My Millie

The other day I was driving Millie to school. She told me that her friend, a really nice little boy, had asked her to marry him. I quickly said that she was too little to be married. Then this happened.

"I know. But I told him yes. It will be when I am older."

Millie turns 5 on Thursday. She is years away from marriage, obviously, but this conversation filled me with panic, dread, and a heartbreaking love for this amazing little girl. I mean, look at this picture:

I can't imagine my little girl ever leaving us, but that time will eventually come.

When I saw this video today, edited from shots taken by a father over his daughter's first 12 years, it reminded me of yesterday's conversation, and how quickly these kids grow up.

Lotte Time Lapse: Birth to 12 years in 2 min. 45. from Frans Hofmeester on Vimeo.

Five years with Millie have flown by. I will do a better job of enjoying all the rest, and try not to lock her in her room the next time she accepts a marriage proposal.

¡Cuatro!

My little Millie is four years old today. I call her Mil, Little Mil, or Silly Millie. She is hilarious, adorable, and often infuriating. I wouldn't change her at all.

Al Sur

This was the first year that we have taken an actual "spring break" trip with our family. At Lacy's urging we started looking at things to do and decided to head south to see family and have some fun.

We left Monday and spent a rainy day at my sister's house in Orlando. The kids had a great time, and I learned that Masters of the Universe (available on Hulu) has not aged very well. Our niece Nicole planned a delicious dinner, which included some fantastic cookies that are definitely not a part of my normal diet. I had 3 (they were pancake-sized and worth it).

The next day we went to Disney World, taking advantage of my brother's employment there to get a sweet deal. The kids had a lot of fun, and I've included some pictures below. Due to the crowd, we left the Magic Kingdom for Epcot at about 4pm, which was an excellent choice. We had a pretty tasty meal at the new restaurant in Mexico, as our first choice (the German Biergarten) was not available. We don't drink beer, but the buffet there is fantastic.

We will not be doing Disney during Spring Break again. Far too many people. But still a fun day.

The next day we drove to Miami, where we visited Vizcaya, an impressive estate (now a county park) with some beautiful grounds and a fantastic location. The house was built in the 1910's, and it must have been a fascinating time to be in Miami. We then enjoyed a visit with my aunt Elena and several of my cousins and their children.

The next day was spent at Zoo Miami (formerly the Miami Metrozoo). This has always been one of my favorite parts of Miami, though we hadn't been there in over 7 years. The vegetation now seems fully recovered from 1992's Hurricane Andrew, and the kids really enjoyed seeing the animals. Next time we will rent a quad bicycle to get around the very large zoo.

We visited my great-aunt Elsita, who we had not seen since the death of my abuelita in August of 2009. It was great to show her the kids and enjoy some of her delicious natilla (comparable recipe found here). We took a quick swim in the pool, and then I took Joseph and Millie to dinner with my Uncle Ari and Aunt Kelly. We also got to meet our new little cousin Star, born to my cousin Stacci and her husband JR. The name is a combo of Sta from Stacci and R from JR. Millie is pretty jealous of that name, and has asked me several times since why her name can't be star. Dinner at La Rosa was delicious. We also had a good meal at Havana Harry's (Tres Vacas Fritas & Churrasco), but La Rosa gets the edge for its equivalent meat and FAR superior black beans. La Rosa also serves the traditional toasted and buttered Cuban bread. Joseph ate palomilla twice.

Friday was a lazy morning packing our things and a drive back to Gainesville. We stopped in Orlando at Downtown Disney to enjoy dinner with our friends the Eichelberger's at T-Rex. We ate in the Ice Room, which was a trippy place to be. Periodically the light would change color and we are convinced that it made the kids a little crazy. After that we hit Ghiradelli's and cruised home.

It was a great little vacation. We've spent the last two days listening to our Church's semiannual General Conference and enjoying some "quiet" time around the house and some good food with friends.

Tomorrow? Back to the gym, to work, and to reality. Here are some photos, somewhat out of order, and a video of Millie showing off her rhythm.

A View from San Diego

These are some pictures that my sister-in-law Lillie posted on her blog.

In a few you can see that Isaac looks a little sick, but still as cute as ever. It's good to remember the fun times from this trip.

Christmas morning-


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Home

A ______ New Year!

Good? Yes. My family is home, safe and sound, mostly healthy and 3/5 asleep.

Prosperous? We'll see. After some of the expenses associated with what I am about to write, that part of the story remains unwritten.

Happy? Eh...

I am going to vent a little bit, in order to exorcise the demons of a hellish day from my system. This will be long.

I have just arrived home from a 2 week trip to California. I have spent the last 29 hours attempting to do so.

We go to California to see Lacy's family twice a year. I love these visits, as I love her family, and this trip included the arrival of a new nephew, born to Lacy's sister Lillie and her husband Ross. We had a great time with Lacy's parents and the rest of her family, but the trip was made difficult by especially persistent Eastern Time Zone sleep patterns from our kids AND the fact that EVERYONE became ill with some kind of cold/flu/sinus bug, with most of us still fighting it off (almost 2 weeks later for me).

I try to make these trips comfortable for our family of 5. I begin tracking airfares 4-6 months ahead of time. I try to make sure we have ideal layovers (around 2 hours- time for bathroom, food, and walking to the connecting gate). We often take early flights, and this time, stayed at the Hyatt located in the airport itself, which made for a very smooth departure, long but smooth flight to L.A., and easy connection to San Diego.

For our trip home I planned for us to fly from San Diego to Atlanta, 3 hour layover, then arrival in Orlando just after midnight on January 1, 2011. It sounded like fun to have our kids, accustomed (by now we thought) to West Coast time, experience the New Year with us, in a plane. It would be a new adventure for everyone. Then we would stay the night at the same airport hotel, wake up for a nice New Year's Day breakfast and then spend some quality time with my family at my sister's house in Orlando.

Nice plan, right? All was well as we packed the night before, strategically having everything we would need for the next two days in a single bag. Easy drive to the S.D. airport. Given how sick Lacy, Isaac, and Millie had been (Joseph and I having improved at this point) we made sure that the kids got some Benadryl and Lacy some cold meds to ward off pressure problems. This worked well for Millie, who zonked out during the flight. Isaac had some troubles on the descent, solved with a bottle, but poor Lacy felt like her head was going to be crushed, a pain, in her words, second only to childbirth. Despite the efforts of a kind and observant flight attendant, as we talked after the flight she was sure that she couldn't get on our next flight. She couldn't hear in one ear and the other had diminished effectiveness. She also continued to have a terrible headache for the next several hours.

We talked to Delta, but they couldn't guarantee the return of our bags, so the plan was to rent a car, drive to Gainesville, and then I would continue to Orlando to pick up our bags and car. At this time Lacy's pain was severe enough that we took a motel room a little south of the airport.

We slept pretty well and then got on the road. We had been driving for a little while when the GPS in the car, and later highway advisory signs, alerted us to an accident that had closed all southbound lanes on the interstate. The recommended avoidance route did not save us from a delay of more than 2 hours.

Finally, back underway, several bathroom and food-related stops later we arrived at our home in Gainesville, in a soon-to-be overdue rental car and with none of our bags. After unloading my family I got back on the road to Orlando. That part of the trip went well, I returned the car, noticing a major snafu with the rate which will have to be dealt with on Monday, and then got our bags, which had arrived in Orlando 20 hours earlier and which were patiently waiting for me in the Delta Baggage office.

Then to find my car, which could not be accessed the way we had left it because of a renovation in the Hyatt's lobby. After a half-mile of wandering, pulling 4 suitcases and a duffle, I made it to my car which...had a dead battery.

One of us had left the dome light on, so I called for assistance at a box in the garage and Juan was dispatched to help, the car started right up and 2 hours later, here I am, writing my first blog post of the year.

I really have very little to complain about. I am home. My family is alive, in their own beds, and we are together. We never lacked for comfortable shelter or a safe, working vehicle. In a time of need I was able to pronounce a blessing on my wife and daughter, which we feel was instrumental in Lacy's recovery and Millie's good night of sleep, absent the cough that had made her so uncomfortable. Joseph and Millie were especially great in dealing with all of the changes to our schedule, and Isaac's constant smile and sweet temperament helped make the drive less onerous than it could have been.

It definitely was an expensive detour, and we did not get to enjoy the New Year as we expected or spend the time we had hoped with my family. But writing this has helped me focus on the important parts of the day and the successes we experienced despite the travails.

Here is a quick rundown of some of the good and bad:

Good:

• Hyatt- They waived the full-rate cancellation fee we would have paid when I explained Lacy's situation.
• Hampton Inn- They had room, and their rooms had comfortable beds...and mouthwash. That last thing was critical, as my toothbrush decided to pass the new year without me.
• Ford Flex- This was the second time I have rented this vehicle. It is smooth, and comfortable, with plenty of nice features and I think the SYNC system is very slick. I spent 9 hours in it today and probably could have driven a few more based on the car's comfort alone.
• KFC in Morrow, GA- Thanks for being open on New Year's Eve.
• Joseph & Millie- They took it all in stride.

Bad

• Avis rate issues- To be dealt with later. I like Avis, but I will need to deal with this.
• Sinus problems- boo sinus problems. Boo.
• McDonalds in Morrow, Ga- I know it was New Year's Eve, but take down the 24 hour drive-through sign if you don't mean it. Tired, hungry 3 and 5 year olds don't like to hear that they will not be getting the Happy Meal I hoped to buy.
• The way that I ate in California, and over the last two days.

So, my vent is over, and I am happy to have done this, if only to weigh the events of the day and see how blessed I am.

Here are some photos from the car ride. Happy New Year!

Isaac enjoying the ride. Thank goodness we packed an extra sleeper. He was very comfortable.
I don't know how many of these seemingly Japanese-made Kleenex packets Lacy used.
Joseph and Millie enjoyed sitting "so high up" in the back, with the DVD player close at hand.
Your humble, and often impatient, narrator. I am wearing my Miami shirt. I wore it on yesterday's flight, hoping to watch some of the bowl game on the inflight TV. And they lost, badly. I should have seen it as an omen.

A Funny Conversation

Joseph found an old temporary Star Wars tattoo and asked me to put in on his arm. After I was done I had this conversation with Millie.

Millie: Why did you put on his tattoo?

Daddy: Because he asked me to.

M: Was it magic?

D: No, it was science.

M: Science?!?

D: Do you believe in science?

M: No.

D: What do you believe in?

M: Dancing.

We all start somewhere.

Living it Up

Lacy is out of town for a getaway with her mom and sisters. They are in Las Vegas and expect to relax, eat lots of good food, and see some of the shows.

My first day as a single parent was largely successful. The teething 7 month old took one long and one very short nap, but is otherwise delightful. Joseph and Millie are fun and very encouraging. Joseph said I was "The Most Caring Dad." He enjoyed P.E. today, where they ran two laps and are learning to dribble basketballs.

Millie went to dance class where she is a fearless user of ballet terms that I am not sure how to spell. We also went by the office for some of Miss Bea's excellent jellybeans.

Here are some recent pictures of these excellent kids.

First Bath

These are some pictures of Isaac's first bath at home.
Doing good so far!

Millie wanted to help with the washing.

The somewhat predictable, post-bath cry.

My Kids (April-October 2007)

October 30, 2007
The kids keep on growing. It's really hard to break down months into a paragraph or two. Lacy has been blogging and provides some really funny stories. Joseph amuses us all the time with his endless energy and the stuff that he says. When he is finished eating he says "I feel much better." When we as him if he wants a particular food he sometimes says "No thank you." When he falls down playing soccer he gets up and says "I'm 'kay, I'm kay." He also says "Run Daddy! Run!" Sometimes I get home from work and asks, "Come play soccer with me Daddy!" It is a lot of fun.
Millie had her six month appointment today. She is over 27 inches, over 17 lbs and as sweet a little baby as I've ever seen. She laughs a lot, smiles even more and is sleeping every well most nights. It's dramatically easier in that department than it was with Joseph.
August 18, 2007
I can't believe this much time has passed since I've written here. A lot has happened. Joseph moved to a big bed and due to some special provisions is now sleeping very well at night. For about a week Millie has slept through the night. This is unreal for us, because Joseph took more than a year to sleep through the night, and it took a lot of work to get him there.
Millie is absolutely delightful. She smiles all the time, is getting so strong. She also laughs, likes to be on her stomach and has started sucking her thumb. At least for the time being it is adorable.
Joseph is growing up, in every way. Check out Lacy's blog for some great pictures- http://lacylowry.blogspot.com.

July 9, 2007
We have been in Marco Island enjoying the beach since the 1st. It has been a lot of fun to have Joseph at the beach with his cousins Nicole, Michelle, & Tison. We do the beach in shifts, as Millie is too small for our lovely summer weather. We built (and Joseph has destroyed) many sand castles. This morning Lacy is out with Joseph. He has settled into a nice little routine. Out around nine or ten, back for lunch, nap and then back out between 3 and 4. He loves to "fwim in da water." For him that means sitting on the steps, blowing bubbles, and screaming whenever I take him for a lap around the shallows. He is getting progressively more comfortable with the water, and with 21 days to go I think he may quit screaming before we leave.
Millie is as sweet as can be. She has an extremely mild temperament and smiles all the time. She is sleeping very well at night, last night from 10 to 5. Since we arrived at the beach Joseph has been sleeping on a full-size air mattress in our room. It has been an interesting challenge for him to transition from a crib. He has done fairly well, but it does make me miss the confines of the crib. 5:30 am has been my wake-up for the last few days.

June 23, 2007
Millie continues to grow. I'd forgotten how rapid the changes are when they are this small. She coos (sp?) all the time, and really likes to be spoken to. She shows a lot of interest in Joseph and he continues to be very sweet with her.
He learns new words every day. Did I already say he could count to ten? He can, and is quite enthusiastic about it. Then again, he's enthusiastic about everything.

June 11, 2007
We've had a very busy and very fun couple of weeks. Matt and Amber Nielsen were with us for the last week and we had a lot of fun. They have a five month old boy and it was great to have them around. I've put some pictures from the week in the photos section as well as up above. The big baby in the photo with Millie is Matt & Amber's son Carter. He was born to be a linebacker. The little girl in the picture with Joseph is Sahara Eichelberger. Her dad and I met freshman year at BYU, and they are here in Gainesville so he can attend law school.
Millie smiles all the time. She is really active, which is fun to see, but also reminds us of her brother, who doesn't know how to take a break. He is fun, but crazy. But I think crazy is a good thing for 22 month olds to be. He is doing this funny thing these days where he puts his index finger up to his mouth and says "Hmmm...I know!" and then he tells me what he knows. It is really cute. He's learning so much, so fast. He likes to sing along with the lullabyes, which is also fun.
Something funny- the other day I was changing Joseph's diaper outside of Sonny's Real Pit Bar-B-Que. He proceeded to pee in his own face! I felt bad for him, and quickly covered the source of urine, but couldn't help but laugh.

May 25, 2007
Millie is now 4 weeks old! The time is flying by. She has started smiling a little bit, and I definitely think it is more than gas. This past week we had some great pictures taken by our friend and photographer Lisa Emmerich. She also had her second child in April. Her oldest, Sasha, is just a day younger than Joseph. Millie is sleeping better, and her strength also seems to be increasing as she is also squirmier. She is at least 10lbs 8oz. That was her measurement last Friday at her 3 week appointment. I'm a little surprised at how much I enjoy having a little girl.
Joseph loves music. And jumping. I think his favorite toy would be a trampoline that makes music as he jumps. He is a very good brother and although he misses having Lacy's full attention, I think he is adjusting well (for now). He got to play with his cousins Nicole, Michelle, and Tison yesterday, and that makes him as happy as anything else. He is also enjoying his increasing footspeed, as running away after the bath is a new fun trick.

May 6, 2007
This has been a very nice time for our family. I have spent most of it at home, and we were glad to have the company of Lacy's mother. I'll start with Millie.
She is a great little girl, who eats and sleeps well and just seems to be the sweetest thing I've ever seen. To our eyes she looks like a little girl and gets prettier every day. She is very strong, and every time she is awake and uprights she lifts her head up. She also seems to try and focus hard on faces. She responds well to our voices and is fun to watch.
Joseph has adjusted well to Millie's joining our family. He kisses her goodnight and gets excited sometimes when she appears from a nap. His vocabulary is really growing. Its hard to remember the time when he couldn't tell us when he was hungry or thirsty, or when he wants to get down from his high chair. He has some new habits. At bedtime he sometimes like to take one of his favorite books to bed. A few times when I have put him in his crib he looks up at me and says "Bye."
He still loves The Wiggles and Backyardigans. His absolute favorite activity is jumping up and down. He has gotten quite good at it, and especially enjoys playing at the gymnasium near our house, where they have free play on Friday mornings. He is as much fun as a dad could hope for. Life is good for the Lowry's.

April 26, 2007
Today is an eventful day for our family. At about 2 am, Lacy woke up with contractions and what she believed to be her water breaking. The pattern was similar to what transpired the day of Joseph's birth. We got to the hospital, but not without some excitement (which you will have to ask me about) and learned that she was not as far along in the process as we expected. This caused some frustration and anxiety, but Lacy possesses impressive fortitude and before too long, but not before intense contractions, Lacy began to push. Just thirty minutes later she gave birth to Camilla Jane Lowry. Millie weighed 9 lbs 14 oz, and many of the hospital staff were rightfully impressed by Lacy's all-natural delivery.
To me the birth of a child is beyond miraculous. From a detached perspective, it fascinates me how a complete, functioning human is formed over a period of months within the womb of a woman. From a personal perspective, it is one of the most moving emotional and spiritual experiences that you can have. I don't even have to elaborate on the way that my experience in the birth of my children has differed from Lacy's, but I know that the tremendous relief I felt was amazing to me. I cannot express in words what it is like. I see divinity in it, and I am thankful to my Father in Heaven for the well-being of my wife and daughter.
When Joseph was born in 2005 and diagnosed with a severe heart defect (you can read about it here) it was a complete shock. Lacy had experienced a worry-free pregnancy and we were stunned that anything could have gone wrong. We were fortunate in that instance that his outcome was so positive (something I must also ascribe to a divine blessing). I didn't realize how that had affected me until today. When Millie was being examined I kept waiting for bad news. Its almost the opposite this time around. There isn't anything wrong with this little girl and we couldn't be happier.
My mother offered to watch Joseph during this time and it is a tremendous help. I really miss him, but it is great for Lacy to actually be able to relax and spend time getting to know Camilla. We love our little girl.

Family

I put some pics of family time at the beach over at Lacy's blog.

Awesome Video Saturday XXV: My Awesome Kids

This is a great video of Joseph taken last night. He decided to take over Millie's feeding.



This video is a few months old, but I'd never posted it. Millie doesn't know whether to laugh or cry.



More new videos can be found here, on my YouTube page.

SPOTD Kids

I love this picture of Millie & me. Lacy has done a nice job of posting pictures of the kids on her blog. Since we got a new computer at home I don't even deal with pictures very much, hence the long lag time since the last update of the SPOTD kids page. Here is a cute one of Joseph getting his hair cut last week. Check out her blog for more.

Vacation

I thought I'd post some pics from our vacation There's nothing like a sunset on the Gulf of Mexico.

Here is a photo of the family on a balmy 4th of July.

I don't remember having much interest in sand castles as a child, but I sure enjoy building them now. This is one I worked on the other day. I went for one with a gatehouse like Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine.

Millie is getting bigger and stronger all the time. She's a little beauty.

Here is Joseph with his uncle Chris, having a great time.

An image of the 4th of July fireworks from the view of our building.

All in all, not a bad place to be.

Adorable Children

I love these kids. This first video is of Millie making some really sweet noises last night. She had her 2 month (!) appointment and she is 13.5 lbs and 25 inches, growing very well.



Joseph still loves jumping, and always on the count of 3.

A Happy Father's Day

Being a father is as rewarding as it gets. Today I held my little boy as he got ready for his nap. I tell him I love him and he puckers his lips to give me a kiss. I look at him and hope to see some of me there. I hope that he likes to hang out with me and wants to be like me.

Millie is so small that it is hard to have those kinds of thoughts. Mostly I'm just glad that she is healthy and I feel grateful that she is so beautiful and sweet. I am also glad that she has a big brother who will know that his duty is to watch out for his little sister.

I'm also grateful to have a wonderful wife who helps me to be a better dad. The kids at Church sang about their fathers today. About four words in I lost it. I have just what I want, and for now I get to hold them in my arms. Not a bad life.

Millie Update

We got a new digital camera and I am excited to now be able to easily post videos of the kids with sound without having to do much editing. I know, most cameras have had this capability for years, but we've had an old one that shot little videos without sound.

I took this video of Millie today:



She really is a great little baby.

Indulge Me

Time for a proud dad to show off the kids.

Ever wonder who you're really talking to on those customer service calls?



What a life!





Lacy's mom with her new granddaughter.





Anyone going for a walk?





The SPOTD kids, just chillin'.

Site Update

You may have noticed that I've updated the look of the blog. I wanted to make it more consistent with the look of the rest of the SPOTD website. Let me know if you hate/love it.

I wanted to post some more pictures of Joseph & Millie, and also mention that I will update their page on the website tomorrow afternoon.

Things are going great with the baby and her big brother is being very good to her as well. Here he is proclaiming the greatness of Brigham Young University:

What a life for this little gal:

My three favorite people:

I have a lot of great stuff for the blog tomorrow. Don't be shy.

SPOTD E-mail #123

I'm going for brevity today. Lacy gave birth to a little girl last Thursday, Camilla Jane Lowry. We are calling her Millie, and she was 9lbs 14 oz and 22 inches long. Everything went well, and I've posted some pictures on the blog, so check out my new little lady.

Today's phrase:
From José Martí, the patron saint of the SPOTD.

Actual:
Deben cultivarse en la infancia preferentemente los sentimientos de independencia y dignidad.

Phonetic with emphasis on bold syllable:
Day-bane cool-tee-var-say ain lah een-fahn-see-ah pray-fay-rain-tah-main-tay lows sain-tee-myen-toes day een-dee-pain-dain-see-ah ee deeg-nee-dahd.

Translation:
The feelings of independence and dignity must be cultivated preferredly during childhood.

Good advice for any parent.

SPOTD
Blog Scroll down to check out the latest updates.

Link of the Day
No video today. I've reworked the SPOTD website in an effort to simplify. Hopefully it means I will update stuff about the kids more consistently. Check it out at http://www.spotd.net/ for more.

200th Post (Baby Photos!)

For my 200th post on this blog I am pleased to show some pictures of my beautiful ladies, Lacy and Camilla (Millie). They're doing great and enjoying the quiet time while my mom watches Joseph. Without further ado:

That's one nice pink baby. By pink I refer to the fact that her brother was not pink when he was born due to a congenital heart defect. This little lady is trouble-free and we couldn't be happier.