From the mouth of babes...

With the new guy not really burning it up with conversational ideas, his siblings had decided to pick up the slack. And what a job they have done. What follows passes for comic relief in our house these days. Oh, by the way lil' Mac tipped the 7 week scales at an even 10 pounds!!



Wrong way dad.
Running late for work one day, I forgot to drop off Noah at school. Quietly he sat in the back of the minivan, probably just grooving to the music. It wasn't until I pulled off the interstate and was only a couple of blocks from work that he finally spoke and startled me. He said looking around, "Dad... did you go the wrong way?"


Teaching lessons.
Like all parents, we are forever attempting to teach the boys about being respectful and having good manners. One recent experience comes to mind. Driving home one evening after playing hard with their cousins, and overtired Noah and Oliver were teetering in and out of consciousness. I made the mistake of turning on the car intertior light to see if they had fallen asleep. Choas ensued. Noah pleaded for the light to be turned off, while Oliver screamed for it to be left on. After traveling a long, dark mile listening to Oliver's protestations, I gave in. As I turned on the light, I turned around and said, "The light's now on. What do you say?" Hoping that he would say 'Thank you daddy". He looked at me straight faced and said "And leave it on!!!" We've got some work to do.


Just say no.
In the midst of a Christmas list conversation, Michele was attempting to talk Noah out asking Santa for a "drive-on-the-wall-car". She had begun her well-rehearsed "Well, Santa might forget to bring..." speech when she was cut-off by her no nonsense four-year old saying, "Mommy, if he brings the toy - great. If he doesn't, I'll just deal with it."

What did I say?
Thanksgiving snow (as you'll see in the pictures) was a dream come true for the kids (well, perhaps Noah). After spending the lion's share of an hour getting Oliver and Noah bundled up, we waddled outside, grabbed a shovel and sled, and went to work on the driveway preparing it for our 'bobsled' runs. After Noah and I made a few test runs I asked Oliver, who was very content eating snow, if he wanted to go for a ride on the sled. He sternly said 'no'. OK. We made a couple more 'Olympic' runs. I looked over at Oliver. Content. I pointed the sled down the driveway, quickly grabbed Oliver, placed him on the sled and sent him hurtling down the driveway. Walking back up the driveway I could hear him muttering something angrily over and over. Pointing accusingly at me, he said "I didn't want to go. Don't do that everrrr again!!"



Click here for some more family and Thanksgiving pictures.

Also, check back again shortly for the 3rd Annual Top10 Photo Moments that didn't make the Christmas Card.

Ruminations of a New Father of Three

OK, so I've had a few weeks now to let the fact sink in that I, like my father, now have three sons. Not a girl in sight - I should have known. A very close friend explained my son's arrival remarking that it was:

"God's way of letting me know that I already have too many women in my life"

Works for me. So as I was saying, I've had two several weeks to reflect on life with a third addition. Here's what I've come up with:

Top 10 Reasons to have a 3rd Child.


10. Longterm memory isn't what it used to be', or the children are old enough that you've forgotten all the "good times".

9. You have the perfect girl's name for your newly arrived boy.

8. Sleep. It's truly overrated.

7. Consoling three screaming, wild children at once is just too much fun.
Just think of how exciting the 5 hour trip to the beach will be now.

6. With boy's names at a premium, it's OK to recycle.

5. Midnight diaper exorcisms aren't any fun until somebody gets it in the eye and all over the hands (at the same time).

4. More boys, bigger sandbox.

3. Making way for the Yankee's future middle infield and pitcher...
or half of Michigan's March Madness starting squad...
or the next 'great' boy band - Martin 3 or Backstreet Brothers.

2. You forget that baby's first smile really has nothing to do with you.

1. Middle child running out of people to bite.


Yeah, everybody needs three.

P.S. Click on the slideshow.

Asleep at the wheel.

I know what you're all thinking and you're right, McKinley sure is a little peanut. 5 lbs, 13oz and not premature. That's why we were really looking forward to his first checkup and weigh-in. The came on his fourth day and boy were we surprised. I guess four days of non-stop suckling really paid off because Big Mac weighed in at a "chubby" 6 pounds and a solitary ounce. Milk really does the body good.

On McKinley's week "birthday" Saturday, we took McKinley out on his first family outing. We went pumpkin picking and also stumbled through a corn maze looking for candy and clues to obtain a free pumpkin. It was so much fun that McKinley slept through the whole thing.


Sleeping Beauty and Other Pix

Home sweet home.
We brought McKinley today bracing for the massive changes that were about to occur with the new sibling dynamic. A change for sure was in order, but not the change we or anyone had expected. Both boys, for now at least, were completely excited and intrigued. Many battles ensued over Noah's refusal to let anyone else get near, let alone hold McKinley. Not a bad start. Just imagine if McKinley had been a girl - he's already so very protective.


The First Day Home

09:52.... 09:53 marked moment when McKinley Michael Martin made his much anticipated entry into this world. After a final push and grunt from mother, McKinley peeked his head out. His coal black eyes frantically attempted to adjust to the light, while his 5 pound, 13 ounze frame slowly emerged. With his 20 inch frame comfortably accounted for, "big Mac" decided that it was time to show of his precious lungs... Watch out.

For more pictures, click the link below:
McKinley's Website

P.S. Interesting enough, now we have a baby born on the first of the month (Oliver - 1st), end of the month (Noah - 31st) and the middle (McKinley - 15th).