there's a song for everything

Dmitry, the teacher I am student teaching with, will be a papa soon (his baby girl, Luna, was actually due 3 days ago) and talking to him about his experiences has brought a flood of memories back from the days when Rick and I were waiting for our little one to arrive, the amazing experience of giving birth, and the first year of his life that was oh so precious and so very new! There are all the things people tell you to expect or not to expect as if you will never find out for yourself and then there are all those things you wish people had told you. As most of you know, I have a song for just about everything...and here is my song for this:

Ten Fingers, Ten Toes, 10lbs. 10oz.

Zion I and The Grouch

Hey Baby Rio,

My first born,

You’re finally here,

I’m gonna make a song for you,

Daddy’s gonna make a song for you:

Rio Amor, double Gemini

Born on a Saturday mornin

Swimmin right, out the womb

The midwives, mommy, and I in the living room

Plus the grandmas

Water delivery hand-off

Now you’re on her chest and my manhood ran off

How’s the heart? Count the parts

She’s a perfect 10

Alright then, we walk to the bedroom

Umbilical attached still

Mom’s a soldier, how natural does that feel?

We let it pulse, when it slowed down

I cut the chord, you’re your own now

And I swore I had shit figured out before

Baby, the "oh me!" went right out the door

I just wanna be the father, folks rarely do

Stand up and be there for you

Baby girl

Sol serio

Quedes envoca en mi corazon

Eres mia

Yo soy el mar y tu eres mi rio

You are the reason that I come home faster

You are the source for my energy lasting

You are the bounce in my confident step

You are an angel on my shoulder I will always accept

So I’m changin diapers, arrangin a life for

A new kind of cipher

I look just like ya

Ya got mommy’s lips though, and dimples

Can it be that it was all so simple, before?

And that it still is

Glad we waited till thirty, now I can really feel it

Might have missed the whole point of this

A tighter gift I’ve been anointed with

They never tell you the joys

Only baby gripes and sleepless nights, oh boy!

It’s our parade, don’t rain

Now there’s smiles for miles

And I’m so changed

My baby girl

Sol serio

Quedes envoca en mi corazon

Eres mia

Yo soy el mar y tu eres mi rio

Well you deserve the best, we bought you a Bugaboo

That’s material, ain’t worth what a hug’ll do

We’ll hit the zoo, when you’re two

I’ll sing to you, when you’re blue baby

Ooh baby we’re new

The trinity, divinity

You’re the centipede, mom’s the butterfly, and I’m the dragon

Get in the wagon

Let’s see the world, my sweetest girl imagine

What I’m thinking when I’m tryin to read your mind

From above, in the bed and you’re closing your eyes

Yawning and stretching

It’s the dawning of a new age, you’re our greatest blessing

River of Love, I give you my blood

You’re my heart out of body

Teachin us to be godly

And you can have whatever you wish

Just focus your thoughts and listen to this:

My baby girl

Sol serio

Quedes envoca en mi corazon

Eres mia

Yo soy el mar y tu eres mi rio

See, when you came into this world

There was a thickness in the air

Unexplainable to any other feeling that I’ve felt before

You know, I sat there in the water with mommy

And I felt between her legs

And when I touched your head, I was a new man instantly

Immediate understanding of that which I did not understand before

And I got a lot to show you baby

We’re gonna have a good time

You know, Mommy changed her whole diet

Daddy changed his whole diet

We raisin you in a natural way

It’s so emotional baby,

We gonna take care of you real well

It’s so good,

You ain’t gotta worry bout a thing

I feel high,

And since you been here

I feel invincible,

Things have been alright

It’s all positive,

Thank you,

I love you.

A boy and his dog...

What is it about boys and dogs? Dogs seem to be magically drawn to Isaiah, could care less about me, and tense up around Rick. Is it their smell, their energy, their dog-like crazy behavior???? Whatever it is, Isaiah is enjoying every bit of spring break with his dog Boss at his side. I've heard him tell Boss that he's his best friend "in the whole wide world" and how when he's all grown up and moves out he will take Boss with him so they can get an apartment together. The only other person I've heard Isaiah talk like this to is his dear friend Emmett who he simply adores.

He becomes so sweet and caring around Boss, almost as if he is a big brother (something we all know Isaiah has been longing for!). Today he just had me cracking up...he insisted on playing tennis with Boss as the "ball boy," while washing the car I sprayed them both down as they ran through the stream of water together (it was quite the sight...Isaiah screaming, Boss trying to bite the water as they ran in circles), I caught them rolling in the grass together, and at dinner Isaiah saved the last piece of his sushi to give to Boss. I guess there's just something about boys and their dogs...

Here they are acting tough

and sweet

and silly


a little serious

but mostly...loving