daddy's girl

I love this picture of Travis and Anna relaxing. Could she be any more relaxed? I have enjoyed watching Travis grow into his role of dad these last few weeks. This is what Travis wrote the week Anna was born: (I think it is super sweet!)

I am really loving being a daddy and am so happy to have Anna in our home. Niff is a great little mother. I am impressed by her patience and love. Watching Niff go through labor gave me a respect and appreciation for her like never before. Wow!

I was able to fully participate in the labor process. It was an amazing experience. I was right by Niff's side and did my best to help coach and encourage her. I was able to cut the umbilical chord and be the one to announce the gender of the new born baby to everyone in the room. I knew it would be a cool experience, but I never imagined it would touch me so profoundly.

Now that we have Anna home we have been attempting to learn to be parents and develop a routine in our dramatically changed lives. I was fully expecting these changes and they have been very welcome. There have been a few changes/adjustments that I never anticipated, but Niff is very patiently helping through.

I am finding it a bit challenging to find what my role is and how I fit in the big picture. Mom and baby rely on one another, but how does dad fit in? I have loved spending this past week at home and not having any worries other than my family. I have been able to make meals for Niff, massage her feet while she feeds Anna, do laundry, keep the house picked up, etc. It has been really nice. As I attempt to prepare for returning to work (and soon school too) I begin to feel a bit selfish. I feel that I should participate in all that mom and baby are doing, but that is not realistic. If I am off doing something else I feel as though I am not doing my part. Niff and I had a nice talk and I am feeling much more comfortable with my role. I am responsible for working and providing for the family. In the evenings I can help Niff out with Anna in any way possible and provide Niff with a little bit of time to herself as necessary. The talk with Niff helped me out.

I also have a hard time doing things that I want to such as go for a jog, developing MyFoxBox, and working on other computer projects. I feel guilty doing what I want to do when Niff is busy meeting Anna's needs 24-7. I have participated in almost all of the feedings, changes, etc so far which has been nice, but some times I am there and not really helping that much; there really isn't all that much that I can do during a feeding :) I feel like I am not doing my part if I wander off and do something else (even if it is a chore). As we find more balance and adjust to Anna's schedule and needs this will definitely improve as well.

I know that I will adjust and feel much more adequate in the weeks to come. Conversations with Niff have helped me a great deal. I am absolutely loving being a father. I just thought I would share with you some of the challenges of being a new father that completely blind-sided me.

Note: This may or may not make any sense at all, but it is my best attempt to put recent feelings into words.

See. I told you he was cute! :)

wiggle worm

So I figured out why Anna was so active in my belly...because she is the biggest WIGGLE WORM EVER!!!! She has shimmied out of blankets, onesies, and yes...even diapers. (Trust me. You don't want to see a picture of THAT!)

This is usually how we find Anna after a nap. This is actually a very cute and sweet little footie pajama outfit, although it doesn't look much like it anymore. (I have no idea where the legs and feet of the pajamas have disappeared to in the photo).

So much for the early lessons on modesty. She is a little magician that has turned this adorable pink outfit into an off-the-shoulder cocktail number! We call her our monkey. Those legs and arms never stop!

milk mustache

Anna and I have decided to take the milk mustache to the next level. Ok. So this is not entirely by choice, but why not look at the bright side of an awkward situation? Breastfeeding is going pretty well. Anna and I are getting used to one another, but we still have our less than graceful moments. At least once a day, poor Anna gets milk in her eye...or her ear...or her hair...or her nose. Milk mustaches are for the weak! Try a full-on milk FACE! :)

anna has arrived!

I decided to title the blog Adventures with Anna, because in the last week that Anna has been here, she is quickly demanding the focus of our life...AND she is providing us with A LOT of comic relief, frustration, happiness, etc—all of which will be documented right here.

Everyone told us that having the first baby changes your life forever. They were right. On Monday, August 4th, 2008 it happened—Anna Foxley joined our family. She has been here a week and already our lives are much different than they had been. Travis was working and going to school, and I was just working. Now we are trying to figure out the roles of mom and dad.

Anna has brought a lot of excitement and laughter to us though as we have started to figure things out by trial and error.

IT ONLY HAPPENS ONCE...

It didn't take us long to commit the cardinal sin. As we were changing a particularly disgusting diaper of Anna's, we quickly and absentmindedly moved the mess to the side so we could focus on cleaning her up—WITHOUT putting the new diaper in place immediately after. Inevitably, the second the diaper was removed from under the bum, all &%$# broke loose! When the pee began to trickle all over the blanket, Travis and I both started panicking. As the reality of the situation hit us, the second bomb was dropped (literally). This sent us both over the edge. Travis was holding her legs up, and I was running around trying to find a towel or something...ANYTHING! I have to give kudos to Travis for being able to get the onesie off Anna without getting poo all over in her hair. Needless to say, we NEVER remove the diaper until the backup replacement is all ready to go!

OR TWICE...

Mere days after incident #1, we thought we were in the clear. We had learned a valuable lesson that day...one that would not soon be forgotten. And I guess the lesson wasn't really forgotton, another dimension was just added. Travis was changing her (with the replacement diaper ready and waiting). What we didn't anticipate was, as Travis was getting ready to wipe, she shot it across the room...right over the still stationary messy diaper...right at poor Travis. We started the washing machine AGAIN right after.