Quentin Made Weight!

...and in this corner weighing in at the heaviest weight of his short career, 8 pounds and two ounces with a height of 21 inches, the powerful punching pugilistic nightmare QQQQQQQQQQQQuuuuuuuuuuuentin Spiegelhoff. He made weight by being one ounce over his birth weight and he technically had two days to spare since he's supposed to be at or above his birth weight after his first 14 days. Tonight he'll turn two weeks old. He's been very fussy the last couple of days so we haven't gotten much sleep and are hoping he turns the corner tonight. Carrie says he's acting like me, staying up late. When Carrie and I met I was playing poker in the neighborhood regularly until 3-4 am. When she first moved to Florida she would try to keep up but couldn't last much past midnight. The late nights had to go if the relationship was going to move on so she broke me and we now go to bed at a reasonable hour. We'll have to see if she can break Quentin too. It's too bad he's not up playing poker or we could probably let Carrie go to bed and he and his old man could play some cards.

The doctor's visit was a success. Quentin received his first hepatitis B shot. We were given the option to get the shot in the hospital or one of the first visits to the doctor and we just opted for the doctor. You wouldn't believe how many times he was stuck with a needle in the hospital in his short life; 3 times in his foot for blood sugar, a shot shortly after being born and the circumcision. That's all in 36 hours so we figured we would save him one more stick for later. Carrie, of course started tearing up and doesn't want him to get any shots, or scrape a knee or fall down for the rest of his life. Mrs. Sensitivity is going to have to take it down a notch if she's going to live through childhood with a boy. :) Dad on the other hand handled it like a champ. That a boy. Take that needle like a man! He cried a little but wasn't too much worse for the ware. The doctor said it was the easiest shot to take with zero side effects and after we left Quentin was upset on the car ride home but was fine the rest of the day.

The Christmas spirit must be really going around this year. We got a Christmas card from our "sanitation workers" stuck in the garbage cans this morning. I went out to bring them in and there it was. Our garbage men, ahem, I mean sanitation workers have been prima donnas throughout the last few years being choosy about what they will take and what they leave behind. Who knew that garbage could be so subjective. One man's junk is another man's not so fast - that's not trash. So I was whining about how they only take certain trash and my neighbor was telling me the secret is to put out a six pack of beer once in a while with a bow on it (so they know it's not trash!). A few years ago he did this and they have taken everything from that point on. So periodically he continues to put some beers out there. I guess I just need to grease the wheel a bit. Do you think Tony Soprano is running the waste management business in Tampa? At any rate next Friday the fellas will get a couple of sixers to express our gratitude for our sanitation workers. Alright, alright, alright (read like McConaughey from Dazed and Confused).

Speaking of gratitude Miller Lite sent me a check on Thursday. I know right? It's about time. You know you are having a good month when the beer folks start sending you money. 15 smackers! Well, I must be on Miller's Christmas list too, because on Friday I received a Miller Lite T-shirt. All those years of loyalty are coming back. I wonder if they'll send us a onsie? I can't wait to get the mail today. At the rate I'm going I figure they should be dropping off at least a quarter barrel this afternoon. Maybe dad will get some sleep tonight.

The generosity has been spreading to Quentin too. Quentin has been getting tons of loot! He received 5 packages in the mail on Thursday and another two yesterday. We thank everyone for thinking of him/us. All the great clothes are so cute. He got his first Badger gear from one of Carrie's friends in Iowa of all places! It was pretty sweet. I can't wait to get him in the wiscowear. He has been getting tons of bibs. I think all the hilarious sayings must be appealing. Let me provide a few examples: "Thank heaven for little girls" Umm, ya, that may be true but he's not going to wear that one. "Ladies Man" That's more like it. "No, means ask Grandma" That sounds about right. "I just pulled an all-nighter" That definitely sounds like it. "Automatic sprinkler" Pretty good. "Chicks dig me" Of course they do, he is a Spiegelhoff. "Tax Deduction" Now we're talking! "Feed Me!! (and nobody gets hurt). That is also accurate. There are others. I need to get in the bib business.

A quick confession/plea. I don't know any nursery rhymes. I was trying to give the kid a little serenade action and I got, "Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder....ummm, lahteeedah, twinkle, twinkle..." So where does one get the words to nursery rhymes? I'm lost! We also need some kids books. I don't know where one goes to get those but I checked them out at Target and the average book is going for $10+. Forget that! Where is the used bookstore around here? So if anyone has used books they want to pass along the post office gives you a "media-rate" where you can send books and CD's at a discounted rate. I'm just throwing it out there if anyone wants to declutter their attic. Thanks again for all the great cards and gifts!