Birthday Season is upon the Lindquists

So it's birthday season for the Lindquists. 

And if you haven't heard (which would be a little surprising) we've added a third birthday along side Faith (June) and Gabby (May). Calvin Robert Lindquist was born on April 23rd at 10:45pm. He was the largest of the three, coming in at a staunch 7lbs 12oz and 19.5" long. 

And that's where I come in (wait, actually about 9ish months ago, but that's another story). It's time for my post-baby post. 

What an amazing experience this was. Now, I realize all three were unique and have their own crescendos to them, but this was fast (in the perspective of labor) and furious (in terms of the movie). And while I "helped" with the girls, this was different. I won't go into details, but I was so overwhelmed with what I saw I was crying with joy. 

The girls instantly fell in love with him. 

Everything went well, and we are in the throes of the first few days with a newborn (so hopefully this as coherent as sleeping pizza). But even better, we are a family of five, and with four birthdays in three months (plus our 10-year anniversary this June 2nd) we have an exciting few months just starting, and I'm glad I get to live it and love it with the family I have. 

Here are a few photos from the first moments of Calvin's life. 

Our first photo together.

Two hours after birth, Cal is weighed.

A quick bonding moment for me and the boy.

Here, I believe, I'm imparting some great wisdom... or he tooted.

Definitely a toot.

He looks like A)mom B)dad C)Faith D)Gabby E)all of the above

A very proud big(gest) sister.

A very proud big(ger) sister.

The men of the house doing what they do best. I swear I was awake for this, right?

And finally, the name. I bet you're wondering how we got to Calvin. Well, it just so happened to be on both of our lists, and we loved it. I think our "top five" was something like: Calvin, Clark, Leo, Hudson, Theo. But, I'm going to let you in on a little secret on one of my reasons I liked it: 

"Cal L."

- "Rob L."

Ouch! the Sequel

Some of you may remember the video we took of Faith laughing at her dad saying "ouch" when she was 8 months old. If not, let's go jogging with your memory:

Adorable, right?

Some of you may also remember when a similarly aged baby totally copied off Faith and laughed hysterically at her dad, but as he ripped up paper. That baby went viral, racking up more than 68 million hits on YouTube, becoming instantly internet famous and making appearances on national TV. 

Faith's "ouch video" has 431 hits. I'm not bitter or anything, but c'mon!

Even though we never got to meet Robin Roberts, the video was well worth it and Faith has loved watching it ever since. So imagine our pure delight when lil sis thought the same thing was hilarious. It's possible my kids are sadistic or maybe their mom and dad need new material, but either way, we'll take it. 

Baby giggles are the absolute best. They're also exclusive. If an adult tries to slap me on the nose and laugh his or her heart out when I say ouch: not so endearing. And I definitely wouldn't post it on YouTube for the world to see. Now cross your fingers that this video goes viral and pays for the Lindquist ladies' post-secondary education. And Robin Roberts, if you're reading this, my -- I mean Gabby's calendar is wide open.

Happy Father's Day!

On this Father's Day I am a lucky guy. See, I'm typing this early because I don't know how much time I'll actually be home on Father's Day (Sunday).  I know, but I'm not an ass. In fact, I think of this (and I hope Nicole does too) as a little Father's Day present. ISU Guys Golf Weekend is this weekend; kind of like the US Open, except one group has talent. The plan is to get home early afternoon, to quickly turn around and go to a College World Series game with Nicole's dad, John (thanks Jocelyn for the tickets!).

Now, first and foremost, I am a truly lucky man. If you know me at all, you know that I feel this every day. With everything I've been able to do and accomplish, nothing is as important and meaningful to me as starting my family with Nicole. We have had Father's Day celebrations in the past (yes, Howie got me a card), but this one is THE ONE. I have my own beautiful, wonderful, gorgeous little girl. *If you didn't know this, shame on you - I only talk about her every moment I get.

It's been almost a year (literally) that she came into this world, and my life has changed awesomely. I am a summer stay-at-home Dad. It's probably the most demanding job I've ever held, and I love it. And because of this, Faith has become a Daddy's Girl (which I also love). We have learned a lot in just the couple of weeks I've been home with her... in fact she can take two steps now before lunging for my arms. *Because I'm doing this on the Mac I have at home, I have no photos or videos. I know... bad blogger.

We have a routine, we have patterns, and we know when it's time to just let her be (in the playpen, with my eyes on her of course). Becoming a father is an amazing thing. So to all of the fresh-out-of-the-box dads, and the fathers that have been at it a while, this Bud's for you... wait, wrong blog.

Happy Father's Day!

~Rob

Teething night number five

Well, we think it's teething. And Thrush. And eczema. Yes, I could blog about all of those. Or, how Nic and I are coping with that, and our new-found ability to function on little sleep (her more so than me because I suck sometimes). But instead I thought I'd be creative.

And then I sat here watching a movie on TV (that I have on DVD). Isn't amazing what the human mind will do when tired? Instead of getting off my butt to put the DVD in (which is way better than the watered-down cable version) I am watching it from afar while trying to blog about being creative. And that's not my biggest FAIL tonight. (Yes, mom, if I say FAIL in all caps, it can be as correct as failure. Trust me, the kids have affectionately told me that sometimes I am a FAIL.)

So I Googled (I am good at tangents, so another one: FAIL and Googled are both terms that were not remotely thought of as coherent and usable words 15 years ago. And that makes me feel old. Now back to the regularly scheduled thought: ) "creative topics to blog about". Yes, that makes me lame.

"But, Mr. Lindquist... didn't you function on just a little sleep when Faith was only a few weeks old?"

No class, Faith was actually sleeping through the night by week two. Relatively speaking, she's been pretty good about sleep for a while now. Understand that Nicole has done a lot in the early mornings (and me on a smaller scale during the late nights) so Faith could sleep from 11pm to 4am; gradually to where we were before this week from 7:30pm to almost 6am. Add the day-naps, and Faith is good at sleep *tangent: Nicole fell asleep tonight (Friday) at 7:45pm.

I'm glad Faith's good nature is still shining through, even if she does get crabby. And to keep this post from going too negative: she has begun eating food off of a spoon this week. It's pretty awesome!

Here is a teaser pic of things to come

But, back to the focus of my post. Teething is tough, and we're on tooth one (and I think two is right next to it). If you could post any suggestions or home remedies for teething in the comments, we're all ears!

~Rob

The Times They Are a-Changin'

As the song title suggests, some changes are coming in the life of a Lindquist (actually, all three). First and foremost, I start school this week. This obviously means I won't be home as much. I am extremely lucky to have been around during the summer while the bump formerly known as Baby L (also see: Lucy, Lady Gaga, Lilly, Wilma, and Robette) transforms our lives. *Beware: the following is a series of series that might make you wish my comma key broke.* I've been privy to exploding diapers, monster burps/farts (mostly Faith's), wake-up calls, multiple clothes changes, baths, walks, and naps. But even more importantly, I've seen the little baby grow from "the baby" to Faith with smiles, winks, screaming fits mixed with giggles, coos, and belly time on my chest. It blows my mind that almost seven weeks ago she was still a blip on the radar. And now, I won't be around for every minute. This week Nicole takes over full time, with help only coming between the hours of 3ish p.m. to 6ish a.m.

I have it easy. I'm expected to change diapers and clean messes. I don't do nearly as much as Nicole - but I try to make it easier on her when I can. And now that's going to lessen. Even with the changes, I know I'll be able to come home to a wonderful family that expects me to be me. Howie knows I'll let him out and feed him. Nicole knows I'll help her and be the best husband/father I can. And eventually, Faith will know I will be there whenever she calls, for whatever reason, no matter what. This is winning the lottery.

So, to commemorate this upcoming change (not really, but it's a transition for the English teacher) I have decided to update the blog. We (Nicole and I) have been blogging primarily about Faith, so I found a more "baby friendly" theme. There are also a few tweaks here and there, but for the most part it's the same. I'm guessing most readers aren't looking at the exhaustive details anyway because of the in-depth writing. *insert cheesy-winky-smiley thing here*

Finally, this is my favorite picture of Faith so far. I'm sure that fact will change often; with the times (wow, that was corny).

~Rob

my baby daddy

so i just watched yet another episode of a baby story...it was a tearjerker as usual. the mother to be talked about how as a little girl you dream about the man you will marry who will become the father of your children and how now that moment is here for her. it made me cry because i know exactly what she means. i feel so blessed to have found the perfect husband for me and a man i know will be a great dad! why do i know he will be a great dad? good question...while i've never seen him change a diaper or burp a baby, i've seen firsthand how he cares for things that are important to him, whether it be a pregnant wife, a sick dog, his tulips (don't make fun) and sadly, his golf clubs. ;) i have no doubt in my mind how much he will love and care for our baby girl. it makes my heart smile to picture him holding her. i couldn't be happier with where we are in life right now and i know he feels the same way. it feels good to be bringing a baby into this world with the love of my life and i just want everyone i know to know it :)

Baby Girl Thoughts

Yes, it's been almost a week since we found out boy or girl. And yes, we have both shared our feelings about it (we are both very excited by the way). But Monday night I had the real realizations and questions. Like: What will she look like? How will I afford the early years? How will I afford college, marriage, prom? What about school? How will I worry about friends (both boys and girls)? Will she be a brat? Will I care about that? Am I going to be a dad she can trust, listen to, talk to? Will she have me wrapped around her finger? to a fault? I grew up around women and I know about stuff that happens, but how will I handle it? Is it appropriate for me to push the Cubs and Cyclones on her? Is it fair for her? Am I already choosing the music she listens to subconsciously?

Is too much pink really a bad thing? I know I shouldn't be worried about half of this right now, but it's hard not too. My lovely and wonderful wife will attest that I am somewhat anal when it comes to some stuff - and it turns out my new daughter is one. (Is she going to like me for that?)

~Rob

It's a Girl!

momma's turn: so today was probably the greatest day of my life other than my wedding day (i'm not just saying that...our wedding day was pretty amazing in my humble opinion). anyway, for the first time, we got to see an up close and personal look at our baby girl! she is such a mover! i like to think she's dancin in there...hopefully she won't inherit her dad's moves :) if you read rob's post, you saw how she told us it was a girl. it took at least 10 seconds for it to sink in because i had thought all along it was a boy (so much for mother's intuition). i definitely had tears in my eyes and said 'i can't believe i was wrong' about 10 times. (guess i'm just not used to it ;) i have no regrets about finding out as i feel a real bond with my daughter - let me say that again - my DAUGHTER now. doctor tomich said she looks like a lefty and that made me smile from ear to ear. i would love it if the lefty tradition in my family carried on another generation. i was so nervous and anxious going into today and now i couldn't feel more at ease. from what they can tell, baby girl is healthy and measuring right on schedule with weight (a whole 13 ounces)and all the zillion other measurements they took. we have a strip of pictures of baby in all different positions and i could just stare at them all day! 19 more weeks and our little one will be here! we can't wait and i'm so excited to see daddy with daughter! yay pink!

Score one for the pink team!

So, it's a girl! We found out today that the bun that's been cookin' is officially a little Nicole. We do have a name picked out, but we are keeping that a secret.

So the story! When we got to the doctor, I asked the ultrasound tech if she had a goofy or fun way of telling people if it's a boy or a girl. She said no, not really, but said that part was towards the end of the scanning. So I had been sporadically tearing up, and (because I was standing by Nicole's feet) rubbing her feet, and just watching this amazing process, when the tech got a little more quiet than normal. Don't get me wrong, she was still typing away, but I had a fear something bad was happening. As I stared at the screen, she took a picture and typed "I" then "R" then "L", and finally, "G" at the front. It took about two seconds, and Nicole was crying and saying how she was wrong. My words were, "I suppose I can forgive you for being wrong." I'm a dork. We were both very happy and surprised, and it was a great feeling. The tech later said that sometimes the "G" key sticks. HA! I thought it worked well.

Rob H. and I have already decided on what sports equipment we have for girls, and I heard that Vince is a good coach, so we'll see where this leads.

Anyway, I am a very excited and happy father-to-be of a little girl. This has been, and will be, a great experience and I am looking so forward to it.

Oh, and Nicole said I can post one picture for the blog:


~Happy Dad-to-be

20 weeks!

Kind of like a half-marathon (not that I would know anything about running a half or being pregnant), we've made the 20 week point. People say this is the half-way mark, but from all of the Baby Stories I've seen on TV (trust me, there have been a lot thanks to my wife) most babies come anywhere between 36 and 39 weeks, when the baby is considered full term. Here is the reason I didn't become a professional journalist - my source for that comment was watching approx. 100 episodes of "A Baby Story" in 4 months.

The nursery is coming along. We have had everything up for a week now, but we are getting new shelving for the dresser (today, I think). There was a crack in the top piece of the old on. Nothing major, but Grandma Jan felt it was enough to get a new one. That woman can work wonders! She was able to get a brand new shelf for nothing.

Nicole's belly is becoming more prominent, which is a good thing. She says she's gained about 10 lbs, which is right at what babycenter.com says is good. Now we are to expect about a pound a week. That means my belly (because we all know it's really about the men here) is growing about the same.

~Rob
P.S. - Happy pregnancy to our friends Rob and Nikki (same names, I know!) who are celebrating their baby shower for their girl today!

2010 - Year of the baby?

Happy New Year? I think we're a bit late, but whatever. A lot has been going on this month, like me (Rob) only working for 7 days in the month - not too shabby. We have started looking more closely at what we'd like in our "nursery." I put it in quotes because I'm not sure if that is the only moniker that would be applicable. P.S.- Does anyone want to buy a wood-framed futon?


Today was the first day I really realized that I had spent more time in the baby department at Target than the electronics department (you may have seen I had that realization over Facebook earlier). It's one of those realizations that you have and you realize that realizing it is really a good thing. I am looking forward to getting everything in place for this one-time office. Although I've looked at about 30 lists of what is "needed" in a nursery, I think that by slowly starting now, and adding "as needed" will work to a point. We already have decided to have white furniture in the yellow room, and possibly giraffes/jungle animals as a theme. I plan on being creative when the time comes, and possibly painting something for the unborn child - which according to TheBump.com is the size of a sweet potato (I know, who compares baby sizes to dirty, ugly potatoes?).




As an update, we are on week 18. Nicole has an appointment this week, and she will schedule the ultrasound then. Hopefully the u/s is sooner than later, and we will know if it's a baby Rob or baby Nicole. This will be the first appointment I will miss, and hopefully the only one. Her mom has volunteered to go with her, so that is nice for the both of them. Nicole's belly is now starting to show as well. This week was her first week of having trouble gettng the top button done... so we went to Target to get her first taste of maternity clothes shopping. And of course, because her pants are becoming tighter, she bought new shirts... completely logical! :-) But, it's okay because I love her, and the shirts will be needed soon enough I feel. I will post a picture of week 18 (we have been taking one a week since week 10, but this is the first "for sure" belly picture).


Have a good week,



~Rob