The Return of the Dadi

So,
It's been I don't know how long since I last posted, and mainly due to the following reasons:
1. Having our little girl M
2. Being bitten by my honesty and stupidity
3. Our computer is in M's room

With that being said, here is a run-down on what's been going on these past few months:
1. M is now 5.5 months old and nearly crawling.
2. I have been at a new job since June 26. I'm still doing analytical chemistry as a Quality Control analyst with a 60+ employee business that has a definite corporate feel to it. I'm still getting used to all the meetings, politicking and red tape.
3. We bid on a house in Round Rock about 5 miles north of where we currently live. We're concurrently ecstatic and scared. Huge decision. It'll be tight the first year or two, but it'll be worth it.

The question might be asked, "How is being a parent?" The answer to that is obviously wonderful. But besides that, it has been a good learning experience for me. If you think you've got that whole patience thing under wraps, or even making significant progress, try having a kid who fights going to sleep. You're thinking to yourself "Why don't you want to go to sleep? It's good for you! I know I want to go to sleep!!" But since she can't express herself well and it just feels weird to her, she cries, then screams, and eventually will need consoling before she falls asleep. But you find out ways to help her along that journey. A couple of weeks ago, I found out that scratching her back puts her into a somewhat catatonic state from whence she falls asleep easier.

Another question might be "What's the best part of being a parent?" My answer is, no matter how hard my day at work was, or my drive home, walking in the door and saying "Daddy's home!" and our eyes meet and she just beams that beautiful smile of hers, makes it all worthwhile. Of course coming home to an awesome wife makes things even better. It's also really cool watching her grow and develop as we try to answer the question of who she looks more like, which can change on a weekly, if not daily, basis.

And you might wonder how this has affected my marriage. I'd say it's strengthened our bond. It's helped us to continually be going to God with everything, no matter how insignificant it may seem to us. We also must continue to work on our communication. We've had a few trials, but God has allowed us to not raise our voices or get overly frustrated with each other, so we can have rationale discussions and share our true feelings without fear of rejection or anger.

So, I will try to keep this site updated at least once a week. And I'll try to post along with those blurbs a photo or two of our family, or at least M, so y'all can see how she's growing.

Quick final note: This might be the year the Longhorns put it all together. I was at my brother-in-law's wedding this Saturday night and went from happy (ahead 10-0) to what-the-heck-happened (16-13 halftime) to it's-just-not-gonna-happen (22-16 w/ 5 minutes left) as I got sporadic updates from the DJ and my friend Aaron. As we drove home at 10:15 I caught Craig Way calling those epic last five minutes and pumping my fists and screaming on the inside so I didn't wake M up. All I can say is, thank God for that defense! And as a last thought, I'd like to pause for a moment of silence to recognize the passing of Selvin Young's career. Who knows what he could've been had he just stayed healthy.

Take care and God bless,

R