10:37 AM: Diane the midwife broke Joann's water.

All Hallow's Eve - 2011

The house has been decorated all month with scary decorations and Tag has loved hanging out with his new friends, the "scawy witch", "pumpkin" and "scawy hand" - a fake hand and foot hanging out of the piano.

Tag is almost 23 months old, but we took him out for his first trick-or-treating adventure anyway.  I tried to practice with him at home, standing outside, ringing the doorbell, having Joann answer, saying "trick-or-treat" and then getting the payoff, but he didn't get it.  After a few failed trials, we jumped in the car and headed down the hill to a neighborhood with flatter pathways and lots of little goblins walking around.

We met up with Elsie Van Tassel and her parents and had a blast watching Tag run from house to house watching the other kids in their costumes and getting FREE candy from strangers.  He mostly just loved having the freedom to run.  It was so much fun to see him standing among a crowd of larger kids with his little hand out.  Each time, the crowd of kids would disperse, leaving just Tag and the person at the door.  When they would hand Tag his candy, he would turn with a huge smile and say, "A Treat!" or "I got nandy!" -- followed immediately with the statement, "I wanna eat 'em".  

I would grab his treat and try to explain that there were more at the next house, but he would have been content to simply eat the first one and be happy.  He typically doesn't get much candy, as Joann tries to teach him to eat healthier foods, so he was both confused and joyful to experience such an overabundance of treats.

At one house, the homeowners weren't home, but they left a big pumpkin full of treats at the door for the kids to take.  Tag walked up and peered inside the pumpkin for at least 10 full seconds before exclaiming, "Nandy!"  I was able to catch a shot of him looking inside...

So much "Nandy",  how do I choose?

There were quite a few houses with scary entryways, sounds and frights.  Many of the kids weren't interested in walking up to the door.  Not Tag.  He not only walked up to the doors, but loved to stop and stare at the items.  One lady had the best scary porch and she was sitting outside in a witches costume.  It was a great setup.  Tag stood on the porch for about 5 minutes pointing out the ghosts and glaring eyes and laughing.  For those who know my affinity for scaring little ones on Halloween, I was so proud.

One house had an inflatable headless horseman carriage on their front yard and the recording had a scary scream and a horse sound.  Tag did not want to leave this display.  Each time he would finally decide to leave, the horse would bellow and he would turn back to go check it out.

Most of the residents of our neighborhood attended the Woodland Hills "Trunk-or-Treat", but Tag didn't fall prey to such sellouts.  He ran (and I mean RAN) from door to door, laughing, and had a blast looking at the other kids in masks and such and four-wheelers passing by. 

It was awesome.

Joann and I threw an adult party the other night and it was pretty fun.  Since she is nearly 9 months pregnant, I had to come up with a costume that utilized her current physical state.  While the party-goers didn't appreciate the effort as I would have thought, I posted the pictures on Facebook and emailed them around and got some kudos. Joann is a good sport to put up with my love for Halloween.

Conjugal Visit

Tales from California

It's been a few months since I reported on the adventures of Super Tagman.  That's because it's been summertime and we have been playing playing playing.  Tag just turned 22 months old and I am right in the sweet spot of the most fun age of all.  During my single years (which were many), I always enjoyed little ones when they were between 18-24 months and now that my own son is there, I have been taking full advantage.  And Tag does not disappoint!  I can't even begin to give it justice to describe all the games and laughs we have shared with Tag the last few months, but here's a few:

Airplanes.
No matter where we are, or what is happening around us, Tag always notices every airplane that flies over our heads.  Last week, we took Tag to the airport and flew to Carmel, California to stay with our dear friends, Matt and Kieri Coombs for a week.  Tag was in hog heaven with all the airplanes at the airport.  And the way he yells Airplane is just so awesome. He yells, "Ah-Taaayn!" with kind of a southern drawl.  He loved watching out the window as we took off and he yelled, "Ah-taaayn high!"

Matt, Kieri and Toryn Coombs

While in Carmel he immediately took to the Coombs' teenage kids and he loved going to the beach.

Tire Swing.
The Coombs have a huge tire swing hanging from a large tree in their backyard and every time Tag saw it, he said, "Swinging High, Daddy!".. I must have pushed him fifty times on that swing.  I mean big kid-style pushes!  He is so little, that I had to put a pillow in the middle of the tire so he wouldn't fall through the hole and he couldn't get enough.  One time I pushed him high and put a twist on the tire so he would spin.  After this experiment, Tag would say, "More swinging HIGH!" and then shimmy his shoulders back and forth to communicate that he also wanted more twisting. 

Monterey Aquarium.
One the best aquariums in the USA.  Tag loved it.  Although, for Tag it was only half about the sea creatures.  The other half was all the open space with which to RUN.  Tag has been practicing his running and jumping and he loves to run almost more than anything else right now.  For his little size, he is very skilled, and always garners looks, smiles and attention.  Carmel has many hills and as we walked to many of the quaint restaurants, Tag was wanting to run down the forgotten driveways and cobblestone paths.  He finds so much joy exploring, that I just can't say no to his requests to "Daddy, watch... RUN!"

Kite Fly.
While on the beach in Carmel, a nice Aussie man started flying a kite.  Tag dropped his shovel and pail and was completely drawn to the kite.  I took him over and the man immediately connected with Tag's smile and handed him the string.  I was afraid Tag might let go, but he impressed us all by holding tightly and smiling so big.  The best part was that 5 or 6 other little kids came over and said to the man, "Can I have a turn?" -- to which he kindly replied, "NO" and he went right back to playing with Tagman.  I have to buy Tag a kite.

Tag with his Aussie friend

Diaper Rash.
For about 2 months, Tag had a terrible rash on his bum and crotch areas.  We felt so bad for him.  Each time he would run or jump, he would stop in his tracks, spread his legs gingerly and say softly, "Owie, bum bum".  It was funny, but sad.  There have been a few times when he has fallen or gotten hurt where I realize how fragile his little body is and I just want to protect him.  The other day, he was running upstairs and fell on the tile and chipped little pieces off three of his front teeth.  Surprisingly, he didn't bleed or cry very long.

Games We Play
Tag and I invent many games and we laugh a lot. A few that I like:
Superman.
I lift him in the air like he's Superman and fly him around, then run to the bed and launch him into the pillows while I land right next to him. 
Godfather. 
While in the car driving, Tag will attempt to talk in a guttural, low froggy voice.  When I mimic him, he laughs and we all laugh.
"Mo Get 'Im". 
I chase Tag around the house chanting, "I'm gonna get him...".  Whenever I stop to rest (I'm getting old...), he comes up to me and says, "Mo Get "im!" -- which means, Come on Dad, get him (me) some more.  It makes me laugh.
Ball Kick. 
You just have to see the video of Tag kicking any ball.  He's good at it, don't get me wrong, but before each kick he does this 4-5 stutter step warm up that is my favorite thing he does.  I've gotten it on video, so I'll have to place it on youtube.
Boots.
It snowed here a week ago and Joann pulled out some hand-me-down snow boots and put them on Tag.  About every 30 minutes, he comes to the top of the stairs and yells down to me, "Daddy!"
Yeah, buddy?
"Boots!"
Then I run over the base of the stairs and say, "You have your boots on?"
And he yells with utter joy, "Yeah!"
Butterfly Blow
Before bed, Tag always says, "Sto-wee" -- which means he wants a story.  He's not yet interested in the words to the story, but he loves to go page by page and try and point out the animals or images.  I'm always amazed how much he already knows.  Camel, Tow (cow), eagle, owel (owl), snake, dog, cat, bee, woof (wolf), ah-gater (alligator), fish, boy, and more.  Two of his stories have a page with a big butterfly on them.  I made up this game when we reach the butterfly page where I flap the pages and lift the book into the air and land the corner of the book on the tip of my nose like the butterfly has landed on my nose.  Tag then leans close to my nose and give two hard blows as if to shoo the butterfly off my nose.  Then I do the same thing and land the book corner on his nose and he blows the book.  He loves this game and always asks for "Mo' Nose".  It is so cute and one of our favorite storytelling games.
Scawy Witch
It's nearing Halloween and Joann hung a pretty frightening witch in the entryway.  This witch has a motion sensor that when you walk by, the eyes flash red and she cackles quite scary-like.  Initially, Tag wasn't sure he liked her, but I got him to think scary is funny by acting scared then laughing.  Now he always asks me, "Daddy, mo' scawy witch!" -- and we get her cackling.

Joann is 8 months pregnant and I think we are excited about the new Brinton.  I say "I think" because we are both a bit nervous about the birth after what we went through with Tag.  Joann has decided to have the little guy at home again with the same midwife, Dianne Bjarnson.  While I have complete confidence in Dianne's abilities, we are both nervous about having another crazy experience.  While I know Tag's tumor was very rare, the experience was very real and I'm not sure what a "regular" birth experience is even like.  We've done three ultrasounds, and the growing boy seems to be quite normal, except that he kicks and moves around much more than Tag was.  More energy than Tag?  I need a Red Bull!

Every time Tag and I play or laugh, I am reminded of what a miracle and gift he is to Joann and I and I recommit myself to spending quality time with him.  While my business grows at a slower pace than if I moved to an office, I have decided that it's worth it so I can take advantage of this special time with Tag and Joann.

Tag Hits the Big Top

Friday Sept. 23rd, while Mitch was off at a convention in Florida,  I took Tag up to the Ringling Bros/Barnum & Bailey's Circus.  Car rides are tough with him, even on the hour rides to Salt Lake it's hard to keep him happy.  He started to get excited as we were approaching downtown and he could see lots of kids walking down the sidewalks.  I couldn't get him out of the car fast enough, "want see kids!" he was saying.  What a feast for the senses the circus is! Lights, music, colorful people and animals, toys, smells of popcorn and hot dogs filling the air.  It's not the same as it was under the real big tops that I remember going to once or twice as a child, but was still very fun in Delta Center/Utah Jazz arena.  I thought the animals would be the most captivating to Tag, but it was actually the acrobats flipping and swinging in cirque du soleil style he loved the most.  He watched alternating between smiles, looks of wonder, pointing, laughing and even screaming in delight at the acrobatics.  It was magical for him even if at this age he won't remember it.  Tag enjoyed the tigers, elephants, and horses quite a bit as well.  He seemed mesmerized by an act with lots of guys on bouncing stilts that were dancing, flipping over each other, and doing some cool basketball stunts into hoops- he loves basketball like his dad! The clowns were over his head at this stage and he just wanted food or to roam during their acts.  He was as captivated by the food as well and wanted to eat the whole time-  after finishing the snacks I brought he pestered our neighbors for their kettle corn, drank a full bottle, and finished off most of his first real hot dog- I had to give in for the circus.

Mitch and I have both discovered that Tag can really pack a punch now.  I came to this realization when I was playing airplane on the floor with him.  I had just set him down (not an easy thing 8 mths pregnant) and was still lying on my back when a little board book came flying at my face.  He got me right on the bridge of my nose.  I saw stars, had a couple of cuts, and a swollen nose for several days. We both shed some tears- mine from pain and his from fear at not really understanding what was going on.  Mitch was playing on our bed with him- they love to do a different kind of airplane where Mitch runs with Tag and then launches them both onto a pile of pillows.  He closed his eyes for a second upon landing and got a head butt to his lip.  He got a puffy, bloody lip that turned into a lovely canker to remind him not to close his eyes around our little guy who doesn't know his own strength.  

I've been trying to prepare Tag for the new little brother he'll have soon by talking to him about the baby in my tummy and showing him some pictures from our later ultrasounds (which thank goodness look fine- he even looks like Tag one of the 3D pictures) and on the internet.  After seeing the pictures a few weeks ago, he laid his head on my stomach and hugged it, with his little hand patting my tummy as he talked to the baby.  It was so sweet!  He has done it several times since too as we talk about his brother.

The Summer of Tag...

Tag continues to go through life with a smile and looking for fun despite a rough few weeks.   He's had a diaper rash that has morphed and held on for a month now- the poor little guy has endured the normal rash first, then it turning into an infection (collitis or folliculitis?) and oral antibiotics for a week, antibiotic ointments the next week as the sores broke open, and then it turned into a yeast infection we think so we've treated him for that since Friday.  It looked like it was clearing up finally until this morning.  He complained saying "owie bum bum" wanting his Daddy to change him and there was a runny looking diarrhea and redness again.  He's back to walking on tip toes with his legs spread wide.  As I sit here next to him and Mitch though he is enjoying some golf on TV and clapping as the balls go in saying "good shot!"


On top of that Tag came down with a high fever Thursday, he just clung to me and wanting to nurse saying "Mama Wa" (he also says "baba wa" for a milk bottle and "baba juicy' or 'apple juicy" for juice).  I had him almost weaned last month- we were down to once a day before all the diaper rashes started and now with this weekend it looks like we will start the process all over again... 


The fever hung on through Friday and he kept asking to "eat" but then spit everything out- including his favorite Vitamin C's- so I took him in to see Dr. Fulmer- our good friend and Tag's wonderful pediatrician.  He has "herpangina" which he said is basically having just the mouth part of the virus known as "Hand, Foot and Mouth".  It's a virus where he's got blisters all over his throat and I I saw at least one on his tongue.  The poor little guy!  He hates taking any meds right now, but they do help him seem like himself and he can eat and drink shortly after.  As a parent it is sure hard to watch these little ones suffer!  The doc said 3 to 4 bad days is the usual so hopefully after today he'll be back to himself. The fever has broken, but now he's got "owie bum bum" again- ugh!!  We found ourselves letting him run free during this trying time.

His virus kept us home this weekend instead of being in Idaho to see Michael's first home game of the season- his big brother is starting on Varsity as a cornerback for the Jerome High Tigers and plays some offense as a running back as well.  We got to have Michael with us for over a month this summer and Tag loved every minute of it.  It is amazing to me how connected he is to Jordan and Michael- even when going quite a while between visits.  He knows them and gets so excited to see pictures of them.  He loves to look at their Facebook pictures- he'll say "a more, a more" so I'll keep going.  He asks for 'Jordun' and 'Meme' and lights up when they are around.  We have started doing Skype video calls with Jordan and Tag will often say "want see Jordun" when I open my computer or get on the phone.  Tag loves to Skype with his Grandma Julie, his Aunt Darcie and her family as well- isn't technology amazing!?


As for the happier highlights of his past couple of months, Tag's language is exploding!  He is stringing words together into little sentences and saying new things continually.  On the one hand it's exciting, on the other sad to see him grow and change so quickly.  We were sad to hear him stop saying "mmm" last month and hear "Yeah/Yes" replace it.  Some current favorite words are "ma'-meeoh' (lawnmower), 'oh-ee-oh-ee-oh" (both four-wheeler and motorcycle), and 'boat/ boat hot'.  The family boat was parked here for a couple of weeks and after playing on it one sunny afternoon with Mitch, the "hot" was frequently included.   Also, while playing on the boat, Mitch said he discovered the tarp made an excellent slide and Mitch was so impressed with this game he discovered, he took some photos.  Mitch hopes grandpa Charkey doesn't see these...

He will ask to go see "Papaw oh-ee-oh-ee-oh, 'NiNi/BeBe/Kian and YaYa oh-ee-oh-ee-oh' referring to my Dad, my sister and her boys that he loves to play with and watch ride the ATV.   Tag loves to sit on the four wheeler when it is off, but as soon as it's on he wants to be held 5 or more feet away.  

Tag on 4-wheeler with his cousins.

Tag also now says "Watch Mama' Watch Daddy", or just 'watch' to whoever is around to see him run across the room and dive onto the floor or jump off something, and he is very observant so if you are only half watching he knows and waits to perform repeating himself.  This last week he said "Want some more meents Mama".  He loves mints and knows right where they are hidden in my room.  He'll often come in first thing in the morning to wake us up happily asking for 'meents, nandy, and/or treats'.  His countenance changes when we offer up breakfast suggestions instead- how quickly the sweet tooth develops!  He knows the difference between temperature hot and spicy hot now too and when he eats something spicy he'll tell us: 'spicy meat, spicy meent, spicy hot, etc'.   Tag, you are a joy! I hope you will enjoy reading this someday, though it can't compare to how much we enjoy having you in our lives!!


We went up to Jordanelle Reservoir last week with some friends and he enjoyed a slow ride on a wave runner with Mitch- I think his fear of ATV's may have to do with how loud they are since he enjoyed the wave runner.  Tag doesn't even like me vacuuming- he'll cover his ears and tell me "all done now".  That is a favorite phrase of his too- he repeats it numerous times when he wants to be all done- like during doctor visits and diaper changes!

Tag enjoyed his first Demolition Derby.  We went with Michael (MeMe) and our friends the Van Tassels.  The noise was so loud there that he was happy to wear his noise blocking head phones.  He enjoyed watching the cars crash into each other, the motorcycle side show with the high jumping tricks, and going to different people in our party to get treats! 

Tag and Jodi VanTassel

Demolition Derby - An American classic!

Michael and Lexi VanTassel

8 months pregnant.

Tag pointing to a car for his friend, Ellie VanTassel

Tag has fallen in love with swinging and going down slides in the backyard and at parks this summer.  I just tried a small underdog with him and he laughed and laughed.  He's started asking for "doggies" too.  It's a little harder on our swing set here as the swing will start to go sideways, when it does that he gets scared and wants to restart.  He'll stay on the baby swing at the park up for a half hour and enjoy watching what the others are doing while he swings.  He likes to have his hand held still while going down the slide sitting up, but I imagine that's about to end.  He'll go down solo on his stomach sometimes already.  He LOVES to look for deer too- he gets so excited when he sees them, which luckily up in Woodland Hills is daily.  We have them come through the yard, see them on walks, and when driving up here all the time.  "Deeuh" is kind of how he pronounces it- I wish I could capture the exact sound of his pronunciation in writing, it is so cute!

Short Attention Span Theatre

Tag,

It's been a while since I wrote in your blog and that's my fault.  There's been a lot going on.  We moved out of Charky and Marina's home to our new, temporary home in Woodland Hills, Utah. It's very nice and even nicer to have our own space again.  If you could talk, you would agree.  You absolutely love the big yard and the new rooms to explore.

Daddy, a yard!

Smiling, with a few teeth.

"A bug!" -- You'll stop anywhere to point one out.

You would rather grab my phone then let me take your picture.

"A leaf!"

Let me try and explain what it's like living with you at 19 months old.  You wake up ready to rock and roll and lately you have been sleeping until 8 or so, which is NICE for your pregnant Mom and I.  Joann is due in November, so she has been tired. Anyway, when you wake you still want to be with your Mom to nurse a bit, but before long you climb on me, saying, "Daddy!" in an enthusiastic voice that says, "Let's play!". This is my favorite way to wake up.

You have a short attention span and can be distracted easily.  For an example, you have started saying, "Eat" when you are hungry, but by the time I get you out of our bed and start walking to the kitchen, you have already changed your mind and want to play with a ball, or read a book, or jump off a step, or watch a video on my iPhone.

You have a few favorite things and words that I want to write down before you change your mind.  Every time you pass the door going downstairs, you stop in your tracks, look up to me and say, "Hada!" (Hah'-dah).  It took me a while to figure out what you were saying, but this means you want to go downstairs with me and play air hockey.  I sit you on the table, while you grin super big, and I turn on the air.  You immediately get happier and you can actually hit the floating puck into the goal with the hand piece!  You get bored quickly though, and you immediately yell, "Bah..." and you point to the other room toward the pool table.  Bah... is how you say, "Ball", and you love the colorful billiard balls. So, I take you out there and sit you down on the pool table and show you how to push the billiard balls to the other end of the table.  Oh man, you love this game.  Sometimes I put my head down near the rails on the far end and pretend the balls you are pushing hit me in the face when they reach my side.  You laugh really hard at this and can't wait to push another one in my direction.

After a few minutes of this, you yell, "Hada!" -- and you want to head back to the Air Hockey table and start all over again.  At this point, I am bored so I take you upstairs and attempt to distract you with a cracker.

Another of my favorite words of yours is, "Mah'-me-oh!"  You say this every time we go to the car and are in the garage.  This is your way of saying "lawnmower".  This makes me laugh mostly because of the sheer enthusiasm express while saying it, let alone the three syllables. Why you would love lawnmowers is beyond me.

Your third word that is cute but is already driving your Mom and I nuts is, "Nan-ny".  You say this every time we get in the car and begin driving.  In fact, you are relentless with this word and you say it over and over.  This means, "Candy" as you know there is candy in the middle console.  I have never seen you so happy as when we give you a piece of Nan-ny.

You love to play airplane, where I hold you in the air like you are Superman and fly you around the room and throw you on the bed in a pile of soft pillows.  You don't like to wrestle or pillow fight yet. You hate nursery at church and are the only kid who cries most of the time, making me think that you are dangerously close to being a Momma's boy, but I am giving you a little slack since you are the newest to the class. I am hoping your brother, Michael, will toughen you up a bit.

You love shoes.  Your own, mine, Joann's, everyone's.  You still love hats and when we discovered a little yellow hard hat downstairs, you wear that around constantly. It's hard for me to capture your energy in photos, but it's endless, and boundless.

You are really good with names and you can't stop saying someone's name when you want to see them. Every time you see an older gentleman in a cowboy hat, you say, "Papaw!" -- like you just saw your Papaw Spence.  This is awesome, except that the cowboys look at you strangely.

You hate the car, making me hate the car with you in it.  Unfortunately for us, we live far from everything, so drives in the car are required. This is the only time you drive me nuts.  Your curious, playful nature just doesn't like sitting in the straightjacket of a car seat you are forced to wear.  While I can't blame you, you really have to work with me on this one, or I may put a muzzle on you!

You amaze me with your ability to live in the moment.  You always point to the sky every time you see the moon or an airplane.  Sometimes I wonder how you even see the airplane, but then I notice that it was making a noise, but I was too busy to hear it.  This is a great lesson for me to remember to clear the clutter in order to hear the important things, like the spirit guiding me.  I will teach you more about this as you get older, but you teach me now how easy it is for my mind to get distracted with the unimportant things of the day.  Thanks for that.

18 months

Last week Tag turned 18 months old and for some reason this seems like a milestone. On his 18 month day, he was very sick with something in his stomach and he threw up constantly for 3 days.  This was the first time in his life when he ever vomited, which seems a miracle in itself, and I felt so bad for the little man.  There was nothing I could do as he would stagger over to me and whimper as if he was hoping I could take this pain away from him.

We have been continuing our transient lifestyle as we wait for the home we are moving into. After spending the month of May in Park City, we stopped in to Joann's parents for some supplies and we headed south to St. George.  Typically, the weather in Dixie is nearing the 100's by this time of year, but it's been somewhat nice, only hitting the high 80's. We move into the new home on June 20, and it can't come soon enough.

Tag has been feeling better and only wants to go outside.  He loves to jump and climb, many times causing falls, but after a short cry, he's right back on the rocks again.  Tag also likes to try on hats wherever he goes. In fact, if someone we don't know is wearing a cool hat, Tag walks right up to them and motions for their hat, resulting in puzzled looks.  It's classic.  He has been awaking at 5:30 AM which has been very difficult on Joann, and this morning we let him cry until he fell back to sleep in an effort to get him sleeping a bit longer.

He is a very observant little boy and he notices things before I do, like airplanes, bugs, flowers and bikes. He is entering a frustrating phase where he knows exactly what he wants, but he can't yet communicate to us.  His favorite thing to say is "Mo", while giving us the sign language signal for "more." He wants to eat whatever we are having and has yet to get too picky.  Also, he is so good at taking his medicine it amazes me.

We just found out that Tag is going to have a little brother. The man who did the ultrasound initially said, "It's a girl" -- and I saw Joann light up.  Then upon further review, he said, "Oops, sorry, that is definitely a boy."  I about wanted to slug the guy for confusing Joann in that instant.  It would have been fun for her to have a little girl, but we are both extremely happy that Tag will have a little brother.

Here are some recent photos of our adventures:

A sick Tagman sleeping with a tired Dad.

Watching the French Open

Mom hangin' in Tag's tent.

Trying on hats

Eat your heart out, Sinatra

More hats