Welcome, Haddie

About two weeks ago, our family of three became a family of four when we welcomed Haddie into the fold. She's completely amazing and playing with her and her sister has completely consumed all of my free time since she's made her debut. That's why I haven't introduced her here until now. So, everyone, meet Haddie.

Mom is doing great. It takes a lot to knock my girl down, so I'm not at all surprised that she's fantastic. That seems to be how she spends most of her time.

Ellie absolutely adores Haddie. Every morning when we get her up the first thing she wants to do is check on Haddie to make sure she's OK. And she always marvels at how little everything is on her. Her little hands. Her "little, stinky toes."

The labor was long, but worth it. Of course, I say that and my real role was observer and moral support. But I feel fairly confident that Gina would agree. Haddie is a really chill baby. Not a lot of crying. Seems to be perpetually hungry. And she's a pretty good sleeper so far. Less than two weeks old and we can actually get four uninterrupted hours on a good night.

So, that's the big update from Texas. I've got other writerly things that I want to write about and share with you all, but those will have to wait for now. At the moment, I'm completely occupied by a new girl and squishy cheeks.

Ellie's growing up. Dad is too.

Some of my most distinct memories from childhood are playing with cousins and friends in someone's backyard in Kansas City. The yards always seemed bigger up there for some reason. I suppose part of that is because they were bigger. The homes are older and built on larger lots. While we played, though, the adults sat in folding chairs on the patio. They talked. The kids burned off extra energy.


This Easter I became one of the adults, and it seemed both weird and special. Ellie has two cousins on Gina's side, one a little older and one a little younger. And this was really the first time all three of them could go out in the backyard of Gina's parents house and play. There's a jungle gym out there. Ellie kept climbing up to ride the slide (In that picture up top she's getting ready to go down the slide). She played in the dirt with her older cousin.

I brought my camera and felt like I should grab a few pictures. I haven't been taking enough pictures of her lately. She's almost 2 now, and she's changing so fast. I should be documenting it better than I have been.

She's not the only one growing up, though. I'm starting to have those moments where tables are turned, and I'm sitting on a side that's not all that familiar, the adult side.

My last 10 years

At the day job last week we were discussing an editorial looking back at the decade. The proposal was, essentially, that the Aughts, or whatever you call this set of ten years, has been a lousy one, but never fear. The next ten could be pretty great.

I was listening to this and thinking. I was also considering a couple of columns we'd run a day or two before. They both said that the last decade was lousy.

Everyone made a convincing case in a history book sense. But I don't look at things like that. I think many, if not most, people look at them more personally. We think of our personal milestones. For me, this has been a pretty great decade.

I started the Aughts working at a newspaper that no longer exists, doing a job that I didn't hate but didn't love. I ended the decade working for the newspaper that was always going to be my final stop, doing a job I love, and making more than double the money I was making when I started the decade.

I am ending the decade more productive(the last couple of months withstanding)as a writer. I have completed multiple stories this year and made good progress on the novel I've been working on for years. I still need to edit the things I have finished and get them submitted for publication. But that is great progress for me and I am far ahead of where I was 10 years ago.

But the biggest change in this decade is that I met and married Gina. Without her I wouldn't have bought a house this decade. Without her I wouldn't have seen the world. No Italy. No Mexico. This blog wouldn't be here without her. The writing I've been doing wouldn't be possible without her encouragement and support. She makes all of it easier, and not just the writing. I had prayed for someone like her to come into my life and this is the decade that prayer was answered.