Ro's Book
Six months to one year
Well, we took our first road trip alone together this week. You
and Daddy drove our new car down to Austin to see Aunt Linda and cousins Davee
and Bella. Road trips at this age meant one thing to you. Long deep naps. You
were only awake one hour of a three hour trip each way. But it was great to
have you with me. It was important to your daddy to spend at least a few days
with Daddy's sister and her family. You can never have too much family! There
is nothing like family love. The picture that will always stick in my mind is
this. Shortly after we arrived in Austin, you were lying on Aunt Linda's bed
and Linda and Davee were laying on each side of you staring in your deep blue
eyes. Both were cooing and smiling at you. As you laid on your back, I could
tell you were thinking: "Daddy is this what all women will do with me and
for me?" All I can say son is I sure hope so, however remember this is
family love. You and daddy shared a bed. I have a deeper love for your mother
now. I did not realize how many times you wake up during the night, as your
mother rushes to your side in the night if you make the slightest noise and
I sleep blissfully without a care. Your Mommy missed you horribly, but getting
uninterrupted sleep for one night made your dear mom a much easier person to
live with. As always, I love you son.
(Entry of November 17, 2002)
You are delight! You and Daddy went to a Radio Studio lobby
to meet with a really nice man who wants to start an event with me. As you sat
placidly in your carrier, you never made a noise. Daddy got his business done
much more quickly and efficiently with you here, because I would rather spend
time with you than just about anybody else. Then groups of women came walking
through the lobby and not one could resist your charms. You gave them that smile
of yours that sometimes is bigger than your whole face. They melted and bowed
in your presence. Working with you has been great. You calm and settle all those
about me, or maybe it is me you calm. Anyway we spent the rest of the day glued
to each other. I pretended to eat your hand today an d you thought it was funny.
You and Daddy love to sit and just laugh at each other. It is called Peace On
Earth. I love you.
(Entry of Nov 21, 2002)
You love to sit my lap while when I work at the computer. Right
now you are making it very difficult to type as you are now grabbing for everything.
Today you and I went for the first time to buy presents for Mommy. I hope this
will be an annual trip for you and I. But always remember the real joy of Christmas
is the great times you have with your family. We buy gifts for Mommy because
we want her to know how much both of us love her. Also she has been threatening
Daddy because you and I had gifts under the tree and she had none. We love singing
Jingle Bells together, you and I. Merry Christmas, my son!
(Entry of Dec 18, 2002)
You helped the sales figures for Fischer Price toys considerably
this Christmas season. Yet with all these wonderful toys, your two favorite
things to play with is 1. Anything sitting on Daddy's desk and 2. MY REMOTE
CONTROL!!!! I had just accepted the fact that I had lost my wife to you.
However, the TV remote control must at all times remain in the control of Daddy!
At 7 months you have already learned to point it at the TV and can change channels
at will. I am hoping I can fool you with a fake remote, but I am afraid you
will always prefer mine. This, my son, is not a part of my manhood I will give
up easily. We start our second year together. Happy New Year, son.
(Entry of Jan 2, 2003)
If you ever have a child of your own, be with them as much as
I am with you. Take every moment and ask for more. Being with a child gets you
into living in the moment. You no longer are driven by the clock and all those
"important" things. Thank you Ro for having a smile and a joy for
life that gives me extreme happiness each day. I live for smiles and giggles.
You went in the baby jogger today and you fell asleep about 2 miles into our
3 mile jog. I fear you might not be too crazy about going running with me as
I am sure it will very boring to you. For today you were a good boy and it was
a special day. My Son, my love!
(Entry of Jan 8, 2003)
You just turned eight months old and you are up to 3 teeth now
and eating some solid food and grow cuter every day. Lucky for me you still
prefer being in my lap or being held by me. You are just now starting to get
control of your muscles and the day of your first step and full bore running
are probably just days away. You will have worlds outside of my lap and arms
to explore and I can only hope you come back as much as possible as I am becoming
very attached to you. You live a peaceful life in this your first year. My schedule
is built around you and you are the king of the George household. I must get
you out to other people as it will be important for you to develop social skills.
On this old earth, it is always important to fit in and get along. Happy eight
month birthday!
(Entry of January 20,2003)
Well, we spent our first Valentine's Day together. Daddy put together a little Valentine from you to your Mommy and emailed it to her. She really liked it. You had your first cold yesterday, but you got over it fast. Yesterday you fussed a lot and Daddy got very little work done. But truth be told, when I am gone no one will care how much work I got done, but hopefully they will know me because my son is a great person! I will refrain from talking a bunch about my love for you as you already know you are my buddy and my life is so much better with you. You are up to 5 teeth and you will soon be walking. I can hardly wait. Every day with you is a joy! (Entry of February 14, 2003)
It has been a special time for you and I. I have gotten caught up on my work and so we are in each others faces all your waking hours. You want so badly to walk, that all your energy is spent training your walkng muscles. You are constantly pulling your wobbly self up to a standing position. Yesterday, I felt the helplessness of a parent. You got another cold and had a fever. It reminded me that I now have limted control over your life. You are going to experience life according to your plan, not mine. That is a good thing. My plan hasn't been all that great. All I can do is not be bump in your life, but always be part of your path. You are my joy! Love, Daddy (Entry of February 22, 2003)
You are ten months old now. You are standing up in your bed now. Your entire existence is centered on standing and walking. The past month we have spent a lot of time together and you are obviously a daddy's boy. By the time you decide to read this, it may not mean much, but today the U.S. started another war. This one involved a country called Iraq. We live in the greatest country in the world, but it seems we are always trying to save every other country and their people. I hope that by the time you reach adulthood, mankind will find a way to solve matters in other ways. History has always proven that men will always create wars. You and I however have watched hours and hours of Baby Einstein video tapes with classical music and great photography. Life is basic and simple for you and I. These will be treasured days. Love, Daddy. (Entry of March 20, 2003)
You, Mommy and Daddy went to the Texas Rangers open day baseball game together for the first time. Daddy loves baseball. As I held you in my arms and stood for all the opening day ceremonies, I cried. I don't know why, but I always cry at opening day ceremonies. For me it means winter is over (which I strongly dislike) and baseball gives me an escape that really doesn't mean anything. I hope you and I will be to many more games. You didn't quite understanding the roar of the crowd and it scared you a little bit, but mostly you were wide eyed taking in all the people and actvities of baseball. Luckily, the first year of your life went slowly for me and it was great. Next month your birthday! Love, Daddy. (Entry of April 6, 2003)
Daddy took you to the park for the first time. You were introduced to swings and found them quite amusing. Since our back yard is mostly swimming pool, (good planning Daddy!) I fear we will soon be going to the park more frequently. As soon as you get your walking act together, we are there! At 11 months those days of two naps a day and three to four hours of sleep during the day are starting to be a faint memory. Now that you can pull yourself up and walk with the aid of furniture, sleep is not a high priority for you. Interestingly, Daddy now is seeking more and more sleep, because he has to work nights and weekends to make up for this time. A small price to pay though. Being with you is far more fun than any work I may have to do. So today I put you in your crib at 3:30. One half hour of chatter and crying from you before you finally went to sleep. At 4:30 you are back awake, pulling at my heart strings. Maybe it will be better when you can walk and I will do with you, like my parents did. I will say "Ro, go in the other room and play" The journey continues. I love you. (Entry of April 17, 2003)
Well, very soon this page in your journal will be done. I have often thought about writing passages on this page, but I often talk myself out of it because I realize that most every entry says the same thing, that being how much I love you. So anyway, I am pretty much consumed by you. Our favorite time of the day is usually 4 to 5 p.m. Daddy stops working, you are winding down. We turn on The Oprah Winfrey Show, I get you some moo juice, and you lay on my lap while daddy watches goofy women stuff. You and I laugh a lot together. You have the greatest giggle. It is fun to watch you as I pretend to eat your toes or some other strange thing. You are crawling finally. You have learned to crawl into my office. There is nothing on my desk or other work surfaces because you have taken everything and thrown it on the floor. Sometimes the phone rings and I have to crawl under my desk to retrieve it. I am making this entry on a day that you are with Grandma. It is on days like this that I realize I hardly ever think about myself anymore. But, my son that is a great thing. I miss you! (Entry of April28, 2003)
This may be the last entry in this chapter. Next week you celebrate your first birthday. Most people ask me if this year has flown by, but it really hasn't. I hope I have savored every moment of our year together and it moved at a nice slow pace.You now insist upon holding our finger while serve as your walking stick. You cannot get enough walking! When we stop walking with you at any point you let us know your displeasure with some on the spot crying. You have realized that we will pretty much do anything you ask of us and you are very much into the zen of that proposition. No matter where my life goes from this point, thank you Ro for giving me the best year of my life. Happy Birthday! I love you! (Entry of May 9, 2003)