Little Squares

Since we didn't know the sex of our first child (Justin) before he was born, we painted the room neutral tones of blue and green. The thinking was that adding a few accent squares, plus the usual bedding and wall accessories would be enough to tilt the room in either direction (boy or girl) depending on the outcome. However, once we painted the "boy squares" the first time around, I think there was some skepticism as to how "neutral" the room was to begin with (especially with the blue). Well, with Jasmine's arrival, we got a chance to finally see if the theory would match up with practice... And 3 repainted squares later, I've gotta say that I'm pretty happy with the results. It's funny how just a few dabs of paint and a hint of pink can soften the look of a room. Here are a couple of shots of the before and after... From Justin...



...to Jasmine.


We'll take pics of the full room once we get the other accessories up and done.

Around The Clock

It's funny what you take for granted. Jasmine's got her days and nights mixed up, a problem that I don't remember having to deal with upon Justin's arrival two years ago. She spent all of last night as wide awake as can be, staring at me and her mom as we fed, rubbed, and patted her down all night... basically pleading with her to go to sleep. Meanwhile, besides forcing a cry, we can barely get her to open her eyes in the daytime . I'm sure she'll figure it out in due time. But in the meantime, her reverse schedule will continue to take its toll on any hopes of a good night's sleep. It's also taking a toll on her having a halfway decent photo scrapbook. When she's up, alert and ready to roll at 3 in the morning, grabbing my camera is just about the last thing on my mind. And as for daytime photos, how many photos can you really take of a sleeping baby? I'm sure I've passed my quota about 5 days ago.

In any event, here are a few photos from yesterday: Jasmine at 8 days old. Two of them were taken during the 11 minutes of wake time that she granted us on Sunday. While the other is from my growing collection of sleeping baby photos. Hopefully by the end of the week, her schedule will start to turn around.

Another Day

8 hours ago, I was in a car accident. Hit and run on Terminal Boulevard as I neared the interstate entrance. Hit from behind and side swiped on the passenger side, I fishtailed into the guardrail several times, doing my best to avoid entering oncoming traffic, before regaining control of (myself and) the vehicle. No one was hurt. But the level of frustration felt when someone flees the scene (and flees accountability) for what could have been a fatal situation is indescribable. And the timing of it all (just days after Jasmine's arrival) made the whole situation extremely surreal as I was reminded (very violently, no less) of how precious life is and how quickly it can be taken from us. Scary thoughts, for sure. Certainly enough to make you go home, kiss your wife, hug your children, and redouble your efforts to make the most of everyday.



So now the cleanup begins. Phone calls. Car repairs. Or perhaps a car replacement (depending on if the vehicle is "totaled" or not). Unexpected expenses. Huge inconvenience. And plenty of time lost. It is incredible how 8 seconds on a nondescript Thursday night can conceivable impact the rest of your life. But I just thank God that I am still here to see another day. Because in the scheme of things, everything else besides life suddenly seems very trivial. What a reminder to count your blessings.