One Year

Today is Leah's birthday and as hard as it is for me to believe that it has been one full year since we were in the hospital with absolutely no idea of how drastically our lives were about to change, I can't help but realize how quickly the time has gone and how impossible it was to grab hold of the small moments as they slipped through my hands like water.

I don't think that 365 days have ever gone by quicker than they just did. I look through the pictures of our family from the last year and I still feel like it was yesterday that she was born. I remember lying next to Darcey in the hospital bed as she labored through the night. I remember how blue the sky was at dawn and how round wispy Autumn clouds hung so low to the ground that you wouldn't think they cleared the treeline outside of our window. I remember the first time I held her and tried to comfort her crying, and the only song I could think to sing her was the UNC alma mater. I hadn't sung it in years.

One year ago I became the proudest dad in the world and didn't give a thought to day care or formula or diapers. I could only focus on this little person who is half of me and half of the love of my life. This little pink squirmy thing with ten fingers and ten toes, who had no protection from the world, was just handed over to me.

It was the most empowering and humbling experience of my life.

Thanks to everyone who helped us through this first year. Whether it was a kind word or hand-me-down clothes or a few hours of babysitting thank you. None of you will ever know how lucky we consider ourselves to have this love and support around us. We truly could not have done this without you and we have no idea how to pay you back for everything. Leah is as much yours as she is ours.

-Sefton

Walking with help

Leah has been pulling up and walking along the edges of every piece of furniture in the house and with her new mobility, Darcey and I have had to make a few changes to the house. We've taken the surround-sound speakers off of their stands, we removed a small coffee table from the living room and we've attached two bookcases to the wall.

It's been hard keeping an eye on her as her reach has expanded but it's interesting to see which objects catch her fancy. She enjoys throwing pillows (and everything else for that matter) on the ground. She continually goes after a collection of green gardening books and pushes every button on the entertainment center that she sees.

Leah's new teacher at daycare says that she will be the next child in the class to walk and Darcey and I have both seen her take brave unassisted steps that ended with her falling on her face. But she never cries after failing and that is all we can ask for.

Well that and somewhere to put all of our nice fragile stuff for the next three years.

-Sefton

Dinner time

Sorry for the lack of updates recently but we've been busy around
here. Life has started to show signs of having some sort of routine
that is mainly centered on waking up and going to bed early.

But part of that routine also includes family dinner time. It doesn't
happen every night, but we like to sit down together and eat. We have
also started trying to let Leah eat what we are eating so she can get
used to the taste of our foods.

Well tonight was eggplant parmesan night and we cut a small serving
into bitesized pieces and let her go to town. Here are two quick things
I learned from the experience: Leah likes eggplant parmesan, and
sometimes it is OK to reschedule bath night.

It just seemed like the easiest way to clean up.

-Sefton

I Scream, You Scream, Leah Definitely Screams

We are blessed to have two wonderful places to get ice cream within a 20 minute drive from our home. One is at Clemson's student center where they sell ice cream created by students in the school's dairy department. It's fantastic. The other is the Callaham Orchard which has a petting zoo, fresh produce and delicious ice cream to be enjoyed on a rocking chair on the front porch.

Well Leah didn't get to sit in a rocking chair, but she did enjoy her first taste of ice cream over the weekend. In fact she enjoyed the taste so much, that she went berserk when she could no longer taste it.

Unfortunately for Darcey, Leah ate a lot of her scoops of peach and strawberry. In my defense for not sharing, I tried to argue against giving Leah any ice cream at all. I mean, knowing how much her parents love the stuff, I thought it would be best to keep her from having ice cream until she could get a job and buy her own.

I think my plan would have been a good way to go. Judge for yourselves.

-Sefton



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First Swim

We bought the swimsuit last month. We got the pool a little bit later.
We finally got to put all of the elements together today.

Awesome.

-Sefton

Wooing Leah

Have you ever seen two grown men battle over a baby's attention? It's pretty funny.

While in Wisconsin recently, Leah met her great-uncle Randy who she took to immediately. Grampa Dallmann was a little hurt by this because she is still a little unsure of him. So in an absolutely adult way, they both got on the ground and shook rattles in Leah's face in the hopes that they could win a smile or even a hug from Leah.

It was one of those golden moments that I will never forget.

Just like I will never forget Randy's promise to buy Leah a pony and pay her college tuition.

-Sefton

Look at those chompers

Leah's teeth have been coming in over the last few weeks. So far we're up to two and half. That's right. I count the one coming in as a half-tooth because it breaks through the gum and then disappears every couple of days.

The teeth-cutting symptoms are pretty minimal. She drools. She fusses. That's about it. I know that a lot of babies get ear infections and even need to chew on rubbery chewy things, but she has just gotten over whatever discomfort she has gone through.

What can I say? Leah's a tough girl. And like most of her good attributes, I credit her Mommy. She's rarely sick, and when she is, it just doesn't bother her. I know that she doesn't get that from me. When I'm sick, I'm bothered.

Very bothered.

-Sefton