Brandon Gilbert

A couple of weeks ago, Jamie’s Mom brought us a mobile for Ryne’s crib. We knew that he liked to play with the toys on his bouncy seat, so we figured that the mobile would hold his attention. We just had no idea that it would melt his brain and make him putty in our hands. Needless to say, this is a valuable tool for parents.

You can’t tell by looking at a mobile just how powerful it is. This is what the parents see:

But this is what the baby sees:

The animals go round and round and the music lulls the baby into a state of well being until the baby falls asleep. This works extremely well when the baby is sleepy. If the baby isn’t sleepy, it could take repeated treatments. Don’t worry,  the baby will eventually succumb to the will of the mobile. It’s only a matter of time.

The Baby is drawn into the world of the mobile. They think the animals are real and will want to be their friend. As the animals rotate you will see intense concentration, smiling, and reaching, as your baby seeks to join in their magnificent spinning world. When the baby finally gives in and drifts into that dream world, Mommies and Daddies are now free to get things done that they weren’t able to do while the baby was awake.

You have to move fast, however, as eventually the need to eat or the dirty diaper will overrule the comfort that they felt while under mobile-induced hypnosis. I am not sure who invented the mobile, but with the overwhelming majority of them having animals hanging down, I’m going to go with Noah. That would mean that this technique has been in play for close to 5000 years, but we weren’t aware of the power of the mobile. Spread the word! Let parents know that these are available to help at least get a nap in every once in a while if nothing else.

Ryne has officially been here for two months now. I am positive it’s the fastest two months in the history of time keeping. I am sure all parents feel that way, though.

This was also a visit to a new Doctor. We left our previous pediatrician because we had some differences in treatment philosophies. He was a nice enough Doctor, and I would recommend him if anybody asked, it’s just that it wasn’t the right fit for us.

So we went to a new place in Cool Springs. The entire staff was awesome from the front desk to the nurses to the Doctor. Mommy, Daddy, and Baby were all happy. Ryne even smiled big for the nurse. When we went back to the room (which was a clean room for healthy babies only), Ryne discovered it had great acoustics. He enjoyed sounding off and hearing his voice bounce off the walls. He was so loud, we could hear people walking by outside saying “awwwww.”

So here are the stats:

Weight: 12 lbs. 7 oz. This is a gain of almost 6 lbs. since birth.
Height: 25 inches. This is a gain of 6 inches since birth.
To put that in perspective, his head is 6 inches long, so he’s a full head taller than when he was born.

We thoroughly enjoyed the day and we like the new place. This is in spite of a Sign out front declaring an undying love of ObamaCare. I don’t blame the Doc, though….I would support things that would put money in my pocket, too.

On Tuesday night, we were invited to have dinner with some of the coolest people in the world, Jen and Jason McDaniel. We went over expecting to have a great time…because they are great people. And we did have a great time. Jason cooked a good meal, and we got to talk and watch the Big Brother finale. That was a big deal for me, because I’ve never seen a single episode of the show. We love hanging out with them, but little did we know that two universes would collide that night uniting two Super Heroes in one place at one time.

When we walked in the door, we were busying ourselves with greetings and pleasantries, and delivering the bad news that we had failed to bring a key lime pie we had promised because I had forgotten my wallet on the way. We were settling in to talking, but there was another conversation happening…one we knew nothing about.

When we came in, we were immediately greeted by Jason and Jen’s dog, Dexter. He knew right away that there was something different about our family, and it had to do with the little guy with us. He sniffed us and played with us, just to make sure, then when we sat down, he went back to investigating Ryne. Below is their story:

Super Dex: What are you? I can tell you’re different than the big ones.
Ryno Boy: I’m a baby.
Super Dex: I’ve heard of babies…but that’s not it…there’s something else. You have abilities, don’t you?
Ryno Boy: Yes, I do…how did you know that?
Super Dexter: Because I have them too…and I can tell when I meet someone else with superpowers.
Ryno Boy: What are your powers?
Super Dex: I have a very strong sense of smell. As a matter of fact, I could smell you when you were exiting off the interstate.
Ryno Boy: Well, I don’t know if that’s a superpower… one of my powers is the ability to disable my enemies with a terrible smell.
Super Dex: Oh…and I can hear really good. I can hear a storm coming from miles away. I can also bark tirelessly until my enemies simply give up so they can get away.
Ryno Boy:  I can do just the opposite with crying. I get whatever I want that way. If I’m hungry, if I’m uncomfortable in the slightest way, I just cry. The tall ones over there….they come running just so I will stop. It’s amazing really. I can tell they hate the crying, yet they will still run towards it like a firefighter to a flame. I use that to my advantage all the time.
Super Dex: What about your kryptonite?
Ryno Boy: My Krypto-who?
Super Dex: Your kryptonite…you know…it’s what hurts Superman.
Ryno Boy: Ahh, yes, my wekaness. Well, since you’re a fellow good guy, I can let you in. The main one is that I can only stay awake for maybe two hours at a time, and then I’m out like a light. And if I have to ride in a car, you can forget about it, I can’t keep my eyes open. Also, there’s these blasted arms. I can’t control them for nothing. I have lasers for my arms, but I can’t use them because I never know where they will shoot. I can’t have innocent civilians’ lives on my conscience. What about you?
Super Dex: Well, you can’t tell anyone what I’m about to tell you.
Ryno Boy: I’m two months old, Who am I going to tell? Hardly anyone speaks baby anyway. You would think people would have learned more over the years.
Super Dex: OK, first off, if anyone sits down and pets me and lets me get in their lap, well, I’m toast. I can’t help it, I just melt like butter. And then there’s the other thing…
Ryno Boy: What’s that?
Super Dex: It’s embarrassing…
Ryno Boy: I told you all my secrets. You can let me into your circle of trust.
Super Dex: It’s just that, well, you have that diaper thingy. You can go to the bathroom anytime and anywhere you want. I have limited space. I can only go outside, and then I have to search for the proper place to go. I can’t just go anywhere, and I don’t know why. I have to sniff around and find the perfect place. And don’t even get me started on the times when I can’t wait long enough for my tall people to get home and let me out. It’s just horrible. So, How many bad guys have you put away?
Ryno Boy: This is quite embarrassing actually, but none.|
Super Dex: None?
Ryno Boy: Well, it’s like I said before, I have no control over my arms. I can’t walk yet, and if I have to ride in a car to get there, I fall asleep and miss everything. What about you? How many have you put away?
Super Dex: Well, none for me, either.
Ryno Boy: None?
Super Dex: Well, I am limited to what I can do in this house. I’m locked in all day. But I can guarantee you that there have been no bad guys to get in here!
Ryno Boy: So, you’re basically a talented guard dog?
Super Dex: Why yes, yes I am! And darn proud of it! As a matter of fact, since you’re currently immobilized, I will just sit here and guard you.

And he did, Dexter curled up underneath Ryne’s bouncy seat and made sure no harm came to him. An epic meeting of two superheroes. It’s like Superman and Batman showing up in the same place. Casa de McDaniel will now forever be hallowed ground. (And did I mention that they’re awesome people?)

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Ryne went to his first Birthday Party on Saturday. It was for Mr. Liam Campbell’s first birthday. Ryne was the youngest there, but he still got to have loads of fun. He even got to sit on Herman, the miniature horse. It was a cowboy-themed party, and Ryne looked somewhat of the part with what minimal cowboy gear that he had. He had on his “Little Buckaroo” Onesy and also a handkerchief that Liam’s mommy, Janelle, made for him.

As it exciting as it was to have Ryne attend his first party for a friend, it was Liam’s big day. Here is video of him and his cake:

Here are some pictures of other awesome kids of our friends:

1. Ms. Lydia Webster with her Mommy, Kristen. Lydia provided one of the greatest moments of the day (for us) when she held out her hands and tried to get Ryne to come to her so she could hold him. As you can see from the picture, she is not much bigger than Ryne herself.

2. Ms. Lily Rogers with her Daddy, Eric:

3. Mr. Emery Lea with his Daddy, Lewis “I smashed a guitar in church one time” Lea:

4. Mr. Judah “Why yes, I am a preacher’s kid” Schwartz:

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When children are young, there are certain games you can play with them to both engage their imaginations and to fill the void of them not quite being ready to throw the ball around and play big kid games. Ryne is opening up to all kinds of new things. It’s like he was asleep, and now he’s really, really awake. So, I thought I would introduce him to some new games and see what he thought of them since it’s his first go around.

1: I’ve got your nose. This is the game where you pretend to rip your child’s nose off their face, and then for good measure, show them that you’ve done it and taunt them that you have it and that you may not give it back.

Dad: Hey Ryne, look, I’ve got your nose!
Son: What?!?!?! Oh my gosh! oh my gosh! Why would you do that? I need it to breathe, and my face is my moneymaker. Wait…wait, nevermind. I see what you’ve done here. That’s just your thumb.
Dad: No, it’s your nose!
Son: Then what’s this thing with nostrils that I can both see and feel on my face. And I can still smell. Is that me or you?
Dad: I just had a shower. Must be you.
Son: Well, aren’t you smug? I’m a baby…if I smell bad, it’s still your fault.

2. Peek-a-Boo: This is where you cover your face with your hands, and pretend you’ve disappeared. Then when your child is just starting to feel that sense of abandonment, you open your hands, revealing you haven’t really gone anywhere at all. They are relieved, and thus smile and/or laugh. I wasn’t sure Ryne was old enough for this particular game, but I thought I would see what he thought anyway.

Dad: (Covers face with hands) Where’s Daddy?
Son: What’s going on here? I don’t get it?
Dad: (Uncovers face) Peek-a-Boo! I see you! (Covers Face again)
Son: Of course you can see me, I’m right here. You’re only two feet away.
Dad: (Uncovers face) Peek-a-Boo! I see you! (Covers Face again)
Son: Wait…when you cover your face, you can’t see me? Am I disappearing? When you cover your face, does that mean I suddenly leap into a parallel universe? I don’t believe it.
Dad: (Uncovers face) Peek-a-Boo! I see you!
Son: Of course you do…and if you would quit putting your hands over those eye thingys, I’m sure you would not stop seeing me. Now…How about “seeing” your way to getting my diaper changed?

3. The Tickle Monster: This is the game where you get to attack your child, slightly torture them until they can hardly breathe and their ribs ache, but it’s all OK…because they laugh through it all.

Dad: Here comes the tickle monster!
Son: Where?!?!?!? Aren’t you supposed to protect me from the monsters? I don’t need a “the redcoats are coming” type of warning, I just need you to “Shock and Awe” them away.
Dad: (Commences with the tickling)
Son: Oh, it’s you. You’re the tickle monster.(giggling) Is the tickle monster a vampire-type that can only (giggling) come out at night, or werewolf-type where I (giggling) only have to deal with this on a full moon? (giggling)
Dad: Here comes the tickle monster! (More tickling).
Son: I know, you told me before. (giggling) You know, a more effective monster (giggling) wouldn’t (giggling) warn (giggling) his victims. He would just (giggling) come with a surprise (giggling) attack. (giggling)
Dad: OK, I guess you’ve had enough.
Son: (Breathless) That’s it? that wasn’t so bad. I would drop the “monster” moniker if I were you, though. I would call yourself, “The Annoyer.”
Dad: So you didn’t like the Tickle Monster?
Son: I’m not saying that I wasn’t slightly amused, and it did make me laugh. I’m just saying that the “monster” part is a little misleading. I mean, at first, I was scared. I was expecting some puncture wounds in the neck, maybe even a severe mauling. But there was just the constant flutter of your fingers on my ribs and underneath my arms, and for some reason laughter escaped from somewhere deep inside of me and I couldn’t control it. Actually, now that I think about…can we do it again Daddy?

My son is too smart for his age. It’s both a blessing and a curse. I don’t know where he gets it from at only two months old. I guess we finally found one of the games he likes.  Please, do me a favor and give me some suggestions on more games to play with Ryne. I will try them out on him, and we will give you the results here…but I NEED your suggestions!

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Last night, we headed to Brentwood to Olive Garden. We went down there to have dinner with our  friends from the band Philmont. They were in town for just a little while, as in overnight, and sent me a text message and asked us to meet for dinner. I knew they had selfish motivations, though…they just wanted to meet the newest member of the family, Ryne.  We absolutely love those guys, so we were pretty excited to hear they were coming into town, albeit for such a brief time.

Ryne got pretty excited as well, and immediately started to get ready. He wanted to have his best “rock star look,” which is pretty easy, because he is a little rock star in his own right. He also has better clothes than Jamie and I, so the look isn’t hard for him to pull off. He rocked his faux-hawk (which is amazing that our two-month old has enough hair to wear), his graphic tee that has a little necktie on it, some denim shorts, socks and Chuck Taylors. He was ready to hit the town. He was so excited that it actually took him a whole mile down the road before he fell asleep! This is a new record, I’m sure.

Ryne was amazing at dinner. We arrived at the restaurant a little early. He woke up, but didn’t cry and just looked around. MeLissa Gavarette and Erin McGown, from the hit internet sensation, “The Erin and MeLissa Show,” also came a bit early. MeLissa held Ryne and he talked to her, at least the best talking he can do to this point. Then while were eating our meal, all eleven of us, Ryne decided he should get to talk, too. So he made his coo and goo goo noises for everyone to hear. He didn’t cry or get upset. Toward the end, he did get hungry, so Jamie fed him a bottle. I don’t blame him for getting hungry, though, it did smell wonderful in there. Ryne even did his “happy dance” for the band. We will get that on video soon, but we’re not quite ready to release it to prime time just yet. (I will give you a hint, though…his favorite part is when he gets to “break it down low.”)

I’m sure you all must know about this musical force that is the band, but if you don’t, I will introduce you. I met them last year when I was out with a Pro Skateboarder I managed at the time, Tim Byrne. It was called the “Drop In, Rock Out” Tour. Being on the road with people for a month, you get to know them pretty well. The people in and associated with Philmont are some of the most genuine and down to Earth people. They love God and they love the kids who come to their shows. They hang out with them after shows signing things and answering ridiculous questions, and making each kid feel special because they got to meet the band.

They just got back from Holland, their second time there this year. Their new album, “Attention” is selling well in both the U.S. and Japan. You should go buy it on iTunes or at Best Buy. They’re on Forefront Records and their label mates include a few artists such as TobyMac, Rebecca St James, and This Beautiful Republic. They’re on the road constantly, and working for not a lot of money for most of the time. I went on tour with them last year, so believe me, I know where they usually have to sleep and what they usually have to eat. That’s why I admire them so much.

Scott Taube (second from right) is the lead singer and plays guitar. He’s married to the lovely Britt Taube (not pictured), road manager – extraordinaire. Josiah Prince (second from left) plays many things on stage, but mainly guitar, and also does impromptu stage diving, even when he is not intending to do that. Justin Sams (far right)plays bass and is an imposing figure that I would actually like to see the Crimson Tide recruit as a linebacker. Todd Davis (far left) plays drums and is the best frisbee thrower I’ve ever seen. He’s also a fellow Cubs fan, which doesn’t make me like him any less. We almost went to a Cubs game while on tour in Chicago last year, but we didn’t, and I ended up having my finger dislocated. Should’ve went to the Cubs game.

Right after we found out Jamie was pregnant, they scheduled an ultrasound. Ryne was 8 weeks, 4 days along when we went in. He looked like this:

I immediately fell in love. Here was this tiny, tiny person in my wife’s tummy. I was beside myself to see that little peanut. Then, the ultrasound tech showed me something that is still one of the most astounding sites I had ever seen: a heartbeat. There was hardly any form to make out, but you could see his heartbeat clear as day. He was only 8 weeks into his tiny life, but that heart was beating, and it was beating strong. I’m not going to lie, I cried a little bit. It was beautiful site. I enjoyed taking our pictures and showing off our little peanut and telling the story to whomever would oblige me in listening. I was a proud dad already.

As amazing as that first ultrasound was, I couldn’t wait for the 20 week ultrasound. Jamie would be halfway through the pregnancy, we would find out if we were having a boy or a girl, and there would be video. I was especially excited for the video! If you haven’t seen it, here it is….with a little bit of my own personality added, of course:

This was just as exciting, if not more exciting than the first ultrasound. So many things stood out. You could see so many features in this one. You could see arms, legs, hands, feet, spine, head, facial features, and of course, boy parts…yep, we were having a boy. The ultrasound tech asked if were wanted to know the sex. We said we did, so she moved to take a picture. She said, “oh there it is.” And Jamie asked, “Where?” The tech said she would try to get it back for us to see so we could see for ourselves. When she got back to that spot, she said, “oh, nevermind, you can’t see because he’s playing with himself, it’s a boy.” Funny stuff. In the video, you can also see that he practices swallowing a couple of times….which is so cool to see in an ultrasound. We also got to hear his heartbeat for the first time. That is such a calming sound, I cannot even describe it in words.

I am also reminded of the verse in the Bible, Psalm 139:13, that says “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” There are so many things he does now that seem to have already taken shape before he was born. His profile at 20 weeks of pregnancy is the same as his profile now, almost 30 weeks later. At the end of the video, you can see him sucking on his hand, which he still does when he gets hungry. The position of his arms going up to his head is the same as it is now when he’s tired. It’s become so cliche to call it the “miracle of life,” but that’s what it is. As awesome as the ultrasounds were, it’s even better to have him here.

When Jamie and I found out she was pregnant, it wasn’t too hard to figure out what we would name the baby. We had names picked out from almost the outset of trying to get pregnant. The only real question about the name was would it be a boy or a girl? Once we went to the 20 week ultrasound and saw the extra appendage, his name was set in stone. The following is the story of how we got there.

There were several factors that went into Ryne’s name being what it is: devotion, love, tribute, and an extremely understanding and supportive wife. Ryne’s first name is from the great Chicago Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg. This is where the devotion and extremely understanding wife definitely come into play. I’ve been a Cubs fan since I was little. There were a few years where I included the Atlanta Braves into my rooting repertoire, but I have long ago corrected that “youthful indiscretion.” When I was growing up, Sandberg was easily the biggest name on those Cubs teams. When I would get home from school, they’d be on WGN. It’s like I grew up with them.

I wanted to take my devotion to my team and the things I remembered from my childhood and incorporate it into the love I knew I would have for my son. Jamie, to my surprise, really liked the name. This was regardless of how I arrived at the choice. She was very supportive. This also was a shock to me because I completely shot down her all-time favorite name choice in Xavier. I don’t know why, but I was never able to wrap my head around that name. Jamie didn’t hold it against me though, and Ryne’s first name was quickly decided.

Now for the middle name. Middle names are important, especially to those of us who go by our middle names. For a boy, at least our first born, I had had a middle name picked out in the back of my mind for a few years. Nathaniel is the name of Jamie’s oldest younger brother who was killed in a car crash a few years ago. I felt like it would be a great thing to pay tribute to him by naming our son, if we ever had one, after him. I also felt it would open doors to be able to talk to Ryne about his Uncle Nathan. So when he asked how we came up with his name, it would be easier to talk about the whole situation. Needless to say, I didn’t have to do too much persuading about his middle name. Besides, Ryne Nathaniel just rolls off your tongue so easily.

I’m sure you are curious about the girl’s name we have picked out. You’ll just have to wait to find that out if we ever have a girl. We don’t want anyone to take it from us. This lesson was learned from Seinfeld when George Costanza lets it slip that he wants to name his daughter “Seven” after Mickey Mantle’s jersey number. Other people take it away and his daughter (that anyone who ever watched the show could only assume that he never had) was no longer an original.

I’ve always thought that it’s so funny that one of the most important things in our lives, our names, are completely in the hands of someone else. Sure, you can change it when you get older, but most of the time you find out your parents were right on the money. Cassius Clay changed his name to Muhammed Ali. Imagine his surprise when he found out his paternal ancestors were from Ireland. Who ever heard of a black Irishman named Muhammed? Or take musician Stephen Demetre Giorgiou. He decided Stephen and Demetre were just too run-of-the-mill. So he decided to name himself after the household pet and became Cat Stevens. Then several years later, he decided that wasn’t good enough and changed his name to Yusuf Islam. I think it takes a lot of guts to name yourself after a whole religion. I mean, there’s not a whole lot of Jerry Christianity’s or John Hinduism’s out there, but I guess he likes it.

Ryne has a pretty cool name….I know I wouldn’t change it if I had it, but then again, who knows? Maybe he’ll want to be called Xavier…

We were looking for a good way to tell our parents that they were going to be grandparents. We knew two things: 1) We wanted to tell them in person and 2) We could hardly wait. We wanted to do something special, but we didn’t really know what to do or when to do it. Luckily, a prime occasion came to allow us to go tell them in person without any pretense to let them know why we were coming…

On November 22, 2008, The University of Alabama football team had an off week with no game. This allowed us the perfect opportunity to tell them. Why, you ask? Well, it’s because they were off that my cousin Keri and her husband, Josh decided to get married. Josh is an Alabama Alum and our whole family (aside from a few orange and blue & maroon and white “black sheep”) are big Alabama fans. So this made for the perfect weekend for them to get married without anyone having to miss a football game.

It also meant we would have to travel down to Alabama for the wedding. So, even though we had ulterior motives for being there, we had our perfect excuse to go see the Grandparents-to-be. We decided that on our way to my parents’ house, we would stop along the way and tell Jamie’s parents. Now, we just had to find a cool way to tell them…

Our first stop along the way was in Trinity, AL to tell Jamie’s parents. We devised a way to tell them, and it worked better than we ever would have thought. We did our thing, and Jamie’s Mom says “oh, how cute,” Then the reality sets in of what we’d just given her. She cried a bit (happy tears, of course) and gave us both a big hug and so did her Dad. So, then they realized the responsibility of being told first. We told them that even though we had just given them some of the biggest news they’d ever received, they couldn’t tell a soul. We couldn’t take any chances on any phone calls, facebook messages, text messages, billboards or television commercials of congratulations before we were able to tell my parents. This was also just a drive-by bombing. We drove up, said “hey, we’re gonna have a kid,” and then drove off…so not too much celebrating to be had, but when we left, they were quite happy. On to my parents’ house…

We got to my parents’ house in Cordova, AL and told them the same way we told Jamie’s parents. We had a couple of gift bags, one for them Grandpa-to-be and one for the Grandma-to-be. We had been telling my Mom that Jamie and I wanted to start a project that we could work on together, with the implied meaning being a craft/home type project. That wasn’t actually the case, but anything to throw them off the trail So, we hand them both their respective bags and inside they find this:

If you can’t see the image very well, it has “I Heart my Grandpa” (there was one for Grandma as well) and inside it says: Coming July 2009. This was our cleverness at work! My Mom and Dad read it and then the reality of what it said and what it meant set in and my Mom screamed. I was a little scared. Then she hugged both of us, engulfing us in her gigantic grasp, all 5 feet of her. My Dad teared up quite a bit. He hugged us as well. His eyes were so misty, and I could tell the message behind the tears. With his eyes, he was saying “knowing one day that I would have grandchildren is the one thing that got me through all those years when you were a pain in our backside, and now that time is finally at hand.” Yes, it was quite a touching moment. In all seriousness, the reactions we got from them all were priceless, and we were very happy with how we decided to tell them.

Oh, and Keri and Josh got married and went to Hawaii for their honeymoon. They lived happily ever after…or happily  for 10 months…and counting.

Well, here’s the big surprise. I launched my own website for the blog. I know it was comfy looking at the other one, but I think you’ll get used to this one as well. There’s a lot of advantages for me to have my own place instead of it being hosted at wordpress.com. For one thing, I’ve shortened my URL by a whopping 6 characters! OK, so that’s not that important, but I can do things with my own place I couldn’t at the other site. Like, for starters…my friends with iPhones and smart phones can have an easier blog reading experience with my nifty iPhone plugin that makes my blog pretty on smart phones. *Note* I have only tested on the iPhone. But anyway, have a look around and tell me what you think!