This could simply be a case where the disconnect between generations is now becoming more pronounced for me but I’ve come to the realization of a few things regarding pro sports.  Having grown up a sports fanatic, I’ve really become more of a casual observer and have cooled to just about every sport but hockey as of late.  Moreso than any other era, I think the modern day athlete is completely out of touch with the average fan.  A huge factor in this are the stratospheric salaries being paid these guys to play a game.  As a proponent of capitalism, I have no problem with someone making an assload of money if someone is willing to pay them.< ...

If I ever forget what region of the country I’m in, I’m reminded of it constantly whether I want to be or not.  Our building owners hosted an ice cream party outside the front of the building yesterday which is a nice gesture they do a few times a year.  They had 2 guitar players for background music and at the time a coworker and I walked outside where everyone was, they both had banjos.  And what were these great musicians playing?  “Dueling Banjos” which, for those of you unfamiliar with the movie ‘Deliverance’, is the creepy song the freak in the

Now that I am back to work it took all of one commute to get out of the Lovey Dovey New Dad Second-Time-Over phase and back to the cynical wanker I’ve always been.  I must say that it was a fine 6 days off and I didn’t miss work even though this job is hands down my most enjoyable one I’ve had yet. When I got to thinking about it, I think 6 straight work days off is my longest time off from work since my wedding/honeymoon.  Since that was in 1998, it’s been far too long to not have a break like that.

While I was gone on "maternity leave" last week, an article was published in Red Eye where I was quoted.  It was in reference to when I lived on top of Big Daddy's.  If you click on the video embedded in the Red Eye article, she references my story about 1:50 into it.  The one aspect I didn't want her article to come across was implying in any way that I was homophobic, and I think she managed to correctly state that I was more amused than repulsed or frustrated about living on top of a gay ...

Being four years removed from having a newborn, there were a flood of memories brought back as Katie entered our world. 

• Taking constant peeks to seeing their chest/back move up and down to reassure you they’re breathing.
• The cuddling of the top of their head into your neck below your jaw sinc ...

Early last weekend we were contemplating now being a family of four, as the logistics for two kids increases exponentially.  It’s not a bad thing; rather I’m talking about this in terms of preparation and planning for anything you have to do.  Two kids to put to bed, two potential schools (depending on their ages), two kids to get ready to go anywhere in the car, two female reproductive systems to guard with an armory that would put small nations to shame upon entering their teenage years, you get the idea.

Mom and baby are back home from the hospital today so this is our first day as "Kirkpatrick - family of four".

I'll try to write an entry or two this week once I get some sleep and can write coherently.

In the meantime, thank you for all your kind words.  Not to get all sappy, but I consider myself very fortunate to have a healthy family and friends to share my news with.

While I try to avoid talking too much about family life in this blog, weeks like this make that ineveitable so please pardon my "Dad reflects on life after his daughter is born" ramblings in the near future.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to crap in my shorts, cry out loud, and see if someone comes to change me.

...here's a camera photo shot of Katie.  I'll include a link to more photos when I get the chance to download the ones off our camera later this week.  I'm off back to the hospital (2 blocks away).

The shiny stuff on her eyes is something the hospital puts on to ward off infections.  The next round of photos will show her full head of hair.

Stats:

Kathryn (Katie) Lea Kirkpatrick (official spelling yet to be finalized)

August 19, 2007

5:12 PM

8 pounds, 14 ounces (yes, she was a c-section)

19.5 inches

Full head of brown hair like her mom

1 very excited big sister

2 very tired but happy parents

Mom and baby are doing very well.

Since I haven't taken a week off since I started this new blog more than a year ago, I figured now would be as good a time as ever.  Since we don't know when this baby is coming, it's been tough to concentrate on writing something 4-5 times a week.  Depending on when the baby comes out, I might pop in a post here and there but I need to recharge the old mental batteries.  In a way, it will be good for me to be away from work for a few days too, as I'm starting to show signs of mental fatigue.

On the bright side, once the baby is born I'll have such a backlog of stuff in my head that I will unleash a torrent of entries for quite some time.  Keep an eye out for new stuff or use the RSS feed at the bottom of the page.  And if there's something that simply can't wait, I'll be sure to post it ASAP.

Cheers.