11-30-08

Went to dinner at Tijuana Flats, had a burrito. Pearl tried mexican food, seemed to like it. Having a great time with Bumpa, that's for sure. Was going to go to the park today, but it rained all day, we will try to go tomorrow. It's supposed to be nice tomorrow, good for going to the park.

11-29-08

Got up this morning and went to breakfast at the IHOP that's attached to the hotel. I had French Toast with scrambled eggs and sausage with a side of hashbrowns. Kim had Pancakes, Hashbrowns, 2 Eggs Over Easy, Bacon, and Toast. Pearl had a taste of all of that as well, cause we shared of course. After breakfast we headed off to Target for a couple of needed items, and chocolate. Then we decided to go for a drive, and do some exploring. We went through downtown Titusville and decided to go to the beach, and saw a sign for a wildlife drive and went that way instead. We found the Black Point Wildlife Drive and went in to check it out. It was a pretty cool thing, we saw lots of birds and were keeping our eyes peeled for aligators. Just when I was thinking that we wouldn't see any gators Kim spotted one just basking in the sun. We ended up seeing 6 of them, all different sizes including what appeared to be a 13 foot monster.

Alligators:

The Big One:

After we left the wildlife drive we decided to turn left and explore further. We saw a sign that said there was a Manatee observation deck down the road a few clicks, and that seemed like fun (there were no manatees though, blargh). On the way to the manatees I saw a flock of about 40 vultures in a tree and on the ground around somthing, so I flipped a bitch and went back. They were eating a very stinky dead deer that was there.

Feasting Vultures:

At the Manatee observation deck:

Pearl actually slept most of the drive, and woke up shortly before our manatee viewing attempt. After not getting very much good sleep last night she was pretty pooped out. We ended up way north of Titusville, and for a second (until we examined the map) had no idea where we were, except that we were on Highway 1. We got back to the hotel around 4 after stopping for Taco Bell, and got a picture of Mommy and Pearl making silly faces behind the window.

Last night Kim and I had a hard time getting any sleep, as we had Pearl jammed in with us on a very smooshy queen sized bed. It was very nice to get away for a bit, and we had a really great day, but we decided that if Pearl would not sleep in her travel crib that we would go home to sleep in our bed. Thank you Bumpa for getting the hotel room and playing clue with us last night. Speaking of Bumpa, he spent the day on the beach, and actually swam in the water (brrrrrrrr). He got back to the hotel and we all hung out for a while before Kim and I left, it was nice. I am really enjoying watching him interact with his grandaughter, this little girl has so many people that lover her, lucky girl....actually we are all the lucky ones I think!

Daddy+Mommy+Pearl=Family

11-28-08

Bumpa took us all down to Titusville for a little mini vacation. We went to Corky Bells for dinner, pearl tried Shrimp, Scallops, Hush Puppies, and Ribs.

Happy Thanksgiving 11-27-08

I made Turkey Breasts, Mashetopatoes, Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing, Beets, Crescent Rolls, and Gravy for dinner tonight. It was Pearl's first Thanksgiving Dinner, last year she had breast milk. Bumpa, Mimsy, Mommy, and Me all shared Pearl's first with her.

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Ok I Made Another One

I couldn't help myself, these things crack me up!!!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

11-26-08

Went to Publix and got stuff for thanksgiving dinner tomorrow night. Not much but it will do for 4 adults and a stinker. I was on a social networking site I use and a friend on there had this cute little thing on her page, so I made one too. I dare you not to laugh...

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Bumpa tomorrow morning!!!

11-25-08

Went to see Zack and Miri Make A Porno today, I laughed a lot. Mimsy and Mommy took Pearl shopping and got some new socks and a shirt for the munchkin. The sock gremlins have been attacking with some regularity, so she needed new ones. Plus it's always nice to by Pearl new stuff. Only 2 days until Bumpa, woot!

11-24-08

Pearl is doing really cool things, that show me and mommy how smart our little girl is. We ask her for a kiss and she comes over and stretches her neck out and gives us kisses. She holds her hands up when we say "all gone", and when we say "no" she shakes her head no and stops what she is doing (well, most of the time anyway). She likes to put things in places, and even puts her "little people" in their seats on their bus. She walks most of the time now, and it's starting to look weird to us when she crawls. I think as soon as she really starts to communicate in english we will teach her about the toilet.

Busy Pearl

Pearl likes to do lots of things during the day, playing with toys and remote controls, riding her bike and climbing the sofa, and carrying things from one place to another. Lovely little Pearl, growing up so fast, I feel like I am going to blink my eyes and she will be in college or travelling the world. I love our little monkey!!!

11-22-08

Slept in today, all the way to 2:30, when it's cooler it seems we sleep a little longer. I think reading until 6 am had something to do with it too. Mommy and Pearl slept longer than I did, they were up at 3ish. I have made a discovery, Pearl likes to ride on my shoulders. She gets up there and giggles and pats my head with excitement. I walked her around the house tonight on my shoulders making sure to duck through the doorways so Pearl's head didn't bump.

              On Daddy's Shoulders:                       On Mommy's Shoulders:

Bumpa will be here in 5 days, and we are starting to get excited for his visit. The last time he saw Pearl she was just a little blob who didn't do too much. Now Pearl is walking everywhere and carrying things, she's always quite busy doing things. I also think Pearl is secretly hoping that Bumpa will pull her around in her blocks wagon, she just loves rides around the house in there.

11-21-08

I am anxious to get going at work, more delay makes it next week is the earliest we will be able to get  in there and start prepping. Wendesday morning the curcuit breaker box fried, and the county inspector was supposed to arrive that afternoon to approve the Certificate of Occupancy (CO). We need the CO before we can do anything, and can't get that if things are not working properly. It will be nice to get to work and make money so I can start EMT training, I am very interested in doing that and changing "carreers". It's not that I don't love cooking, I just think it's time for something different.

As I am writing this Pearl can't help but climb all over me and yell at me (in Pearlese), I think somebody wants attention.

11-20-08

When we went to get diapers yesterday we also picked up a couple pair of PJs because Pearl is outgrowing her other ones. This morning when Pearl came walking out of her room with Mommie she just looked too cute not to take a picture, so I took 10 hehehe.

Here we have Pearl in her new PJs, flower print pants, and flower print sleeves, with a big flower right on the chest.

11-19-08

We went to Toy-R-Us this evening to look at toys for Pearl for Christmas. This year will be her second one but last year she was only 3 months old, and not very aware of the fact. This year toys are more interesting and she likes to play with them. We got diapers there because we have a BrU rewards card so if we buy 9 boxes the 10th is free, plus there are other goodies for spending money there. They have the REALLY big boxes of diapers, we got 156 of them for 40 bucks, it's a great deal, usually we get 80-ish for 31 bucks. We got 576 wipes for the bum wiping as well, this all should last us a few days at least (hehehe)

11-18-08

Pearl has been doing a lot of walking, she is at the point where she is simply walking around in circles. She was carrying a spatula and a tupperware banging them together walking in a circle, a parade of sorts I guess. I tickled her a lot today, because her laugh is so wonderfully cute, I just can't help it. Cartoons are getting attention from Pearl, she dances and claps, and does this girating thing that I really can't explain. She really is pretty amazing...

11-17-08

Went to the store to this evening, a family outing to wal-mart, woot! 279 bucks later and we have food for the next 2 weeks. We were able to sell a un-used table, well it was used just not by us. Pearl was quite a hoot, taking things out of the cart ant throwing them on the floor, silly little monkey. It's been getting chilly this week, and even more chilly at night, it's been kinda nice though. Also, we get to break out Pearl's ulta cute warm clothes that have been stashed in the closet, not much call for warm clothes in Florida.

Pictures from the trip to the park yesterday, we see pearl in her purple striped long sleve shirt and blue jeans with flowers embroidered near the cuff.

For her trip to the store every smart girl is wearing her pink shirt with ruffles at the bottom, brown "little monkey" pants, and her dotted pink coat.

11-16-08

I took Pearl to the park today, it was a Daddy/Daughter feild trip. At the Park we go to there is this nature walk thing, it's really just a boardwalk built above the shore of the lake with a few signs talking about some trees and great views of houses that are way too big. Anyway, before we started playing in the toddler pen we took the little nature walk.

After the park we went to the grocery and got dinner, and went for a little drive.

11-15-08

We ended up staying home today, felt like having a lazy day. I will be going to the store soon though to get dinner items, and some food for the munchkin. Pearl has been making weird sounds with her mouth lately, it's hard to explain here in words. I will try to capture it on video, but she seems to do it only when she wants to. She's a very independent little girl, except when she's being clingy.

Update:

Got it on video, enjoy:

11-14-08

It was another relaxing day for little miss Pearl, though she got busy moving her things around for a while. Plan is to go to the park tomorrow and have some fun, maybe Pearl will meet some new kids. After the park a small shopping trip is on the itinerary.

Pearl falling asleep sitting on my lap with her head on the ottoman:

11-13-08

Pearl appeared to be still a little sicky today, so we had a relaxing day. She played a little and slept quite a bit, and stayed home when Kim and I went to the store. No sense in exposing her to any germies that are floating around Wal-Mart, really have you seen the people that shop there, blargh...

Looks as though work is going to be delayed one more week, but we will be opening to the public on December 1st. They just need the fire inspector to com in and then get their CO, then we can get in there and start prepping and training.

Bumpa will be here in 2 weeks, Pearl and all of us are looking forward to that, it will be nice. May be Pearl will start speaking actual english words by then, so he will not only get to see her walking but talking too.

11-12-08

Pearl is sick, she has a fever, and she's very sleepy. She threw up on mommy this morning, so Kim came in to wake me up. We can tell there is definetly a bug, but we think Pearl will be just fine. We just need to make sure to give her plenty of fluids and keep her warm, she'll take care of the resting (she already is). She is attempting to play right now though, she has some of her links and shes waving them around a little. The fever when I checked it at 9:00 was 100.4, will be keeping a close eye on that and I will update this blog entry throughout the day.

9:46
Temp is 100.0, called the doctor and was told that if she has 2 more bouts of vomitting in the next hour that we should definetly bring her in. So far she has vomitted twice this morning, once when she woke up and once about 10 minutes ago.

11:13
Temp is 97.9, she seems to have her color back, more active, and smiling more. No more vomitting either, drinking pedialite to make sure she does not get dehydrated.

12:46
Pearl seems to be just fine, playing and active. We think she might have gotten food poisoning yesterday, it seems a plausible explanation.

11-11-08

Pearl had a sleepy day today, she fell asleep on my chest twice, on mommy once, and took a nap with mommy in the bed. Pearl has been doing so good with her walking, there really isn't anywhere that she can't go now. She also likes to give kisses, even without mommy and I asking for one. She likes to share her toys and food with mommy and I, even imaginary crumbs. Stacking things and putting things inside other things is becomong quite the thing to do as far as Pearl is concerned. Talking seems to be pretty close, she makes weird noises woth her mouth as if she thinks she is saying words. I really love my little girl!!!

11-10-08

Well, first day at work was pretty uneventful. We still cannot start anything, need permits still to start prepping and ordering. We are shooting for Dec 1 for the soft open, and then Jan 1 for the grand opening. It'was nice to go onto payroll today, have to catch up on bills, currently trying to crunch the numbers to pay electric bill on Thursday and still have $ for gas and food. We could sell the Wii, but we love our Wii, we'll figure it out. I have a couple of things listed on craigslist, so that might help.

Pearl and Kim gave me a ride this morning because I didn't want to get up early to pay the cable bill. I ended up only being there for about 3 hours, so we all went to pay it together. Pearl was sleeping like a baby when they came back to get me. We got home and did some playing and tired her out again, and she went to sleep on mommy...

11-09-09

Went to the park again today, didn't stay for too long. Pearl didn't seem to be as into it as she was the past 2 days, may be she was tired. Pearl really is a smart little girl, yesterday I tought her "slip me some skin" and she did it. This evening I asked for a kiss and she stuck her lips out towards me for a kiss, then Kim asked for one and she did it again.

I start my new job tomorrow at a new restaurant called Luma, I have been looking forward to it. It was supposed to be 2 weeks ago, but construction problems postponed everything. The restaurant is only 10 minutes away by car which is very nice, less gas to get there and with the $2.25 a gallon gas is now it's going to be quite the money saver. If I get my bike down here I could even ride it to work it's so close.

11-08-09

We decided today that we needed to get Pearl a pair of shoes to play at the park, and to ride her new bike outside. Also, we think if she has on some shoes she will start walking flat on her feet rather than on her tip toes. Aunt Bobbie had bought her a pair of converse for her birthday, but the need came sooner than we thought and her feet don't quite fit in them too well. She will grow into them, of course, but she needed a pair that fit now. We hit target to look for shoes, Kim and I found a pair each that we liked, and we went with the ones Kim found. The shoes were only $9.99, not bad at all...

After Target we to the park again, as Pearl really seemed to like it yesterday. To tell a secret, I think Kim and I liked it just as much if not more than Pearl. There were quite a lot more children playing there today, most seemed that they were very well behaved youngsters (except one little shit). The first little girl Pearl met was a youg lady that was one day younger, she was a bit chunkier than Pearl so she sort of over powered Pearl. She met a very rude little boy that was a little odd too, he wouldn't let any of the younger kids play with bouncy balls that weren't even his, I think that's why kids over 5 aren't supposed to be in that section. I didn't like him very much, uncool little shit. I am glad Pearl is so cool and gentle with the other children that she comes in contact with. 

One of the cool things about going to the park with Pearl is that Kim and I are becoming more social as well. This is a good thing, we need friends, expecially friends that have children that are the same age or close to the same age as Pearl. Today we met a family Wes, Liz, and their son Ethan, it was very easy talking with them and I certainly hope that we run into them again. I don't see that being too much of a hard thing to do, they go to that park often, and I suspect that we will be too.             

11-07-09

Got up this morning to check the mail and my blood sugar and have some breakfast, and in the mailbox was a belated birthday card for Pearl from her Poppy (my Father) with fifty bucks to get her something special. It was a very nice card, it made me a little misty. I had got back in regular communication with my Father shortly before Pearl was born after about 9 years of nothing. It has been nice to be back in touch with him, I feel this new relationship with him is much healthier than anything we had in the past. I am glad that Pearl gets to have a Bumpa, a Poppy, and an Opa who all love her very much, not every little girl gets 3 grandfathers. Of course she has a Nana and a Mimsy too, all that love makes a very happy munchkin.

After eating breakfast and playing on the computer a little bit I realized that I was still a little tired so I laid back down to read and then sleep some more. A couple of hours later I joined the land of the conscious again and decided that the family needed to get out and do stuff. Mommy and I had been talking about going to the park for the last couple of weeks but have not gotten around to going for some reason or another. Today we were going to the park come hell or high water, after cashing Pearl's birthday check and getting some gas the park at Lake Minnehaha was our next stop. We drive by the park all the time and knew there were swings and slides and other manner of playground apparatus, however, upon closer inspection we discovered it was actually 2 playgrounds in 1. One part was for older children with slides, climbing walls, cargo nets, and swings. The other side for children of Pearls age with low to the ground animal statues, and "diaper" swings.

Kim and I both remarked about how when Pearl is a little older there is some pretty fun looking stuff on the "big kid" side of the playground. Both the sides of the playground have astro-turf instead of grass so there is reduced worry of fire ants, though it's a little more rough on the knees for a wobbly walker like Pearl. I think having red knees is much better than hundreds of fire ants swarming and stinging. Pearl loved being at the park, laughing and clapping in the swing, fearless in approaching other children and people that were there.

At one point she was walking around and just strolled up to the mother of one of the other children at the park who was sitting on a bench, Pearl put her hand on the woman's knee and looked up at her, smiled, and did her little wave that she does. When it started getting dark, about 5:30 now, we thought we'd get going but decided that we needed to come to the park a lot more often. We already have definite plans to return to the park tomorrow, a little earlier though so we can stay longer. Perhaps Kim and I will start to be more social as well and meet some other parents, at least we could find some kids for Pearl to play with on a regular basis.

After the park we went to cash my "paycheck" at amscott and then over to Toys-r-Us to find "something special" to buy with the money that Poppy sent to Pearl. We looked at blocks, play sets, scooters, books, and all manner of cool stuff that I wished I could have bought 1 of everything. After a little more than an hour of searching for the perfect thing to get we had decided on a bright red Radio Flyer "Scoot-About" with a bell and tassels on the handle bars. Pearl got her first bicycle, after putting it together, giving it to her, and outing her on it I realized this was a very special occasion. I got quite misty seeing Pearl on her first bike, again, I've been a ball of emotions all day. Pearl would like to say thank you to her Poppy for her new bike, she really loves it!!!

I have made a couple of changes to the blog today, if you hadn't noticed. I decided I wanted to make it into a blog for me to write about being a daddy, so I took the other authors off. Don't worry it has not affected your ability to post comments, and sorry for the lack of warning about the changes. If any of you would like me to post something on your behalf I will certainly do that, just email me and I will post it. I have also added more friends and family to the update email messages sent out when I update the blog.