7 weeks old!!

Darian turned 7 weeks old today! Yea!! Yesterday he had a check up at his doctor. We have to double his dose of acid reflux medicine...though she thinks that he might just be a little colicky. It could be worse though...he's not too fussy...or at least not for really long periods of time like I've heard other people have been through. We all went to Luc's neighborhood yesterday so I could play some basketball with my friends. I hadn't played in several weeks and needed to get some exercise! Rik and Dee watched the games for a bit then went on a long walk through the neighborhood! It was a beautiful day and we were all drenched in sweat by the time we came home! Tonight we took Darian to a free City of Fishers concert at the Municipal Center. It was the first time we have attended, but they have them every Tuesday evening from 7-9. Tonight was the last concert of the season however. We spread out a blanket and chilled for a while. Darian slept for about half, but woke up and was a really happy little boy! He loves to be outside...and I think he likes to be around people. He likes to look around and soak in all the sights and sounds. Their were probably over 1,000 people in attendance...lots of families with kids running all over the place and parents socializing; drinking wine and beer that you are allowed to bring. We didn't realize that or we would have too! We stopped at Ole Town Ale House on the way back to our car and shared a flight of micro brews. Darian started to get upset so we finished our beer and headed home. It was an enjoyable night! Happy Birthday baby boy! We love you!

Been a little while...

Sorry I haven't written for several days. Things have been busy, but pretty good. I've still been working a lot, but my hours should be back to normal this week, so hopefully I will be able to get some of my own projects completed as I am falling quite far behind...and neglecting Darian's blog! I did take the day off last Friday, and we all went back to Winchester so I could see my dad and help him around the house. He's doing really well, and has managed his diet so well that he didn't have to give himself an insulin shot all weekend. Darian is proud of him and glad his grandpa Mike will be around for decades! Darian had fun hanging at Grandpa's too. Dad and Beck have about every baby gadget, so we were all set. Although, they did pull out a PINK swing for him! Funny. Dee didn't care. I mowed the yard for him, but that was about it. We just hung out by the pool and took a walk all around the big town of Saratoga! It took about 15 minutes! :) I swam some, and Rikki just dangled her legs in. Darian was pretty fussy, but Becky got him to take a good nap. It was a good day off work! Saturday we just stayed around the house and did some chores. It rained quite a bit in the morning, but turned out to be a really nice day! I was able to get the yard mowed in the evening. I took my first trip in a long time to Aldi to get some groceries. That was an experience! I didn't know you had to rent the carts...but luckily I had a quarter in the car! I knew they didn't bag groceries, so I brought my own, but failed to realize that they just scan everything at warp speed and haphazardly chuck everything into your cart. I mistakenly thought I could bag my own as she scanned! That was comical. Then I realized as I was leaving that there is a big counter by the doors where everyone bags their groceries before they head to their cars! :) I ran some more errands and headed home to spend the evening with Rik and Darian. We ended up doing quite a bit of cleaning before calling it a night! Sunday was a really fun day! Grandma Tia and Great Aunt Lynnie came over to see us. We all went to the Hamilton Town Center mall to do some shopping. We had some coupons at Gymboree, so we bought Dee some cute new clothes. Rik bought a few things for herself at NY & Company. Then Grandma and Lynnie babysat for us while mommy and I went on a little date! We went to see 'Public Enemies' at the theater! It was a really good movie. After that we all headed across to Olive Garden to grab dinner! It was a very nice weekend! Darian has been such a joy! He just keeps getting more and more adorable! He's had his really fussy moments still, but the good times out weigh those by far! Blog ya again soon!

Trip to Winchester...

Mommy took Darian to Winchester today to meet some family that he hasn't met yet. She went to her Grandpa Floyd and Arlene's this afternoon. It turned into a family reunion. Her Dad and Toni, Uncle Tim, and Aunt Amy all came over to see our little boy! They all ooohhhed and ahhhhed over him and I'm sure passed him around like a football! If he isn't a people person when he grows up I won't believe it! After mommy and Dee left her grandpa's she went over to Miranda's to visit with her and Brittany, and their 75 kids for a while! Today was Joselin's 4th birthday. From there she ventured to her Grandparents (Reish) to see her Aunt Lynnie who came in town for a few days. Lynnie stopped in Greenville on her way (as she always does) and they all dined on MaidRites. They had a great time! Lynnie loved him, but cracked up because he kept frowning at her when she was holding him! Probably because he could tell that she's a republican! :) I stayed home, worked and listened to President Obama's address! I thought it was really good! Let's get heath care to everyone and cut costs!! Rik is home now filling me in on today's happenings, and Darian is still asleep in his car seat! Till tomorrow...I hope...

Love,

Zach, Rikki and Darian

Dee was six Weeks old yesterday!!!

First of all...let me extend our deepest thanks for all of the text, myspace, email, etc., wishing my dad well and hoping for his speedy recovery. We really appreciate it. He is doing much better, just adjusting to his new diet, insulin shots, and not being able to swim for a couple weeks! This week has been pretty good so far. I have still been working a bunch, but my IT guy at work set it up so I can plot my drawings remotely from home, so I have been able to work from home the last couple nights, which makes me extremely happy because I can at least hang out with Rik and Dee. Yesterday Rikki had her 6 week follow up doctor appointment with Dr. Brazus, her OBGYN, and the doctor who brought our beautiful baby boy into this world. Rik took Darian to her appointment so Dr. Brazus could see him. She thought he was really cute...as did all the nurses and staff that we have gotten to know. After I got home from work we went shopping for a card and gift for Nana Mel. Her birthday is tomorrow. We stopped at Delaney's (one of Rikki's favorite stores) and she bought a couple new shirts. We then went to Macallister's to grab dinner. After we got home I worked till about midnight and then straight to bed. It was a fun day with the family!

Grandpa Mike...

Saturday we received a scary call! My dad (Grandpa Mike) had a heart attack!! We threw the dogs and Darian in the car and raced to Reid Hospital in Richmond to see him. We didn't know the severity, or really anything until we got there, so needless to say we were pretty worried. Thankfully he is recovering and will be going home tomorrow. He had 99% blockage in one of his arteries. The doctor put a medicated stint in, and he felt really good after that procedure. This morning he also found out he has Diabetes. He's had better weekends to say the least. We brought Darian back to see him today at the hospital, and he looked really good. He was up moving around, and completely free of tubes at that point. He seemed in pretty good spirits, but a little irritable...understandably. He will be released tomorrow...and we are so excited that he is doing well. He'll be out of work for a week or so, and will have to take it easy for a while, but he'll be better than ever once he gets all his new medications worked out. Love you dad!

Love,

Zach, Rikki and Darian Lee

This week...

Sorry I haven't blogged in several days! It's been a hectic week! My summation will be short, but I'll post a lot of pics, which is what everybody enjoys most anyway! Darian has been doing pretty well! There have been a couple long nights, but other than that he's been so happy! He's changing everyday and we love him more and more...if that's possible! GG Doris & GG Kenny came over on Friday to babysit while Rikki went to the dentist and to run some errands. I have been working a lot of hours for August Mack. Other than that we had a good week...until we received a bad phone call on Saturday.

5 weeks old!

Darian turned 5 weeks old tonight! We didn't really do much to celebrate, but he had a pretty fun day! Dee and Mommy slept in till 10:00 this morning, and they both needed it because last night was a pretty rough one! We finally got to sleep last night around 2:00am, and mommy had to sleep sitting up in bed with Darian on his boppy. We tried to put him in his bassinet, but he just wasn't happy unless he was being cuddled. He wasn't too bad today. He slept well this morning so mommy could get her shower and get the house cleaned up a bit for our visitor's. Darian played quite a bit in his activity gym today. He likes to make a lot of sounds when he does that. It's really cute. Gma Wicker and Aunt Stephanie Fruit came over to see Darian. Steph is visiting from South Dakota and met Dee for the first time! She got us a cute outfit, socks, and a cute little doggy stuffed animal. They stayed till I got home from work, then left around 5:30 or 6:00 i think. It was great to see them! After they left we decided to take Darian and the dogs for a walk. It was a nice day and nice to get out! Darian is sleeping now in his bassinet, so I think we are going to try to get some shut eye early tonight. Blog ya tomorrow everyone.

Love,

Zach, Rikki and Darian

Busy Monday

Today was a pretty busy day for Darian. Nanna Mel came to visit for lunch and stayed all afternoon. Rikki was able to get some things done around the house, and most importantly...a shower! She finished the T-ball pictures this morning and Melissa took them back to deliver with the help of Tia, Dad, and G&G Girton! Thanks everyone! Once I got home from work we hung out for a bit. I played a couple rounds of golf on the Wii while Rikki nursed Dee on the couch. We headed south to Fairland around 6:oo or so. I designed an addition and remodel for Shawnda (McCormick) and Matt Trout last year, and I hadn't seen the project since it was finished. They also wanted to meet our little man. Shawnda's mom and J.C. have been staying with them for a bit, and are heading back to Florida in the morning, so they wanted to meet the little guy as well. We grabbed a bite to eat on the way and headed to their house! It looked great! Matt acted as General Contractor, and he did an excellent job. The house is beautiful...inside and out. Their son Cooper was really cute! He really is a mommy's boy, and didn't really like when Shawnda held Darian! Shawnda, Matt and Cooper got us a shop and play, and Elaine and J.C. got us a Target gift card! Thanks so much! We visited for a while then headed around the corner to visit Craig, Mandy and Corbin Trimble. They hadn't met Darian yet either. Craig held him, and I wanted Corbin to, but he declined. It was good to see them...we haven't hung out in a while and Craig is one of mine and Rik's favorite people!

A few more pics...

Darian's Pursuit of Happiness...

I took the weekend off on the blog...so I'll catch everyone up now! Thursday night was another rough one! Around 11:30pm we loaded Darian in his car seat and went on a bit of a road trip...to Carmel. We hadn't seen the new roundabouts on Keystone, so we thought it would be a good time to check them out. We ended up at 28 Star Studio (Loni Wilson's Salon) in downtown Carmel. We parked, peeked in her storefront to check it out, checked on Darian who was finally asleep...then headed home. We just left him in his car seat as we didn't want to disturb him. He only slept for maybe a half hour once we got home. He was still up screaming and crying for a lot of the night! Mommy finally got him to sleep around 3:30 or 4:00am by dancing around the house with him! He was still not great Friday during the day at times, but seemed to be doing better after I got home from work. Maybe he just missed me! :) We grilled chicken and potatoes with rice for dinner. Pretty plain and boring, but we are trying to cut anything out of Rikki's diet that may cause Dee to be upset. We also bought some rice milk for her to drink. It's not too bad. Rik did talk to the doctor again on Friday. She actually called Rikki back herself, which I was impressed by. She told us to get some Pedialyte and give Darian that. We tried, but he didn't like it, and wouldn't really drink it. He did have a rather runny diaper though, so we are making sure he eats often so he stays hydrated. We were both pretty exhausted Friday night, so we turned in early. He started to get upset around 10 or 11 last night, but it didn't last too long. I put him to sleep, swaddled him in his lightweight swaddle sac, and put him in the bassinet. We had a pretty good night Friday. He was only up 3 times, and that was just to nurse. Rik let me sleep, though she tried to wake me once to move Sunshine, and I guess I did...but don't remember! We decided to cancel our photo shoot with Mary-Ellen so we could all be a bit more rested. We are doing it next Saturday instead. We didn't leave the house all day Saturday...except for a quick trip to Marsh to get a few things. Mommy worked on Tball pictures and I did some video editing. We started to go on a walk because there was a break in the rain, but as soon as we got Darian in his car seat and attached to his stroller in started to pour. I took the dogs on a quick stroll in the rain, and we pushed Darian around the garage in his stroller! :) It ended up clearing in the evening. We grilled out again...I had steak, Rik had chicken, and Dee had breast milk! We planned on trying to watch a movie, but it got too late on us and we were both pretty tired. We sat on the couch and watched the tele for a bit. We had a little scare when Rikki was holding Darian and he began to choke. He spit up what seemed a lot like adult phlem? Rik grabbed it with her hand so he didn't suck it back in. We spent the next hour using our little suction thingy trying to get the rest of it out of his mouth. He sounded really congested when he breathed, and we were worried about him choking when we went to sleep last night. We made it through the night pretty well, and slept in a little this morning. Today we have been working some more. I got the yard mowed, and we sat outside on the patio and read for a while, while Darian slept in his swing. We moved inside after some neighbors started shooting off fireworks. Mommy read Darian a book in his room, and he and I started writing a lullaby together on the couch. I played guitar and sang...and he just sang...although it was more of a cry I guess. I likened it to teenage girls crying at a N' Sync concert or something...:) We grilled out once again. Raspberry Talapia, rice (for Rik), potato's (for me)...fresh green beans, and grilled apples with cinnamon and brown sugar! Yum! Going to try to relax for a bit then hit the sack! Nite nite.

Love,

Zach, Rikki and Darian

Prognosis...

Good news! Darian doesn't have pyloric stenosis! we were pretty sure he didn't, but it's good to know for sure! i'll write more later, as this blog posting is as much of a test as an informative posting. i am writing this on my phone...sitting at bob evans in noblesville. we'll see if it works! blog ya again tonight!

Hurting baby!

Darian had a doctor's appointment today so we can try to figure out why he's been unhappy at night this week. Dr. Banter ordered an x-ray at Riverview Hospital tomorrow, to rule out that he doesn't have pyloric stenosis. Too long to explain, but basically it's fairly common in babies and means the connection from stomach to intestine is too small. We don't think that's the issue, but at least we'll be able to rule it out. She asked Rikki to temporarily eliminate all dairy products from her diet. We also stopped and purchased some gas drops from the store that the Dr. recommended. Hopefully we'll have a good night tonight! X-Ray appointment is at 1:30 tomorrow. I'll let you know how everything goes.

Love,

Zach, Rikki and Darian

Birthday Boy!!

Today Darian turned 4 weeks old...and going strong! Happy Birthday baby! He has actually been doing better today...so we're excited about that! Mommy has been carrying him around in the new sling I bought for her, and Dee seems to really like it. Mommy likes it because her hands are free and she can do some things! This morning I dressed him in his 'Mommy's Angel' gown! He looked really cute! It has two little wings on the back of it! He and mommy just played and nursed all day. Rik said he laughed and smiled a lot today. He was in a pretty good mood when I got home today. He's been a little fussy here lately, but is sleeping in mommy's arms right now. He's probably tired from the big birthday bash we had for him! I stopped at Target on my way home from work and bought him (us) a tiny little tiramisu (my favorite dessert) cake! We sang him happy birthday and he (mommy) blew out his candle after! We bought him a new onesie too. It says, "I love Mommy and I love Daddy." Too cute. We love our little man!

Love,

Zach Rikki and Darian

Fussy boy and Family...

We are not sure what is wrong with our little boy, but he hasn't been himself the last couple of days. Either that, or he is going through a 4 week fussy phase that is normal, but as new parents we're not yet privy to. Either way, we feel bad for him! He was up most of the night last night, which means...so were we. Mommy slept an hour or two, and I got a few. It was a rough night. He wanted to be held, and constantly acted hungry. He would eat for a bit, then fall asleep...when we tried to put him in his bassinet he would only sleep for a few minutes before waking and showing signs of hunger again. This went on all through the night! He wasn't much better today. Rikki couldn't do much because he wanted to be held continuously. She called the doctor's office and left a message this afternoon. A physician's assistant finally called back, but wasn't very helpful and acted more annoyed at having to call us back then anything. Rikki isn't very happy about it! We really like our doctor, but some of the other staff we could do without! We'll probably end up saying something to our doctor next appointment. I stopped at Target on the way home to get a "sling" baby carrier, so Rik can try to get some stuff done tomorrow while keeping Darian close to her. We'll see how that goes. If anyone reading this has any suggestions feel free to leave us comments! On a brighter note, my Uncle Randy stopped by tonight with my cousins Tony and Stephanie...on their way to visit GG Doris and GG Kenny in Winchester. They brought us a pizza (thanks) and Tony and Steph both held Dee! Steph tried teaching him some disco moves! Too cute! We all played some bowling on the Wii...and Randy won with a bit of beginners luck...it had to be, because his form was terrible! It was great to see them! Well, going to try to rest a bit and hopefully get some sleep tonight! Love you all.

Zach, Rikki and Darian

4th of July!!

Yesterday was Darian's first 4th of July! We had a pretty good day. We were a bit tired from not a lot of sleep the night before, so we slept in and took it easy most of the day. I made berry muffins and we ate breakfast in bed...all three of us. We were planning to go to Carol and Scott's for their annual anniversary/4th party, but it got cancelled because of all the rain. We were tired of being couped up in the house and we needed to run to Babies R' Us to get a lighter weight sleep swaddler, so we decided to get out of the house anyway! We headed to Castleton, looking for an open Mexican restaurant along the way, but they were all closed! We decided to venture to Broadripple, looking for any open restaurant at this point, and happened upon the Canal Bistro! It was excellent! We shared Calamari to start...then I had Lamb Kabobs and Rikki had Chicken Kabobs for our main course. Darian slept the whole time. Such a good little boy! After dinner we headed to Carol and Scott's anyway, as they had not yet met our little guy, and we were excited to show him to them. They loved him. Carol held him a bunch, but Scott wouldn't! He said he even has grandchildren he hasn't held yet! Too funny! Carol's mom held him though! She's very sweet...and we could tell, very good with babies! We came home around 11:00 to a very wore out Sunshine because of all the fireworks! We were up pretty late. Darian was a bit fussy, and the fireworks in our neighborhood were going off into the early morn! So we slept in again today...made more muffins for breakfast, and worked around the house a bunch! Grandpa Tony got here middle of the afternoon sometime and made us an outstanding dinner! Pork loin on the grill, with grilled potato's, shitaki mushrooms, and a Cesar salad! I finally finished our bedroom furniture! Tony is going to fix our roof tomorrow. Still damaged from the storm! Now Tony, Hubble and I are relaxing on the couch watching tv, Sunshine is outside wearing herself out barking at fireworks, and mommy and dee are in the nursery nursing! Blog ya tomorrow! Ughhh...back to work.

More pics from yesterday