Yesterday we all went to a Christmas tree farm to get a Christmas tree to put in the living room. The weather was forgiving, as it only sprinkled once in a while during our Christmas tree hunt. We went to a great place off of Germantown road, I can't remember the name but it started with a “Z“.

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Anyway it was a great time, I watched for the first time the old ritual where after we all agreed on the perfect tree Dad started the cut on the tree, and then Gavin and Jake both took turns cutting down the tree. In the past Jake and Gavin would cut for about 30 seconds before giving up and Dad would have to finish the rest. This year was a bit different though, Jake decided that he was going to finish this time and fall the tree. He did just that, it took him about 15 minutes but before we knew it that tree was on the ground. Jake was so proud and Dad was proud of Jake too.

The tree is nearly a 10 footer this year, so getting it on top of the car was a challenge but Mom and Dad got it up there. After the tree was tied down, we all got in the car wet, muddy and full of holiday cheer. When we stopped by the booth to pay for the tree and for Mom to pick out a wreath the nice helper guys gave all us a kids a candy-cane. Oh, how I love candy-canes!

The ride home was short. Every other car we passed had a tree on top of it too. People were staring at ours though. The tree is so wide and long on the top of the car it made other peoples look like baby trees! It was pretty funny to see people do double-takes at the stop-lights.

My first turkey day came and went. We're all in Arizona visiting Grandpa and Grandma Burlingame. We had an awesome dinner prepared by Grandma and Grandpa. Turkey, sweet potatoes, garlic potatoes, cranberries, stuffing, green beans, gravy, carrots, jello salad, crescent rolls, and zippy (drink).

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My uncle Brandon, aunt Ginger, and cousin Chanelle joined us for dinner. After dinner, Mom and uncle Brandon got a gift from Grandma and Grandpa. It was a DVD of their old childhood videos. It was really special. Mommy looked a lot like me when she was little.

After the movie, uncle Brandon fed me Grandma's home-made pumpkin pie. Delicious!

Well, I carved my first pumpkin! Daddy cut the top off for me and let me play with it in my high chair. I stuck my hands in it and even ate a little of it. Tastes like my lunch when Mommy gives me squash.

I also went trick-or-treating with Jake for a little while. I really liked it and cried when Mommy took me home. But then people kept coming to the door dressed all crazy, so then I was okay. Later Mommy let me have a sucker and I got super sticky!  Then I was pooped and crashed from my little sugar high.  :o)

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Today I went to the pumpkin patch for the first time! Mommy and Daddy took Jake and me to The Pumpkin Patch at Sauvie's Island. We rode on a tractor to get out to the field of pumpkins. I rode in the backpack on Daddy's back as he waded through the mud to find us the perfect pumpkin. There were so many too choose from, but I think Daddy and I made a good choice.

We also saw cows, goats, and llamas at the The Pumpkin Patch. Later this week Daddy is going to show me how to carve my first pumpkin. I can't wait to dig into those pumpkin guts! 

This whole Halloween thing is pretty fun. I can't wait to dress up. I'm going to be Eeyore!

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Our dog Daisy had nine puppies! One passed away though a few days later. :o( So now we have eight, four boys and four girls. They are really cute, but they're noisy sometimes. They just opened their eyes two days ago which makes them even cuter.

I got my second haircut and don't I look handsome! Mommy thinks it makes me look too old, but I have two teeth now and can eat lots of new things so I think I am pretty old. Daddy thinks I look like Jake with my haircut and Gavin thinks I look like Cousin Jimmy. I think I just look like me! :o)

My favorite TV show is Dora the Explorer. I've been watching Dora since I was about 4 months old. Dora, Boots, and Swiper have had a way of keeping my attention for a whole 1/2 hour and no other show has ever done that.

I experienced my 1st birthday party today! No, not mine, my friend Bryce Rose! It was a GREAT pary with lots of kids. Bryce was the perfect 1 year old and really enjoyed all the attention. As you can see in the picture the chocolate cake was the highlight!

A lot has happened since we last wrote. Let's see...We went on a road trip to AZ and stayed with Grandma & Papa Burlingame for two weeks. We went to Tombstone and Sedona. Then on the way home we stopped in Sacramento to see Poppy and Grandma Cheryl.

I went to the zoo with Mommy, Daddy and Jake. We saw lots of cool animals and went in the butterfly exhibit. I think that was Mommy's favorite part. It was a really long day, but I was a good boy of course! :o)

I just got back from Mommy child weekend. I don't get to go on Father-Son until I'm 5 yrs old, so I have to go on the Mom-Daughter-Child trip. Daddy and my brothers went camping for 5 days and me and the girls went to Kah-Nee-Tah for the weekend. It was pretty fun, but there were lots of bees there.

Happy 4th of July America! We are having an exciting weekend! It all started out on the 2nd when we had a birthday party for Daddy. Daddy had his friends over for a BBQ. We got him a Pool-Craps table for our game room.

On the 3rd we went to Sauvies Island to let Daisy run and play in the river. It was hot and I had to wear lots of sunblock to help maintain my baby white complexion.

On the morning of the 4th we went to the Hillsboro parade. It was CRAZY! Our friend Christy and her Mom and Dad saved us a spot and we watched 150 entrants march by. It was patriotic, hot, and fun. God Bless America!!!

For Daddy's Day we went to Cannon Beach! Daddy, Mommy, Grandma, Grandpa, Tosha, and Gavin went. It was a lot of fun! Grandpa tried to teach Daddy how to fly his fancy kite but Daddy didn't do so well. Grandpa is really good at it, so I liked watching him and the kite. It was really windy which made for good kite flying.

Welp, I'm a new man now! I got my first haircut today and boy am I a handsome devil! I was a really good boy too. Mommy is a little sad though because she says I don't look like her crazy haired little baby anymore. I look like a big boy now! My hair looks a little more red now that it's shorter too. I started swimming lessons this last week. It totally love it! I'm the youngest in my class and I have my eye on a little hottie in my group named Olivia. She's an older woman (8 months old) Grrrr... ;o) I haven't had my 4 month doctor appointment yet, so we have no new stats on me. Let's see, what else is new...Umm, Mommy taught me to fake cough. We think it's pretty funny, but Daddy said people are going to think there's something wrong with me. Oh I forgot, I got a new excersaucer and a playmat. I like them a lot, but only for a little while at a time. Nick Jr. is my new favorite tv channel to watch in the morning while waiting for my brunch. That's the update for now, stay tuned!

My latest news is...I've pooped in the tub twice now, luckily I was all washed by then. Also, I'm starting to sleep a little longer at night (at least the last 3 nights). And finally, I laughed out loud for Mommy the other day! I love my baths and being read to. I don't much like riding in the car and I hate shopping. Mommy says thank goodness for the swing since it's one of the few things that keeps my happy. I'm drooling a lot now and sticking things in my mouth...sign of early teething ? Even though I'm a porche, I smile all the time and melt Mommy's heart. :o) Don't forget to check out the latest pictures in the gallery!

With a face like this how can you avoid cooing some nickname to him in that cutesy baby talk voice? You can't! Believe me, he's got a ton of nicknames too. Here's the short list:

Dad: Bubsy
Mom: Sweet Potato, Bubby, Punkin, handsome devil
Grandma Burlingame: Littlest Angel 
Grandpa Burlingame: Spike
Grandpa Spencer: Angel Child
Sister Tosha: Pumpkin Pie, Handsome
Dr. Alexander: Porsche (yeah, the Dr. says we have a Porsche and not a Volkswagon)

If you've had a child before you know that infamous question goes along with his/her birth: Does he/she look more like Mom or Dad? In Jace's case I've heard a bit of both, well maybe a little more of one than the other but I won't tell you which one; I don't want to taint YOUR opinion. Comparing a new born child to 32 year old man and 32 year old woman can be a stretch so I've provided a baby picture of the three of us so you can really see the similarities and differences. Click on the picture to see a larger version. Don't be afraid to click the comment link below and leave your opinion!

So here's the update from our visit to the cardiologist...It went very well and Jace was quite a trooper. They determined that our doctor was correct in saying Jace has a VSD. It's only about 2mm in size and should close by the time he is 3 years old. Even if it doesn't, it shouldn't effect him at all.  He'll just have to take antibiotics before dental work or certain surgeries. I gotta say, I am so relieved!  I was so nervous taking him there, especially since Brent couldn't go.  I did get to see his little heart beating during the ultrasound which was cool though.  They also mentioned that Jace shows no other signs of any other heart issues which is good. 

SO, there ya have it!  You can all let your breath out now that he's okay.  I hope you enjoy this weeks pictures.  Just click on this one and it will take you to the gallery.  I have to say, I think he's getting cuter every day!  :o)

Gosh how time flies! I had forgotten how time consuming a new baby is. I'm not complaining though because he is soo worth it! We just have some catching up to do now is all, since we haven't blogged since he was born.

We'll start with Christmas...Jace spent his first Christmas at home with family. Grandma & Grandpa Burlingame came up from AZ and spent a little over a week with us. Also, Grandma Peg and Dennis came over to visit for a little while too. Other than that it was just a mellow holiday at home. You can click on his picture to take you to the gallery to see the new ones.  Check out the 2 week pictures also!

As for New Year's...Jace spent his first New Year's Eve at the Bennett's (friends of Mommy & Daddy). During the day, Mommy, Daddy and Jace ran around looking for computer parts for Daddy's new computer. Then we stopped in Sherwood for an early dinner at The Outback. Jace stayed asleep the whole time until we were done eating. What a good boy! At around 8:30pm we all (Tosh & Jake too) went over to The Bennett's. We had snacks and played the new DVD version of Trivial Pursuit, which Brent and I won! Jace was a trooper and stayed awake most the evening. Another mellow holiday for him, we were home by around 1am.

As for Jace...he had his 2 week doctor appointment. Weighing in at 8lbs (11oz gain) now and 21in (1 1/2 in gain). The doc thinks he has a heart murmer called VSD. It's basically a little hole in his heart that can close on it's own. Even if it doesn't though it will not effect his lifestyle or life span at all. The doc said not to worry one bit because it's not a big deal. We go to the cardiologist this Friday though to be sure. I'll let you know how it goes. Other than that he's just great! He's starting to fill out now and looking a little different...cuter of course! His hair is a little thinner now and is lightening up some. He smiles a lot and loves kisses and music. That's all for now! I'll update more Friday or this weekend and will add some 3 week pics. FYI~You can click on the calendar to go back and look at previous entries that aren't showing on the front page anymore.

Well, we are at home now and somewhat settled so let me take some time and update all you guys with “the rest of the story“. Dad's perspective anyway, I'm sure Jacqui has her own version.

Monday night around 7 PM Jacqui started having some pretty big contractions. Knowing the time was near, we started timing them and they ended up being between 6 and 9 minutes apart.

We were told that we needed to head in when they were 5 minutes apart for an hour. Since they were such a broad  range apart we held out until 10:30 PM and called in to ask if 3-7 minutes was enough to come in. OHSU had us hold on a bit longer and suggested that she take a warm bath to see if they get closer together or stronger. I ran Jacqui a bath and helped her through her contractions for about forty five minutes until they were about 3-5 minutest apart. About that time I started getting pretty nervous because some were in the 3 range. By the time she got out of the bath and was dressed she had a few in the 2 minute range. She was moving like a turtle in peanut butter (she had a good excuse!) and I told her she had to stop messing around because I had to drive her all the way to OHSU. We were out the door minutes later (the bags were packed and in the car a week prior, yeah I'm that anal). Believe it or not I drove pretty calmly but started to get a bit worried on HWY 26 at the top of Sylvan hill when she had a few contractions about a minute and a half apart. In my mind I was prepared to deliver the baby if I had too (really, I was THAT ready). Because I was paranoid about HWY 26 and rush hour traffic I wanted to know how to deliver a baby and I was only fuzzy on what to do with the umbilical cord. I asked a friend that had a baby recently and he filled me in on what they taught him in his parenting classes. That was good enough for me (things come pretty naturally to me when it comes to medicine and science). Needless to say, I didn't have to deliver.  We made it to the hospital with plenty of time to spare. OHSU is a mess right now, they have a ton of new construction going on so we were a bit confused at where to go even though we both thought we knew after being there so many times for her monthly and weekly checkups. We finally had her in a bed around 12:30 AM for her whirlwind of labor and pushing.

At arrival and initial examination Jacqui was dilated to 4 1/2 cm. They asked if she wanted an epidural not long after we had in her bed which she naturally answered “yes“ to. The epidural was quickly put on hold when the nurse discovered that when she was having a contraction Jace's heart rate dropped dangerously low. After having Jacqui lay on her left side and seeing the drop was a lot less and he recovered nicely between contractions they gave here the epidural. At that point her water had not broken and they were excited to move this along as fast as possible since Jace's heart rate was concerning, so they broker her water for her. Things moved fast after that. It took about an hour for her to dilate to the full 10 centimeters.  When she started to push his heart rate went back to the dangerous level. They started talking about using the vacuum or C-section to get him out as quickly as possible but Jacqui wouldn't hear of it. Her pushing effort went into overdrive. She was pushing so hard and so intently I swore she was going to break a vein in her head or pass out. The pushing lasted for approximately 20 minutes and Jace was delivered by God, nurses, doctors, Jacqui and Dad (c'mon I held her hand and cut the cord, give me some credit too) at 5:10 AM.

I'm really proud of my wife for what she endured. All I could do was hold her hand and encourage her. Even that simple task was tough for me since I was so emotional about the whole thing. Every time I tried to talk to her I was fighting back the tears. Funny thing is that she was in pain and working so hard and I was the one crying. Mostly for three things; 1) I was scared for Jace, 2) I was sooo proud of my wife for trying so hard and 3) I was so excited to see our son we had waited 9 months to see.

The whole family is so googly in love with Jace. We spend our days and nights holding him, kissing him, hugging him and saying things like: “I love you Jace“, “he's so beautiful“, “he's so perfect“, “Hi Jace, Mommy/Daddy is here“ (when he opens his eyes). We are so thankful to God for bringing him to us AND bringing him to us so healthy and PERFECT.

We are really excited to share him with everybody and I'll keep posting pictures for those who can't make it to the house to see him. Click the image in this blog entry to go to the latest uploads or click the Photo Gallery link in the left menu to see all the albums. Before long you'll be oohing and ahhing right along with us. 

Jace has finally arrived! He was born at 5:10 AM on 12/14. He weighed in at 7 pounds and 8 ounces and is 19 inches long. Mom and Jace are doing very well. Check back later for more info (after we return from the hosptial). Hopefully we will bring our new bundle of joy home tomorrow 12/15. Click the image to view a few of his first photos.