Sleep... what's that? Our son had a tube down his throat for the first eight weeks of his life. His voice is music to our ears. Apparently Ryan feels that we enjoy listening to this music 'round the clock, because he's been "Screamin' to the Oldies" for like... ten days straight.

Nah, he's good... and hungry! He's gained over a pound in the week he's been home. Now tipping the scales at a robust 6 lbs., 5 oz., his gains have encouraged me to begin exploring pre-school power lifting programs. We've carted him to a few doctor's appointments, and showed him off to one or two close (and absurdly attractive) friends, like Jerry and Beth Schnelker. These two are newlyweds, and if they ever decide to procreate their offspring will exit the womb with a five-year contract from the Ford Modeling Agency.

On Saturday, I was invited to play in the Rotary Golf tournament at DeLand Country Club. Laura brought him up to the club so that the members could meet our "miracle baby." I saw Laura in the parking lot with a worried look on her face, and knew it hadn't been the best of mornings. Ryan had upchucked a bit of his feedings, and had what we thought was a low-grade fever. He was lethargic, and Laura was beyond coping. A week of little or no sleep had taken its toll, and she wept in my arms. I gathered the boy and headed home, and she went shopping for household thingies. One of her purchases was a rectal thermometer. The look on his face when that thing finds its mark is nothing short of uproariously funny. Long story short... 98.6. He's remarkably resilient, and blatantly determined.

We've been a bit lax with photos, as everything is a priceless moment and our hands are unsteady from insufficient shut-eye. Here's a series with Ryan and mommy. He is resting on Laura's ample bosom, no doubt dreaming of the elixir bubbling beneath the thin fabric of her niteshirt. Can I say that sort of stuff on the 'net?

Laura and Ryan 1

Laura and Ryan 2

Laura and Ryan 3

Here's one of Ryan wondering how the heck I ever got the job of "father?" I think there was a bit of milk overflow in this pic.

Another one where he's got to be questioning my surehandedness.

Ryan wondering when I'll get around to shaving. Hey boy, when you get around to sleeping through the night, I'll pick up a razor!

Okay, being clean-shaven for my boy is now a priority. That bulging chin is where I store fish.

He makes some of the most laugh-out-loud adorable faces you've ever seen. These are some of the better ones, especially this "homage to Star Trek" fiasco after a particularly laborious feeding.

The supine and serene positions he achieves during mid-day slumber are also sublime. Maybe I'm the wrong guy to ask, but he doesn't much look like a preemie any more.

His touch is so exhilarating, it worries me. This photo makes my skin electric. I cannot imagine what Laura experiences when touching, holding and caring for him. She sometimes becomes weepy when holding him, and those moments are scintillating.

Alright, no fanfare... here are my two "keepers" for the week. These were taken unbeknownst to me, but they turned out to be the best of the lot, and perhaps the best to date.

He's striking, no?

My equilibrium is returning, and a few enormous developments are threatening to turn this real estate foray into an actual career. The rub is not going to be whether or not I can sustain this pace, but whether or not I'll trust God enough to put aside money for HIS plans, rather than just my own. "From whom all blessings flow" is a catchy line in a hymn, but to walk that walk is the true test. I pray that I'll be able to step off of that ledge and trust in God's grace. If it isn't evident by now, then maybe my addle brain can't grasp the concept of tithe-ing.

Congrats to my broker, J.Todd Swann for successfully acquiring the Triad Center, and beginning the Herculean task of opening our new office there. He is sparing no expense to become the "boutique REALTOR" in Southwest Volusia County. We are all very excited, and having a Broker who is such a person of character makes one want to do great things on his behalf. Todd took a flyer on me with nothing more than a resume and my Nordic good looks (a fella can dream, can't he?) It is my firm intention to continuously prove him right.

I'll be dropping some significant real estate tidbits on this site in the coming days. Drop by often, and feel free to spam this URL to seven hundred of your closest friends.

Love you, boy.

Posted by: Paul @ 11:39 PM