GOLD MEDAL

What a jam-packed day for a little one. You went on your first of hopefully many ski chairlift rides while we were at the men’s slalom skiing event.

You saw Italy take the gold in that event, and then later that night you got to go to the medal ceremony.

Not only did you see Italy's Giuliano Razzoli get his gold medal, but you experienced your very first concert …Usher.

Your first concert lasted all of three songs. Why only three songs? Did you start crying or have a melt down? No, but your dad would’ve if we'd subjected him any longer to Usher’s pop R&B tunes. 

WINTER OLYMPICS

As a kid, I wanted to go to Hawaii. Palm trees, hula dancers, and the beach. Who wouldn’t want to go? My friends would go there for vacations and I wanted to go there too. Your grandma told me one day that I didn’t need to go to Hawaii because I had gone there when I was almost three years old. She had the pictures to prove it. Too bad I don’t remember. So to this day, Hawaii is still on my vacation list.

You’ve just experienced a similar trip of sorts. You went on a trip that most people would kill to go on. You went to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Canada! Too bad you’ll never remember it. But I have the pictures to prove it.

Bobsled, biathlon, and slalom skiing.  You saw it all.  And no, that's not an European man purse your dad is wearing.  It's your diaper bag. 

GOODNIGHT WHISTLER

Look who's grabbing things...

It's time to bring out the toys!  After 4 months of either completely ignoring toys or just not realizing what they were for, you've finally started taking an interest in them.  This realization came about a week before we left for your first trip out of the country, to Canada for the Winter Olympics!  And your mother couldn't have been less prepared. 

Diapers, check.  Bottles, check.  Wipes, check.  Clothes, check.  Bibs, check.  Burp cloths, check. Butt balm, check. Pacifiers, check.  Formula, check.  Blankets, check.  Travel bed, check.  Baby passport, check.  Car seat, check.  Baby Bjorn, check.  Toys, oops. 

Missed the boat on toys.  So instead of reading you Goodnight Moon every night before bed, you were read whatever Whistler travel guide book that happened to be nearby.  Goodnight Whistler.  Goodnight Blackcomb.  Goodnight Peak to Peak gondola.  Goodnight après ski people. 

Toys?  Anything that happened to be convenient became a toy.  Who knew a baby could have so much fun with an empty pack of gum or an electric toothbrush? Who brings an electric toothbrush on a trip?  Your mom does.  I'm a dentist.  I have to.  That and floss. 

BABY FIGHT CLUB

Every so often you wind up with some pretty horrific scratches on your face. It’s these scratches that kept me from getting your professional newborn photos done until you were 8 weeks old and not such a newborn anymore. Every time I was ready to schedule a sitting with the photographer, a new batch of scratches would magically appear across your face. Thanks to Photoshop and digital imaging, my friends convinced me to send you to the photographer looking like you’d been in a catfight. They kept reminding me it was nothing that the photographer couldn’t digitally erase.

Why is it that babies wind up with scratches all over themselves? Baby Fight Club. The Haligowski’s shared this theory with your dad and it makes perfect sense. We imagine Baby Fight Club is pretty similar to Fight Club, although we can‘t be sure because nobody talks about it. These are Fight Club’s Rules:

1st Rule: You do not talk about FIGHT CLUB.

2nd Rule: You DO NOT talk about FIGHT CLUB.

3rd Rule: If someone says "stop" or goes limp, taps out the fight is over.

4th Rule: Only two guys to a fight.

5th Rule: One fight at a time.

6th Rule: No shirts, no shoes.

7th Rule: Fights will go on as long as they have to.

8th Rule: If this is your first night at FIGHT CLUB, you HAVE to fight.

So, if Baby Fight Club is similar to Fight Club, that explains why you wind up with all those scratches for no reason at all. And thanks to the first two rules of Fight Club, as far as you’re concerned, there is no Baby Fight Club, but your father and I are on to you.

SNUGGIE

At four months old is it possible to have a favorite blanket? Apparently it is. Whenever you throw an ear-shattering tantrum, I’ve found the magic key to calming you…

This is your favorite blanket. It’s the softest, most plush thing anyone has ever felt. With satin lining and some man-made artificial fabric that might as well be cute baby bunny fur because it's so soft, the touch of it on your skin instantly calms you.

Seeing you so calm and content all wrapped up in the plush blanket makes me envious. I wish they made something like this for adults. The world would be a much happier place. Or at least I would be.  But until then, I guess I'll have to settle for a Snuggie.

PEACOCK

Happy Valentine's Day!  You are such a cute baby, I'm convinced you'll be a heart breaker when you're older.  Although I'm sure this is what all moms think.  What mom would think she has a funny-looking kid that will never get a date to the prom?  It doesn't happen. 

Back to Valentine's Day and love...you're probably wondering how your dad and I met.  Here's the story.  Well, actually there's two stories, depending on how old someone is when they ask how we met. 

In general if you're old enough to be my parent or I need to make a favorable impression, you get Story #1...Your dad had just moved to Oregon from Minnesota after graduating from college in 2000 to work for Intel. One weekend he tagged along with some friends for the big Civil War Football game in Corvallis. Being an Oregon State alum, I was also down there for the game and that's where we met.

Now, if you went to OSU or I don't care to make a favorable impression, you get the true story.  Story #2...We met Civil War weekend at the top of the 'cock.  The Peacock that is. Only my most favorite hangout every Thursday night during college.  The Peacock has an upstairs bar and dance floor known as "The Top of the 'Cock." That's where your dad and I met.  

I was on the dance floor dancing with some friends when out of nowhere he walked right up to me and said, "You're too pretty to be dancing by yourself."    And from then on, the rest is history...

Who knew I'd wind up marrying the guy I met at the top of the 'cock?  Your dad and I sometimes wonder if we hadn't met there, would we have met somewhere else in Portland? But had we met elsewhere, then we wouldn't be able to elicit those jaw-dropping, eye bulging responses when we casually tell someone we met at the top of the 'cock. 

THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER

The grass is always greener on the other side of the baby aisle.  Well today it was.  Look what I found at Target on my lunch break...

It's a designer bottle drying rack.  And I had to have it.  Why?  Why, when we have a perfectly good standard run of the mill drying rack that we've been using the past 4 months?  This is what Dad's big question was when he noticed it in the spot of the "old" rack.  I was hoping he wouldn't notice, but how do you not notice something like this? 

Why did I have to have it?  I spotted it in Crate and Barrel's baby catalog and fell in love with it.  I was about to order it online when I stumbled across it shopping.  Not only was it $5 cheaper than at Crate and Barrel, but I didn't have to pay shipping and handling.  How could I not pass it up?  Besides, your dad should be happy.  I originally had two of these in the cart, but talked myself down to one.