

So tomorrow is our final day here in NC with Elaine before she heads back to Paducah for a brief respite before heading off to icy Oklahoma to see Billy, who is working with a local college there on behalf of FEMA. We know she will be glad to see Billy and perhaps to slow down to a more manageable, relaxing pace. Still, Amy & I are truly appreciative of all the help and enjoyment that her visit has brought us.

Cheers!


30 1/2 weeks and counting...



"Just hold me Nana."



"Nana, we need to decorate the bottom fourth of the tree. All the ornaments need to be within my reach."



Elaine -- grandmother, mom, chef, and ladder holder.