2 Month on and we are going great guns!

This shot just goes to show that you have to be quick in the line of fire

Here we have Parker striking his sleep pose

There are only a limited number of years this is appropraite so we are helping him to make the most of it on a very hot day!

 and he is just not sure what is going on here...

We went to Aiden and Sahra's wedding on the weekend and Parker was so well behaved and it was absolutely beautiful!!!!!

My "lets get some serious dancing done" look

And coming soon a look at our christmas tree!!!! With some video on u tube...stay tuned

The first 3 weeks

It's Jess here, finally got my computer up and running and found a little time in between napping, eating and feeding to post.

This is me while the contractions were still exciting and managable...i definately know why our brains are programmed to forget the birth or the world wouldnt be over populated! BUT, when Parker did open his eyes for the very first time and saw Ryan and I...well there is no other feeling like it!

We had our first home visit today and were told that Parkers weight gain was almost unheard of...all i wanted to hear was that he was doing well because i never know whether im doing anything right or not, SO, we are doing at least that! He was 3.6kgs when born and today, 2 weeks later, he is 4.4kgs.

Parker a few minutes after birth...so beautiful!

Our poor little Jaundice bubba, he lost the yellowish tinge about a week after birth

Parker going for a ride in the car, which he loves!!!

Daddy and Parker, getting some much needed nap time!

I breast fed in public for the first time today, something i have been dreading because everyone has an opinion about it, and i had visions of my boobs (or "tuckshop", as Ryan and Parker call them) popping out and milk squirting into a strangers face etc but it worked really well so i feel a little more confident!

Ryan is getting great at multi-tasking!!!!

Parker loves a good nap not wrapped up, however he gets the "thriller arms" which tend to wake him up...so cute though

Tess is settling down a little more every day, however she chooses some inopportune moments to play out. She is getting her big walks everyday though cause Parker also loves the pram, sometimes we just keep walking because he is quite!

Bye for now, i will keep the blog going!!!

Why Parker? - Parker Lewis

There are many reasons why Parker was chosen as the name. The inspirations are many so let's detail a few, shall we? In no particular order, of course.

Parker Lewis Can't Lose

If you didn't get the chance to watch this show in your youth then I feel sorry for you. It's a true 90's classic and sadly forgtten/overlooked by many.



Corin Nemic was the eponymous Parker Lewis and he carried the show as the rapscallious heart and soul of every misunderstood teen just trying to have a good time.

This show is the link between Doogie Howser: MD and Scrubs. But, y'know, for kids!

It's a rock solid piece of my childhood and I'm happy for my son to share some namesake with the kid who couldn't lose.

Meet Parker

He has arrived. The heir to the Lindsay throne (or at least this branch of it), the little guy who will be getting plenty of my time from here on out, and the champion with little sideburns who is ready to tackle the world.

Parker is here.

The birth was quite the arduous process, though probably not as much for me as for Jess, but we got there in the end.

It's strange being trapped in the one room for a whole day; we got there before 7am and didn't have our little man until 7:40pm. It's a long time to never leave the room and just wait for it all to come and go but we had fun anyway.

And it was nothing compared to the 4 days we would spend in the next hospital room. You get a little bit of cabin fever and just can't wait to get home. And we are home now.

It's all a steep learning curve but it's also a stack of fun.

I'll try and update on here a bit more as Parker slowly evolves into the bundle of awesome we all know he is and will be but for now you just get one measly picture.

The Cool Dad

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not looking to be the 'cool' dad. I'm not consciously going to try and be hip and hang with the kids and all that garbage. I'm a firm believer that a child needs a parent before they do a best friend. Sure, if you do it well then you'll end up friends with your kid but you can't sacrifice parenting opportunities because it might hurt the friendship, that's forr sure.

However, I am a goofball at heart and I get the feeling I'm just going to get on well with my kid anyway. I get on well with kids in general and I feel like I'll be on my little fella's level.

Jess seems to think the same thing because every time we watch Modern Family, a show that didn't initially impress me but I'm now in love with, she just looks at me and laughs or smiles.

There's a father in the show, Phil Dunphy as played by Ty Burrell, and he's kinda like me in a fair few ways. He's goofy, he's afraid of spiders, he's a big wuss. The more I see the more I see myself. I might not have the perfect comedic timing of Mr Burrell but otherwise the character seems a great deal like what I'll be like in just a few years.

Have a look at the trailer below, it's pretty close.

If you've ever seen the show then you can possibly see something into it, too.

And I don't mind it. I laugh my ass off when I watch Modern Family, Phil Dunphy is also my favourite character, and I got to marry a hot blonde too. It all fits together.

Names - Lando

A mate of mine made a suggestion for a name that I think is pure genius. It's a name that's never really been used before and it would make for one individual individual.

Lando.

Think about it. Everyone knows Lando, he's smooth, he's cool, he's not to be trusted until you come to completely trust him.

Just look at him.

Lando.

I like it. But if you're going to go for Lando should you just go for Han instead?

Names - Campbell

It's funny, Jess had submitted Campbell as a possible name. And you know what, it's not too bad at all. It's got a little jazz to it, it's snappy, it's a bit different but not crazy. It's regal and will surely match the middle name.

When I think of Campbell I think of the soup or the actor, you know the one, Bruce Campbell. He's a living legend and one of the best actors to be able to do acting in reverse, he's a phenom, no doubt about it. Those are two pretty good things to have for the name, and I can even put them together in the one image (borrowed from sci-fiwire.com, click the images if you must have a link or want to put these labels on your own cans):

This name was seriously on the list but then a good friend from work just had her first and named him Campbell. I'm happy to let her have it, I think we still have one better suited for our son.

But congratulation to that friend, anonymous shall she remain, she's got a safe and healthy baby and she's given it a cool name.

Hail to the Campbell.

Homemade Pizza

Over Xmas last year we managed to score this awesome homemade pizza cooking stone. It makes us feel like real Masterchef's in our own home and goes back to the Italian heritage that my greasy hair seems to think it has even though I'm half Pom-Kiwi, go figure.

Anyway, so we made up the dough and we got to making our own special pizzas. Note: when I say we made the dough I actually mean I was all set to make the dough as a special treat for my lovely pregnant wife but instead I don't think she exactly had what we'd call 'the faith' in me so she ended up doing all of the dough so now we'll never know if I could have done it myself or not.

Jess' dough came up pretty awesome and then she rolled it nice and flat and into a round shape. The stone had been heated up in the oven and we were ready to start flipping the dough around and slapping some 'exotic' ingredients on there.

Poor Jess wasn't allowed to partake in my awesome hardcore deli meats because they say it's no good for the pregnant ladies and she doesn't want to risk it, so I got all the salami. When we got the pizza out I was super impressed by how great it looked. Check it out.

Id' pay good money for that, and in a sense, we probably did. But it was fun to do and I'd certainly do it again. I can only imagine Jess and me in the kitchen with out little fella teaching him how to do this from an early age. The ladies won't know what hit them.

Names - Ares

This one goes out to my brother in France, as it was his suggestion, based on a character I wrote into a story once.

I think Ares as a name holds many grand connotations. It's synonymous with strength, with pride, with courage. Sadly, it's also pretty connected to warfare and death and all that sort of stuff but if you take it on the regal god manner in which it is intended it's got a pretty fine backbone to it.

Imagine if kids in the playground find out he's the god of war. Just think of the possibilities.

He could even escape the gene pool that his father has thrown him into and turn out like this:

Names - Yorick

Alright, time for me to pony up and offer some of my suggestions, after having bagged out Jess' for so long.

This is a name I actually really like. Yorick. It's just got a certain ring to it, I don't even know that I could explain it. I like how it looks, I like how it sounds. You can shorten it to 'Rick. I dunno...it's just got that special something about it.

It also reminds me of one of my favourite comic book characters:

But it doesn't, surprisingly, give me those Shakespearean overtones, all that skull holding and soliloquising. It's just not coming to mind.

Though, I will admit, I'm not sure if I just like this name as something for a character, or my actual son.  Time will have to tell on this one.

Names - Barclay

Here's another gem that Jess thought up. She told me this name and in my head I instantly went here.

I thought she meant Barkley, like Sir Charles up there.  Now, don't get me wrong, the Chairman of the Boards was a pretty cool player, and maybe one shade of eye bag away from Sleepy Floyd, but he wasn't impressive enough to me to warrant naming my kid after him.

However, Jess didn't mean Barkley, she meant Barclay, which just made me think of this.

Perhaps Visa is just an easier way to go, and he'll be accepted in over 200 countries worldwide (ba bum cha!).

Dr Bruce Campbell M.D.

Jess and I went for a check up recently, the usual stuff, nothing too crazy, but while they were weighing Jess I was stuck in a narrow hallway and I looked upon the wall to see something glorious.

Most doctors have the usual art on the walls, lame and lazy pieces that are meant to placate their patients, make then feel at home, make them feel cared for, to create an environment of peace. Well, our obstetrician is obviously not a usual doctor.

I stared at this visual masterpiece and just knew I was with the right man. I snuck my phone out and got a quick snap before any of the nurses busted me, though Jess blew my cover by screeching out a big, fat "What are you doing?" Damn, no stealth at all.

So, without any further ado, here he is, our obstetrician.

Recognise.

Ryan's 28th Birthday

Well we had Ryan's birthday on Friday and he came down with the man flu, he is still suffering which means we all are!
He managed to make it through the weekend in style though and had such a great time with friends. There were quite a few people that came from a far which was lovely!
Tess had an interesting weekend, with visitors in the house, definately out of her comfort zone. She has well and truly settled down now...thank god. The threats about RSPCA worked at treat.

I m 26 weeks now and as you can see growing daily. I am feeling better the bigger I get which is nice. I had a little melt down in a David Jones' changing room with mum but have since recovered with a wonderful friend giving me a fews clothes.
I certainly am loving being pregnant with my sister but it would have been handy to have borrowed some of her clothes, not just see her look fabulous in them! I am also wearing my glasses more now as my eyes won't stop watering, the opposite problem to my mum.

So far Ryan has been telling you all the names I am putting forward but you will notice that Ryan is not actually submitting any at all??? I'm waiting to see what his game plan is...

For Ryan's birthday I got him a i-phone docking alarm and an apron. It looked cool because the snooze is a motion sensor so you just wave your hands in front of it. handy because Ryan generally integrates the alarm sound into his dreams and it just goes on and on. With my Marfan arms, I'll get the job done before he realizes whats happening.
We had a great dinner at my Mums, three different types of curries and Ryan got very spoilt getting a brown knitted vest for school, some old comics and beer and some very appreciated money from the Grandparents.
My sister even made a lovely cake with 28 candles on it, i blew them out though, no one wanting sick man breath on their piece.

I also attempted an iron man cake for our night out at Nandos and A-TEAM (which was awesome), however the logistics of time got in the way and his face kept melting, making it look like Whiplash whooped his ass. Oh well, its all trial and error but I enjoyed making it and it tasted great!

I'm keeping up to date with my brother and his family in France and Owenn, my Nephew, is so adorable!!! Keep the photos coming.

Jess

Names - Pepe

I have no idea whether Jess is being serious with this one or not but either way I have to stamp down my authority quickly. Pepe. Seriously....uh, no.

I could say I don't want my son to be a faux-French sleaze ball who doesn't know how to respect the boundaries established by the women around him. A la:

But in truth, I think I'm just worried that a kid with my DNA lurking somewhere within him might actually fit the name and turn out like this:

I don't care if you do like Pepe as a character, no one wants a kid that even closely resembles this Muppet.

Names - Milo

I don't even know where to start with Milo. It's not necessarily a bad name, but it's certainly not one I'd use. I can't even pin down what I don't like about it, whether it's the chocolate drink connotation, or the pseudo-Italian vibe I get from it, or just an annoying habit that probably two decades later I still can't get this crummy movie out of my head.

Doesn't it look like they're watching from heaven?

Sorry Milo, we're not having a little brother for you and calling him Otis. Just not on the cards.

Names - Major

Another one of Jess' masterpiece choices. She thinks Major is absolutely cute, though she concedes it might work better as a dog name. I don't hate this name but I'd rather use it for an old St Bernard than my son and the living destiny and echo of my bloodline.

I'd like to profess that upon hearing the name I first thought of Joseph Heller and at least was happy that my surname isn't Major as well, but this was a mere second thought. Sadly, my first thought went straight to this head.

And I don't want to hear any creepy chuckles from the belly as I sleep.

Heh, heh, hyeah.

Names - Ross

Jess still had plenty more names she wanted to try out on me. Another zinger was; Ross.

Now, I have nothing against this name, I think it's perfectly fine, I can understand how people would use it and be happy for the rest of their lives. But it's just not what my son will be called.

This is a case of a name being perfectly fine, except for the fact that I'm not in love with it, and I have to be in love with my son's name.

Not to mention, Ross only has one meaning for me and it signals that I'll have a kid like this (make sure you watch until the TV bit, hilarious...but not my son):

Gardening, Other Delights and 6 months next week!!!!

So this is my first foray into the blogging world, which I'm sure Ryan is super excited about. He left me with instructions this morning and I am muddling through them now.

We are slowly collecting every a little baby may need and in our pursuit I found a lovely steal (which I had to get my husband to bid for as I was in surgery at the time and I am sure the doctor or the patient would not have appreciated the slight distraction)

As these photos show we got an absolute steal on e-bay, over 100 items of boys clothing for 0000-0 for $70. They were in great condition and definitely worth it! The three on the left were new (George's shirt was from a Friend Jess in Sydney- Very cool dude!) The others were a purchase due to their coolness.

Names - Ace

Jess and I have been bandying about names a lot lately to see what else might stick and how we feel about it. Naming a kid can be hard because you both have to agree that you love a name. Love it!

Jess and I barely like the same tv shows, she tolerates me watching Big Bang Theory and I have to leave the house to watch LOST.When she watches The Good Wife I usually rock the laptop on my knees and get some work done. We're not always in synch, though we do both enjoy Glee a fair bit, so you never know, we can come together on some things.

So Jess was at work and came up with a list of names. I'm going to share some of them with you now just to test the waters.

Ace

Jess really likes Ace for a name.

I don't.

All I can think of is this guy.

And sorry, champ, but Ace gets a big thumbs down instead.

It's A...Boy!

We finally found out the sex of our child (actually we found out a while ago but I've been slack in updating, sorry...).

We went in to get the scan done, we were both just ducked out from work, we were in between patients, and then BAM we get told it's a boy. It all happened so quick, and I was so sure it certain that it would be a girl (for no real reason, just felt it in my waters) and then I find out I'm going to have a little hairy creature just like myself to call as I wish and boss around and craft to go on in this world and conquer all that he surveys. It's so cool.

I now try to imagine what the 'little fella' (as I've been calling him) will look like. It's a pretty crazy notion to really think about the honest production of your own genetics mixed with that of the person you love. This little fella is going to be so awesome and I can't wait to meet him. And meet him again and again every day for the rest of his life. Well, technically it would be the rest of my life, he'll live on much longer than I will.

Dr Seuss - My Boy Loves Him

I've started reading to the baby and everybody involved is loving it. We picked up this Seuss book (well, it's not actually Seuss, but it's based on him, references a stack of his work, and really nails the overall vibe of his oeuvre quite well) while on our Babymoon up north.

A few times now I've read it and then Jess has felt some movement, so either her bowels love Seuss (a helpful hint to save for later) or our little bambino likes some of the classics.

I do feel that Dr Seuss would go perfect with our child, so feel free to purchase away from his back catalogue, if the fancy so takes you.

Manly Men Feelings

Jess is starting to show just a little bit more. I don't know if I'm allowed to say that but she is. She's not popping like 9 months but she's certainly got a thicker trunk than when I met her, and it's all baby.

I have never been a guy to touch a pregnant woman's belly. I've never done it actually, I always felt weird when it was even possibly on offer. I don't want to man handle some poor other woman just because she happens to have a kid inside her. It's still her body, she doesn't become public property as soon as she gets another little one in her. Yet so many people treat them like they are, it's weird. They go commenting freely on the new proportions of belly and boobs, and discuss the eating habits and funny style of standing up from the seated position. It's open slather and that's pretty weak, when you think about it.

So I've gone from a life without touching big bellies to one where now I cannot get enough of it. Each day I can feel the further space that the baby occupies, like watching tectonic plates slowly grind and shift over time. It's awesome. The stomach is so hard and large and I know that between that sheet of skin and muscle is another little life that I've created. A little person floating in fluid and feeling the noises I make around it and trying its best to see through the red-lit haze at what is around it. It's strange to get into the headspace of your unborn child, would probably make a good story one day...anyway.

I'm sort of glad I waited so long to go grabbing at the full belly. It made it all the more meaningful when I finally caved in and now I can't get enough.

*Other women need note, I still don't want to get all up in their torso, I will still only appreciate the pregnant form that I spend time creating. Others are of no interest.

You're Having My Baby

It wasn't long after we found out that we were having a baby that we heard this piece of music on the show Glee.

It seemed to sum up a lot of what we were feeling and made us laugh to beat the band.

Thought you might want to enjoy it as well.

Our Baby Will Be Reading Soon

We still haven't finalised which exact cot we want but we did manage to locate the perfect quilt set, and of course the doting mother-to-be needed to get matching pillow case, clothes hamper, and nappy holder. And who am I to withhold these things from the woman I love?

Of course, it's word oriented, or at least letters. I just love the colours and the pics are pretty cute. I am certain our little child will truly appreciate the levels of home decoration we went to just to ensure it grew up stimulated and learning at all times.

Plus, it'll really tie the room together, I think.

Here's A Little Belly, For Those Waiting

I know many people want to see pics of Jess' belly because they have some sort of sick need to have to judge or quantify exactly what is happening, or else they just want to share in the joy. Either/or. I figure most people just like to watch someone else's body change after years of working on it and getting it just how they wanted it.

No matter what your motivation, feel free to enjoy the pic below of Jess' baby bump at about the 14 week stage. I think it is absolutely amazing that below the skin there is something sentient growing and starting to think. How cool.

Building A Stronger Baby

It is highly important to put good fuel into the system to make sure that baby gets all that s/he needs. We here at the Lindsay household have been very conscious of making sure that we are constantly at the pinnacle of health and nutrition to ensure our baby's brain will grow exponentially so that it can one day rule the planet. Or just get published like its father can't.

So, in the interest of promoting solid eating habits during your pregnancy as well as ours we bring you the Good Morning Menu.

That's right, boils and ghouls, a little bit of bacon and eggs go a long way. That right there is 97% fat free bacon, and I have Tabasco sauce all over mine, to help with the digestion process.

Here's another shot we prepared earlier. As usual, Jess won't get in front of the camera but she thinks others will want to see my mug some more. Don't worry, the next post will have a shot of her, I promise.

Mm-hmm, that's some hunk of meat right there. The bacon, you know?

Hope your breakfast is just as delicious.

Parental Reading Guides

Not every set of parents need be identical. Jess and I revel in the fact that we are different.

I am a boy; Jess is a girl.

I have black hair; Jess has blonde hair.

I am a teacher; Jess is a nurse.

I get up early every morning; Jess has been known to sleep 20 hours in a day before.

I like Doritos; Jess likes Cheese & Bacon Balls.

I love LOST: Jess hates even the fact that I love LOST.

My favourite movie is Chasing Amy; Jess' favourite movie is Striptease.

It is these differences that gives us the power to appreciate the other person for what they bring to the relationship and how the other person would never have it if it weren't for them.

I love our differences and know that everything Jess is and does makes me a better person. Yet, when we returned from book shopping the other day I was a tad concerned about our choice of purchases. We went into a great little secondhand book store and this is what we bought.

Just doesn't seem like one of us is on the right page as far as what makes a good parenting book. Guess which one it is...

Because Parenting Ain't Easy

Just quietly, between you, me, and the lamppost, this parenting gig is going to be easy.

How do we know this?

Because what's a child when we can teach our dog, Tesla, to brush her own teeth.

She takes the bait and the crowd watches in silence...

It crosses the threshold, we have bristles on teeth.

She wants us to have a go now. We politely decline.

She doesn't want to stop. "Look ma, no hands!"

*This post brought to you by my wife who thinks I'm far too verbose and needs to remind me that I'm allowed to sometimes just post photos. Enjoy.