Brody holding his head up

I hope the video works, I'm trying something new. In the military we called this the prone position. Of course Brody is in the modified prone position, it's called "poke your head up over the bunker when nobody is shooting."




if it doesn't work try this link:
http://s149.photobucket.com/albums/s76/adamray41/?action=view¤t=_0017.flv

Time to start training

Brody has been practicing sitting up and wants to show off a little.
His mama doesn't think the video is appropriate because he needs a little more practice. I think we should video the progress.

life other than Brody, kinda

a friend of mine, lets call him Jason, came down during spring break to go fishing. Being the true fisherman that he is, caught 2 nice size snapper. They tasted awesome!



I on the other hand caught everything from a 3" long lobster in tangled in the grass on my hook; to this seagull trying to get a free lunch. The bird survived, but I almost died from laughing at my friend Nick trying to save the bird.



this was taken during a contraction. The last picture of Brody in CO.

I found this guy swimming snorkeling at bahia honda with my family.

I got a new sail and boom!!! One morning on the way to school somebody was giving away a rundown sailboat. I tried to get it to the house, but it was too big and needed more time and money than I have right now. So while the boat was mine I took the parts I needed and gave away the rest. First come first serve kinda thing. Now I just have to fix the flat tire on the trailer and make another strong anchor point for the fore stay that broke free during the storm and I'm back in business

I also got a free 16ft aluminum starcraft boat on a trailer that was abandoned. I thought I could use the boat, but once again it was too big for my motor and it needed some work. I thought I could use the trailor for my boat, but it turns out I need a new axle and leaf springs, so who knows when I'm going to find those.

I want to clear up any images of "adam the junk collector" that might be forming in your brain. This practice of gathering is for only 1 purpose: TO GET ON THE WATER. One must be creative and resourcful if the desire to experience the wind and waves is heavy and the wallet is light.

Speaking of light wallets, I also got a job for the summer installing boat davits and building docks down here. It's a highly respected company and the pay and benefits are OK but not enough. I'll do that while looking for an Engineering job and trying to create work as an all around handy man. I keep loosing my grip on the fact that God will provide, but co has become an incredible source of strength and encouragement. When did she get so strong and mature in faith?

3 weeks

A friend of mine, let's call him Chip, said that this blog is almost as entertaining as a World War II book he is reading. I'm sure he is exaggerating, but sometimes on this end it feels that way.

Brody has been living a life of adventure so far.
2 Key West Sunsets
several trips to the Big Pine Flea Market (the main attraction on Big Pine)
A couple of laps down Duval street.
Dinner in 3 very nice restaurants.
A day by the pool at the Hyatt, Key West.
Watching the palm trees before a storm at the Banana Bay Resort.
Listened to some Jazz on the rooftop of the Rum Barrel.

And lets not forget being butt naked on a cold metal scale at the docters office.

CO asked the DOC about his unsoothable fussiness sometimes and the doctor said it could be just boredom. CO freaked out a little because she was thinking if he gets bored with all this action at 3 weeks, we're going to need to plan on climbing Mt. Everest before he is 2.

I'm Sorry I haven't uploaded anymore pictures. I kinda tried something new with the blog and it has me bogged down. CO is doing real good other than having not slept over 4 hours at one time in 3 weeks. Brody's poop doesn't stink yet and getting puked on isn't as bad as I thought it would be. So life is good.

God really planned this thing out well. I feel like we are in the practice phase before he becomes "active". We have a huge head start on this relationship. We get to develop our diaper changing technique before the stink bombs hit and we get to learn his personality and characteristics before he starts putting them to work. It's very nice. Or at least that's my perspective.

The most interesting thing for me is the feelings I have for him. I thought I would experience this whole new realm of love as soon as he was born, but it hasn't been that way. It's been kinda like getting a new toy that you've wanted for a long time. You enjoy holding it, looking at it, interacting with it, and learning what it does and doesn't do.

BUT! instead of getting use to it and the newness wearing off, I'm enjoying it more and more. It seems like he is new every time I see him. I'm sure CO doesn't feel that way after a day of restlessness, but with me going to work and coming home, it's like I'm seeing him for the first time all over again, but better.

AND! I can not forget about the trust factor, WOW WEE! When it was just me, I trusted God with my life, but it was more like what happens happens. When I married CO I had to trust God to protect her, because the thought of loosing her is too scary to think about. NOW! with Brody, I'm having to trust God with more than I every could have imagined. Not only would it crush me, but it would devastate CO. And then there is Brody. It's 1 times 2 times 3 times the pain! That's 9 times the pain. OUCH!

I'm realizing now that when people decide not to have children because they just don't want to deal with the hassle, I think that is just pretty STUPID! and insignificant compared to the possibility of something happening to them.

I feel like my heart is dangling at the end of a rope in turbulent wind and rain over a bottomless gorge . I couldn't handle it without knowing that God's Love, Wisdom and Power is in full effect over the situation. It's funny how He keeps on making the load heavier and heavier, where there is no way I can carry it myself. I have to give it to him.

It seems like the more I trust him with stuff the more real His peace feels.

2 weeks

So far it's been pretty fun. Brody is turning out to be a very inquisitive fellow. He loves to look at stuff, even though they say he can't really see good. He sure does a good job faking it. I keep getting the feeling he is about to make a comment about something he is looking at.

When people are around talking he has to be there in the middle of it, watching. It's almost scary because I feel like he is thinking "as soon as I learn how to talk I'll straighten these people out". If it wasn't for the pooping and crying I'd think he was the smartest person in the room. I left out feeding because every man wouldn't mind hanging out on the boob 6-8 time a day, if was socially acceptable.

Last weekend we took him down Duval street (the main drag)
He might be the youngest person to ever do the "Duval Crawl", so to speak. He watched his 2nd sunset like he had seen a million of them, as people walked by and admired his cuteness.

His 1st sunset was on his 1 week anniversary. We figured since he was born in Key West it is only fitting the boy has a start he can brag about.
"I've been watching sunsets since I was 1 week old" For all the women readers, you've got to understand it's just a man thing.

Of course it was his mama that did the honors, I was home sick in bed. I'm sure he'll give me a hard time about it later.

CO is doing really good and can't wait until Brody thinks of her as more than just the mobile food machine. My mom has been extremely helpful. She is like the baby whisperer. We are going to start recording her to watch how she puts the peace on him. I'm thinking it's prayer, but she does have a great deal of skill when it comes to pleasing others. Especially little cute people.