October 08, 2007

September 2007

Dear Kids,

I’m sitting here in our silent living room all alone on a Saturday night as you guys and mom are in St. George visiting all the Hurst's. Aunt Suzanne & cousin Tennyson flew to Salt Lake from Washington DC as did aunt Robin & cousin Sam flew out from South Dakota to be with us to help us through this new transition. For some inexplicable reason, they thought it’d be fun to make a quick trip to visit their family for a couple of days and so here I am alone. All by myself. Feels kinda strange.

Anyway. So, what’s this transition you ask? Well, we’ve got this new little roommate (who apparently likes to carry on with his fussin’ and cryin’ all the time). Don’t get me wrong...we’re happy to have you Henry. It’s just a learning process of getting used to a newborn AND a somewhat demanding near two-year-old under one roof. We’re zigging and zagging though each day with your mother taking the brunt of it while I’m off at work. I get phone calls and updates which makes me miss you all that much more. I absolutely LOVE being home with my family, but I guess that my role is to make sure that you don’t grow up too fast by providing all of your needs and some of your soon to be wants.

This past month was somewhat of a blur as your mom and I were constantly on watch for Henry’s arrival. It was the single-most important event in our life after all and I spent a lot of worry making sure that our cell phones were charged and that every gig I took came with a caveat that I might have to sub-out the gig (which proved to be the case in the end).

A week before you were born Henry I played at the Sundance Amphitheater with Peter Breinholt. About two weeks leading up to it I was fretting that I’d be out of cell phone coverage and that I’d have this awkward moment where I’d have to pull my drums off the stage in front of hundreds of people. When I got there I was relieved that my cell phone did work and I got through the night with zero drama (if the show was a week later however, it would’ve been interesting as you were born exactly one week later...make sense?).

In addition to all the joy of our new edition, there have been some other momentous things going on. Last week I took a short trip to San Francisco with Uncle’s Jeff & Todd and my parents to witness the sealing of uncle Erik and aunt Anna in the Oakland Temple. It was fun being with my brothers without the distraction of kids and swapping stories of parenting, careers and Church service (currently Todd, Jeff and I are all 1st Counselors in Bishoprics). Erik and Anna are so happy and expecting their first child in March of next year. This of course, makes me thrilled that you will have more Campbell cousins that are close to your age. Hopefully you’ll get to see them enough to have a relationship over the years.

While we were in SF, we hit some of my favorite stops: Taqueria Cancun, Amoeba records and the beach. It was fun to play tour-guide once again and power-trip on just how much I know about that town. I’m sure everybody was tired of my pointing out this and that all the time. Next time I’ll keep my yapper shut (as if I can). Anyway, it was great. Though it was brief, it was very memorable.

RUBY-
I am happy to share that one of my most cherished Ruby moments happened three weeks ago. I was leaving for work one morning when I gave my customary, “I love you Ruby” when all of a sudden I hear back “I wuv you too Daddy”. I looked at your mom in disbelief and she shrugged her shoulders and said, “Yeah, she says that now”. My heart swelled with joy and I walked on clouds out the door after I gave you a big hug and a kiss. I don’t remember exactly what I did that day, but I do remember that I kept thinking, “My daughter told me that she loves me.” Now, for a man who once figured that I was going through life solo, this meant the world to me.

You and I have been spending more time this month while your mom tends to Henry. It’s been fun having Daddy/Daughter time as we’ll go for a drive in our new fancy/schmancy mini-van and I’ll take you to the store and buy you things your momma won’t buy you. Okay, that last part was a joke...I don’t dare buy you anything and I certainly won’t feed you unless we go to Wild Oats or something. But suffice it to say that you and I do more together.

I bathe you when I’m home at night and read you stories and put you down to sleep. I feed you breakfast and dress you while mom and Henry sleep if you are awake before I leave for work. By the way, I love walking into your bedroom in the morning. You usually greet me with a smile and comment, “poopy diaper change” while nodding your head to which I lift you out of your crib and we then take care of business.

The morning after Henry was born I was so excited to drive home from the hospital and give you the news (both grandma GG and grandma Julie were watching you throughout the night). I got you dressed and all ready to go meet your baby brother. As we walked into the hospital room I could tell immediately that you knew something was different. Of course it didn’t help that your mom had all kinds of tubes stuck in her arm and had this little black-headed creature attached to her trying to feed. Your mom handled it with such grace and did her best to make you feel loved and important (one of her best qualities, I might add).

That morning, I recall doing our best to explain to you that you have a baby brother and that we love you both so much. Your mom and I have been so worried about how you’d accept being a big sister. We thought maybe you’d be jealous or maybe you’d start acting funny when he came home from the hospital. Now almost three weeks into his short life, I think that you are beginning to understand that he isn’t going away and that you are loved just as much as you were before he was born.

One of the perks of having a new baby is that we get to boggart grandma Julie for a while. This time she was here for nearly ten days to help buffer the transition. You two got to spend lots of quality time together and I want you to know how crazy she is about you. She absolutely adores you and it’s fun to see you two play together and interact.

It’s becoming quite clear to us lately just how much you love the TV. We never really watch it but it’s rapidly becoming a tool for your mom to get some down time as she is so tired lately. You ask for it all the time, even when we’re putting you down for the night. Of course, like most kids you are learning the fine art of stalling when it comes to bed time, so I’m just chalking it up to that.

HENRY-

By the time that you actually read this, I hope that it is painfully clear that I am thrilled to have a son. During your mom’s pregnancy people would ask if I wanted a boy or a girl and I would give the cliché answer that it’d be nice to have a girl so Ruby’d have a playmate but deep inside I was secretly hoping that you’d be a boy. I really can’t explain the joy of hearing really really really nice Dr. Peterson announce that you were, in fact, a boy.

My heart swelled at the notion of us going to the game, or watching the game on TV, or even talking about the game after the game is over and then watching the highlights of the game on SportsCenter.

Yep...a boy. My boy. Someone who I can impart my special brand of wisdom to. Someone who’ll shovel off the driveway after a gigantic winter dump (although you might be getting off pretty easy with all this global warming ‘n stuff...and we do live in the valley). Someone to lean over the hood of a car with while I breakdown the workings of the internal combustion engine (although global warming might nix that one too).

Seems like it’ll be my job to man-you-up, and I’ll do it with everything I know how. It will probably serve you well to know that we cheer for the SF Giants, the Utes and sometimes the Jazz. We wear Right Guard™ deodorant and floss with bailing wire. I started shaving when I was fourteen and I expect the same out of you.

Seriously though, I really don’t care what you do as long as you are nice and helpful, respectful and loving. I want you to care for your mother and treat her like a queen. I want you to experience the joy of serving other people and putting their needs in front of your own...okay then, I’m getting a little deep here. Let me back up a little bit.

You were named after lots of ancestors that came before you. Most notably, my two grandfathers Henry Petty Dotson and Henry Alexander Campbell. Also your great-great-great grandfather Henry Lunt factors into the mix as well as he was a pioneer who crossed the Plains in the 1850’s and was a founder of both Parowan and Cedar City, Utah. On your mother’s side your great-great grandpa Henry Day (who happened to marry a woman named Henrietta) was a great man of his time as well. I hope that you take time in your life to explore the lives of these wonderful people who are a huge part of your makeup.

You've probably also figured out that you have a cousin named Henry, although he goes by his middle name Thomas. For many years I was a little sad that uncle Greg & aunt Marni didn't just call him Henry as I loved the name but didn't feel like I could name my boy Henry as it wouldn't make sense to have two cousins both named Henry Campbell. So a while ago I hatched this idea to name you after your grandpa and officially name you Robert Henry Campbell and then call you Henry. For some reason your mother didn't see the beauty of my plan and I ended up giving you my name for your middle name (sorry dad...I tried).

Last week we took you to visit really really really nice Dr. Peterson who happily announced that you are as healthy as a baby could be. Your color and weight and all other indicators point to the fact that you are 100% great. For the record you weighed in at 11lbs and 22.5” long, which is pretty impressive considering that your mom has been worried sick that you haven’t been eating much. This news made the both of us feel so much better.

Alright then kids...I gotta get to bed. This month will be so much fun with Halloween and all. Your mom has been tirelessly working on your costumes, by the way. I can’t wait to see them.
Love,
Dad

Posted by patatomic at October 8, 2007 12:13 AM

Recent Entries

October 08, 2007

September 2007

Comments

Post a comment