The Best of Times

Every now and then, if you're lucky, you have one of those moments where time seems to stop, just for a second or two. On those rare occasions, you pause and take a mental snapshot, realizing with a real sense of clarity that twenty or thirty years later, you're going to remember that moment. You're going to remember what you were doing, what you saw, and more importantly, how you felt.

I had one of those moments this morning, after I returned from a run in the neighborhood. I had finished my run at Bongo Java on Belmont Boulevard, so I could grab a cup of coffee for me and a muffin for Jude. I walked across Belmont's campus, listening to an episode of "This American Life" on my Ipod and enjoying a beautiful spring morning. I'm always in a good mood after an early morning run, so I was smiling as I walked up the steps on our front porch and let myself in the front door.

I heard Jude and John Patrick upstairs, talking and laughing. I walked up the stairs, still sweating from my run and saw them sitting together in his play area in the hall, outside his room. John Patrick was facing his bookcase, playing quietly with a couple of toys while Jude two or three feet away, watching him. Every couple of minutes, he would look back at her, then play some more. The lighting was perfect. John Patrick had pulled one of his teddy bears off the bookcase and it was laying beside him, playing music.

As I sat in a chair and took in the whole scene, it hit me. This is one of those moments I'm going to remember, clearly, for the rest of my life. I'll think of it when John Patrick is walking across the stage to receive his high school diploma, when he leaves for college and when he stands at the front of a church and watches his bride walk down the aisle toward him. I'll think of it many other times, too.

God has truly blessed me more than I deserve.

Milk Mustache

"I'm number one. I mean it, I am."

"Boy, this grass really tastes good. Seriously."

Groovin' on a Sunday Afternoon

Along Came Jones

Here's a shot of future baseball star John Patrick "Chipper Jones" Newman.

Springtime in Music City

One of my favorite things about our house is the giant maple tree in our front yard. Like a sentry standing guard over us, it marks the change of the seasons every year. In the fall, its leaves are beautiful and when they drop, we host our annual Leaf Party. In the winter, it looks naked and forlorn in the cold. In the spring, its leaves burst forth in a wave of bright green. In the summer, its leaves start to turn brown in the heat, but it provides shade for our front yard and front porch.

This afternoon, after John Patrick woke up from his nap, I took him for a walk in the neighborhood. It was unseasonably warm, so when we returned to the house, I spread a blanket under the tree. In the last week, the leaves on the tree have sprung to life, so John Patrick and I had plenty of shade from the late afternoon sun. Jude woke up from her nap and came outside with us to enjoy a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Stairs

Breakfast

Country Music Marathon 2009

This time last year, I packed John Patrick into his stroller Saturday morning and walked over to Belmont Boulevard to watch the Country Music Marathon and Half Marathon. He was less than a month old and it was my first outing, alone, with him. As I recall, I was a little nervous, but filled with pride as we left the house. He laid in his stroller, probably sleeping, as we walked down the sidewalk, the runners passing by us.

As you can see from the photo, a lot has changed in the past year. Today, John Patrick looked like he was ready to run a marathon, albeit with a little assistance from his mommy.

This morning, Jude, John Patrick and I got up early, packed his breakfast, and walked over to watch the race. After we found a good spot on Belmont Boulevard, he ate breakfast in his stroller - cheerios, strawberries and blueberries (a new favorite). Afterward, we took him out of the stroller and he and Jude walked up and down the sidewalk together.

"I Want to Watch the 2009 NFL Draft!"

I love this photo of John Patrick. I took it yesterday afternoon, on the back deck at Hal and Kim's house on Halcyon Avenue. I strolled over with J.P. after work and Jude joined us on our way home. Jude was playing with him, covering him up with pillows as he laughed and laughed.

Tiptoe Through the Tulips

I had to take a photo of Jude's beautiful tulips in the garden in our front yard. I'm sure they'll end up in somebody else's house in my neighborhood in the next few days, anyway, after the flower thief violates the social contract and strikes yet again.

Giant Baby

John Patrick had crawled across the blanket, onto my chest, when I took this photograph. He really, really wanted the camera.

Lost in Thought

Saturday Evening Post

This morning, I got up early and went to Shelby Park in East Nashville to run on the trails there. It was a beautiful morning - about 55 degrees - bright sunshine. I had probably my best run of the year thus far, as I ran 9 miles and would have gone farther, but I needed to get home to watch John Patrick while Jude got a haircut.

The days like today, from a running perspective, are all too rare, when I feel like I could run forever. Perfect weather, great music on my ipod and the weekend with my family right in front of me. I run all year long in search a handful of runs like the one I had this morning. It's what makes me lace up my running shoes and get out the door.

After I returned home, I took John Patrick for a long walk. We strolled over to Bongo Java, then back to Belmont University. I spread a blanket under a tree and we laid on it and played in the shade. Students walked by, talking and laughing, seemingly without a care in the world, having the time of their lives. I smiled at them as I played with John Patrick, as I enjoyed the time of my life.

Cheerios!!!

Predictably, Jude doesn't think this photo is quite as funny as I do. While feeding John Patrick breakfast earlier this week, I discovered a new and unusual use for cheerios.

Sippin' Time

Tonight, after dinner, John Patrick surprised Jude and me by grabbing a sippy cup and drinking his milk out of it. We were excited, because we hadn't been able to get him interested in drinking from anything other than a bottle.

Waving is a big thing for John Patrick right now.

Finger Food

Right about the time he turned one a little more than two weeks ago, John Patrick decided he was through with baby food. Almost overnight, he stopped wanting to be fed and instead started feeding himself. It's crazy, but it's like he became a toddler overnight. He's crawling, walking with assistance and feeding himself.

Here, John Patrick is stuffing turkey in his mouth on the Saturday before Easter, entertaining Jude's brother, James, and his wife, Megan. Notice, he has turkey in both hands, all the better to satisfy a big, big appetite.

James L. White (1919 - 2009)

On Monday, April 6, 2009, Jude's grandfather, Jim White passed away at the age of 89. I'm not sure I've known a finer man.

Mr. White was devoted to his family, the Catholic Church and his country. He was a member of "the greatest generation," having flown 47 combat missions in World War II as a member of the 15th Air Force, 376th bomb group, 514th squadron. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Metal with clusters.

Jude brought John Patrick to the visitation at St. Henry Catholic Church on Wednesday, April 8. I was glad she brought him, because I think his presence helped make everyone a little less sad. The funeral service was Thursday, also at St. Henry. Mr. White was laid to rest at the Veteran's Cemetery in West Nashville, after a moving ceremony in which his wife of 63 years, Rita White, was presented with the American flag that had been draped across his casket.

I've posted a link to Mr. White's obituary in the Tennessean.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/tennessean/obituary.aspx?n=james-l-white&pid=125872429

Going Mobile

Thursday, Jude and I took John Patrick to the doctor for his 1 year check up. He's still long and lean, almost 23 pounds (25th percentile) and 28 or 29 inches (80th percentile). Our doctor said he looked great, but expressed a little concern that he wasn't crawling yet. After I told him neither my sister nor I crawled at all and, in fact, didn't walk until we were 14 or 15 months old, he was less concerned.

Of course, I panicked as soon as he mentioned being even a little concerned about the fact that John Patrick hadn't started crawling. Jude, ever the voice of reason, was more of the mindset that all children develop on their own schedule, which is basically what Dr. Godfrey told us. Jude and I agreed, however, that we probably should just work with him a little more when we're playing, and that everyone would be okay. That didn't stop me from worrying, though.

Well, Saturday afternoon, while Jude was napping, I threw a blanket down in our front yard. John Patrick and sat on the blanket and enjoyed what was an amazingly beautiful spring day in Music City U.S.A. I laid John Patrick on his stomach on one end of the blanket, then tossed my cell phone to the other end of the blanket. He looked at me, looked at the cell phone at the other end of the blanket, looked at me again, then it was off to the races! Slowly and a little unsteadily, he crawled to the other end of the blanket, picked up my my cell phone and put it right in his mouth. Then, straining and grunting, he rolled over and sat up, clutching the cell phone in his hand the entire time.

I was so excited I called Jude (using my now wet cell phone), woke her up from her nap and told her to come out front and watch her son. She did. We smiled, clapped and high fived each other as John Patrick crawled, fell, then crawled again, from one end of the blanket to the other.

Today, after church, we went to Dragon Park near Vanderbilt. After we ate lunch under the shade of a large tree, Jude tossed my cell phone into the grass and off John Patrick went. For the most part, he kept his head up and seemed to crawl with a little less effort, though it was still a struggle. Awesome! I took the photograph above while we were at the park.

Birthday Party Recap

Last Sunday, several members of our families braved inclement weather and tornado warnings to join us at our house for a party celebrating John Patrick's first birthday. Wanting to keep things low key, Jude and I made potato soup and sante fe been chili and enjoyed a fairly quite evening, albeit with the neighborhood tornado sirens blaring periodically. We were especially blessed to host Jude's grandparents, Jim and Rita White, who seemed to enjoy the festivities.

John Patrick received lots of fantastic gifts but, as usual, seemed to be more interested in playing with the wrapping paper after he unwrapped them. I'm guessing it won't always be that way.

And Then He Was One

John Patrick, at our party last Saturday, March 28, 2009, to celebrate his first birthday. He looks like he's about to audition for a role as a member of "the Blue Man Group."