This weekend was nice. The weather was beautiful. Sunny, cool and crisp. On Friday evening, Amy and took Logan on one of the longest walks yet. Now that Amy is no longer pregnant, and has recovered nicely from the delivery, it really is great to get out and start walking again. We used to take walks every evening before we got married, and it came to a hault after my surgery. Since we can no longer hit the bars, picking up our old routine seemed like the natural thing to do. It's a great time for Amy and I to spend some quality time together and Logan loves the walks too. Falls right to sleep.

Saturday was a rather busy day in the yard, but on Sunday we took it easy. We cooked banana and blueberry pancakes, and napped as much as we could. I really enjoyed spending the day with Amy and Logan. Later that evening, my mother-in-law, Marsha, came over to watch Logan so that Amy and I could go out and celebrate our wedding anniversary. Two years. It was so nice to be able to go out and have a couple of beers and just relax. A few beers at the Mean Eyed Cat and dinner at Z' Tejas, and we couldn't ask for a better evening. Just a few hours alone is all we wanted. Thank you so much, Marsha! Allowing us to go out on a date is the best gift you could have given us.

I Passed the L.A.R.E.!!!!

I did it! I did it! I passed, I passed, I passed!!!!! I passed all five sections of the Landscape Architect Registration Exam. Holy shit, I'm so excited!

I studied hard with the goal of passing my exams before my son was born and I did it. I won't have to worry about it again. I can now focus on my boy. Oh man, I just want to run up and down the street! This is huge. Not only that, but all on the first time around. No taking the tests over and over again. It just goes to show what a little hard work and discipline will do.

All I have to do is file the paper work with the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners and I can officially carry the title of "Landscape Architect".

...of course, I'll still have to deal with the fact that people think Landscape Architects mow lawns, but whatever. I have a dream that one day people will actually understand what a Landscape Architects DOES for a living.

My Son, Logan

It's only been 2-1/2 weeks, but it seems like 2-1/2 MONTHS! I hear it's that way. It feels like an eternity, but when you look back, you're amazed at how time just flew by.

On March 17, 2008 (St. Patrick's Day!) my son Logan was born. Weighing in at 6lbs. 14ozs, and arriving at 5:49 pm, he sent tears of joy down my face when I saw him for the first time. I can remember the look of utter exhaustion on my poor wifes face as the doctor laid him on her chest. Finally we got to meet our little boy.

The first night was a blur. We tried so hard to wrap our minds around it all. This infant, still a fetus in a sense, sleeping in the crib at the base of the bed. What now? What do we do? what was that sound? What would we have done without that nursing staff? Those ladies were the best. Oh how we wanted to just take them home with us! To hand them our son for the night so that we could sleep...priceless.






Now, two weeks later, we have a much better handle on things, but I have to admit, we're still making it up as we go along. We ask a lot of questions, and research as much as we can, but there never seem to be enough "answers". A lot of suggestions and a lot of theories, some better than others, but we try them all. In the end, we take it one day at a time.

Amy holds it down. She is queen bee. She works night and day to take care of the little guy, and I know he pushes her patience to the limit. At night, he is inconsolable. I do what I can, but I have work to focus on. I come home at lunch to give her a break, and I do what I can around the house so she doesn't have to. I am very proud of what she does and I think she is doing a wonderful job.

Let me add this: A million thanks to all of you who have helped us out over the past two, almost three, weeks. The food has been the biggest help. Not having to cook makes a world of different. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.