Some fresh vids

Just chattin'...

Goin' spider monkey on a crazy hangin thing chip!

1 Bad MOFO

Not trying to be vulgar, but that's just what it is...

Yesterday I missed the start of the race at Vulture's Knob, in Wooster, Ohio, but i did manage to track down Mr. Davis after riding a 1/2 lap, and rode the last lap with him pulling me along. After the 'real' race was over Dr. Groovy had an outstanding single speed event. 20 brave souls signed up for 3 laps on the kiddie course to decide how would be the winner of the First Annual Bad @$$ Mofo Single Speed Classic race.

3 Laps would simply be just another race...what's the fun in that...of course, there was more. At the start of the race, each competitor was spun around (eyes closed) in place by a volunteer, then it was a mad dash to the bikes parked 50 yards away. I thought I was doing well, but the next thing I know I saw all green and ended up rolling a few times before mounting my machine. I must have rolled faster than most were running and entered the woods in 5th. During each lap you were required to yell "Booo-Yah!" everytime you passed a balloon marking the kids course, and every lap the kids were throwing water balloons, grass, and other odds and ends at us.

Upon the conclusion of the first lap we had to stop and eat 4 sugar coated doughnuts, and a can of Monster. I put the first doughnut in my mouth and it instantly felt like I'd had cotton mouth for a week. I realized the value of the Monster as not only a lubricant, but also as a doughnut mush maker. After the second, I realized the best thing to do was stick the whole donut in my mouth and take a big swig of monster to turn sweet dusty sand and dough into a sugar mash that I could swallow quite quickly. My revelation got me into the woods on lap 2 with a clean line of sight in front of me. Upon completion of lap 2, there were 2 banana peppers and about a quarter cup of its juice waiting for me. We are all still trying to eat all this crap while gasping for air and heartrates buzzing like hummingbirds. Don't even think of puking or you are disqualified!

In the end victory was captured. On my way to the podium, I smashed a beer can on my head and thrust fists in the air. It just felt like the right thing to do. I get to keep the trophy for a year, then it goes to next years winner with each successive winners name affixed to the trophy on an engraved steel placard. Good times by all. The Knob crew puts on a heckova show!

New addition to the bike family

So my buddy Gary moves to Tennessee from Ohio after getting a huge education in bike building from one of the best. He has perfected his art and makes works of art that you can ride. So I picked one up. Gary built the frame to my specs after alot of discussion back and forth, and I added the parts to make it a complete bike. I really like the result! Christina's name is in script on the chainstay, so every time I lube the chain for a ride, I'm reminded of why I am. Gary's line of bikes "Justice Madison", are named after his daughter...This daughter thing is catchy...

I think the bike looks killer, and it rides like a dream.

http://www.justicemadisoncycles.com/

To the skeptics...

...YES! I still have it!

Took a "Bob day" last Friday and spent the day at Nelson's Ledges Road Course...again. Found some more speed out there...so I got that goin' for me...which is nice. Don't worry, I was home earlier than most work nights, so the girls didn't miss me. Of course, its been in the garage since with all my race day stuff still packed in it, and in need of a serious bath...there's not much left of bugs that hit the windshield at 130, they just kinda vaporize and leave a stubborn haze to clean off...

WOW

So no posts since going back to work. Man, pullin double duty is killer. I try to put as much of a day as I can at work, then pull the night shift feedings for momma. She's with Christina all day, so I feel obligated, but I don't know how long I can pull this off. For the most part, Christina is settling into a rhythm of 3 hour feedings. Sometimes this is a meal and right to sleep, some times its complicated (hiccups, couple extra poops or pees, stubborn burp, etc.). She's been getting out for stolls with momma pretty frequently, in fact momma is getting more exercise than me. I haven't spent much time and the bike, and I must start back into it. The fitness it provides helps me maintain the activity level I need or the girls, and it provides an outlet for alot of things I don't need to get into. The rides I do get are a gift. Thanks to the Grands and friends that have helped (and continue to help) with meals and precious free time for Mag and I. We've managed to have a few date nights compliments of the Taillons, and the Rodgers are coming up Saturday to give us a free day.

I took Christina to the mall the other day. Had my first feeding and diaper change away from homebase. It was actually kinda cool. We were independent. I think a few more weeks and she'll be ready for rides in the bike trailer...then its on. Boy, won't it be great when I show up at the weekly road race in Westlake with a trailer in tow...

Gotta go, almost feeding time again, gotta warm that bottle...

Updated pics and a new vid

We had a nice Easter weekend. Mag spent a good portion of Saturday resting. I managed to get out on the bike between feedings for an hour and a half. It was my first ride as a dad, and the bike I chose was quite fitting...a fixed geared road bike. This bike is actually one of my fav's to train on. A fixed geared bike cannot coast, the pedals always move (I do have a front brake for emergencies). This also means that it only has one gear. Riding it is kinda like life...it always moves forward, and when approaching a hill, you got what you got, there's no changing gears, you just gotta man up and git'r done...and sometimes its hard, but in the end its always fun! I think its very befitting that I unconciously chose to ride this bike as my first ride as a dad.

In addition to the 'exercising' and massage that Christina and I do, Mag is reading to her, so she's getting her first doses of nursery rhymes. Mag also started her on supervised 'tummy time'. Its great for developing neck strength. Now don't get all bent outta shape, we aren't on some sort of super baby development program with all these 'scheduled activities' to promote development, we just love playing with Christina, and it just works out its good for her too. Enjoy the recent photos and the short vid of some 'tummy time'.

The mechanics on the parenting front are starting to come together. We are getting the hang of her communication and moods, as well as NASCAR style diaper pit stops. Ya, you gotta be fast...you never know...seems like she's got that poop chute locked and loaded with a hair trigger. So if you don't want to be doing laundry every day, you gotta be fast. We also had another (sponge) bath today, and that went very well. I'm anxious for the rest of her chord scab to fall off, then its real bath time! Git out the rubber duckies!

Eat, pee, pee, Eat, pee, pee, poop, pee...repeat

That's pretty much the routine that cycles every 2-3 hours per feeding cycle. Broken up by the occational bath or some extended wake time where she gets a combination of a baby workout and massage, and a story read from dad (the stories are typically from GM High Tech Performance, or Rod and Custom as they are the ones usually in reach while we are in the living room). The first bath was quite tramatic. I gave her a second bath while mom rested last night. It was going great and I think she kinda liked it...then I picked her up out of the sink and she crapped all over me...so she got another bath but didn't seem to like that one as much. All you can do is laugh! We had a feeding today and I thought she sneezed but Mag said it was from the south pole, not the north...explosive poo is real!! I had a hard time walking back into the living room, and Christina was almost boucing off momma's bouncing lap. It was hilariouls.

We are starting to get the breastfeeding established. Its a tough road. We are giving it a real go, but are not strictly adhereing to the breast feeding nazi regimns. I am helping as much as I can with getting the supplimental formula and other stuff ready, so both of us are up through the night. Rest (not sleep) comes in 2.5 hour intervals.

If you would like to come see Christina, let us know. We are limiting her exposure to groups per docs orders through the spring flu season. She gets sick, she goes to the hospital, period. She has a doctor's appointment Saturday morning so we'll know how she has progressed since leaving the hospital. I may not have previously reported this, but she lost a bit too much weight while in the hospital (I blame that on the breatfeeding nazi protocols, I'm glad we abandoned that and did what we had to do). Her weight loss was border line allowable for release from the hospital, so a visiting nurse came to the house on Monday. Her stats had stabilized, but tomorrow's office visit will be the true telling of her progress. I'm sure she is fine, I think she is getting heavier, and she already outgrew one of the sleepers we have for her.

Grow baby! Grow!