Six Weeks, Seven Weeks, Smiles All Around

As of last Tuesday (11/13/07), Dean is now seven weeks old! As you can see from the pictures below, he's been full of smiles, which has been great fun for Beka and I. He also continues to be very vocal, trying to "talk" to us when we ask him questions. On the sleep front, we have enjoyed 7-8 hours of uninterrupted slumber for about the past week... PRAISE THE LORD!

Enjoy the photos of Halloween, Beka's birthday, our nephew's birthday, and of course, DEAN!

Daddy's little Halloween pumpkin!

Beka's birthday

Dave's brother Brian and his son Nolen

Coos and smiles

First smiles... ending with annoyance at the camera

Smiling at Daddy

Cheers!

Five Weeks

We are still adjusting in the Hardy household. He is still sleeping in 5-hour stints every night, which we are VERY thankful for. Praise God! However, he has started getting quite a bit more fussy and gassy during the day. This can be a bit of a drain for Beka and I (especially Beka when she is at home alone with him).

Aside from that, however, Dean has been a joy! Just this past week, he started "talking" in response to my questions. Obviously, he doesn't speak English yet, but it's very cute hearing him try to mimic verbal communication. We also discovered that his legs are strong enough to support his weight! I'm not sure how common this is, but it is amazing to see him keep himself up while we hold his arms for balance. It makes me wonder if he'll be early learning to stand and walk.

Since we were behind a few weeks, I thought I'd post a few extra entries to fill the gaps. I hope you enjoy these highlights.

Like most babies, Dean is quite cute when he's sleeping... and it's really cool when he holds your hand

Dean 's favorite room in the house seems to be the bathroom. Maybe it's the lights, the white noise coming from the fan, or the warm and humid air after everyone has showered

I guess this is one of our first family portraits

We're continually amazed at how well he holds up his head!
Yes... this is another bathroom shot

I was working from home the other day and happened across this great photo opportunity. It makes me sleepy just looking at it

The star of the show

Cheers!

Four Weeks

Sometimes he looks a bit worried

Check out that profile!

This is a common pose that's very entertaining... he likes to stretch out his neck, open his eyes really wide, and look straight ahead

"Kissy face" version 2

This would be the point where he's ready for me to put the camera away

Cheers!

Three Weeks

Dean's first walk in the park

This kid is strong! He was doing this at just under three weeks!

A happier moment after eating

For those who haven't seen it yet... the "kissy face"

Cheers!

Two Weeks Old

Dean is two weeks old and as cute as ever! He still manages to sleep well at night, but has developed some "fussy" days here and there... seems to happen if we let him get too hungry or too tired (there's a delicate balance there). I can't say I blame him.

The question is... who does he look like: his mom or his dad? Any thoughts? The answer to that question may very well be answered in the next blog posting. Stay tuned.

Without further adieu, here are the latest photos from the second week of Dean's life. Enjoy...

A great picture of Dean. You can almost see his blue eyes.

Dean likes to stare at people, especially his mom and dad.
And yes, I do have a fu manchu (that's what strange hours of wakefulness will do to you).

We thought Dean looked pretty cute in his sailor outfit.

With some modification, this picture became pretty interesting to look at. We discovered that Dean is fascinated by the fireplace. It must be the combination of warmth and color. Don't worry, we'll exercise extreme caution as he gets older.

Last, but not least, Dean does a great Mr. Bean impersonation.
THAT'S MY BOY!

Cheers!

One Week Old

Dean is now one week old and doing very well. He's gained some weight and continues to do what he does best: eat, sleep, pee, and poop. We've been blessed, however, as he lets us sleep anywhere from 6 to 8 hours a night. With the exception of last night, he's only woken us up only once each night. What a good baby!

And now for the real reason you've checked the blog today... NEW PICTURES! These were taken over the course of three days after we brought him home (except the last photo which was taken at the hospital). Enjoy...

Dean likes to open his eyes really wide so his forehead gets wrinkled

This is Dean's "thoughtful" face, but he looks more like he's ready to punch someone out

Dean likes to cozy up in his pillow to take naps and hang out

Dean and his mom

We're not quite sure what he's doing here... probably yawning, maybe trying to "talk"

Cheers!

The Arrival

Enjoy the photos!

Dean Howard Hardy9/25/07 @ 7:41 am
7 lbs 14oz
20.5" long

Mother and baby are doing great! Dean is perfectly healthy and Beka is recovering beautifully.

Getting to know Dean has been a great joy. So far, he's been very mild-mannered, able to sooth himself if he gets fussy. Way to go Dean! (Let's hope he keeps that up)

The Hardy family

Cheers!

Still waiting... but staying "busy"

For those of you who've mentioned that we haven't had a recent post for awhile, here are some pictures of Beka to make up for lost ground.

Beka relaxing (waiting), going through clothes, and posing for the camera.

Beka reading, looking at baby toys, and posing for the camera (again).

In case you haven't figured it out (or in case you thought I may have 3 pregnant wives who look a lot alike), I've been doing a lot of work at home lately. These are examples of some of the latest Photoshop tricks I've added to my repertoire.

On a more important note, Beka is obviously still pregnant and quite ready to fill up this "busy" nursery. We visited the doctor yet again yesterday. We've set a date for induction next week in case nothing happens before. Beka is of course still hoping to go into labor on her own before then, so please pray to that end. Hopefully, the next post will include pictures of Dean.

Cheers!

36 Weeks

For those of you craving a new photo, this one was taken this evening (8/19) in the nursery.



Cheers!

Hurricane Dean

Let's start with a bit of family history...

To this day, my parents claim I was dropped off by aliens in a sort of "baby exchange" program. The proof? The night I was born, there were several UFO sightings over Hood River (the town I was born in). Also, a storm called Hurricane David was making headlines during the summer of 1979. Clearly, all signs point to alien activity. As the story goes, they were supposed to pick me up on my 18th (or 21st) birthday, but a Y3K catastrophe on my home planet prevented this. No joke!

Now, fast-forward twenty-eight years. Beka and I are eagerly anticipating the arrival of our first child, Dean. Imagine my surprise when my dad gave me this bit of news.

Cheers!

32 Weeks

For those of you who have been waiting, here is the newest "profile" shot of Beka and Dean. This photo is over a week old, but you get the idea. He's punching and kicking as much as ever, which is very entertaining for me (though it gets a bit uncomfortable for Beka at times).

We started our childbirth classes a couple weeks ago. It has been educational to say the least. We also toured the hospital, which was fun. Now I know where it'll all happen. I was excited to see CD players in the room and to hear them encourage people to play music during labor. Unfortunately, I don't think Beka will be too keen on Chinese rock... oh well. They do say to play music the baby has already heard (because he can hear the stuff we're listening to now). I guess that means we'll be listening to Boston!

As many of you know, we recently finished painting our living room. The vaulted ceiling over the staircases posed quite a challenge, but it's done and it looks great! You can see a little bit of it in the background of this photo. We're also getting closer to having the baby room set up. There's plenty of furniture to build and things to organize. When we're finished, our house will be quite clean and a lot of clutter gone... for a little while. We'll see what having a baby does to the "clutter factor."

Cheers!

5th Anniversary Vacation

Ok, so it's been a while since our last post. What can I say... it's been busy! The Lord continues to bless us in many ways as we eagerly anticipating the arrival of Dean. In preparation, we've been working hard to make sure our project list is as close to done as possible. In fact, I spent the last few days of our vacation (last week) painting the family room and entryway of our house. It's looking much better and I hope to finish the job by tomorrow night! On top of that, we've been getting the nursery ready, including a crib and changing table we found for a great deal at Baby Depot.

The first half of our vacation last week--before the painting started--was a blast! We kicked things off with a day trip to the Portland Classical Chinese Garden and saw some amazing Chinese architecture, foliage, and bonsai trees. I never would have thought such an oasis existed in the midst of downtown Portland (notice the tall buildings in the background of the photo). They even have a Tao of Tea in the garden which we visited for a mid-afternoon snack and some great loose-leaf tea (Beka opted for the mango nectar).


On Monday, we left for Newport and stayed a night at the Sylvia Beach Hotel, a bed and breakfast with various rooms themed after different authors. It was a very relaxing time and we'd love to go back and spend a few days doing nothing but reading (someday). Then we drove to Ashland for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and saw two plays: The Taming of the Shrew and Romeo and Juliet. Both were incredibly entertaining and well worth the trip. It'll probably be our last vacation for a little while considering the new addition to the family, but that's a whole new adventure in and of itself.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:3

28 weeks down 12 to go

Well, I've currently hit the 28 week mark, which means I am beginning my 3rd trimester. It's sometimes hard to believe I'm going to get even bigger! I just noticed this morning that if I am standing up straight I can no longer see my toes. How sad, since they are a pretty red.

The baby boy is as active as ever. He is regularly kicking, punching, and stretching. So far it hasn't kept me awake much at night, but I have a feeling that will be changing soon as he gets stronger.

School is now out and I've moved out of my classroom. That was a bit sad, but I'm so thankful that I don't have to be on my feet all day during the end of my pregnancy. We just bought an air conditioner, so in the heat of the summer expect to find me with my feet up reading the last Harry Potter book. I'm so glad the series is ending before the baby arrives. I doubt I'll have much reading time with a baby.

Finally, the announcement many of you have been waiting for.... the name! We have come to a decision, and although we reserve the right to change our minds, no more input is necessary (unless of course you like the name we have chosen). The new addition to our family will be known as:

Dean Howard Hardy

Flash Mob

Random ramblings on the LOST finale

SPOILER WARNING!!!
If you haven't seen the episode yet, don't read this (that means YOU, Dad).

First off, let me just say... GREAT episode! I've been thinking a lot about it since we saw it last night. Feel free to comment on any/all of these thoughts/observations.

• Beka and I suspected from the beginning that it was a "flash-forward," but didn't think that was the case when Jack said, "Go up and get my father. If I'm more drunk than he is, you can fire me!"
• And what's up with Patchy... why can't that guy DIE???
• I'm sad about Charlie.
  
• The body count of "others" was pretty high... goodbye Tom (a.k.a. Mr. Friendly... a.k.a. Zeke... a.k.a. Beardy...)
• I suspect the funeral was for Locke, but who knows. Some say it was Michael's (since it was held in an African-American neighborhood), but I don't buy it. Others say it could be Sawyer's, but I doubt that, too. Here's a screen cap of the paper clipping Jack had.
• I don't think that was really Walt. Either it was the "smoke monster" or Jacob. Clearly, the island itself doesn't want to be found, either.
• Hurley really came through in spite of people saying he couldn't help.
• I've never seen anyone break another person's neck with their hands tied behind their back, using only their legs. Way to go, Sayid!
  
• My biggest question is this: can we accept the events in the "flash-forward" as being fact, or was it someone's premonition of what could happen (like Locke or something)? I'm thinking it's fact, but that's kind of a bummer.
• I felt truly sad that they got off the island once I saw what it did to Jack. Is everyone else as miserable as he is? What happened between then and now that made it so terrible to leave?

Further thoughts? Agree? Disagree? Don't care? Tell me about it.

Once again, it was a great episode. Let's just say I'm less than thrilled we have to wait until next January to see more. We'll have a 4-month-old by that time!!!

Cheers!

Mother's day... a few days late

We now have a digital camera (which I think I mentioned in a previous post), but didn't have any decent software to prepare our pictures for blogging (Picasa doesn't count, folks). That said, here's the first "graphically-enhanced" post.

A little over a week ago, Beka and I were able to spend time with our moms on Mother's Day. The holiday seemed a bit more special, however, since it applied to Beka as well. It's not that we've been craving yet another holiday that features gifts, but the idea that we can celebrate holidays for parents is a whole new concept.

For those of you who have been waiting, Beka's first "pregnant" photo makes its debut here. Enjoy...

Beka and Connie

The Hardy Clan

Cheers!

Beka's Superhero Results

Dave decided that I too need to take the Superhero test. So here are the results! I am destined to be Wonder Woman, who knew? I guess that will be a good superhero to be for motherhood.

Your results:
You are Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman 75% Green Lantern 70% Supergirl 70% The Flash 50% Superman 50% Batman 45% Iron Man 45% Robin 35% Spider-Man 35% Hulk 35% Catwoman 25%

You are a beautiful princess with great strength of character.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

Kicking it at Babies R Us

Over the past week, Beka has been feeling increased activity from the baby. At one point, as she was getting ready in the morning, she could actually see what looked like repeated kicking (and rapid-fire at that). I suppose it could have been punching, elbowing, or head butting, but at the rate she described, I would guess it was kicking. Whatever it was, he's as active as ever.

After the ultrasound last week, the due date has been revised to September 16 (three days earlier than the original due date of the 19th), so mark your calendars. They estimated the weight to be about 13 ounces, which seems pretty big for being around 20 weeks old.

A necessary part of this whole process is figuring out what "baby accessories" we need. I'm not too keen on walking down aisles and aisles of baby paraphernalia, but I've been a sport. This past weekend, we started our registry at Babies R Us, but could only take so much before it was time to go. Needless to say, we have some reading to do before we choose many of the necessary items. I just have to look at it like a game... the whole thing is a racket and it's our job to decipher the good investments from the waste.

"Block out the bad, harness the good..."

Supersonic Ultrasound

Those of you who thought the last post was baby news, I apologize for the false alarm. THIS posting is the latest baby news.

I took work off early today so Beka and I could go in for her scheduled ultrasound. It was a pretty cool experience! I was expecting to have to really "search" to see anything on the monitor, but it was VERY detailed (it wasn't 3D or anything, but everything was quite clear). I saw eyes, femurs, hands, elbows, knees, a skull, feet, a spine... oh yeah, and we found out it's a boy.

Now that we know, we just have to finalize a name. As many of you know, we were originally pretty set on the name Korben, but stinkin' Western Baptist College had to go and change their name to Corban College (different spelling, but it sounds the same). Originally it didn't bother us because we've had that name picked out for 8 or 9 years. However, we saw "Corban College" printed out the other day and it hit us... now we're not sure if we want to use the name or not.

At any rate, we're willing to accept name suggestions, but I can't promise any actual consideration will be given (especially suggestions like Herbert, Percy, Garth, Wii, or Jeep). For all we know, we may end up with Korben, back where we started.

Besides, I'll always see Corban as "the school formally known as Western Baptist."

To finish things off, here are some ultrasound photos.

Cheers!