Mawage....Mawage is what bwings us togever today.

Yes, I have another engagement to announce on my blog. This is a belated announcement, since the above shown couple got engaged about a month ago, but I didn't have a good picture of the two of them. So, for those who don't know the two in the picture, Emily's sister Katie got engaged to Jeff at the beginning of the year. Not only are they the smartest couple I have ever met, they are both very fun and I enjoy the time I get to spend with them. Katie is practicing law in DC for the government, specifically in immigration law. Jeff is consulting with a law firm here in Cincinnati as well as working on writing movie scripts and books. I have read a manuscript Jeff wrote as well as seen a movie he helped write and film, and he has got the talent to make it in that industry. So all you future thespians out there might want to start lining up.

I have not heard what the date of the wedding is going to be, but I think sooner rather than later. So congratulations Jeff and Katie!

Siesta

I took an unscheduled break from the blog the last week and a half. I really did not have much to write about and didn't want to just make stuff up to keep you all (all 3 of you) interested.

Last Thursday (the 17Th) we took Tom on his first plane ride. We headed down to Sarasota (Siesta key to be exact) to visit with Emily's mom who is on vacation down there. Tricia Moore (John Moore's wife, see blog entry about their wedding) owns a house down there and rents it out to friends and family. Grandma Moore is down there for the rest of January to get some R&R and avoid temperatures in the 20's.

Tom did great on the plane. He had one very mini flare up, but was quickly calmed and back to checking everyone out on our flight. Flying with a baby (especially a non-crying baby) is a treat. People go out of their way to help. The flight attendants were extremely helpful and nice. It was not a bad experience at all. Once we arrived, we spent our weekend trying to get him to "sleep through the night". It's an interesting idea, seeing that he can't be reasoned with and can't talk. So when he does make noise it is either cooing or crying. For those who have never experienced it, at 3 am there is no difference between cooing and crying. It is all noise that is keeping us and Tom awake. By Monday he was wearing us out. Unfortunately for Emily, I left on Monday to come home. That forced her out of our zone coverage and into man to man, with the occasional double team help defense from Grandma Moore. The reports I am getting have not been happy ones. Thomas is a night person (like his mom) and he has been coming up with new plays to defeat the man to man defense. The good news is, when he is not crying, he is smiling.

Meanwhile, I am back in Newport, on my own living the bachelor life. So what, you may be asking, does a guy do when he has a week at home without a 12 week old baby and wife to keep him entertained? Well, not much would be the quick answer. I basically watch TV and eat and sleep. Sound like fun? It isn't. I can't wait for Emily and Tom to come home so I can "be a dad and husband" again. The 28Th couldn't get here sooner.

Am I a Sports Bigamist?

As you all know, I am as big of a Bengal fan as you will meet. I love my hometown team, even if it doesn't love me back. Yet, I have found a spot in my heart for another NFL team the last two years. That team.......the San Diego Chargers.

My older sister Kristy married Brian Goff two years ago. Brian's younger brother Mike starts at Right Offensive Guard for the Chargers. Brian got the Anderson family hooked on watching and rooting for the Chargers. He is just so passionate about cheering for them, it is amazing to watch a game with him and his enthusiasm is infectious. You just want to root for the Chargers when you are with Brian. Then, after meeting Mike for the first time, it sealed the deal. He is one of the nicest, most genuine, and funny guys I have ever met. Oh yeah, he is also a really good football player. He is easy to cheer for and I have been for two years now.

So, yesterday, I got to go to Indianapolis and watch (with basically the entire Goff family) the Chargers upset the Colts and make it into the AFC Championship game. It was a HUGE win for the Chargers. Mike played great. The game winning TD play went right over him on a QB sneak, he almost got a TD on a fumble recovery, and he had about 100 key blocks. Now it is on to New England and cheering for another upset.

It was pretty fun watching a team play that I felt had a chance to win the entire game, unlike the Bengals. Here are a couple picks from the weekend.

Brian's family the night before the game, hanging out at the hotel.

Our view from our seats.

The MAN!

The Goff Entourage celebrating the win

The Growing Man

We had Tom's 2 month doctor check up yesterday. Once again, he amazed us (and the nurse who did some of the tests) by growing 2.5 inches and 3 pounds since last month! He is now up to 14 pounds 1 ounce and just a shade under 25 inches long. That puts him in the 90th percentile for both height and weight. He eats a lot, so it was not too surprising to us that he is filling in and growing at a pretty quick pace. Apparently Tom is going to be an all you can eat buffet fan when he grows up. Maybe I should go out and buy a Sizzler right now so we are prepared for his teenage years.

Along with the good news, we had to endure his first round of shots. I say, "we had to endure" because I think it was harder on Emily and I than it was on Tom. Yeah, he screamed when she gave him the shots, but within 5 minutes he had calmed down. Emily and I, on the other hand, were shaken for the rest of the day. It is pretty gut wrenching to hear him cry because of something that we agreed to let happen to him. In the end though, we all made it through the night and everyone is doing well today.


I thought I would end this post with a picture of me and Tom. Yes, I am wearing a sweater vest. The next official "I'm a parent" step is to buy a mini van. Followed closely by wearing white socks and sandles, pulling my pants up above my belly button and yelling at the kids on the street to slow down and turn that "rock and roll" off.

Can 2008 top 2007?

For Emily and me, I would say "no". How can you beat the year you got pregnant and had your first child? Maybe if we won the lottery or something. But in order to win the lottery, you have to play, which we don't. Even winning the lottery would be 2nd place to Thomas being born.

How about this scenario...we win the lottery from a ticket that someone bought us, the Red's win the world series, the Bengals beat Pittsburgh twice, and get into the playoffs as the #1 seed in the AFC, and UC and Michigan play each other for the National Championship in football. I think that may get as close to Thomas being born as I can get.

Ok back to reality. Our New Years was very low key. We went to MaryAnn and Brian's house for a Fondue dinner. They try and do this every New Years Eve and we always have such a great time at the party. This year was a little different for all of us. Emily and I had Tom, so drinking 2007 away was really not much of an option. MaryAnn is around 20 weeks pregnant, so it wasn't much of an option for her either. We had a cheese fondue and a regular fondue, then my favorite of all time, the chocolate fondue came out after dinner. We gorged on the food, watched, sadly, as Dick Clark tried to say "confetti" several times, and then finally watched some moron jump a motorcycle over a football field. As I said, it was very low key, but Emily and I had a great time. Best of all, we were asleep by 1 am and woke up with no hangover. That may be the first time I can say either of those things since maybe 1992?

As far as resolutions go, I don't really have any. Try to cut back on some calories, try and be a good dad and husband, enjoy good beer when I get it, keep rooting for the Reds and Bengals, even if it is getting harder to do. That is about it. I hope everyone has a great 2008!