Life’s Grape + Giveaway

About a week ago, I asked Kolette if she would add some green grapes to the grocery list.  She usually just picks up red grapes and I was jonesin’ for some green ones.  She must have gone to the store in the last few days, because yesterday morning, lo and behold, I found my green grapes waiting in the bowl on the counter while Ko was away working her keister off at Jim’s Gym (for more on her escapades there, check out her blog here–or for one of my favorite Jim’s Gym posts click here).

Anyway, as I worked my way through the grapes, it wasn’t long until I noticed that these were not your ordinary, average, everyday, grapes.  It quickly became evident that these were some sort of “Super Grapes,” or that possibly someone had slipped some steroids into this batch of Vitis Vinifera (I guess you could say they might have been juicing).

And then, it was there—the largest grape Ko or I had ever seen.  The other ones were big, but this one was second to none.  It barely seemed like a grape at all.  We took it around and compared it to other items around the house, and laughed and joked about what we saw.  We even took pictures so you can see for yourself.

The grape next to Cole's Bead/Block

It was only a few minutes, and it was just some silly grapes, but it brought some joy to our day.  But, that’s how it goes.  Often, it’s the little, crazy things that bring us the happiness we need to make it through the day.  That said, it falls upon us to find those ridiculous things that can lighten your day, and take some of the pressure off.

So, wanting to hear other little quirky things you find to bring joy into your lives, I’m going to giveaway.  It’s an autographed DVD.  In order to qualify, you need to leave some silly, little thing you’ve used to bring some joy to your life—maybe even take it upon yourself to find something to get you giggling in the next few days.

Either way, leave your comment and you’ll be entered in the giveaway.

And, in honor of the grape, Kolette’s agreed to make the giveaway a little more “juicy” by adding some of her great scrapbooking swag for you or your spouse.

Now comes your chance.  Let ‘em fly.  The more ideas that get posted the more resources we’ll all have to live lives with a little more gladness, the more ways we’ll find to make life just grape.

Jh-

To qualify, comments must be posted by 10:00pm PST Sunday, November 8

The grape next to a penny

We’re Famous!

Cole & I figuring it out in the "early days"

A couple of days ago I was looking at the blog stats for both Man On The Inside and The Champion Inside blogs and I found that we’d made the big time.

For those of you who aren’t “Livin’ La Vida Loca” in the blogosphere your blog stats tell you all sorts of things.  For Instance, you can find out how many visitors you’ve had that day, week, etc..  You can tell what links people have used on your blog to find other information, and you can tell what sites have links that have referred people to your little corner of cyberspace.

Anyway, on this particular day, everything looked pretty normal.  We had the regular number of visitors, and people were using all the usual links to leave the site.

But then, as I began to look at who had been referring people to the blog, I found one link that was different than my usual faithful referrers (Which is always appreciated by the way) and following up on the source of the link led to a big (ok that may be a stretch) increase in the blogs fame and cred.

The link came from Boppy.com.  For those of you who are hangin’ around the baby set know exactly what a Boppy is.  For those of you who aren’t, it’s a big pillow like contraption in the shape of a horseshoe that people use to feed or hold their baby.

When Ko had Coleman, we got one, and I wrote about how I used the Boppy to help me do things as a father that, because of my disability, I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to do. (Click here if you want to read that story)

Well, come to find out, Bobby found the post and put it on their website under a section entitled “Boppy Buzz.”  The landing page for “Boppy Buzz” displays a picture of Jason Priestly from 90210 fame, and speaks about how he and his wife use a Boppy.  But, to the left there is a tab they call “As seen in,” where they display some of the coverage they’ve received regarding their little invention.  Lo, and behold, at the bottom of the page next to an article from “American Baby Magazine” you find the post from “Man on the Inside.” Hard to believe as it is, our little blog has actually been quoted somewhere.

Now I don’t want to say that this makes me a Boppy expert—Especially since they already did, but you can forward all your Boppy related questions to me.So, I was thinking it’d be fun if we show them that we’ve noticed their reference of this little community.  You know that if I’m following the stats on my little blog, they have to be watching the stats on their website. Therefore, if you haven’t already, go to my original post here, find a link to Boppy, and click on it.

We’ll give them a little spike and show ‘em what happens to a site that links to us.

Thanks to Boppy.com and thanks to all of you who continue to come back and watch the crazy things that happen in our little lives.

Jh-

Cole & the Bead

One of the real joys of being a Dad who works for himself from home is that I get to be around to see firsthand all the fun things my boy does during the day. Sometimes they’re big and groundbreaking and sometimes they’re small and funny–but they’re rarely dull and never boring,

Today after breakfast, Coleman was cruising on the floor (if you missed my last post, he does that now) and found one of his beads.  As you can see from the photo above; Cole likes beads.  This was different though.  He was fixated on this particular bead and chased the thing all over the house.

As I watched him move from here to there, I started to hear music in my head. So, I decided to take the video Kolette shot, do some quick editing on iMovie (gotta love the Mac) and share the whole experience with you.

Enjoy!

Jh-

PS: This parenting thing is a kick in the shorts

Cole’s Cruisin’

Coleman has learned how to crawl.  It’s not the full “on all fours” crawl, but he can military crawl with the best of ‘em — and let me tell you, it’s meant big changes at the Hall Home.

We have to keep tabs on him at all times, and all of the sudden chairs are tipped over, blocking routes to dangerous stuff like the stairs and power outlets. Hopefully the order from Target will get here soon with all the wonderful stuff designed to keep him away from those things so we can get our chairs back around the table where they belong — our table just seems so very lonely. I feel like leaving it little notes so it knows it’s not all alone. (Whoa, major tangent)

Anyway, this tab keeping and route blocking is crucial, because he can be in one room one minute and in the next room the other. Sometimes you wonder if he doesn’t break the “Space/Time Continuum”.

This means Dad has to be extra careful.  I can take a few minutes to write a blog post (like this one for example) and before I know it, he will be behind me (like right now for example).  Therefore, anytime I move my chair anywhere, I have to look to make sure he hasn’t quickly and quietly placed himself under my chair to play Mr. Fixit.

Whether it’s forwards or backwards, I have to check prior to going anywhere, for no one wants “squished infant” in their den — it’s so passé, not to mention most likely taboo.

I have been careful and therefore no accidents to report.  But this kid can move. Watching him figure out each new stage of development with his brilliant coach of a mother has truly been one of the joys of my life.

I put together the video below so you can share in our joy.  Make sure to pay attention to the very end when I highlight Cole’s lounging pose (also highlighted in the picture above).  When he does it, he looks like he’s posing for a portrait, or out of some scene in Titanic. Just another one of the things that keep us laughing and loving every moment.

Jh-

Through The Looking Glass

My Mom came back from seeing her new grandchild in Connecticut bursting with excitement about something she’d seen there—a video baby monitor.  My brother and sister-in-law had one and my mom said it was the best.  She couldn’t stop smiling as she told us about watching little Sienna, her newest granddaughter, on the monitor.

So, when she came to the house Monday to get some Cole time (she says she is there to see us all, but we know the score) she had one for us.  It was a Summer brand “Best View Handheld Color Video Baby Monitor.”

When we put together our registry before Coleman was born, we saw the video monitors but opted against them.  Every time we looked at them we’d always ask ourselves the same question, “How long can someone watch a sleeping baby?”

That night we realized the answer was, “A whole lot!”

It was like “Must See TV.” Ko laid Cole down and then rushed into our bedroom where the two of us hovered over the monitor for nearly an hour. We watched as his crying whilst trying to fight to stay awake turned to him soothing himself by rubbing the satin edges of his blankets (one in each hand) against his face turned to him finding his comfortable spot, propped up on his left side, finally turned to sleep.

One might think it stopped there, but no, we continued to watch him as he slept.  His little chest moved up and down with each breath while Kolette and I reminded each other that, in our opinion, he truly was the most precious thing in the world.

With the battery nearly dead, we plugged it in to charge and talked about how this was the best TV programming either of us had ever seen. We laughed at his little mannerisms.  Chuckled especially at ones that were similar to our own, like the way he couldn’t sleep unless his blankets covered the bottom half of his face with just his eyes peering over the covers—just like his dear old dad. This continued until we finally went to sleep ourselves.

The next morning began the way the previous night ended.  Kolette grabbed the monitor and we watched the morning edition of Cole TV.  (When you say that in your head you can almost hear the bong, bong, bong of N-B-C…….you know like Cole-T-V) He was brilliant.  His morning show was as riveting as the one he’d given us in prime time.

As his father, I can tell you he’s brilliant.  The thing that’s really exciting, is that if he’s this good asleep, imagine the things he has to show us when he’s awake.  He’s the best entertainment I’ve ever known.  Two thumbs waaayyy up and five stars all the way—a blockbuster to be sure!

Jh-

A Cole Fix

Yesterday was just one of those days.  Being a quadriplegic with all of the other surgeries piled on top from the car accident, there are just some days when you don’t feel well.  There’s not really anything you can do, it’s just part of living with a body that’s been battered and broken.

In many ways it’s kind of an odd feeling. I’m not sick, I just feel off.  There’s pain, but it isn’t specific to any area—it’s just low grade, and everywhere. There’s nothing that can be done, I just do what I can to get through the day. There isn’t any pill you can take it is just part of the package deal.

On top of all this everything just seemed to be going wrong, which made me really unproductive and only added to the frustration.

Kolette was gone for most of the morning, and had some projects to work on, so Coleman was at Nikki’s for the day (Nikki is the best babysitter in the world.  She lives just next-door, cares for Cole like he was her own, and is really flexible).

Ko got home from her boot camp and some errands at about 1:00pm.  She came in the door and I asked her if she thought Cole was up from his nap.  She said she had just talked to Nikki on her way home and he was.  I queried further asking if Kolette knew if he had eaten yet.  She said he was just about to—and that was when I told her I needed a “Cole Fix”.

It’s common terminology around our house for those times when you need to feel a little part of his gigantic spirit.

Kolette went to Nikki’s and came back with my boy.  As soon as his eyes met mine he had a big smile for me and his arms and legs started moving up, down and all around in excitement.  It was as if he knew why he’s come home.

I fed him his lunch, held him awhile and we sang some songs (although he needs to work on his singing abilities a little, usually he just leaves me hanging and I end up doing it all solo).

On his way back to Nikki’s, I felt better. This having kids thing is amazing.  I’m supposedly supposed to be the one providing all the care—and in the end it really seems as though he’s taking as much care of me as I am of him.

I love my beautiful boy.

Jh-

Sittin’ Up & Flyin’ High

A little over a week ago, Coleman started sitting up.  It started with Kolette putting him in the right position and him more “leaning with help” than actually sitting.  It wasn’t long though until that “leaning with help” turned into “sitting with help.”

Then, just like so many other things, one day he woke up and had it. We still had to be close by to make sure he didn’t fall, or place the Boppy around him so if he did fall, it’d be on something soft that could break his fall. That Boppy, is there anything it can’t do?

Anyhow, watching him sit there I got an idea.

One of the most difficult things about being the father of a baby while confined to a wheelchair, is watching all the people who love Cole so much playing with him down on the carpet on his level. Sometimes it really makes my heart ache not to be able to be right down there wrestling, playing, or just laying with my boy on his turf.

When he was younger, and a lot less mobile, he would lay over my shoulder, or on my chest and it could fulfil my need to be close to him.  Now, he’s moving around like a whirling dervish, and when I hold him over my shoulder he’s looking back and forth so much it is often difficult to get any “face to face” time.

With my heart yearning to get the carpet feel with Cole, I watched him sit up.  The more stable he became the more courage I gained and finally got the stregnth–the intestinal fortitude if you will–to try this idea I’d been cooking up.  It wasn’t a groundbreaking idea by any stretch of the imagination, but it was an idea that had a profound effect on our lives

I had Kolette sit him up on our countertop and I wrapped my arms around his little bottom to keep him from falling backwards on the granite.  Coleman was a little pensive at first, not quite sure about sitting on the cold rock instead of the warm carpet, and a little nervous about the height.

Those concerns quickly passed, he looked at me, and then there we were.  Face to face just as if we were laying on the carpet together.  It was magical. We laughed together, played together, and sang together–never forgetting to grunt, growl and shout to profess our manhood; all separated by inches instead of feet.

I loved every minute of it. I kept him up there until he was so tired that he looked like he was going to fall asleep sitting up.

When we decided to have Cole, I knew that there were going to be lots of things I wasn’t going to be able to do. I knew I was going to have to count on his Grandpa Hall to teach him to golf, his Grandpa Coleman to teach him how to throw a baseball.  I knew his uncles would have to be involved. Uncle Nate would have to show him how to stif-arm his opponent, Uncle Clint would be in charge of teaching him how to catch a football, and Uncle Brandon would oversee lacrosse instruction.

What I’ve found however, is that the best times are those where we figure out a way around, beat the system, and do it on our own.  I love my boy so much. I know it’ll be a long time before I forget that first day on the countertop where he was sittin’ up and I was flyin’ high.

Jh-

The Big .58

Today is Coleman’s 7 month old “birthday.” (That makes him .58 of a year old) Today I thought about all the things I’ve been able to watch him do over those 7 months.  I thought of how I’ve watched him fill our home, and our hearts, with love.

So, I thought I take a tip from Ko’s playbook and share 7 things I love about Cole—one for every month of his life.

1,)  I love his big toothless smile.  He shares it so free and easy.  Other than Kolette, it’s the most beautiful thing in our home.

2.)  I love how he rests his cheek against mine when I hold him.  My face is one of the few places where I can feel his touch completely.  I love how he holds my thumb when he sits on my lap and we go for a ride on my chair.

3.)  I love his constant journey of self-discovery.  This past week he found his toes.  Good Job Son!

4.)  I love how his whole face frowns when he eats his peas, how he can’t open his mouth fast enough or stop calling out for sweet potatoes, and how he chews the little fruit bits in his pears.

5.)  I love to watch him wrestle with him mom as she works to get him dressed.  It’s as is he’s saying, “I’ve been laying down long enough—I have things to do, people to see.”

6.)  I love how, when someone helps him to stand, he stands as straight and tall as he can, grins and grunts letting everyone know who’s king of this castle. (The same feeling comes to my heart when he jumps up and down in his jumparoo and squeals at the top of his lungs.)

7.)  I love how his face lights up when he sees his mom.  It’s so clear that those two have a connection that surpasses time.

Most of all I love him.  I can’t wait to see what the future holds in store for the months and years to come.  My promise to Cole is that through thick & thin, good or bad, I’ll be there to watch it all—in his corner, and by his side.

Jh-

Kolette just published her post about his 7 mo. “birthday.”  You should go and read it now.  You can find it here.

Sick & Painful

This week, Coleman caught his first cold. He’s got the whole 9 yards—runny nose, cough, difficulty sleeping, and he’s a little snarky.

But, the hardest part has to be sitting by and listening to him cry. There’s absolutely nothing we can do for him. There is no Robitussin for infants, there is no prescription the doctor can order. Short of a little saline for his nose and a humidifier for his chest, it’s just a waiting game.

His sickness is causing me pain.

I hear him cry and it breaks my heart. I know that his little brain is interpreting the pain and doesn’t know what to do to fix it other than to cry. He cries expecting his parents (that’s me) to fix it—and I can’t.

Riding around on my wheelchair seems to help them to forget about how crappy he feels and so we spend hours driving around inside and outside the house with him on my lap. But, no matter how long we go, as soon as we are finished, the crying begins again.

This is just a cold. What am I going to do when he ends up with a bump on his head, a cut on his arm, or, heaven forbid—stitches.

I’m going to be a wreck!!

Jh-

Finding His Voice

Over the last few weeks our house has become a much noisier place. What used to be a quiet work environment for Kolette and I is now filled with all sorts of grunts, squeals and growls.

Coleman‘s starting to laugh (and that’s fun for everyone.) But, he has three signature sounds.

The first, is this clicking noise followed by a kind of slurp that he does with his tongue. Now, I’m pretty good at making these kinds of sounds, but for the life of me I can’t figure out how he’s making this one.

The second, is a sound that’s so high-pitched I’m pretty sure dogs three blocks away are turning towards our house. It’s as if he’s saying aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh with the highest part right smack dab in the middle.

The third sound is a low pitch, deep in his belly, growl. I don’t know why exactly, but this kid likes to growl. If he ever went into professional wrestling he could totally be “The Growler.”

It’s not quiet, but it is fun. I love to watch him finding his own voice. As he does, I can’t help to wonder what kinds of things he’ll do with that ability to communicate. I wonder if it’ll be with corporate heads or world leaders. I wonder if it’ll be with an opponent across the scrimmage line. I wonder if it’ll be in the middle of a hard-fought chess game. I wonder if it will be over the fence with his neighbor. I hope it will continually be with his parents who love him.

My totally unbiased opinion is that this little boy has great things to do once he finds his voice, and it will be fun to watch him do them all.

Jh-