My mom used to recite the "be's" to me before I left the house in jr. high and high school. Be-have. Be nice. Be kind. And be especially nice to (insert the name of a girl I didn't particularly like). For 2011, I came up with 11 "be's" (some call them resolutions) .
In no particular order...
1) Be more like Faith, and Howie.
Every time Faith glimpses herself in the mirror, a huge smile spreads across her face.If only we all greeted our reflections like babies. Instead of seeing the blemishes, wrinkles or other negatives, I plan to look in the mirror and smile, cause gosh darnit, people like me
As for Howie, Rob or I could leave the house for one minute and when we return, the reunion resembles that of long-lost lovers, at least on his end. I don't plan to lick Rob's face when he gets home, but I certainly can show more enthusiasm for the guy I married by getting up and giving him a hug when he walks in the door.
2) Be less like a sailor.
Little ears are listening now. All I need is for her first word to be sonofabitch. Cursing doesn't make me sound intelligent so I will try to find more appropriate verbs, nouns, adverbs etc. that don't contain the syllables !%##^&$^&*)^!
3) Be healthier.
Vague, I know. My plan is to write down the foods I consume so that I will be less likely to a) enter a brownie eating contest at work and b) eat more green stuff. My goal is not to lose weight. Currently, I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight and before you call me a word that rhymes with witch you should know that 1) I have "pumped" enough to power all the houses on our block and therefore burned a $hi#ton (resolutions don't start until tomorrow) of calories and 2) though the number on the scale is the same, my mid-section now resembles Santa's bowl full of jelly.
4) Be a better wife.
This just in...marriage is hard. It's harder when you have a baby, even if she sleeps through the night. Rob and I have gotten into a habit of tit for tat. An "if you do this, I'll do that" philosophy if you will. I would like to let go of the notion that just because I give one day means I should receive the next. I want to get better at giving without expecting anything in return.
5) Be a dam runner. No, that is not a typo.
6) Be aware of my appearance .
Right now, doing my hair consists of scrunching it with mousse for 15 seconds. While time might be too tight to dry and straighten my hair and put on more than minimal makeup every day, I know that if I look good, I'll feel good.
7) Be a more frequent blogger. A new mom asked me the other day how I found the time to blog. I told her I have plenty of time (on my lunch hour, after Faith goes night night) but it was more a matter of motivation. Usually I use the excuse of too tired or too busy, but the truth is I could write more often. It's kind of like putting on your shoes being the hardest part about going to the gym. Once I click "create new post," it's easy. It's a matter of logging on and one click of the mouse.
8) Be a girlie girl.
The opportunities to get together with girlfriends are there, but I have this crazy mother's guilt any time I leave Faith. While I know it's good for me to get away, my heart refuses to believe it. My hope for 2011 is to have a change of heart.
9) Be in the moment more. Maybe it's the Facebook freak in me, but I'm always thinking in status updates and tweets. When Faith does something cute (which is often :) the first thing I do is yell for Rob to get the camera. While I like documenting her every move, I don't want to remember her childhood from behind the lens of a camera. The next time she smiles or giggles, I'm going to pause and sear the sound in my brain by just soaking it up like a sponge.
10) Be-lieve in the power of prayer. Instead of just reciting a few names of pregnant ladies and babies with health problems in my head during the prayers of the faithful when the lector asks us for our own special intentions at church (whew), I want to thank God more often for my food, my family and all that is good.
11) Be me. And love me for it. I know I can be impatient, stubborn, lazy, rude and (insert other less than pleasant adjectives here). While I will work on #s 1-10 to be a better person, I want to love myself for who I am and forgive myself for not being perfect. All I can do is BE the best me that I can BE!
-Nicole
Redesigns
So, a man walks into a bar. He sees stars. He sees his child and wife. He realizes the bar he walked into should not have been in the middle of the baby's room. (ba dum) So my corny jokes will never be redesigned; but the blog has... obviously.
It took four long hours of deciding what I want, deciding what Nic wants, changing what I want, figuring out that what we both want doesn't want to work, and wanting to settle on this... after four hours. I suppose we didn't "settle" on it, we just agreed that we both liked it enough to use until I'm summoned to change it again. Now that baby Faith is controlling the life as a Lindquist, we are going to make it a simpler design (simpler is relative to everyone who didn't spend four hours on it).
So redesign... to the right you'll see the lovely sidebars, and to your left is some space. If you look off into the distance, you'll see another corny joke coming.
Think about this though. You can redesign a lot of different things: your look, your house, your attitude, etc. Sound familiar? Especially this time of year? I'm talking about resolutions people. So I want to take a minute, just sit right there, I'll tell you how I became a prince of a town called Bel Air (I didn't even have to look up those lyrics).
During my redesign, I realized (more than ever) that I'm sometimes not the greatest person in the world. I know, hard to believe. Nic called me Oscar. I also suck at waking up early. You'd think that with a now six-month-old, morning basketball practice, and the fact I've been getting up at relatively the same time for five years that I would be used to getting up early? Nope, not this stubborn mule.
So resolution/redesign number one? Not be a bear in the morning. Number two? Cut down on lists.
I have the most wonderful, understanding, considerate wife... so I should probably act like it. Hopefully, it started today. I woke up (with little to no resistance) and fed Faith (after Nic warmed the bottle and changed the diaper) and let Nicole go back to bed for an hour and a half (even though she was supposed to be up at 7:00am). Hey, it's a start!
Happy New Year (again)
~Rob
It took four long hours of deciding what I want, deciding what Nic wants, changing what I want, figuring out that what we both want doesn't want to work, and wanting to settle on this... after four hours. I suppose we didn't "settle" on it, we just agreed that we both liked it enough to use until I'm summoned to change it again. Now that baby Faith is controlling the life as a Lindquist, we are going to make it a simpler design (simpler is relative to everyone who didn't spend four hours on it).So redesign... to the right you'll see the lovely sidebars, and to your left is some space. If you look off into the distance, you'll see another corny joke coming.
Think about this though. You can redesign a lot of different things: your look, your house, your attitude, etc. Sound familiar? Especially this time of year? I'm talking about resolutions people. So I want to take a minute, just sit right there, I'll tell you how I became a prince of a town called Bel Air (I didn't even have to look up those lyrics).
During my redesign, I realized (more than ever) that I'm sometimes not the greatest person in the world. I know, hard to believe. Nic called me Oscar. I also suck at waking up early. You'd think that with a now six-month-old, morning basketball practice, and the fact I've been getting up at relatively the same time for five years that I would be used to getting up early? Nope, not this stubborn mule.So resolution/redesign number one? Not be a bear in the morning. Number two? Cut down on lists.
I have the most wonderful, understanding, considerate wife... so I should probably act like it. Hopefully, it started today. I woke up (with little to no resistance) and fed Faith (after Nic warmed the bottle and changed the diaper) and let Nicole go back to bed for an hour and a half (even though she was supposed to be up at 7:00am). Hey, it's a start!
Happy New Year (again)
~Rob
Meet the Team
As Hillary Clinton once said, "It take a village to raise a child." Meet our Village. By no means is it all- inclusive. Aunts and Uncles were replaced by their much-cuter kids, many cousins were left out and several friends aren't on the roster below, but we still appreciate them all very much!
As Faith marks her big 6-month milestone today (Merry Christmas Eve), we thank God we are blessed with everyone who has been there for us this past half-year. It seems like just yesterday she was born!
Here's to the next 6 months sure to be full of fun! Life as a Lindquist is good. Now meet the team.
Dad
-sings “Hey Soul Sister” when Faith is fussy
-has a knack for ignoring morning wake up calls from his daughter
-not sure if Faith is laughing at or with him
Mom
-the crazy lady behind the dorky videos
-in charge of “groceries”
-falls asleep at 8 p.m.
Granny Janny
-the mom’s mom
-they don’t call her a grandma hog for nothin’
-tries to feed babies mashed potatoes
-tries to feed babies mashed potatoes
Papa Stevie
-calls his granddaughter lil Rob
-loves to compare Faith to Cam
-the only person who still plays with Howie
G’Pa John
-thinks Faith is the cutest baby in “history”
-delights in Cubs-themed photos
-saving for his granddaughter to go to law school
Grandma Mac
-finder of adorable bracelets
-Santa's famous stocking stuffer
-enjoys boring people with excessive photos of Faith
Grandma Cindy
-likes grandaughters on her lap
-gave birth to a pretty cool guy herself
-spoils babies at Christmastime
Kylee
-cute cousin and knows it
-will hopefully teach Faith to put herself in timeout like she does
-terrified of Santa Claus
Auntie Rachel
-never turns down a date with her niece
-Faith’s paparazzi
-loves buying girlie clothes
Auntie Ramey
-calls herself the “baby whisperer”
- grossed out by spit up
-prefers babies with strong necks
Cam
-chief cousin in command
-always the first to do things
-looks exactly like her daddy when she cries
Bub
-keeps Faith’s mom sane during basketball season
-calls Faith “lilly,” “nugget” and “peanut”
-plans to corrupt her
Cari
-will probably buy Faith a tutu
-won’t ever tell Faith stories from when her mommy was in college
-can’t wait for Faith to be her flower girl
Summer
-photographer extraordinaire
-hopefully less afraid of children since she met Faith
-enjoys conversations with kittens and infants
Liam
-future prom date
-saw Faith naked on their first date
-total mama’s boy
Dr. Loucks
-makes the nurses give Faith her shots
-calms parents' fears about odd syndromes
Harleigh
-the hander of hand-me-downs
-grows at the speed of light
-can’t wait to boss Faith around at family gatherings
And last only because he weighs the least, Howie
-dog whose life’s mission is to destroy all pacifiers
-licks babies into submission
-looking forward to solid foods more than anyone
Fun with the FlipCam
The girl does it all: laughing, singing, typing, sitting, dancing and last but not least, looking cute!
p.s. yes, I'm biased.
p.p.s. yes, I'm a touch crazy.
p.p.p.s. yes, Faith knows.
p.p.p.s.s. so does Rob.
pppppsssss And they STILL love me!
Enjoy the video! Christmas cards coming soon :)
p.s. yes, I'm biased.
p.p.s. yes, I'm a touch crazy.
p.p.p.s. yes, Faith knows.
p.p.p.s.s. so does Rob.
pppppsssss And they STILL love me!
Enjoy the video! Christmas cards coming soon :)
Luck, or something like it.
If I didn't know any better, I would consider myself the luckiest man alive. How else can a kid from small-town Iowa who didn't break 100 lbs. until a junior in high school, whilst getting glasses that same year end up with the life that I have, the experiences I've had, and the future that I'm surely about to get? Especially considering that I'm a huge baby when I get a cold, I've never been a morning person (and I am up über early), and I use lists way too often. Oh, and I complain all of the time. And I still got the girl?
Consider this: I have always had goals in life.
1) I wanted to be on ESPN.
I was on ESPN once, and my mom even called me right after she saw me. I was a freshman in college who just figured out that if you drink half of the bottle of Coke before going into a soon-to-be nationally televised basketball game between your Iowa State Cyclones and the 5th ranked Texas Longhorns, you can fill the other half with whiskey. On top of that, some nice upperclassmen in the row in front of me needed the letter "S" for the shirtless/painted-chested section of I-S-U (a solid buck-fifteen by then). Pssht. And I couldn't figure out why my mom was calling me during the second half of the game? I called her back later that night to find out they showed us more than a few times (ISU ended up winning that game by the way). I'm sure I made someone proud.
2) I wanted to get the girl.
And I got her. It took some fighting for, but she was worth it. To make things better - I have two of the best girls in the world right now. My stupid high school goal of not getting married was, stupid. It took me three months to figure out that Nicole was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. It took another 10 months to save up for a ring on the budget I was on. And 16 months after my Wheel of Fortune episode aired, I was married. (Yea, luckiest guy stuff all rolled into that one). Fast forward three more years and baby Faith completed my circle.
3) I wanted the house.
Looking back, I am very thankful for the life I've had. My childhood was very good for me. If not for what I had, when I had it, or the lack thereof, I would not be me. *Very narcissistic post, I know* I didn't get the newest things in the world, but I got what my mother could provide. She cared enough about me and my sister to work three jobs to provide what she could. But, we moved a lot. I know now why that was. And I'm fine with that. So growing up, all I wanted was my own house. I'm a greedy bastard.
4) I want to share my good fortune.
This one is tricky. I know it's good to pay it forward. Nicole and I donate clothes every six months to Goodwill (or somewhere else). I teach, that counts for something. I don't know. I could do a lot more. Everybody could. Think about it.
But, if I get one kid to not beat up another kid, or give one extra buck to the red bucket, I am sharing my good luck. The saying is "luck is opportunity meeting preparation," but how do you prepare for luck?
This post started as a way for me to pass good holiday cheer to my family, friends, and others by sharing stories about my little family and good fortune. Maybe I planned on offering up some tips for preparing for luck. Maybe, I really am that narcissistic and just wanted to show off. But isn't that the point of a blog?
Anyway, I am lucky. I have the house, the girl(s), have been on TV, I have the opportunity to tell my life story post-by-post, I have great friends, great families, and I hope that everyone who decided to read this far knows that I only brag about this stuff is because I'm truly proud to have it. I am glad I get the chance to have things that are good, and I just hope my good fortune does spread to you in some way this holiday season.
~Rob
Consider this: I have always had goals in life.
1) I wanted to be on ESPN.
I was on ESPN once, and my mom even called me right after she saw me. I was a freshman in college who just figured out that if you drink half of the bottle of Coke before going into a soon-to-be nationally televised basketball game between your Iowa State Cyclones and the 5th ranked Texas Longhorns, you can fill the other half with whiskey. On top of that, some nice upperclassmen in the row in front of me needed the letter "S" for the shirtless/painted-chested section of I-S-U (a solid buck-fifteen by then). Pssht. And I couldn't figure out why my mom was calling me during the second half of the game? I called her back later that night to find out they showed us more than a few times (ISU ended up winning that game by the way). I'm sure I made someone proud.
2) I wanted to get the girl.
And I got her. It took some fighting for, but she was worth it. To make things better - I have two of the best girls in the world right now. My stupid high school goal of not getting married was, stupid. It took me three months to figure out that Nicole was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. It took another 10 months to save up for a ring on the budget I was on. And 16 months after my Wheel of Fortune episode aired, I was married. (Yea, luckiest guy stuff all rolled into that one). Fast forward three more years and baby Faith completed my circle.
3) I wanted the house.
Looking back, I am very thankful for the life I've had. My childhood was very good for me. If not for what I had, when I had it, or the lack thereof, I would not be me. *Very narcissistic post, I know* I didn't get the newest things in the world, but I got what my mother could provide. She cared enough about me and my sister to work three jobs to provide what she could. But, we moved a lot. I know now why that was. And I'm fine with that. So growing up, all I wanted was my own house. I'm a greedy bastard.
4) I want to share my good fortune.
This one is tricky. I know it's good to pay it forward. Nicole and I donate clothes every six months to Goodwill (or somewhere else). I teach, that counts for something. I don't know. I could do a lot more. Everybody could. Think about it.
But, if I get one kid to not beat up another kid, or give one extra buck to the red bucket, I am sharing my good luck. The saying is "luck is opportunity meeting preparation," but how do you prepare for luck?
This post started as a way for me to pass good holiday cheer to my family, friends, and others by sharing stories about my little family and good fortune. Maybe I planned on offering up some tips for preparing for luck. Maybe, I really am that narcissistic and just wanted to show off. But isn't that the point of a blog?
Anyway, I am lucky. I have the house, the girl(s), have been on TV, I have the opportunity to tell my life story post-by-post, I have great friends, great families, and I hope that everyone who decided to read this far knows that I only brag about this stuff is because I'm truly proud to have it. I am glad I get the chance to have things that are good, and I just hope my good fortune does spread to you in some way this holiday season.
~Rob
How our first date did NOT go...
(The waiter at Taco Bell seats us and walks away)
Rob: "So....were you breastfed?"
Me: "Excuse me, what?"
Rob: "Yeah, cause that's like really important to me that my life partner was breastfed as a baby."
Me: "Well yes, my mom breastfed, but she also supplemented with formula if you must know."
Rob: "Oh. Well, you're kind of cute so I suppose I could get past it."
Me: "Lucky me."
(awkward silence)
Rob: "When exactly did you start solid foods?"
Me: "Uh, I have no idea."
Rob: "Oh, cause I started them at four months. I was really advanced for my age. My mom told me I was in the 90th percentile for weight."
Me: "Congratulations. You must be so proud."
Rob: "Yeah, and I sat up, crawled and walked before all my baby friends too."
Me: "Interesting. But all your baby friends eventually learned to sit up, crawl and walk right?"
Rob: "Well yeah, but I did it first. Most women find that irresistible."
Me: "Do they?"
Rob: "Yeah. Weird that you don't. Say, I was wondering, did your mom use cloth diapers?"
Me: "That's a very odd question for a first date, but yes, I think so.
Rob: "Oh thank God. I just don't think I could be with anyone that used those awful disposables."
Me: "Wow. Just wow."
Rob: "What? No one's ever asked you these questions before?"
Me: "No. And I really don't think they're all that important. I know my mom loved the hell out of me and told me so. She kissed me, hugged me, fixed my booboos, played catch with me in the backyard, took me on my first plane ride, played those crazy hand-slapping games with me cause we were the only two in the house, let me win at Chutes and Ladders, sang Oldies to me, took me to church, sat through my soccer games, my basketball games, and filmed them all. She stayed up late worrying about me, then got up early to drive me somewhere. She worked to buy me clothes, food and too many stuffed animals. She put herself second so that I could go first. She loved me and gave me the very thing that every kid wants most: time. And THAT is what has made me who I am today."
(end date here) :)
My point is this: Most of the stuff parents of new babies spend their time thinking and worrying about doesn't matter. Every adult I know is potty trained, though I don't know when they hit that milestone and I don't care. I might not be the best parent in the world, make the right decision every time or follow all the so-called "rules" but I will ALWAYS be there for Faith when she needs me. It's what matters most.
Bonus for you: I don't have a picture of Rob and I on our first date, but this is the earliest one I can find on facebook. It was taken about three and a half months after we started dating. We've been together a little more than 6 years now. Who knew I'd have that guy in the picture's baby someday? I mean, he's wearing a shell necklace and a shirt with beer spilled on it. I know what I was thinking when Mrs. Nikki Hartz snapped this photo... "Hands off ladies, he's mine!"
Rob: "So....were you breastfed?"
Me: "Excuse me, what?"
Rob: "Yeah, cause that's like really important to me that my life partner was breastfed as a baby."
Me: "Well yes, my mom breastfed, but she also supplemented with formula if you must know."
Rob: "Oh. Well, you're kind of cute so I suppose I could get past it."
Me: "Lucky me."
(awkward silence)
Rob: "When exactly did you start solid foods?"
Me: "Uh, I have no idea."
Rob: "Oh, cause I started them at four months. I was really advanced for my age. My mom told me I was in the 90th percentile for weight."
Me: "Congratulations. You must be so proud."
Rob: "Yeah, and I sat up, crawled and walked before all my baby friends too."
Me: "Interesting. But all your baby friends eventually learned to sit up, crawl and walk right?"
Rob: "Well yeah, but I did it first. Most women find that irresistible."
Me: "Do they?"
Rob: "Yeah. Weird that you don't. Say, I was wondering, did your mom use cloth diapers?"
Me: "That's a very odd question for a first date, but yes, I think so.
Rob: "Oh thank God. I just don't think I could be with anyone that used those awful disposables."
Me: "Wow. Just wow."
Rob: "What? No one's ever asked you these questions before?"
Me: "No. And I really don't think they're all that important. I know my mom loved the hell out of me and told me so. She kissed me, hugged me, fixed my booboos, played catch with me in the backyard, took me on my first plane ride, played those crazy hand-slapping games with me cause we were the only two in the house, let me win at Chutes and Ladders, sang Oldies to me, took me to church, sat through my soccer games, my basketball games, and filmed them all. She stayed up late worrying about me, then got up early to drive me somewhere. She worked to buy me clothes, food and too many stuffed animals. She put herself second so that I could go first. She loved me and gave me the very thing that every kid wants most: time. And THAT is what has made me who I am today."
(end date here) :)
My point is this: Most of the stuff parents of new babies spend their time thinking and worrying about doesn't matter. Every adult I know is potty trained, though I don't know when they hit that milestone and I don't care. I might not be the best parent in the world, make the right decision every time or follow all the so-called "rules" but I will ALWAYS be there for Faith when she needs me. It's what matters most.
Bonus for you: I don't have a picture of Rob and I on our first date, but this is the earliest one I can find on facebook. It was taken about three and a half months after we started dating. We've been together a little more than 6 years now. Who knew I'd have that guy in the picture's baby someday? I mean, he's wearing a shell necklace and a shirt with beer spilled on it. I know what I was thinking when Mrs. Nikki Hartz snapped this photo... "Hands off ladies, he's mine!"
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