Thursday night, almost 8pm…both kids are asleep and the Bucs are getting ready to kick off their last preseason game… doesn’t get much better than this!

Pretty sure I’ll be able to get by with a minimal amount of work tomorrow so I’m shifting into “4 Day Holiday Weekend” mode.  In fact, I don’t even think I’ll shave tomorrow morning.  We’ll probably get to work on Lily’s room.  Leo really needs a room of his own – not only so he has a place to sleep, but also to put all his clothes.  It’s amazing how many clothes we received as gifts for this little guy…some of you are just too nice.  We got tons of clothes!  And NO DUPLICATES!  How’d you manage that?

It’s sure hot here today.  Actually, it’s been a hot week.  92 and 93 most of the week and no rain.

I went and had the pool water tested today – no adjustment necessary!  The water is a refreshing 90 degrees.  It’s like swimming in a bowl of soup!

Ok. the TV downstairs might just officially be on the fritz.  I know – this is convenient for a couple of reason…

First of all, this is the first good weekend of football.

And secondly, I got coupons for Best Buy in the mail yesterday.

SLEEP STATS

• Sleep problems are reaching epidemic proportions, estimated to be the #1 health related problem in America – CNN, May 1997   I don’t feel good
• Sleep deprivation costs $150 billion each year in stress and reduced productivity—National Commission on Sleep Disorders, 2003 I counteract this stat by not being productive at work.
• Mayo Clinic: Almost all adults don’t get enough sleep and most struggle to get up in the morning. “If we got enough sleep at night we wouldn’t need an alarm clock to wake us.”
• We sleep on average 6.9 hours/day, almost an hour less than a few decades ago  Does that mean my kids are worse to my night’s sleep than I was to my parents’?
• Parents of young children lose an extra hour of sleep each night. NSF 2004 Duh
• 43 percent of respondents reported that daytime sleepiness interfered with their normal daytime activities, including work. My day is anything but normal anyways.
• 30-40% of heavy truck accidents are due to driver fatigue And due to trucks overloaded with Pineapple Juice that hasn’t been straped down.
• Almost 74% of all Americans do not get enough sleep each night I didn’t sleep 74% of last night.
• Most will feel sleepy or groggy during the week  Not to mention Dopey and Grumpy.
• Half of all Americans can not get up without an alarm clock The other half can not get up without a baby monitor.
• Alarm clocks interrupt sleep cycle causing, lack of energy, feeling unrefreshed in the morning
• Those with sleep problems are twice as likely to feel stressed and tired And three times as likely to stop at Starbucks twice in a single day

You know those mornings when you wake up happy?  The sun is shining, the birds are singing.  You have a song in your heart and you can’t wait to get the day started?  Well, this isn’t one of them.  Put it this way…I was awake more last night between the hours of 11pm and 6am than I was all day yesterday from 6am to 11pm.  Leo had a couple of good nights sleep, but last night needed something every two hours.  And I’m not sure what Lily’s issue was.  She started complaining about her ear.  The odd thing is that it doesn’t seem to be an ear ache in the traditional sense.  She’s complaining about the outside of her ear!  It hurts to pull a shirt over her head or brush her hair.  Anyways, she was up at 12:30am, 1:50am and finally 3:30am until we finally let her sleep on our floor next to the bed.  She has an 11:30 dr. appointment to check out the ear.

Despite the fact she had a terrible night’s sleep, she went off to school like an old pro this morning.  Not bad for a Monday.  Kind of nice when your daughter is the good and happy one in the drop off lane and not the bad, upset one.  I just hope the ear doesn’t bother her this morning.  I suppose it won’t as long as no one tries to take her shirt off.

My in bound route to the office is different now that I take Lily to school in the mornings.  Fortunately, I pass even closer to a Starbucks and they have finally started remembering my name and my order.  I still miss Mike and Tony at my old Starbucks, but, for now anyways, I’ll have to get by only seeing them on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Now if I can just get a Cinnabon to open up on my way in.  Coffee and a Cinnabon….mmmmmm.

Spenta few hours this weekend on Lily’s closet.  Took out the old wood shelves and wire racks and put in a nice closet organizer.  I guess, all in, the whole job took 5 hours and that included painting the inside of the closet.  I think we’ll get her room painted this weekend and I guess we are going to see what kind of Labor Day sales pop up at the furniture stores and get her some furniture.

Lily and I did the grocery shopping yesterday.  There was a lady giving out small samples of Rice Cakes.  Lily asked what the lady was giving out and I said rice cakes.  She said she wanted one.  So we pulled the cart alongside and I gave her the little white cup with an Oreo sized piece of rice cake.  She ate it…or should I say, she put it in her mouth…and spit it back out and said, “That’s not cake!”

I’d like to thank the women in my house for my overall appearance this morning.  Lily picked my shirt and shoes – she picked one of my favorite fish shirts but also picked the blue shoes.  And Diane decided I needed some smelly lotion.  I’m not a smelly person.  I don’t wear cologne.  I don’t use deodorant.  But for some reason, today I have a nice musky scent about me compliments of Diane and Tommy Bahama.  She said if I didn’t like it, I can give it to Joel.  So don’t tell him, but for Christmas this year, he might get a half empty tube of “man lotion”.

Busy morning so far…pancakes (duh!), grocery store and a couple of hours on Lily’s closet. Almost finished with the closet – put a fresh coat of white paint yesterday and this morning assembled the new stuff.  We’ve eaten and now it’s nap time.  Lily is usually very insistent that I not do any work while she takes a nap.  I think Diane is going to run to the mall. 

Other than finishing the closet and straightening the upstairs, I don’t think I have too much else planned.

I’m drawing a blank.  I don’t really remember what I planned on writing this morning.

Hard to be here today – Leo was so darn cute this morning.  He’s so content and happy now.  And he has this intoxicating gas he gives off when he sleeps. I think.  If I hold him and he falls asleep – I doze off.  I’ve got to quit holding him while I drive.

Lily has all kinds of special activities at school today.  I think it’s Art Day.  And the Mad Scientist comes.  She’ll like that.  She’s been skipping her naps on school days.  She likes that.

Not sure what the plans are for the weekend.  We are getting started on Lily’s new room.  I’ve got to work on the closet first and we might get to painting.  I never know what I’m doing.  Why should I make plans in my head when Diane keeps my To Do List in her head?

I’ll be a bit vague here…but maybe a certain someone will catch on… You know how there are some people you talk to on the phone and they leave you with their mood?  They have that kind of power over you.  If they were in a bad mood, you almost get off the phone wishing you hadn’t called.  On the other hand, there are people you call who make you feel really good having just called them.  I talked to someone this morning that had that effect.  It was just good to talk to them – they make me feel good and I’m glad I called.  And you know what else?  This person is always that way.  I always get off the phone with them and I feel good.  They never complain.  They’re never sad and they always have a certain sincerity that just hits me the right way.  Thank you!

Supposed to be a 50% chance of rain today.  Sure has been a while.  Record heat this week.  Glad that AC is working…unlike someone I know!  Poor little Bean Counter!

Leo is two weeks old today!  He has a bit of a cold, but I think we all do.  I had a bad night with it.

I’ve been listening to old Jack Benny radio shows in the mornings in the car but the stupid radio station has changed their schedule around.  Now it’s the Green Hornet.  So I switched to a CD and Glen Campbell got me to work this morning.  I go through 6 lights to get from home, to Starbucks and then to the office in my commute.  I hit 6 green lights today and walked right up to the counter at Starbucks.  Sometimes, it’s the little things that start your day off right.

Note to Darrell:  Nearly 100% of your comment yesterday wouldn’t be allowed on the blog because of Rule #2.  Suffice to say, I appreciate your idea – and, don’t get me wrong – you’re absolutely right.  The time will come…the time will come!  But your comment comes on a very ironic day as this is a key anniversary.

Anyways, Dean is putting a hurt on Mexico this morning.  The news has all of the big name reporters standing on a beach in 150 mph winds reporting live.  Hilarious.  It’s nice here again this morning.  Bright blue skies, maybe a slight breeze.  We haven’t had any rain for several days again and by 3 or 4 today, it’ll be 94 degrees.  The pool is a very comfy 88.

Shuttle coming home today.

Second day of school in our county.  What’s with all the fanfare about the First Day of School?  Drop ‘em off and let them get on with it.  I think all the crying moms and cameras are making the first day worse.

Busy day around here today… We were all up by 6 – left for Lily’s school by 7:30 – made it to Diane and Leo’s 8:30a dr. appt. by 8:20.  Got to the office by 9:15 – left to pick Lily up at school and have lunch at 11:15 – and just arrived back here at the office at 12:45.

First day of school for many Florida counties today.  The bus stops were filled with bright shiney faces, eager to get on with their education.  I’ve noticed the trend of parents waiting with the kids at the bus stops nowadays.  That sure wasn’t the case when I waited for the bus.  We pretty much did everything we could to get out of the house without waking anyone for fear of getting caught taking a cup of cereal and a spoon with us!  But that’s a different story entirely.

I did see a STUDENT DRIVER magnet on a car pulling out of a high school on one of my trips today.  That’s got to scare you…first day of school…student driver. 

Let’s see…anything worth commenting on….not really.  It’s hot here today.  I think the record is 96 and we are supposed to be 95 by tomorrow.  The mornings have been ok – we are getting an easterly breeze – probably thanks to Dean – that is bringing in some drier air.  But by 10:30am that’s history.

Our neighbor kid broke his hip.  That’s rough.  You rarily hear about 16 year olds breaking hips.  Guess he won’t be banging on my door wanting to mow my yard the rest of the summer….slacker.  Back in my day, if you broke a hip – that just meant when your father volunteered to you mow some yard that hadn’t been touched for 3 weeks, your brother was drafted to help you.  And you still had to cut him in on the $10 you made.  The brother too.   I know…that’s an exaggeration.  We didn’t make ten bucks after we paid for the gas for the mower.

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You know, we’ve had only a few sleepless nights around here and they haven’t been Leo’s fault!

Last night, a sheriff’s deputy was shot about two miles (as the crow flies) from our house just after midnight.  All of the local news channels had helicopters hovering for about 4 hours right over our house.  I don’t think I slept at all after 12:30am.

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Well…after a busy week, I think I’m back to a regular schedule.  It’s been a fun week – lots of family, lots of excitement.

Lily is doing very good.  She’s an amazing big sister, although she has no place in her head for Leo’s name.  She calls him Pig, or Baby “Brudda”, but she can’t remember his name.  Ask her the name of the ice cream place she’s been to all of twice in her life and she knows that without hesitation.  We took Lily to pick up her dancing clothes.  She starts ballet on Thursday for an hour each week.  She got new ballet shoes and tights – all pink (of course). 

Leo is just as exciting as far as I’m concerned.  His waking hours are more and more alert.  He’s still a heckuva sleeper – right on track with what we expected at about 16 hours a day.  I’m convinced he has a noise he makes when he’s happy – it’s kind of a snort, which is funny because Lily calls him Pig.

Just wanted to say Thank You again not only to everyone who came to see Leo this weekend, but also to everyone who has been sending gifts.  And not only for Leo – everyone has been very thoughtful and remembered Lily. 

I promise to finally work on pictures this evening and post them here and on the webpage.  I’ll have the POTD and journal updated too.

A little rain today, just enough to make it nice and steamy. It’s been hot the last week or two and only the last two or three days have we had steady rain this month.

I just looked at my calendar.  Seems today is the 3rd anniversary of Hurricane Charley hitting south Florida.

It’s also August 13th…a supplier of mine is off to Hawaii starting today for the next 8 days.  I think he’s charging me too much if he can go to Hawaii for a week!

Or…maybe I’m not charging my customers enough.

Well, I’m sitting at he grocery store waiting to pick up our lunch platters. I was here early so here I sit. Believe me, if I had 20 min to kill…I’m sure I could do better than the grocery store!

Lily and her new little brother!

Leo had a good night – lots of eating!  He’s a hungry little dude!  And when he sleeps – oh, man – does he sleep.  He’s out like a light!

We are waiting this morning for some final checkups and we hope to be heading home very soon!

Thank you to everyone for the flowers, emails and comments!  We can’t wait to get back home to Lily! 

Hello from Brandon Regional room 302!

Diane and Leo are both doing very good. We’ve just introduced Lily to her new brother and although terribly upset about it, sent her home without her mommy and daddy.
We are going settle down to some dinner and get ready for a fun filled night in the lockup. We think we’ll be home around lunch time tomorrow. I have some pics of Lily and Leo to post in a liitle while.
Thank you to everyone who sent flowers and messages!

Happy Birthday!
Leo Vincent Belcher
born 11:00am
9lbs, 2oz

Happy Birthday!
Leo Vincent Belcher
born 11:00am
9lbs, 2oz