The Daily Quinn

A new beginning

2009-07-09T13:38:00.001-06:00

With the birth of baby Keaton, The Daily Quinn has been merged with a new site to document the lives of two precocious little boys.

Please join us aboard the U.S.S. Fussy Britches.

The White House

2009-06-30T21:09:00.006-06:00

On the way home from shopping the other day, we approached the normal left turn into our apartment complex.

Cap'n Quinn knows the route. We've driven it almost daily for the past year as we returned to the two-bedroom cave we've called home.

From his perch in the backseat, Quinn made a request: "Can we go to the White House, Daddy?"

Before you get impressed about a two-year-old's political aspirations, the White House to which he referred is our recently purchased, four-bedroom home here in Oregon.

As Cap'n of the U.S.S. Fussy Britches, Quinn is a natural-born adventure-seeker. And the White House offers plenty of new territory for exploring. There's the candy drawer in the kitchen, the candy drawer next to Grandma's bed, and the candy stash in Grandma's purse. We have too much candy.

But we've also got a nice backyard and an inflatable pool, staples of summertime we've been sorely lacking.

Daddy's been happy to finally have a lawn to mow with his new electric push mower, and he's even happier to reunite with his big grill. Mommy is busy organizing all our stuff and picking out paint colors. Dexie has been tramping all over the garden and barking at the chicken in the yard behind us.

Maybe some day, we'll have chicken to cook on Daddy's big grill.

As exciting as the White House may be, the real excitement is a week away. The lil Skipper Keaton arrives to partner with the Cap'n on a whole new chapter of adventures. This blog will be changing, too, so stay tuned.

Storming the beach

2009-05-31T12:45:00.006-06:00

Memorial Day brought us to Cannon Beach on Oregon's Pacific Coast in what we hope will become more than an annual expedition. The beach is too beautiful to enjoy only once a year.

Cap'n Quinn calls it his "sandbox," not fully understanding the term beach, but it's apropos. The world is his sandbox, after all, and in it we made sandcastles. This wasn't easy, having only one bucket and two scoops, one of which was broken. Next time, we'll be more prepared.

Posted as he is at the helm of the U.S.S. Fussy Britches, Quinn naturally did more than build sandy fortifications. We were also on the hunt for whales, braving the Ocean's treacherous shin-high breakers on the search for a Great White.

Alas, we never found one, but the ocean offered us a spent clam shell as temporary bounty. Quinn said no thanks, and went about his business.

It was a beautiful day, as most days have been this month while we await the final days before we move into our new home. It's been torturous, this wait, but it will be here soon enough.

We're already making preparations to build our own sandbox.

It will be slightly smaller than the one at Cannon Beach.

Big moves

2009-05-02T16:41:00.008-06:00

July 8, 2009, 8:30 a.m.

Mark the date and time above into the annals of history. Another classy young man will grace this planet on that morning, at almost precisely that time.

Keaton Siemers, the Skipper, will finally join the good Cap'n Quinn, Mommy and Daddy on the U.S.S. Fussy Britches.

He will arrive on the most sequential of dates -- 7/8/09. If only is his Mommy's C-section were to start at 6 or 10 a.m. would it be more perfect.

But we're shooting for a whole different kind of perfect: the perfect baby, perfect son, perfect big brother, all living together in the perfect new house.

That's the other part of our new news. As of last week, we reached an agreement to buy a house a few mere blocks from the tiny apartment in which we live now in Beaverton, Ore.

With luck, assuming all goes well, we'll be living comfortably there by the time the Skipper comes to join us. His room will be neatly painted, probably some shade of green, just a few steps away from his big brother, the good Cap'n.

The long journey from uncertainty in New Mexico to discomfort in Oregon will finally come to a close. A new house, a new baby, a happy family. It's all just a few weeks away.

Stay tuned. This ship has set sail.

A man of many words

2009-03-26T21:45:00.007-06:00

The other day, while driving his car, Daddy opened a can of Altoids. Every now and then, Daddy needs to tend to his breath. He took two.

Quinn, sitting the in his car seat, became curious.

"What eatin' Daddy?"

"Nothing," Daddy replied.

A few days later, after a dinner out, Daddy is again sitting in the front seat. He pops open one of the after-dinner mints the waitress left on the table.

Quinn, again in the back seat, got a scent.

"What eatin' Daddy?"

"Nothing," Daddy replied.

"I smell candy," Quinn said.

It became apparent at that moment, that Quinn, he of diminutive stature but rapidly maturing mind, had developed a Spidey Sense.

Suddenly, his nose has become a powerful tool with the power to sense anything sweet the second it hits the open air. That, and he's just learned a lot more words.

Ask him what a parrot says: "Polly want a cracker!"

What's Daddy's favorite movie?: "James! Bond!"

Who's the big brown elephant-like creature on Sesame Street: "Snuffyuckabus."

Even his greetings are getting, for lack of a better phrase, more grown up.

Mommy and Daddy were standing in the kitchen this evening and in walks Quinn.

"Hey guys. What doin'?"

Hey guys? Where did that come from? We cease to wonder.

Next year, he'll be doing our taxes and babysitting his brother.

Vegetable extraction

2009-02-24T21:28:00.004-07:00

Of all the titles bestowed upon a Daddy, "chief vegetable extractor" is among the least desirable.

A few weeks back, Mommy was away preparing our house in Albuquerque for its upcoming sale and seeing that all of our worldly possessions got packed in a truck. (The house sale itself being a tale worthy of title "momentous.")

Meanwhile, Daddy and Quinn were left to fend for themselves. Being the temporary bachelors they were, the boys shared a pizza on their first night together. On night two, Daddy decided to be responsible and serve a proper meal, vegetables and all. Green peas it was.

Before long, Quinn had a finger deep inside his nostril and a guilty look on his face. Using a flashlight, Daddy spotted the offending green sphere nestled comfortably where his fingers couldn't reach.

Extraction attempts by tweezer and a suction didn't work. After several calls to an on-call nurse, and a few regretful curses, Daddy was ready to throw in the towel and make a trip to the emergency room. A pea stuck up a nostril isn't a critical threat, but the nurse warned against it.

So in a last ditch effort, Daddy, at the advice of the nurse, shot a poof of air up Quinn's clear nostril. With the force of a BB gun, the pea shot out from his nose with a boom. It was a momentous occasion. Both Quinn and Daddy cheered. Today, in my memory, it all happens in slow motion, like a made-for-film recreation of a historic moment.

The next night, Quinn and Daddy went out for buffalo wings.

Paci no more

2009-01-31T09:46:00.005-07:00

The Paci Fairy came to town recently and in her wake she left an airplane and took those paci's away forever!

Quinn was more than happy to give them to her and even put them in an envelope with stickers all over it. He left it on the doorstep and she came and left us a Little People airplane. Life was great for all of about 2 minutes, until he realized that the paci was gone for nap-time.

It has now been over a week and he sometimes asks for it, but he goes to sleep without much fuss and mommy feels good that it wasn't too traumatic.

Coming soon ...

2009-01-20T20:50:00.005-07:00

Quinn arrived in Minnesota's frozen tundra to prove that big news travels even in the frostiest of weather.

As forecast in the picture above, Quinn's about to be a big brother. That's right, Mommy's got, as Quinn put it, a baby behind her belly button. Coming to Oregon and the rest of the world, July 2009.

He delivered the news to Grandma and Grandpa Siemers last week at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport via the medium of a t-shirt, embroidered with the words "Big Brother." Not exactly subtle, but it did the trick.

With that surprise out of the way, we got to spend some good times in some freezing cold, enjoying -- if that's even possible -- temperatures far below zero.

Quinn, however, wasn't afraid. He dove right into the snowbanks -- with the help of his Daddy, a necessity since the snow banks were taller than him.

He rode Grandpa's tractor, played with his cousin Abby and got reacquainted with his aunties, uncles, and grandparents.

And then it was time to meet T.C. Bear, the mascot of Daddy's favorite baseball team, the Minnesota Twins.

As for that baby, it's got a lot of growing to do -- behind Mommy's belly button.

We'll keep you posted.

Santa came, but what about the cookies?

2008-12-25T22:51:00.004-07:00

Quinn laid his head to rest on Christmas Eve at ease, knowing Santa would come and deliver presents. Of course he would. Quinn's been a good boy this year.

He did, however, go to bed worried about the cookies.

Quinn is still learning Christmas tradition. We explained to him that Santa has a lot of flying to do. The world's a big place. A fat guy with a fleet of flying mammals is bound to get hungry, so we leave him cookies and milk. (Quinn also doesn't understand general nutrition, which makes this story plausible.)

Cookies, however, are like rare currency in this house, and giving them away to some stranger in a red suit -- presents or not -- wasn't going over well.

But once he woke up and and saw how Santa filled his stocking and left a pile of presents under the tree, all was forgiven.

Quinn came away with a bounty: a new tricycle, a talking Elmo toy, lots of good DVDs and Hot Wheels cars, and a race car track. That's just the short list, and the list of thank-yous is even longer. Even Dexie came away happy, though her new chew toy has been largely obliterated.

Since we spent Christmas without our extended families this year, we shot a few videos of Quinn's Christmas excitement. Thanks, and enjoy.

The days before Christmas

2008-12-08T22:29:00.002-07:00

Thanksgiving here in Oregon was mostly uneventful. But the days after have been busy.

We've picked out our Christmas tree, watched as Portland lit its own big tree Downtown, and started getting ready for the holidays.

Here's a few pictures to show what we've been up to.

It didn't seem that long ago ...

2008-11-19T20:43:00.006-07:00

Around this time of the year, expect to hear us say this a lot:

It didn't seem that long ago ...

As in, it didn't seem that long ago that Daddy stayed up all night with a curious newborn boy, fighting sleep because he was too afraid to doze off and roll over on him.

As in, it didn't seem that long ago that the little fella first filled our house with big cries and big smiles, big smells and big thrills.

As in, it didn't seem that long ago that this wonderful little boy started to grow up, to learn words, to throw balls, to walk, to ....

You get the picture.

Quinn turned two on Friday, and he's now a bonafide little boy, full of little boy mischief and little boy charm. He celebrated his second big day in customary style, a two-day celebration featuring big spoonfuls of ice cream, pizza, Elmo cupcakes, a roomful of balloons, a gigantic jungle gym, a whole bunch of friends and a brand new wooden choo-choo train.

"Chugga chugga!," he likes to growl.

Some day soon, we'll look back to now and reminisce. We'll talk about how Quinn repeats everything we say, including the words he shouldn't. We'll look at the picture of him in his new Minnesota Twins cap, and recall how he preferred to wear it over his eyes, as if seeing wasn't that big of a deal. And we'll watch the videos of him entertaining himself just by climbing up one side of the bed and climbing down the other.

And we'll say, it didn't seem that long ago ...

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A New Trick and the Diva

2008-11-09T11:05:00.006-07:00

Quinn has found much happiness in the form of mom and dad's bed. He scales the side like a professional rock-climber using the comforter as a grip until he lands on the top. Proclaiming a squeal of delight at his fortune, he then proceeds to slide off the other side or the foot of the bed, whichever strikes his fancy at the moment. With a ready-set-go and a cautionary "careful" he slinks to the floor and starts all over again. He really could do this all day I think. Here's the proof...

And the diva well, here's the proof in that as well.

In mommy's defense she DID NOT do that to her little boy. He did it himself..well maybe I helped a little.

Quinn invites you over for dinner

2008-11-03T21:13:00.004-07:00

The almost birthday boy got an early birthday present from Grandma Smith in the form of his very own table and chairs. I think Thanksgiving turkey dinner will be great spent around the colorful table this year. He's been spending alot of time sitting at it coloring, and putting his new dinosaur (a-saur) puzzle together. He now eats dinner sitting at his new table and eats much better! Of course he has to be watching Elmo, Cars (courtesy of cousin Abby, Aunt Tara & Uncle Hal) or one of the many other videos we have now accumulated. Who doesn't like to eat and watch TV?

Mommy also got a new camera which she has been trying out and trying to learn. Might help if she actually read the manual for it. She hopes this camera is quick enough to catch the Tasmanian devil in all of his various acts throughout the day, so maybe we can keep up with this blog.

We leave you with pictures taken with the new camera. Enjoy!

The Great Pumpkin

2008-10-18T22:21:00.006-06:00

Today marked our annual pilgrimage to the Pumpkin Patch.

It's a day in which Mommy tries in vain to get Quinn to pose in front of a collection of pumpkins, only to see Quinn look every other direction and show more interest in the hay.

It was a fun, muddy day. And here are the pictures (and video) to prove it.

Dennis the Handsome Menace

2008-10-17T22:15:00.007-06:00

The terrible twos have arrived, even if Quinn's second birthday hasn't.

Our little hero has gotten the grabbies. Apple on the counter? Grab it. Headache pills? Grab it. Mom's headache cream? Grab it. And usually try to eat it.

We've had a few near-miss disasters (and, subsequently, a few near-miss panic attacks), but we've survived them all. There have been calls to poison control, one serious mouth washing, and a cut lip. But we've survived them.

Not only has Quinn survived, but he's more handsome than ever, thanks to the stylin' haircut Mommy got him.

Here's a look at the new 'do, as well as some videos.

Have fun. We sure are.

A lot of ground to cover

2008-09-27T19:17:00.004-06:00

It's been way too long since our last post, so here's a rundown of our very busy month:

Mommy, Daddy and Cap'n Quinn visited Seattle at the beginning of September. We had fun walking through Pike Place Market, the place famous for vendors throwing fish at each other.

We then walked along the Puget Sound waterfront and looked at all boats. Quinn loves boats. Mommy does, too. Especially the big cruise ship. She kept telling Daddy that he needs to take her on another ride on a cruise ship.

After that we visited the Seattle Aquarium, where Quinn saw his two favorite fish: Dorie and Nemo from "Finding Nemo," his favorite movie. He also enjoyed watching the sea lions.

Finally, we visited Uncle Sean and Aunt Kelly on the day their baby, Breanna, was baptized.

A few weeks after that trip, both Quinn and Dexie the Wonderdog got sick.

Quinn got a bad fever, reaching as high as 105 degrees, putting a scare into both Mommy and Daddy. It turned out to be nothing more than a virus that needed to run it's course. It was made to seem worse since Mommy and Daddy weren't used to giving the good cap'n large doses of medicine. They were used to giving infant doses of Tylenol, but Quinn's a pretty big boy. Once the doctor gave us the OK, we gave him the right doses.

Quinn enjoys his medicine -- a little too much. He even asks for it when he isn't sick.

Dexie, meanwhile, got the best present on Daddy's birthday: a visit to the vet. She's been fighting either fleas or allergies. Lucky for us, it was allergies. But that means Dexie, just like Daddy, gets a daily dose of allergy medication. She also had some stomach problems, which seem to have passed -- again, lucky for us.

The biggest news, though, is that Mommy is back at work. She's spending her weekends at Tuality Hospital in Hillsboro, Ore., leaving her two men to fend for themselves while she's earning some bucks.

But Daddy and Quinn do alright. So far, anyway.

Here are a few slideshows to enjoy. The first is of our trip to Seattle, the second is of our visit to the park today in Beaverton, and the last is some photos of Quinn helping Daddy with some hammering and of his experiment to determine what happens when you shove Cheerios in your nostrils.

The answer: A funny picture.

Wish you were here

2008-08-28T21:57:00.003-06:00

Dear Daddy,

I hope you and Dexie are doing OK. We're having a great time at Grandma and Grandpa Smith's house in Pennsylvania! Can we have a horse and buggy?

Mommy took me to the zoo the other day. I got to pet a deer. We should get a deer. They're like a horsey, but closer to my size. I could ride it and you wouldn't have to put me in the stroller any more. Mommy said that it might give me ticks, but I don't know what those are and they sound like they could be fun. So let's get a deer.

I also got to meet lots of new friends. I saw my aunties Shari, Penny and Juniper. I got to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa Crissman and Mommy's aunties and uncles. And I got to see my good buddies Elliott and his little brother Parker. Can we get a little brother? I'll let him ride the deer, OK? I promise.

Grandma took me for a ride in the wagon. I don't know where she was taking me. I just hung on tight. Grandma's doggie Holly was close behind in case I fell out. But I didn't. We really need a wagon. We should get one. Wagon's are nice. The deer could pull me and my new little brother at the same time. Fuel efficiency, Daddy!

OK, Daddy, I'd better get going. I need some rest. We're going up to Grandma and Grandpa's camper tomorrow. I have a feeling we might need one of those, too.

Love you and miss you,

Quinn

Live from Amish Country

2008-08-24T21:16:00.003-06:00

Quinn and Mommy are on vacation to see Grandma Smith in Pennsylvania, leaving Dexie and I to fend for ourselves.

We sure miss them, but luckily Daddy found this great All-Quinn-All-The-Time TV channel. We've got a live feed to the Smith headquarters in Smicksburg, Pa., so we thought we'd share it with everybody else.

The little man and the sea

2008-08-10T22:50:00.005-06:00

Upon his first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean, Quinn stared out at the expansive, white-capped landscape, and said: "wah wah."

So it's not the most profound statement. Still, Quinn's first trip to the beach -- despite the dismal weather -- was yet another landmark reached at the ripe old age of 21 months.

The water was cold, the wind was blowing, and Quinn had sand in his eyes, but he still couldn't get enough of the salty sea water. Holding Daddy's hand, his bare feet sloshed along the Pacific Shore at Cannon Beach, the ocean waves -- nearly surfable white caps moments earlier -- dissipated to a benign slap at his ankles.

He made friends with the sea gulls, collected a bucketful of rocks, helped Mommy and Daddy make a sandcastle, got wet and sandy enough for it to be a messy problem. Then we ended the day with some seafood and a nap on the hour-and-a-half ride home.

Next time -- and there will be plenty of next times for our little man of the sea -- we hope the weather will be friendlier
.
But for this time, it was a day that ended with a wave to the Pacific, and another profound statement:

"Bye bye wah wah."

High and tight

2008-08-02T23:40:00.011-06:00

Mark your calendars historians. Today was the day when Cap'n Quinn Garrison Siemers went from cute to handsome.

With an assist from Elmo, Quinn took a seat in the cockpit of a mini fighter jet, oblivious to the aesthetic reformation happening above his years. At that moment, a pair of scissors were relegating his golden curls to souvenir status, a few satiny threads tucked in an envelope before Mommy gives them a final resting place in a scrapbook.

Quinn's first haircut came off without a hitch. While his eyes were fixated on an Elmo DVD, the talented and patient stylist went to work, stealthily trimming away his hipster do into what she called "the little boy cut."

A first haircut is hardly a seminal moment for the person getting shorn. Quinn cared more about the roomful of toys and the plastic riding horse. But it's a landmark for parents, a historic notch in the passage of time of the lovable little creature they created. We stand there, cameras at the ready, to document those moments for posterity, because we know our little ones won't remember it otherwise.

Another set of parents were two stalls over, watching over their little brown-haired boy in a miniature Jeep, also sitting motionless, also captivated by Elmo. Like us, they had a camera, they oohed, they ahhed.

Like us, they were watching just another notch in the belt of history. More are to come, maybe even tomorrow. Probably tomorrow. And we'll be there, ready to preserve and record it as official historians, an artifact in the life history of Quinn Garrison Siemers.

Just like those locks. They'll be in a scrapbook, perhaps filed under "c" for cute.

Riding in the airplane.

Watch where you put that comb!

"Daddy, how about we give that beard a trim?"

Riding the horsey.

And, for a bit of comedy:

"Oh no, what did we just do?"

Ralph Cramden Meets a Horse

2008-07-28T14:33:00.005-06:00

Quinn took mommy and daddy to the Washington County Fair yesterday. We made visits to all the animals in the barn. Quinn was very fond of all the goats, bunnies and chickens. He didn't care much for the miniature horse, especially when it snorted at him.

"Bye, bye," he said, waving his hand, gesturing for us to move along.

He did, however, enjoy the big horsey that the policemen were riding. He even got to pet them, and we learned the one with big blue eyes was called "Dakota." It had a white, furry mane that captured Quinn's attention.

Daddy made a point of saying that this was one of the rare times he likes police officers. Some other nice officers deputized Quinn, slapping a gold sticker of a lawman's badge on his chest, making him boss for the day. Then they gave him a blue balloon, which was all he wanted in the first place.

Its surprising they didn't ask him any questions. He looked like a bit of a drunkard in his funny hat.

But he wasn't causing any problems. Just creating a few laughs, like the Ralph Cramden look-a-like that he is.

He's got the moves

2008-07-26T23:23:00.011-06:00

Here's something Quinn gets from his Mommy: The kid can dance.

There's rhythm in those little legs. Shimmy in those little hips. No matter the song, he'll start wiggling, shifting his arms left and right, bouncing up and down -- all in rhythm, all in sync.

Each morning, Mommy has the TV tuned to the local PBS channel. The moment the theme song to one show comes on -- a tune that goes something like, "It' s a big world .. it's a big, big world." -- our little Astaire drops everything and starts to boogie.

To him, it's not really a dance unless his elbows start swinging up to his ears. Otherwise, it's just a bounce.

His brain is already attuned to music. Often, Mommy and Daddy will sit near the computer, listening to snippets of the new music out that week on iTunes. Quinn joins us, bopping his head in rhythm while reading a book before bedtime.

This leads me to wonder something: In that picture above, is he calling an agent?

Munching on a corndog at Portland's Riverfront Blues Festival.

Enjoying his first fireworks show at Portland's Riverfront Park.

Petting a goat with Mommy at the Oregon Zoo.

Quinn is enjoying the polar bear. Daddy's giving a creepy smile.

Quinn and Daddy drive the vintage Range Rover at the Oregon Zoo.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Keeping it cool

2008-07-03T23:12:00.003-06:00

It's been hot here in Oregon, and it's taking a while to get used to being immersed in humidity again. But the good Cap'n Quinn found himself a nice spot to cool down the other day.

The funny thing about Quinn and fountains is that as much as he enjoys it, he really hates having water poured on his head. He spent as much time running away from the fountains as he did running in them. Still, we had a good time.

It turns out that living in an apartment has its constraints. There's less room for Quinn and his doggie, Dexie, to roam. There's no backyard and a lot of obstacles to trip over. But Quinn has found his own jungle gym, and it comes home every day around 6 p.m.

It's called the Daddy, and it's great for climbing.

First Quinn runs into the Daddy. Then he climbs on the Daddy. Then he sits his butt on the Daddy's face. Then he bounces on the Daddy. Then he launches himself off the Daddy. Then he gets tickled by the Daddy.

Then the Daddy gets tired.

Stay tuned for some more updates coming soon featuring Quinn's first taste of fireworks. Dexie gives them a thumbs (paws?) down.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Everything's rosy (almost)

2008-06-26T23:21:00.004-06:00

There's a sweet scent in the air. Can you smell it? It's like progress mixed with relief mixed with warm cookies.

There's a strong chance that our house in Albuquerque might soon have a "sold" sign out front. That, my friends, makes this the scent of a burden being lifted. Or almost lifted. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Speaking of sweet scents, the good Cap'n Quinn found his nose immersed in rose petals last weekend. Mommy wanted to see Portland's famous rose garden. It was a beautiful day, there was a wedding in progress, and Quinn just wanted to run and play in a fountain. Which meant that within a few minutes it was still a beautiful day, there was still a wedding in progress, and there was one little man throwing a temper tantrum.

He's been throwing those tantrums a lot these days.

"Snack?", he'll ask, 15 seconds after not eating his dinner.

"No son, you don't need a snack," Daddy says, to which Quinn falls on the floor, flails his legs, buries his head into the carpet, rolls around, and utters a sound that seems to combine a whimper, a whine and a valkyrie.

We're thinking of nominating him for an Academy Award.

Speaking of dramatic acts, there's a good chance Quinn might have a future as a daredevil. He's taken a liking to jumping off of high places lately. For example, a little Winnie the Pooh truck he received as a birthday present is supposed to be something to ride on. But he found a way to use it as a diving board, discovering new thrills each time he launched himself off the seat and onto the floor.

That was, until he landed awkwardly on his arm. We thought maybe we would need a trip to the emergency room -- for two. Quinn for his arm, Daddy for a heart attack.

That would have smelled like bad.

Aloha. From Oregon.

2008-06-15T21:40:00.003-06:00

We're here, in the land of pine and rain drops, a whole family unit, dog and all. And we couldn't be happier.

Inside an apartment in Aloha, Ore., is where the crime-fighting tandem of Daddy and Cap'n Quinn have reunited; the sidekick is back at Daddy's side.

As you can see in the video below, not only can Quinn defeat evil, but he's got some mean dance moves, too.

We're settling nicely in our little apartment after a long, but suprisingly easy three-day drive. Yesterday, we all picked strawberries and Quinn fed some llamas, goats and chickens at a local farm. Dexie has found the dog park. Daddy and Quinn played some soccer at a local park on Father's Day. And Mommy has been busy job hunting and getting acquainted with our new surroundings.

We're hopeful Mommy will find a job soon and that our old house will sell soon, so we can get Quinn a new house with his own back yard.

He'll need the space to practice his dance moves.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The Q is coming to the PDX

2008-05-26T11:21:00.007-06:00

It's been a long time since we posted anything. I know. Managing a blog loses it's place on the priority list when you're in the process of uprooting yourself.

It's not that there hasn't been an abundance to share. Quinn's vocabulary is bigger. He says "daddy" and "mommy" and partial phrases like "I know." He knows the "potty," can tell you when everything is "OK" and likes to go "bye."

He doesn't know it yet, but he'll be saying "bye" to New Mexico very soon.

As you can see in the picture above, the good Cap'n Quinn made a splash in Portland when he and Mommy visited a few weeks ago. They had a good time, which was helped by beautiful weather.

Soon, though, Quinn and Mommy and Dexie and I will pack up and head to the Pacific Northwest.

Hopefully soon we'll hear good news about a job for Mommy, and better news about the house selling. Those things will come soon. And when they do, Mommy will get a much deserved vacation.

Daddy understands that Mommy has the worst of this situation, all the heavy lifting that comes with coordinating a move, managing the sale of a house, and dealing with the stresses of separation. Yeah, she's getting her vacation. Daddy will see too it.

It will just be nice once we're all back together. It will be better than nice.

The world will seem right again.

Quinn and Daddy waiting for the "choo choo" in Portland.

Mommy took Quinn to splash in Portland's Waterfront Park.

Mommy's view from high above the Rio Grande Valley in Albuquerque during her Mother's Day hot air balloon ride.

Hi to Daddy

2008-04-09T21:39:00.008-06:00

Daddy is off creating new adventures in Portland, and so Quinn is home missing him. Mommy took pictures of Quinn so Daddy wouldn't miss him so much. Here he is doing something he shouldn't be doing, but his dancing sure is cute!

On the go

2008-03-30T13:20:00.005-06:00

Daddy's taking a road trip for a while. And while he'll be back soon, he wanted to show Quinn's fan club some of his greatest hits from the past few weeks. Here are three videos to enjoy:

In this one, the Good Cap'n Quinn prances around with our good friend Signe, whose mommy, Maggie, worked with Daddy at the Albuquerque Tribune.

Here Quinn tells us who is on his t-shirt. He and Elmo are good buddies.

Finally, Quinn hunts for Easter eggs with his cousin Axel at the home of Uncle Dwight and Aunt Carmen. Quinn enjoyed taking the eggs out of the basket more than putting them in.

Who Says the Easter Bunny is harmless?

2008-03-13T18:30:00.004-06:00

Mommy decided that Quinn needed a picture with the Easter Bunny this year. Little did she know just the fiasco it would turn out to be. Even though the Easter Bunny was as cute and cuddly looking as he could be, he sure didn't fool Quinn, who upon seeing said Easter Bunny began reaching the other way and screaming for help. Daddy seems to think his frantic cries for help were warranted; he thinks the bunny was creepy looking. Mommy still thinks he was cute and was trying to preserve what memory she could, frantic look and all.

Let's hope he still leaves us an Easter basket after the visit we had today.

Just for fun, here's a happier picture:

Perfecting the swing

2008-03-07T22:43:00.003-07:00

It's baseball season and one day Cap'n Quinn will learn the importance of every thing happening in Fort Myers, Fla., or wherever the Minnesota Twins will hold Spring Training in the future.

He's young, though, and maybe he'll have a sweet swing of his own. Daddy, as you can see in the video below, is trying to start him early. Quinn already has a good arm, though he hasn't yet decided if he's a lefty or righty. His curveball is unhittable, though mostly because he throws it behind his back.

While he may not have perfected his swing, he's doing a fine job mastering the English language. As you can see in this video below, our little hero has an ever-expanding vocabulary. Before long he'll be doing his own blogging.

Viva La Tribune

2008-02-24T20:53:00.003-07:00

Dear Quinn,

When the day comes that you become old enough to read this, you probably won't remember most of the faces in the picture above. Except mine, naturally.

I will tell you that they were Daddy's former co-workers at the Albuquerque Tribune, that most of them held you at one point, welcomed you into a newsroom for the first time, and listened with interest every time I bragged about the most minor of milestones you achieved.

I will tell you that they were remarkable, each and every one. They were dedicated to a level of excellence that inspired your Daddy to be the best at what he does, to learn to truly love journalism. To some it's merely a vocation, but Daddy learned from these people above that it should be much, much more than that.

I will tell you that these people and your Daddy were part of a newspaper that died. It died after 86 years to causes that, I hope, will be history once you come to make career decisions of your own.

We watched it die, you and I. You were the little one in the plastic fire hat, trundling through the newsroom like an off-kilter conqueror, exploring whatever came around each corner. I was the bearded adult male, unable to fathom or hold back the wave of emotion caused by some 66 pages of newsprint and fresh ink.

I will tell you I cried on your shoulder that day, the last day of a great newspaper, because I could no longer fight back those tears. And because I knew it would be the last time I -- and you -- would be gathered around these great people inside a newsroom.

Finally, I will tell you that I miss these people dearly for reasons that will be purely nostalgic. Because this time in Daddy's life will likely be among the most challenging and the most rewarding.

So, my young man, should you grow up to some day follow in your father's footsteps, I hope you would be able to do it alongside people of similar fiber. I pray that you would show the same commitment they did at the smallest of papers, in the hardest of times.

With love,

Your Daddy

The super delegate

2008-02-08T21:17:00.000-07:00

While Daddy's past two weeks revolved around people named Obama and Clinton, Cap'n Quinn was hanging out in Amish country, spreading a little cuteness around.

Daddy wonders whether cuteness is a better campaign tactic than resplendent oratory or a sound health care policy.

Quinn certainly won the Amish vote. Maybe it will work for Barack.

Our little hero is back now, and Daddy wonders whether there are some progressive qualities in air travel, as if time spent at 30,000 feet helps strengthen the legs or locate a center of gravity or mature hair follicles. Because the good Cap'n came back from his week-and-a-half trip to Grandma and Grandpa Smith's house with a nearly-full head of hair and an unbending confidence on two feet.

Mommy left with a baby. She came back with a little boy.

I'm not surprised that she may not notice all this the way I do. These changes happened slowly, before her eyes, at a pace that's impossible to track without the aid of elapsed time.

That time elapsed for Daddy slowly. He missed his best buddy.

But Quinn is back now, and Daddy finds himself hearing a lot these days about ballots and delegates.

And super delegates.

Super, like the little guy running around our house on two feet.

The one with a full head of hair.

Hanging out with Great-grandma Crissman.

Keeping an eye on Mommy.

"Yeah, I'm handsome. What's it to ya?"

Fun with Grandma Smith.

The dirty laundry.

One small step

2008-01-15T21:14:00.000-07:00

You have to admire the giraffe.

They're tall, awkward, lanky creatures. Yet within moments of leaving their mother's womb, they're walking on shaky legs.

Sure, such a quick development is a means of surviving in the African wilds. But they make it look so easy.

Cap'n Quinn is many things, but a giraffe isn't one of them. While the little man is making strides on two feet, they're -- as the saying goes -- baby steps. It's a new challenge, and one he's taking on with modest enthusiasm.

As Grandma Siemers says, why move on two feet when you're faster on all fours?

Despite that sound logic, Quinn is making an effort in the mobility category. Mommy and Daddy have been encouraging him to push his fleet of plastic wheeled vehicles around the living room on two feet. He takes about five steps before losing interest, plopping on his diaper-cushioned rear and zooming away on his hands and knees.

He loves to walk, but only for as long as his arms are attached to something, such as the coffee table, Daddy's rocking chair, or Dexie's fur. The second he lets go, the butt hits the floor.

That's OK. There's no hurry here in our suburban jungle.

Our little snowman

2008-01-01T12:51:00.000-07:00

We're a little behind the game here, but Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everybody.

The good Cap'n Quinn had a great time up at Grandma and Grandpa Siemers' house in Minnesota. We played in the snow, met a cat and two kittens all named Darryl and spent time with all of our Minnesota family.

Santa came to Grandma and Grandpa's house, too. Quinn and Cousin Abby left out some milk and cookies, along with a note explaining why Santa needed a quick dairy and sugar fix to keep him going through the night. Dexie the Wonderdog stayed behind in New Mexico, though there is some evidence that she may have been helping Santa's sleigh. She admits nothing.

Grandma and Grandpa's neighbors have a barn cat named Darryl that likes to show up at Grandpa's window several times a day knowing Grandpa will give him milk. Quinn liked to lean against the window and talk to the kitty. He can even say 'kitty' now. One morning, Darryl brought his whole family -- two kittens also named Darryl. They sat outside the window all morning waiting for the buffet to open. Unfortunately for them, Grandpa's restaurant was closed that day.

The good Cap'n Quinn was spoiled heavily, and he got a lot of presents. He was more interested in the Christmas bows and paper, though. We did get to go play in the snow, and Daddy took Quinn for a very slow ride on a sled outside. Grandpa then took Quinn for a ride on his John Deere tractor, which doubles as a snowplow in the winter.

Finally, before we came home, Quinn got to meet his Auntie Tory for the first time. She was impressed, just like everybody else, when Quinn was able to tell her how old he is. He holds up his finger and makes a number one.

The flight to Minnesota worked out nicely. Quinn told everybody on the plane his age, and he waved and smiled and flirted at everybody on board. The trip home wasn't as easy. The flight didn't take off until well after his bed time, but once we got past the air pressure's effect on his ears, Quinn fell asleep and slept until the plane landed.

He was a good boy, which is to be expected. And now, here on New Year's Day, we're looking forward to reporting more new and exciting developments into 2008.

Cousin Abby and Mommy share a birthday.

Quinn is fascinated by Grandpa's Christmas tree.

Daddy, Cousins Abby and Ashley, and Quinn write a Christmas Eve note for Santa.

Quinn's favorite part of opening presents.

Quinn hangs out with Auntie Tara.

Quinn having a talk with his Grandpa Siemers.

Telling Uncle Ken a story.

On his favorite lounge chair.

Playing with Daddy in the snow.

A couple of snow bunnies.

Riding with Grandpa on the tractor.

Daily Quinn? Since when

2007-12-12T10:11:00.000-07:00

As the name implies, you must expect that this blog was "suppose" to be daily. Daily as in, everyday. Lord knows our little man does enough in a day to warrant a daily posting. However, it may not be things you'd want to know about specifically. Like, how many poopy diapers he miraculously makes on a daily basis. How many times he trashes the coffee table, daily. How much this little man detroys the living room with millions of toys, daily. You get the gist. It's not very exciting, and very repetitive, and sometimes yucky, ie: poopy diapers.

We figured rather you'd rather have a recap of some of his more memorable moments, and that seems to be what this blog has turned into.

Currently though, for those interested, Cap'n runny nose has a cold....AGAIN. He doesn't seem bothered much by it, except for when mommy comes at him with kleenex in hand to snuff the run-away boogies. And he also turns into a nap monster. "No naps for me mom! I can't seem to breath and suck the binky at the same time" Mommy has known for quite some time that Quinn sleeps like her....VERY lightly. I swear he can hear a pin drop on carpet. Which leaves mommy tip-toeing around just to keep him asleep.

Next week we make another trip to MN to spend Christmas with the Siemers clan. While we are busy preparing and wrapping presents, one thing doesn't escape our thoughts. Last time the Cap'n flew he was 5 months old and not too mobile. Fast forward 6 more months to a Houdini who doesn't like to be held much and wants down to explore. Hmmm. I think we're in for an interesting trip with plenty of snacks to keep him occupied. We may de-plane with a 30 lb baby after all the snacks we're going to feed him to keep him happy for 2 hrs.

We can't wait to get there and plunk him down in some snow. We'll open presents and eat a bunch I'm sure. Abby and Quinn can wreak havoc on Grandma's house and it will be great! I mean, great because we'll all be together.

Party guy

2007-11-19T09:27:00.001-07:00

Daddy likes to say that it isn't really a party unless someone's got cake in their hair.

Mission accomplished.

Cap'n Quinn's first birthday bash was a smashing success. Daddy's work friends Mark, Maggie and Ollie came, so did Mommy's work friend Christine and her daughters. Uncle Dwight, Aunt Carmen and Cousin Axel came, too. Grandma and Grandpa Smith were there to spoil him. And though Grandma and Grandpa Siemers couldn't be there, they found their own ways to spoil him.

That's not even counting all of the great stuff he got from all the rest of his family.

It was a good time filled with toys, balloons, and lots of fun people to play with. And strawberry cake, the destruction of which forced Mommy to toss the good Cap'n in the bathtub several hours early.

Mommy plans a mean party. And Quinn, he was the life of it.

The big ONE and some cake

2007-11-14T19:16:00.000-07:00

Today our fair Cap'n turned ONE! He's officially a biggy boy.

Mommy and Daddy gave him a cool toy with lots of beads and things to turn and push. Of course the box seems a lot more entertaining for some reason.

He and Mommy enjoyed his day by visiting the zoo. Mommy even caved in and bought him a "kitty" (Black spotted Jaguar) stuffed toy. She just couldn't say no to the grin he got when petting it.

Afterward we had a dinner of pizza and CAKE! Another first for our new biggy boy. He's an obvious pro when it comes to eating cake. He didn't even flinch, just picked up the hunk and proceeded to eat it. It was great fun for all of us. Even Dexie got some nuggets of cake.

Daddy even gave the good Cap'n something else for his birthday. A shiner. It really wasn't daddy's fault. He was being curious and slipped on the bathtub. But he's got a nice red and purple spot under his eye.

That might have been a problem yesterday. But not today.

Today he's a big boy.

A rise and fall

2007-11-11T21:29:00.000-07:00

It was inevitable, as our young hero rose to prominence on the eve of his first birthday, that he would one day land on his own two feet.

That day happened last week. The good Cap'n Quinn arose and stood for the first time.

It started in the bathroom. As Daddy filled the tub, the little man's curiosity brought him first to his knees, then to his feet so he could get a closer look at what Daddy was up to.

Later, in the living room, he was using Daddy as a jungle gym and pushed off his chest, rising to his feet. He grinned and chuckled, as if to say, "Look Mommy, no hands."

He was the conquering hero. But like in any epic tale, those who rise to the top inevitably fall.

For Quinn, it happened Thursday at a photo studio.

When he was smaller and less mobile, photographers at the same studio placed him on a stately leather chair for a photo. Quinn just sat there, immobile and smiling. Now, however, he doesn't care to sit still anywhere. This time, as soon as we sat him in the same chair he sprung himself out -- right on top of his head onto a hard tile floor.

Naturally, he screamed, though Daddy suspects it was more out of fright than pain. Mommy cried, too. Daddy shed no tears, but he thinks he may need open heart surgery now.

This tale, however, is no tragedy. The good Cap'n Quinn continues to conquer new heights. And Mommy and Daddy will be there to guide him -- and catch him when he falls.

A horse that isn't a horse -- of course

2007-10-31T22:23:00.000-06:00

If you've ever wanted both a pony and a baby boy, then this is the post for you.

Mr. Cold Bug evacuated the premises in time for our little hero to actually get dressed up funny by Mommy and not have it seem weird.

That is to say, it's Halloween.

Quinn dressed up as horsey for his first Halloween. There was no trick-or-treating -- that was way past bedtime -- but he at least got to have fun in his horsey costume, which came thanks to Grandma Smith.

Here's a few pictures from our fun. And if you don't laugh at the video, there's something wrong with you.

So enjoy Quinn's sugar-free Halloween:

The Cap'n is sick

2007-10-29T19:55:00.000-06:00

Our little man has been fighting Mr. Cold Bug for over a week now. He's got quite a swing when it comes to Mommy and the nose sucker. He is NO fan of that, and now he equates lying on the changing pad with getting his nose sucked out....poor guy.

At the same time our once voracious eater, now wants nothing to do with food in general. I used to think he was eating too much. What I wouldn't give to have my little hoover back. He also has decided that he can't get enough of Mommy and Daddy and will not take his nap unless we are holding him. While we love the cuddle time, the good Cap'n really isn't getting good sleep which leaves him a cranky mess!

Here's to hoping Mr. Cold Bug goes away and gives us back our generally happy, eating, sleeping on his own baby.

Hot air, pumpkins and The Flash

2007-10-17T00:32:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since we last wrote, but there's a simple reason for it. Just try keeping up with this little guy.

For the time being, the good Cap'n Quinn will be known simply as The Flash.

The name should be self-explanatory. At 11 months, our wee hero is lighting quick. Too quick some would say (with "some" meaning Mommy, Daddy and, particularly, Dexie the Wonderdog.)

You may look west at the setting sun, only to feel a breeze rushing past from the east. That breeze would be Quinn, making one of several desperate attempts to grab whatever may be in the dog's food dish.

But there's much more to report than just speed.

Grandma and Grandpa Siemers came to visit for a whole week. The Flash took them both to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta twice. We saw lots of big balloons close-up, like Darth Vader, a big moo cow, and a pair of bees that rose into the air holding hands.

Then, Daddy took The Flash to a nearby pumpkin patch because Mommy wanted some pictures there. With the help of Grandma and Grandpa, we got a few nice photos.

Grandma and Grandpa may be on their way back to Minnesota now, but they didn't leave without teaching The Flash a few things. For starters, he can now clap his hands together.

He does that a lot these days. That is, when he's not breaking land-speed records.

Here's a bunch of pictures from an eventful few weeks:

Crawling...Crawling....Crawling

2007-09-28T17:16:00.000-06:00

... watch that baby crawling. Rawhide!!!!!

Know what song I'm talking about? Quinn has now fulfilled Daddy's dream and is a crawling MANIAC! From scooting around in his own "Quinn crawl" to a full-out crawl on hands and knees in days.....days!

How do they learn this? Mommy was not too concerned that the good Cap'n had not mastered this yet. We were fine in our little "non-motivated" world. Now it's all topsy-turvy at Casa Siemers. Mommy actually has to watch the little one because he moves!

He has gotten a nice hand-wash in the dog bowl. I'm sure Dexie may have some competition when it comes to eating her food now too. Dog toys are no longer safe where they lay. Mommy's garbage-ridden coffee table will have to be "baby-proofed" and the slate wiped clean. Why DO they want everything they shouldn't have, with a host full of toys at their fingertips? No, Cap'n Quinn has to have that nail polish that Mommy forgot was under the table, or the plethora of papers to be found stuffed in every cubby hole. Mommy will soon realize just how much "stuff" she has.

Quinn is also getting more teeth! 5 going on 6 is the last count. I'm sure we'll miss one here or there. It's not easy to get an almost 11-month old to open up and say "ahhh!"

Since we've been slow on the blogging these days, here's a few videos to make up for it:

The ham that eats eggs

2007-09-22T19:07:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since Daddy posted anything here, so we're sorry about that. I suppose "The Daily Quinn" is just a name after all.

But we've been up to a lot. This week Mommy and Daddy took the good Cap'n Quinn to the New Mexico State Fair. He helped finish off an Indian Taco, which is fry bread topped with beans, beef, lettuce, tomato, cheese and red chili.

Our wee little hero ate the beans (beans, the musical fruit, the more you eat, the more you ... toot.) He also went face to face with a giant pig. Much like everyone else, the pig was charmed by the encounter.

Daddy's still busy hunting for jobs, but he doesn't seem as freaked out as he did a few weeks ago. And Quinn was very sad to hear that Grandma Siemers wasn't feeling good last week, but he's relieved to know that she's doing better. Hopefully, if she feels OK, she'll come visit and watch all the hot air balloons that Daddy points out when we're out walking Dexie.

Quinn's new teeth -- he has four now -- have helped him munch on bigger foods. He's eaten a hot dog; a whole piece of pizza; a breakfast of eggs, potatoes and toast; and several bananas (which, for now, will be referred to only as nanners. For no particular reason). He doesn't care for grilled chicken, ground turkey patties or mushy carrots. We suppose the texture bugs him -- or he has a thing against fowl.

And as you can see in the picture above, he's still Mommy's favorite model. He may look good in this stylish hat, but it isn't likely to stay on long. Socks and shoes share the same fate on our little man.

That's OK, though. What he lacks in accessories, he makes up for in charm.

A message to Grandpa Siemers

2007-09-07T08:19:00.000-06:00

(Quinn is at daycare today, playing with Miss Beth. But before he left, he translated this message especially for Grandpa Siemers.)

Dear Grandpa,

Mommy and Daddy told me that today is your birthday. Daddy said Grandma Siemers actually told him, because he can't remember anything.

Anyway, I wanted to wish you a happy birthday. I don't know how old you are, but you don't seem very old. And Daddy says you guys like to go out and have a lot of fun.

Maybe soon you can come and visit me. I can't wait to play with you guys again.

I can do a lot more now. I'm trying to crawl, but I think my legs are too long and keep getting in the way. I'm trying real hard, though. I just can't stand sitting still. Though I do like it when my doggie, Dexie, licks me in the face when I'm sitting. I try to grab her fur, but Daddy tells me to be gentle. Dexie doesn't seem to mind. She's my buddy.

I'm getting lots more hair. Daddy says he thinks it came in overnight. Maybe there's a hair fairy? Mommy likes to put it into a mohawk, giving me the punk-rocker look my cousin Axel used to have. I don't mind as long as Mommy has fun. And I wouldn't mind looking like Axel. He's pretty cool and he lets me play with his toys.

Daddy is looking for a job. And now he's stuck home this week feeling sicky. He keeps saying something about "locusts" coming next or that "the sky is falling," but I don't understand what he means. I just try to play with him and keep him happy.

Well, Grandpa, I hope you have a great birthday. Daddy told me to tell you that if you go out for dinner, make sure to check for meat in the burger first. And don't forget the pie. Something like that.

I can't wait to see you and I love you.

Your grandson,

Quinn (as translated by Daddy)

New Teeth and New Tricks

2007-08-30T20:08:00.000-06:00

This week the wee Cap'n is working on some new teeth and has perfected a new trick with Grandpa Smith -- waving.

The not-so-little man began waving a few weeks ago, but only to himself. Now it seems he's gotten the hang of waving "bye, bye" to us. Actually it seems he waves to everything now, the dog, the toys, strange-but-nice ladies at the supermarket. I've yet to get this on video. He's got the hang of ignoring Mommy when the camera is in hand.

On to the teeth. One top front tooth has poked it's little head through and the second is to follow shortly. Quinn has been running a fever with the little buggers, but he's still a happy guy.

Grandma & Grandpa Smith made a trip to visit everybody. Grandma, as usual, tried to feed Quinn everything! He had his first popsicle, courtesy of Grandma. He enjoyed them immensely and I think the same can be said for them.

Quinn has also started to sit up in his crib on his own. He's pretty stealthy at it, I've yet to catch him doing it, but mama always has to go and lay him down again. I hear standing is the next phase. So not looking forward to that.

While Daddy had some bad news at work, our wee little hero has a way of making him smile when he gets home.

Good thing he's got some new teeth to show off.

Mommy had some more fun with her camera, orchestrating a photo shoot while Cap'n Quinn dined on a teething biscuit. Here are some of the results, as well as a couple other pictures:

Sad Mommy

2007-08-20T19:49:00.001-06:00

Never thought I would be sad that the good baby Quinn can put himself to sleep now. The dreaded half hour rock a bye baby routine was tiring, as our little man isn't the slightest of babies. I wished for the day I could just lay him down and walk out of his room. "night night baby" Now that the day has come, I'm torn up about it. My little man no longer wants his momma to hold him and sing to him, not even for a minute. I try, I try my hardest, but he just writhes around until mommy or daddy lays him down and says, "night night baby". What will I do when he no longer wants smooches? I think I will have to stay in bed that day. Someone told me that won't happen until he's about 18, we'll see.

Daddy went today to finally have his boo-boo looked at. The "dr", I'm quite suspect he was a doctor, gave him a big space boot to wear. Someone wasn't too happy about that, and he whined all afternoon about it.

It seems mommy and daddy both have something to whine about today.

Quinn is also getting his 2 front teeth, maybe they will be here by Christmas. They are making their way, and he's not too happy about it sometimes, but that's what drugs are for, right?

A tumble and a fall

2007-08-15T21:09:00.000-06:00

Not that this is news or anything, but Daddy's a klutz.

As he and Quinn walked down the stairs Saturday morning, Daddy stepped wrong and made big ouchies on his ankle and shin. The good Cap'n Quinn bumped his head on the wall in the process, but he was more freaked out by Daddy's girlish screaming.

Thankfully Mommy came down stairs to see what was wrong. Daddy was too out of breath from panicking to explain, but it was probably pretty self-explanatory.

Our little hero came out unscathed. Daddy's been limping and complaining ever since (though nothing appears broken besides his pride).

It just goes to show that little fellas are less breakable than Daddies.

Meanwhile, Cap'n Quinn is expecting another visit next week from Grandma and Grandpa Smith, all the way from Pennsylvania. He'll have lots of new tricks to show off, like how he can almost stand up on his own.

Soon, he'll be good enough to teach Daddy how to do the same.

Here's a few pictures from the week, including Daddy's war wound:

Mr. Photogenic

2007-08-08T19:04:00.000-06:00

Mommy got a new camera, which means a certain little someone had to pose for a lot of pictures over the past week.

No, not Daddy. Nobody wants to see his balding pate.

Cap'n Quinn has been something of a model this week as Mommy got the kinks worked out of her new gadget. And he does it well, as you can see from the gazillion photos down below.

Quinn does something else well now, too: fall asleep on his own. For this we thank our new favorite daycare provider, the wondrous Miss Beth. She has proven to Mommy and Daddy that it is not necessary to rock and bounce and sing (and bore) our wee little hero to sleep. He does it just fine on his own, and with the help of a plastic aquarium that plays lullabyes.

And the help of a few baby blankets.

OK, basically anything but us.

But that's fine, because we'd rather it be a hands-off operation. That way we can eat dessert, kick up our feet, type a blog, etc.

Quinn also got to experience his second different babysitter last night as Mommy and Daddy went out to the movies. He was fussy and sad and cried as we left, which is no fault of the babysitters (she did great). Still, Mommy and Daddy kept looking at their phones during the movie to see if there were any messages.

In the end, we got through the evening. And today, Quinn woke up to pose for more pictures:

The dude with attitude

2007-08-01T19:14:00.000-06:00

First off, the good news.

The good Cap'n Quinn's ear tube procedure went swimmingly. In, out, a few screams, in the car and home -- all within two hours (about 10 minutes of which was the actual procedure).

Now, the not-quite-bad-but-not-quite-good news.

The little dude is coppin' an attitude.

Our little hero, it seems, has become defiant when it comes to eating veggies. After each spoonful he sputters his lips in displeasure, spreading veggie shrapnel all over himself, his high-chair, and Mommy and Daddy.

He's been a generally unpleasant little fella most evenings (and some days.) Perhaps he's just testing Mommy and Daddy's limits, forcing us to teach him the meaning of the word 'no.' Or maybe Mommy and Daddy are going through the growing pains with the little fella.

Ultimately, we're going to see that nobody wins in this battle. Because we're all on the same side.

Except, of course, for the veggies. I've tasted them. I gotta say, Daddy's on Quinn's side on that one.

Here's a couple more pictures. Quinn, as you can see, prefers feet over veggies. (Yeah, they're that bad):

Understanding the plot

2007-07-25T19:39:00.002-06:00

I've never been confused by movies or TV shows with plot lines involving a child's kidnapping, or a terrorist threatening a child.

It's a staple of any hostage-related story line, or about two-thirds of any season of "24."

I've watched programs like that, never really sensing the emotions the stories are meant to trigger. I had never felt the sensation of a parent's instinct to protect being used like a blunt object against the head.

But I really realized only recently -- thanks in part to the cutest little fella to ever grace the planet -- just how agonizing any sort of threat can be to your child.

Tomorrow our little hero will have the tiniest of procedures done on the tiniest of ears. Having tubes put in his ears isn't neurosurgery. We understand that. But the notion of it being a minor, 30-minute surgery doesn't change the fact that it's still a surgery. I still don't want my smiling little Cap'n to go through anything adverse.

Heck, we agonize over immunization shots. Now he's going to have a doctor that slightly resembles Vincent Price cut a hole in his ear drum. Who can rest easy?

We know, however, that all will be well. And in the end, our hero will prove that he is, indeed, heroic.

That's a plot line that I'll be glad to see unfold.

Here's a few of the greatest hits from the past week:

Made a girl cry

2007-07-18T19:39:00.001-06:00

There is really no question that Quinn is a boy. He's got all the right parts.

But he proved to Daddy last Saturday that he is, indeed, all boy.

That's the day Cap'n Quinn made a little girl cry.

It might seem onerous that the little girl happened to be the 9-month-old daughter of Daddy's boss. But this wasn't a malicious encounter.

The good cap'n and young Nora were playing together on the floor at a party. She enjoyed grabbing his pacifier, which was tethered to his shirt. He enjoyed grabbing the straps of her pretty sun dress and pulling. She could see the enjoyment in that, and out came the tears.

But while Nora cried, Quinn laughed. He thought it was pretty funny, which isn't something Daddy encourages. But mischievous boys will be mischievous boys.

He's had a tough week since then, though I'm sure it has nothing to do with any bad Karma. This culprit is another ear infection that left him with enough crust on his eyes to cover a pie. That's gross, but it really seemed like that.

Our little hero is just about a week away from having tubes in his ears, so hopefully we won't have these problems anymore.

Mommy and Daddy haven't been good at wielding the camera in the presence of His Eternal Cuteness. So instead, we offer one picture of Quinn and this picture of Quinn's big Cousin Axel, who at age 2 is already forming his own garage band. He's the lead singer.

Quinn beef on toast

2007-07-11T19:39:00.000-06:00

There's a freedom in mobility. Even if it's limited to, say, hobbling a few inches forward. It's still better than not moving at all, right?

Perhaps that's why Daddy is so eager for young Cap'n Quinn to develop some form of forward movement. Daddy would prefer crawling before walking, but that's just because he's a purist. He also likes it when ballplayers hit without batting gloves. This is the same thing, only on all fours. And no bat.

Lately, Quinn has shown some initiative in the mobility department. Daddy likes to hold some bait out in front of him. And by bait, we mean a spoon or a toy cup, as opposed to nightcrawlers or leaches, which is what Daddy has come to otherwise know as bait.

The wee Cap'n will see this bait and make valiant efforts to reach forward. From his belly, he can get up on his knees and up on his hands -- just never at the same time. Mommy and Daddy like to set him in his new walker. Tonight, Daddy put a spoon in front of him and got our little hero to walk forward to grab it. There's a video of that below. And there's no wobbliness in the video this time, since Mommy took it and she's better than Daddy at having a steady hand.

Speaking of Mommy, she is continuing her quest to help Quinn with some culinary exploration. Today, it was toast and Cheerios, though not at the same time. He has learned how to pick up the food with his hands, and he's a champion chewer. He still needs to get the hang of comfortably swalling larger pieces of food, but he handles it pretty well for a rookie.

So raise your glasses to that.

I think we just toasted toast. How convenient.

Here's a few videos to get you through the day. Or the next 10 minutes. Whichever.

(By the way, Daddy realized after watching video No. 2 that he appears to be slightly balding on top. He asks that you not notice. Thank you in advance.)

Totally tubular

2007-07-04T19:15:00.000-06:00

First, the bad news.

A very dry-humored doctor who could be played by Vincent Price if Vincent Price were alive and there were a need to portray this doctor in a film agreed that the wee Cap'n Quinn should have tubes put in his water-logged ears.

It'll happen in about two weeks or so, though the exact date is to be determined.

So we've got that going for us -- and the Vincent Price look-a-like, which could be worse. He could look like Bela Lugosi.

Quinn celebrated his first Fourth of July by going to bed well before any fireworks were ignited. Or at least before any government sanctioned fireworks "extravaganzas" started. Yet, as Daddy writes this blog, the weather is looking more grim, the wind is blowing, the sky is gray and hazy, and it's been raining off and on. There's a chance nobody may get a fireworks "extrava-whatever."

That still won't stop the do-it-yourselfers from scaring the kibble out of poor Dexie the Wonderdog.

Here's to a happy Independence Day to you all. And to celebrate, look at some pictures and a couple videos:

Finally upright

2007-06-27T19:07:00.001-06:00

Mommy and Daddy have waited a while for this one. Finally, the good Cap'n Quinn can sit up all by himself.

It was such a momentous achievement that Mommy almost cried. For one, this means the beginning of the end of not having to hold him all the time. But more importantly, it means our little hero is growing up -- and fast.

Now, Quinn likes to sit on his blanket on the floor and play with the new set of stackable cups that Grandma Smith brought him. He also wants to grab Dexie's ball, though Daddy doesn't want the doggie's slobber all over his hands.

While that was the good news, we did have some bad news this week. Our wee Cap'n Quinn is likely going to need tubes put in his ears. The Good Doctor Good told us that it's not typical for a little boy Quinn's age to have tubes put in, but it sure beats hearing loss -- which could be the alternative if he continues to get ear infections.

But, as usual, our little fella soldiers on with a smile and a laugh. The world is his oyster. And now he can sit up and enjoy it.

To commemorate the moment, here's a video:

Just right

2007-06-20T20:03:00.000-06:00

Our little cowboy has an enemy. And his name is Luke.

Luke isn't a cool character. He's not a hot shot. He's somewhere in between. And that confounds the good Cap'n Quinn, our little buckaroo.

Yes, Mommy and Daddy have yet to help Quinn tame this rival, the dastardly villain named Luke Warm.

As his eternal fussiness joined Mommy and Daddy for a little Daddy's Day brunch, his meal of choice (soy formula; shaken, not stirred) just wasn't the right temperature, even after Daddy held it under the steaming tap water in the restaurant's big boy room.

It was still too cold as the good Cap'n took Daddy to the mall to shop for new shoes. Luke Warm angered our little hero so much, the whole mall could hear his curses.

Finally, Daddy took the little man home to get out the big guns. Luke Warm didn't last 10 seconds in the microwave, and Cap'n Quinn won the day.

Sure, Quinn's particular. You could even say picky, though Daddy likes to think of him as a formula connoisseur. Would any sophisticated adult, after all, consume a white wine that hadn't been chilled?

At least our little hero was kind enough to take Daddy out for his first Daddy's Day. And Daddy sure enjoyed it, along with the gift card to buy more music to put in that little black box that plays all of his favorite soccer radio shows.

Three times already this week Quinn has taken Mommy swimming at the pool. It's more than 100 degrees outside, after all. He probably figured Mommy needed to cool off.

And yesterday, he was kind enough to escort Grandma Smith and Cousin Amanda (the birthday girl) to hike at a place called Tent Rocks. After that, he gave them a tour of Santa Fe.

So he may be picky. But at least he's thoughtful.

Here's a few pictures and videos from Quinn's busy week:

Two miles high

2007-06-13T19:40:00.002-06:00

You might be surprised to know that our little hero reached new heights this week, as in two-miles high kind of heights, climbing a mountain high, up where eagles soar kinds of high.

Of course, it came with the assistance of the world's largest tram, which carried our little hero, Mommy, Grandma Smith and Cousin Amanda up to the top of the Sandia Mountains Tuesday.

Still, let's not pour cold water on this achievement. He was mostly fuss-free as he ascended these new heights, fighting off the continuing evil-doers that are his new teeth and an infected ear.

And yet, he was also able to muster the powers of his eternal cuteness in front of a camera when Mommy had new pictures taken (like to the one to the right) of him posing in clothes supporting some of Daddy's favorite sports teams.

It was a pleasant first Father's Day present for Daddy, who recognizes that he gets a Father's Day gift every day when he gets home and see his best buddy's excitable smile each afternoon.

The good Cap'n Quinn is finding new ways to show off his personality. The other day, Daddy give him a little raspberry on his neck, eliciting a belly laugh. Daddy then turned his head. And the next thing he knew, Quinn was trying to give him a raspberry right back.

He's a funny guy. That's something we shouldn't be surprised by.

Here's a few pictures from Quinn's photo shoot this week, and a few more just for fun:

Double whammy

2007-06-06T16:25:00.000-06:00

Having two white ivory tusks protruding from your lower gums would seem like enough, wouldn't it? Painful, fever inducing, and all around sucky. Yessiree.

Having two white ivory tusks protruding from your lower gums AND getting an ear infection? That's downright unreasonable.

That, however, is the hand that wee Cap'n Quinn has been dealt this week, placing him a few notches above miserable on the displeasure scale.

But just like everything else our little hero has endured (let's run through it: the whole birth thing, the little snip-snip procedure, the gigantic you-know-whats next to his hoo-ha, the daycare black eye, and that should about do it), he's handling this like the heavyweight champ that he is.

On a side note, man can that little dude grow some teeth -- or "teef" as Mommy and Daddy like to say. The "toofers" (another variant on the word; look it up) are rolling right through that gum line. He's leaving marks on the spoons.

Check back next week. He'll probably be eating steak.

Until then, take a peek at this video which we call, "The next David Beckham."

The boss man

2007-05-28T20:50:00.000-06:00

It was hot out there with our shovel and rake, sweat pouring down our brows from the afternoon sear and the hard labor.

The foreman sat there in the shade, hunkered in his seat like a wayward drunk. He didn't speak. He made just a single noise to say what he thought of our work.

He stuck out his tongue, and made a farty noise.

"How we doin' boss?"

*farty noise*

"That good eh?"

*drooly farty noise*

He drives us hard, that wee Cap'n Quinn. Our little hero sat in the shade of the garage while Mommy and Daddy began reworking the landscape in our front yard today. So far it's a mess, and will likely stay a mess until Mommy and Daddy figure out exactly what they're doing, which may take a while. You should see the back yard; one big sandbox.

"Wanna take a break boss?"

*farty noise*

Once Mommy and Daddy were done starting their mess, the three of us went down to Balloon Fiesta Park to check out a wine festival. Mommy and Daddy sampled several nice, local wines while Cap'n Quinn got checked out by the ladies.

"Oohh, that baby's so cute. You're such a handsome little man."

*farty noise*

This one we'll call, "Mommy's new contraption":

Teeth on the horizon

2007-05-22T19:09:00.000-06:00

If you look close, and can find your way around his tongue, there appear to be some teeth peeking up from Cap'n Quinn's tiny mouth.

This, of course, is a big deal since teeth are useful in the consumption of food. That's the word, anyway. But our little hero has proven so far that he needs no assistance in the food department.
Mommy has already moved the good cap'n up to what they call "second foods," which is really no different from the peas and squash and pears and applesauce he's already been eating. It's just got chunks, and not the kind that come up when Daddy feeds him too much. They also come in new flavors, like pear and blueberry, steak and eggs, beer and brats, lutefisk and lefse. Of course, Daddy didn't read the labels, so who knows.

Sleeping, once Mommy and Daddy's eternal problem when it came to the little slugger, is no longer a problem. Bed time is at 7 p.m., and Quinn sleeps straight until 5:30 or 6ish in the a.m.. While 7 or 8 a.m. would be preferred, we'll be happy with what we're given so far.

This weekend we're going to get him landscaping the front yard. We figure he's growing so fast we ought to put him to work. Or he can just watch. It's up to him.

Here's a few pictures and a video to tide you over:

A mother's first

2007-05-14T16:19:00.000-06:00

Mommy: It seems I had a lot of firsts to get in yesterday. My first Mother's Day, and the first time we took Cap'n Quinn to a ballgame. I'll let Daddy expound on that. I had a great first Mother's Day. We ate brunch (my favorite thing to do), I got out of work (my next favorite thing to do), and I got to spend a nice, but hot, afternoon with my two favorite people on earth. Mommy wasn't too smart and didn't put any sunscreen on her legs, so today she's walking around like someone with two broken ankles.

Hard to believe I'm someone's mother now, and I couldn't have picked a better little fella. He's the light of my life and makes me smile 100 times a day. I can't wait for the first Mother's Day where I get a macaroni necklace, or a finger-painted plate. Hopefully, next Mother's Day he'll be able to say "Mama," or some version of his choosing. Either way, he'll melt my heart.

Daddy: It was sort of hard to explain the beauty of a perfectly-turned double-play to the young Cap'n Quinn when the home team is losing 9-0 with only one out in the top of the first inning.

The more I think of it, this might have been a pretty bad first baseball experience for our little hero had the day not been so perfect. Sure, the game was a blowout -- the Albuquerque Isotopes narrowed it to within a touchdown (seven runs for those of you who don't realize there aren't actually touchdowns in baseball) by the last inning -- but we had the sunshine, we were at the ballpark, and it was just the three of us.

Look it up. That's the recipe for perfect.

Young Quinn didn't see much of the game. We spent most of the day trying to create the perfect pocket of shade for him to reside in. But he did get his first feeling of grass -- we sat in a special $5 outdoor lawn area -- and he got to hear the crack of the bat, the authentic noises of the greatest game ever created.

There will be a lot of chances to teach about the perfect double-play.

This family will be seeing a lot more baseball to come.

And we'll make sure to treat Mommy to a lot more special Mother's Days, too. Click this link to see one of her presents.

Here's a few more pictures from our brunch with Mommy, our day at the ballpark, and the last one is from today, Quinn's six-month birthday picture in the same outfit he wore home from the hospital:

Almost mobile

2007-05-07T08:39:00.000-06:00

The wee captain may get seasick if he doesn't stop moving so much.

Yes, Quinn is beginning to get his sea legs. He rolls left and right and around and is on the verge -- and by "verge" I mean, anytime between now and the next three months, for all I know -- of getting up on his knees and crawling.

He's certainly trying. The second Mommy and Daddy lay him on his back he begins a procession of log rolls across the carpet. He no longer minds being on his belly, and actually laughs once he's there.

Mommy and Daddy didn't take many pictures of our little hero this week. But Daddy did shoot these fun movies. Here it is:

It must be the shirts

2007-04-29T19:22:00.000-06:00

Sorry Aunt Tory. I know the shirts you sent Cap'n Quinn are nice. And I know he loves them -- especially the one that says "#1 Minnesota Twins Fan."

Except there's a problem. They make him puke.

Well, at least two out of the four he's worn so far. And there's still one that says "Oh poop" that he hasn't tried yet. That'll make it come out the other end, I suppose. Which is more natural.

Ok, I'll confess. It has nothing to do with Aunt Tory's shirts. They're lovely.

Daddy is the bad guy here. Joined by the over-abundance of carrots and peaches that he fed our our little man the past two days. Apparently Daddy figures the good Cap'n has the same appetite he does. Except he doesn't. Which is why Daddy spent his Saturday night cleaning up an newly-orange chez lounge chair.

Otherwise it's been a good week for Cap'n Quinn. He seems to be over his big bad ear infections. And he was great entertainment for Daddy, as can be seen in the picture above, when he got sick with a big bad cold.

And today we took Dexie the Wonderdog on a nice long walk.

Right before he puked.

To put it all right for Aunt Tory -- one of Daddy's dearest college friends -- here's a collection of pictures featuring our little hero in several of her wonderful shirts:

Home to battle the bug

2007-04-22T19:10:00.000-06:00

Cap'n Quinn has successfully invaded the north, only to return wounded, a victim of the region's most dangerous weapon -- its cool weather.

In other words, Quinn had a great time meeting Daddy's side of the family in Minnesota and North Dakota. But he came back with a chest cold and ear infections. He's a tough little fella, though, and he's handling it like a pro.

Our trip north was a great expedition.

We flew two hours on an airplane. Quinn slept.

We drove five hours to North Dakota. Quinn slept.

We did both of those things again. Quinn slept.

Quinn got baptized. OK, he didn't sleep for this one. Probably because it was a nice, private ceremony in Garrison at Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church -- nice both for its poignancy and its brevity. He wore the same christening gown worn more than a century ago by a grandfather on Mommy's side of the family. It looked like big, long, baby wedding dress. But it wasn't, so we'll call it a gown.

Quinn got to meet his Great-grandma Sack in Inkster, N.D., and also see where Daddy went to school at the University of North Dakota. He also got kicked out of his first bar (slash restaurant) -- not that that's ever happened to Daddy (cough, cough) -- in Grand Forks, N.D., though that was due to some jerk of a restaurant employee quibbling over the details of some new state law affecting minors in places that serve booze.

While all that was fun, minus the getting kicked-out part, the most important part of the trip was meeting with Daddy's family -- especially Uncle Ken, Auntie Tara and Auntie Toni. While he had already spent time with Grandma and Grandpa Siemers, he hadn't met Daddy's brother and sisters yet. That doesn't mean, however, that spending time with Grammy and Grandpa wasn't great. They were pretty impressed with his cuteness skills when he was a few weeks old -- now they're charter members of the Cap'n Quinn Fan Club.

To commemorate the trip, here' s a collection of pictures to enjoy.

Hangin' with Daddy at UND's Ralph Engelstad Arena:

Meeting Uncle Wayne (Daddy's old college roommate) and Auntie Christina in Grand Forks:

Getting baptized:

Getting some love from Auntie Toni:

Proud Godparents, Auntie Tara and Uncle Hal:

Liking the view from over Uncle Ken's shoulder:

Getting inspected by the DeShaw family:

My Grandma taking care of me:

Invading the north

2007-04-08T21:17:00.000-06:00

We're off to Grandma and Grandpa Siemers' house tomorrow. And we're way more excited than Cap'n Quinn looks in the picture to the right.

Mommy and Daddy are hoping our wee hero can sit still or, better yet, sleep for the entire two-hour flight. That would be nice. It will be even nicer once we get there and don't have to worry about it any more.

Speaking of sleep, Mommy and Daddy are finding it immeasurably cute that Cap'n Quinn now prefers to sleep on his side. He's even getting used to sleeping on his tummy, though it always makes him cry for a few seconds. Now, once we've rocked him to sleep, he kicks his legs when we let him down into the crib and almost immediately rolls to his left.

For some reason, it's adorable. Sorta like everything else he does.

We've got a fever

2007-04-01T18:02:00.001-06:00

Someday even Cap'n Quinn might feel the fever that is running through Daddy's veins so strongly that he tried to put a man-sized hat on a baby-sized head.

It was, at least, one of Daddy's Minnesota Twins ballcaps. Which should explain which kind of fever we're referring to -- the baseball fever.

You can see by the wee captain's picture to the right that he shares Daddy's excitement over the Twins this season. The World's Greatest Sports Franchise in History, as the team is referred to in the Siemers household, may struggle in a increasingly tough American League Central Division, but Cap'n Quinn and Daddy are hopeful that Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer can make it to the World Series.

After all, what a great 11.5 month birthday present than to send our mighty hero a world championship?

There are still a few questions coming into the season: 1) Will any of the veteran free-agent pitchers prove to be smart signings? 2) How soon will the Twins need to call prospects Matt Garza and Alexi Casilla from AAA Rochester? 3) Can Quinn get any cuter?

I can answer #3 with a definitive, "Yes."

Mommy took the wee smiling one to a local Sears for another round of snapshots this week. Naturally, the results were astounding. He's a little showman already.

We'll leave you with a sampling which we'll call, "The cutest baby on the planet." :

"Show me that smile again ..."

2007-03-25T19:31:00.000-06:00

It's terribly unfortunate that every time the phrase "growing pains" pops into my head, so does Alan Thicke and that horrible television theme song.

"As long as we've got each other..."

Ugh.

So, unfortunately, I'm here thinking about growing pains yet again. Minus the Kirk Cameron.

Our wee Cap'n Quinn enjoys kicking when we try putting him to sleep, as if he had been tied inside a potato sack and thrown into the East Rivuh for double crossin' Mistah Capone.

We have no logical answer to this, other than to chalk it up to growing pains, whatever they may be. It makes perfect sense, I suppose, that he would continue growing at a rapid pace -- off the charts, remember -- and that doing so would bring with it some element of pain.

Yet it still baffles us that he sees fit to try out for the swim team at the precise moments when peace and tranquility are on the menu. This, much like anything else, is at its most annoying at, say, 2 a.m., when Daddy's too tired to put up much of a fight. This leads to Quinn camping out on Daddy's chest until the thunderkicks return.

Hopefully he'll work his way through this phase in short order.

Otherwise, we might have to put in a call to Mike Seaver.

"We've got each other ... sharing the laughter in love."

Today's picture is called, "I hate Growing Pains, too.":

Little porkchop eats applesauce

2007-03-22T21:12:00.000-06:00

The great entertainer

2007-03-18T20:33:00.000-06:00

Grandma and Grandpa Siemers still enjoy telling the tale of Daddy the entertainer, holding court in the family living room as he portrayed "Stone Erik," a man frozen, for no apparent reason, in the pose of an Egyptian.

Yes, Daddy enjoyed putting on a show. It looks like the good Cap'n Quinn isn't far behind his old man.

This morning we sat at a restaurant with Uncle Marty. Our little hero mostly slept. But when he awoke, he let his presence be known with a chorus of glass-crackling squeaks. If the sound had come from anywhere other than a baby, the series of grandmas and grandpas that sat around us probably wouldn't have found it so adorable. But they did, cooing their own approval -- a reaction just short of our little man's first standing ovation.

Today, Quinn got his first high chair. This, of course, comes because Quinn is already eating cereal off a spoon. It's as if -- as The Who once said -- he was born with a plastic spoon in his mouth. It's the Good Doctor that gave Mommy and Daddy the go-ahead to proceed with foods that aren't -- at least entirely -- liquefied.

It was also the Good Doctor who informed us that Quinn is, and I'll quote, "off the charts" for his height at this age.

That's right. "Off the charts." They don't just make those charts for no reason. That means most kids are on the charts, which is admirable, I'm sure. We're not on the charts. We're "off the charts," as in above it, better than the rest, growing like a weed, getting ready to sign that NBA contract.

Ok, so my reaction might also be considered "off the charts." Clearly, though, we're not the only ones rooting for the good Cap'n.

There was a whole restaurant of grandmas who might buy his record.

And that, most definitely, is "off the charts."

Today's pictures I call, "My doggy loves me" and "Full steam ahead." :

The lovin' spoonfulls

2007-03-16T05:30:00.000-06:00

Super powers

2007-03-11T20:13:00.000-06:00

Spiderman's Uncle Ben once said, "With great power comes great responsibility."

It's so true. Especially when your power is extreme cuteness.

Today, for example, Daddy and Cap'n Quinn stopped into a local hot dog shop to get lunch for Mommy. His Cuteness' arrival at the counter was enough to force all the nice Spanish-speaking ladies to cease grilling hot dogs in order to come and coo.

In otherwords, his power of cuteness temporarily stopped operations at a hot dog stand.

Powerful stuff.

Meanwhile, back at our not-so-secret lair (also referred to as either the New Mexico Branch of the Siemers Family, or the West Side Annex of the Albuquerque Smith Clan -- whichever), Daddy's college buddy Marty came by to visit. Uncle Marty's not one to gush, but we have a feeling the good captain's cuteness powers left an impact.

Marty, one of Daddy's collection of airline pilot friends -- you know the airline pilot friends, right? -- was able to tame the not-so-wild Dexie the Wonderdog by getting her to walk calmly by his side as we took Quinn for a stroll this morning.

Quinn and I are thinking Uncle Marty's got some powers of his own.

That's fine. So long as he and the good cap'n remembers to be responsible. Otherwise that hot dog shop might just go out of business.

Today's pictures I call, "Cuteness Volume 1":

A good weekend

2007-03-04T21:09:00.000-07:00

After a rough couple of weeks, the good Cap'n Quinn had a grand slam of a weekend. (It's baseball season, so bear with me.)

Two days with long naps, scream-less car trips, full nights of sleep, and a very low-stress Daddy.

We even took Dexie the Wonderdog for a walk today. That's something Daddy thought would never happen, but mostly because Dexie's a spaz who is likely to get herself tangled.

To commemorate the fine weekend, here are a few photos and a video. They'll be easy to enjoy.

Like a Twins double-header.

"Daddy, thanks for the edible Jumperoo. Mine tastes like orange!"

"This using your hands business is easy. Next week I'll be doing my own taxes."

You shooda seen da udder guy

2007-03-03T01:28:00.000-07:00

Now, let's begin by saying Daddy is normally a mild-mannered fellow. Gentle, if a little clumsy. But mild-mannered would be an appropriate description.

So when Mommy and Daddy went to pick-up the wee Cap'n Quinn from daycare last week only to find that our little hero had gotten his first shiner, a whole new range of emotions began to emerge.

It took a little while -- say an hour or so -- but a source of nearly irrational anger began to well up in Daddy.

But first, the back story.

Apparently for a few hours in the morning, the daycare mixes toddlers and infants until their full staff arrives. During this period, one of the walking toddlers dropped a square-shaped plastic toy on Quinn's head.

A few points of observation: I fully realize that when you put a bunch of toddlers in a room, accidents are prone to happen. But Quinn's immobile and, therefore, should have been moved out of harm's way. Instead, he was on a bouncer that sat on the floor. This is no different from me leaving Quinn on a playmat on the floor as Dexie the Wonderdog mercilessly chased her magical rubber ball across the house. The same dangers exist. Mommy and Daddy, however, are smart enough to realize that Quinn should be placed at some distance away from those dangers.

All of this, naturally, was repeated with a moderate level of repressed anger back to the daycare's manager the following Monday. Hearing this, she nodded her head, agreed with everything I said, and might have even handed me the keys to the shop, her house and her car had I asked for it. Which I didn't, but maybe I should have.

Once we got over that, part two of a difficult week came Wednesday night, when Quinn woke up every 20 minutes. Daddy stayed home from work Thursday to help Mommy, who hadn't gotten a wink of sleep that night. The Good Doctor told us the next day that nothing is wrong, Quinn's healthy, and weighs somewhere in the realm of 13 pounds, though it's hard to say for exactly since he was wearing about 15 layers of clothes that day.

The problem, the Good Doctor surmised, is Quinn -- who Mommy and Daddy rock to sleep -- is now of an age to recognize that we're not there when he wakes up.

The solution to this is painful -- let him cry, the Good Doctor said.

So we did it that night. For an hour that was more agonizing for Mommy since Daddy slept through most of it. (Not for lack of caring, I assure you. I was just tired. Mommy would have left me to cry myself to sleep, too.)

So far, it's helped. The next time Quinn woke up that night, he cried for only about 15 minutes. Tonight -- yes, it's late -- he's gotten up once, been fed, and went right back to sleep.

As for Daddy, well, he's back to his mild-mannered self again. He'll get his sleep some other day.

Like when Quinn's in his 20s. Or separated from the toddlers. Whichever comes first.

Playmat Pooper

2007-02-21T16:48:00.000-07:00

We at the west coast Siemers annex call it the playmat poop. What is this "playmat poop" you say? It seems whenever our little hero is feeling the need, he'll be on his playmat, throw his legs in the air and the grunts ensue.

He thinks he's fooling mommy & daddy, but the eau de poo poo that lingers in the air moments later doesn't fool anyone. It took us a few days to figure out this was Cap'n Quinn's new routine. Daddy realized it first, and then mommy started thinking herself...hmmmm...I think you're right daddy. As far as the basics of what baby does, pooping has never been one of Quinn's top three. It seems we are always trying to coax it out of him by trying a little juice here, a little karo syrup there. So it seems the karo and the playmat are Quinn's Metamucil.

So folks next time you just can't get it going, don't reach for the fiber, try laying on the floor and kicking your legs in the air.

--Mommy

Squeak TV

2007-02-20T02:43:00.000-07:00

Since we're on the subject of Quinn's singing (Please read Mommy's post below), here's a few YouTube clips of the wee Cap'n Quinn belting out his favorite song: "The Squeak Serenade."

Mommy's going to post one

2007-02-19T13:47:00.000-07:00

Last week, our big boy turned the big 3 -- 3 months, that is. He is still fitting into his newborn outfit and we think he may get one more month out of it.

Our little man is changing everyday sometimes for the good and sometimes a little for the bad. Like waking up several times a night again, making Mommy and Daddy zombies. His newest thing is "singing" for us. It seems he has found his voice, and we think he will be the next American Idol Season 23. Think it will still be on??? He even woke up at 4:45 am, singing Monday morning. Hard to be mad when he's talking to himself and not crying himself awake.

Quinn loves to look at himself in the mirror and will spend a lot of his playtime talking to himself and making us laugh. He's making many changes and we are loving them all, even the getting up 20 times at night. We both know that someday we'll have to drag him out of bed, and no longer will he let us plant 20,000 smooches on his head.

Here are some more of Quinn's 3 month photo shoot and other pictures:

`Valentimes Day'

2007-02-10T11:39:00.000-07:00

Cap'n Quinn and Daddy today are on an mission: buy Mommy a Valentimes Day gift.

(We know it's actually Valentine's Day. Spelling it wrong just feels funny. Good funny.)

We're thinking something like ... a new car ... a sports franchise ... a record contract ... two weeks all expenses paid to Tahiti ... or something in the $30 range. Mommy's worth it all, plus what Daddy can afford. Quinn's been saving dimes, but I told him that's for college. He's got to save his dimes. Daddy'll float him a loan.

We've had a busy week. Quinn saw a surgeon, who said the thing he might have to have fixed might not have to be fixed, which is good since we really didn't want to have to fix it.

We've switched our little hero to a soy diet. He seems to eat it better and we get the bonus of having a baby that smells like "potato flakes," as Mommy says.

Grandma Smith arrives today for a few more days. Quinn likes hanging out with his Grammies. Plus, Grandma Smith said she'll watch the little dude while Daddy takes Mommy to see her favorite American Idol star -- the bald guy from last season -- on Valentimes Day.

It should be fun. Fun like eating potato flakes on Valentimes Day.

Since Daddy's been lax on the bloggin', here's a collection of pictures and a video to make up for lost time:

Real big with the Amish

2007-01-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

Capt. Quinn and Mommy are back from their trip to Pittsburgh, and the results are in.

Quinn's a hit with the horse-and-buggy crowd.

Yes, our little hero was a tiny celebrity with the nice Amish folk that live near Grandma and Grandpa Smith. The rest of Mommy's family and friends also rated him "four stars" in unofficial polling.

Even little Emma -- she who belongs to Aunt Penny -- found Quinn exciting. She also apparently thought he was a girl. But that happens sometimes. Right?

The wee captain also proved to be a decent traveler. But the real rewards go to Mommy for enduring the challenge.

Here's a few of Quinn's Greatest Hits from Pennsylvania

Hangin' with Great-grandpa Crissman:

Hangin' with Great-grandma Crissman:

Hangin' with his hand:

Hangin' in the sink:

Hangin' curveball:

Bachin' it.

2007-01-21T17:57:00.000-07:00

Back when Daddy was a little fella, and Grandma Siemers would go off to work, Grandpa Siemers would say we were "bachin' it." As in, a coupla guys in temporary bachelorhood. You know, "bachin' it."

Well, I'm bachin' it. With Dexie the Wonderdog at my side.

The wee Cap'n Quinn and Mommy have flown the friendly skies back to Pittsburgh to spend a week with Grandma and Grandpa Smith. Already our little hero has shown his almighty fussiness to much of Mommy's family, many of which offered their own theories on why he's so adept at showing his almighty fussiness.

Nonetheless, it will be a good trip for Mommy and Quinn. Daddy, however, who was, admittedly, looking forward to a few days on his own, misses Mommy and the wee captain already. Sure, Dexie is good company. Great company, actually. She never leaves Daddy's side. But the house seems too empty without a fussy baby within crying distance.

I should have recorded him before he left.

We found out this week that little man has surpassed the 10 pound mark in weight. And, as you can see from the picture above, he's becoming a little man o' the world. In this photo, Quinn shows his leisurely side as he lounges in his hot tub. ("Excuse me sir, but where is that mojito I ordered?") It's what Daddy calls the 7 o'clock bath. You remember the 7 o'clock bath, right?

You should try it. It's way more fun than "bachin' it" with your dog.

Today's picture (which is actually a week or so old) I call, "Green makes me sleepy":

Happy Two-Monthday!

2007-01-14T10:15:00.000-07:00

It's our wee little man's two month birthday today. Not that we'll get in the habit of celebrating all these increments, but this one is particularily noteworthy for several reasons.

For starters, the dude's getting huge. Just look at the pictures to the right, a comparison of him on his first month birthday and from this morning.

Tired of getting kicked around at the beach? Want to be a lean, mean muscle machine? Then we've got the diet for you. Try lactose-free infant formula, 4.5 ozs. every three hours. Look what it did for Quinn! He can lift his own head AND!!! flip himself around onto his stomach. Nobody's kicking sand in his face!

Yes, the good captain now looks big enough to lead a gang of street thugs. Or at least play one in West Side Story or Grease or The Outsiders. You get the point (Star Quality!!).

Along with his growing girth, Capt. Quinn has reached some other milestones. On Saturday, during Tummy Time© -- You remember Tummy Time©, right? -- Quinn, while remarkably fussy, was able to turn himself over from his stomach to his back. It was an amazing feat of strength, on par with lifting the Empire State Building or Daddy hoisting all the grocery bags from the car in only one trip. On varying degrees of scale, naturally.

Our little hero is also learning the fine art of slumber. After taking a long, luxurious nap -- You remember the long, luxurious nap, right? -- Quinn played a while before going back to bed at 9 p.m. He didn't wake until ... wait for it ... 4 a.m.! (This is where you hear the chorus of angels ringing down from Heaven. -- You remember the chorus of angels... oh forget it.) This is the little dude's longest one-time increment of sleep since his arrival two months ago today. Here's to hoping it wasn't a fluke.

Today we're off to the aquarium with Uncle Dwight, Aunt Carmen and Cousin Axel -- also known as the East Albuquerque Annex of the Smith Clan.

It should be fun. I just hope our muscular little man doesn't scare the sharks.

Today's picture I call, "Dexie clean and shorn":

This burrito is spicy

2007-01-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

You know how they say miracles come in small packages?

Ours came in the mail.

It's called the "Miracle Blanket," and it turns our wee little captain into a wee little burrito.

The Miracle Blanket is a baby straight-jacket. More kindly put, it swaddles him better than Mommy or Daddy can. Our little hero doesn't like it much. He'd rather have his arms free, ready to fend off any evil-doers that may find their way into his crib at night. But, little does he know, those arms are also his worst enemy -- his arch-nemeses, flailing about so much that they keep him up all night.

Now, with the Miracle Blanket, he actually sleeps more than 20 minutes at a time. On a good night, we'll get four hours of sleep before he wakes up for his middle-of-the-night feeding. He's still fussy. But he's a fussy little man that sleeps more. Which is better than the alternative.

Today we visited a potential daycare provider. So far, so good. It's a little out of the way, but, despite that, it seems like an ideal situation. It's less a daycare than it is a babysitter-for-rent. But that's what we need for the one day a week where we can't be home with him.

Though it may be hard to tell by the pictures, the good captain is getting bigger every day. He's growing out of his clothes, which is to be expected. Tonight, during his 7 p.m. bath -- you know the 7 p.m. bath, right? -- we noticed that he's almost outgrown the sink. He's gone from a tiny turtle in a terrarium to King Kong in a birdcage.

Or something like that.

He's our little miracle. In a package that's not so small anymore.

Today's picture I call, "Cute babyyyyzzzzzzzzzz........(snore)"

Saying hi to the grandmas

2007-01-07T19:54:00.000-07:00

The cute and the restless

2007-01-01T18:38:00.000-07:00

It's a new year here at the New Mexico branch of the Siemers family, and the wee Capt. Quinn has some new food.

The lactose free milk is working wonders so far, and Quinn isn't fighting nearly as hard to avoid restful slumber. And he's getting cuter than ever, as the picture to the right proves.

Meanwhile, Dexie the Wonderdog is lobbying for a move to the Arctic, having fallen in love with our unexpected allocation of snow.

The video below should speak for itself. I call it, "Why do those white balls disappear?":

New Mexico. Land of 10,000 ... er, wait ...

2006-12-29T19:20:00.000-07:00

There's a reason I ditched my snow shovel when I moved to New Mexico. It doesn't snow here.

That was a dumb idea.

Tonight, as Minnesota basks (relatively speaking) in 40 degree weather, the New Mexico Branch of the Siemers family is snowed in. Highways are closed. Cars are getting stuck outside my house. And I used a broom to clear my driveway.

Capt. Quinn remained indifferent and sleepless, despite our best efforts. He slept a few hours in his swing while the backyard became encased in snowdrifts.

Dexie the Wonderdog, meanwhile, seems born for the snow. So, since Quinn can't really enjoy the snow, here's a few images of Dexie (Ok, and one of Quinn) to tide you over:

Gimme the ball

"Daddy, I think I shall ponder this snowfall for a moment longer."

Merry Christmas. When do we eat?

2006-12-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

Capt. Quinn enjoyed his first Christmas with a newborn's indifference to anything but breast milk and shiny things.

This was to be expected, which is why the only thing we bought him was a superhero cartoon to enjoy when he's about 3. The rest of his presents, save for a few, will likely get wrapped up again for his first birthday. Or next Christmas. Or as a pacifier should we find no other way to pacify him. And if hard liquor doesn't work.

I kid. The liquor's for Daddy (and the Grandmas. Shhh...).

Despite our wee hero's general malaise -- and mild fever -- it was an eventful day at the New Mexico branch of the Siemers family. Or the Albuquerque West annex of the Smith clan. Whichever side you choose.

Daddy was spoiled with another iPod (the video kind). Mommy got some new software to make everyone fancy cards, along with some clothes, jewelry and a creme brulee maker to make Daddy fat. Dexie got a new ball, to drive all of us nuts. Every one else got lots of stuff and things and other miscellany which I shan't describe here since this is merely a summary.

We ate ham, which seems to be the norm. Daddy ate corn and oyster casserole and gets the most enjoyment out of everyone else gagging in astonishment at its mere mention. Quinn ate Mommy© Brand Milk and some stinky formula, passed gas several dozen times and slept.

He woke up at about 3 a.m., never to sleep again.

Christmas is indeed over.

We move on now to think about the New Year and the challenges ahead. Like sometime around June, when Quinn finally goes back to sleep. Until then, don't call.

Daddy's using the earplugs again.

Since it's Christmas, there won't be a picture of the day. There will be several. Enjoy:

Learning about sleep and Rondell White

2006-12-21T19:33:00.000-07:00

Tonight, as part of a new routine, Capt. Quinn gets to play in the hours preceding his 6 p.m. bath.

You know the 6 p.m. bath, right? Everybody has a 6 p.m. bath.

Playtime consists of sitting on a pillow and looking around. To promote neural stimulation, this practice also includes a bit of conversation, albeit one-sided. In tonight's episode, Quinn and Daddy talked about some of the most important news of the day. Here's a synopsis:

The Twins signed Rondell White to a one-year deal. It's expected that White will play left field, while Jason Kubel will be the primary designated hitter. Brad Radke retired this week, ending his 12-year career with the Twins due to his over-worked shoulder. The Twins are talking with free agent Sidney Ponson about joining the rotation, an iffy proposition considering his form in recent years. But he could prove to be a valuable veteran presence on an otherwise young pitching staff.

Like I said -- important news.

The biggest lessons being learned this week, though, are happening with Mommy and Daddy.

Besides learning that our the wee captain has passed the 9-pound mark, the visit with Dr. Good on Tuesday also revealed that our hero is "over-tired." To which I say, "No #%@#@%." And exactly how do you cure this "over-tired" disease? More sleep? Genius. As if we've been getting up every two hours just to test our endurance.

If a baby is over-tired, yet shows no signs of wanting to sleep, what is a parent to do besides contemplate sharing a bottle of whiskey with the little fella?

What we did was buckle down. Our procedures for rocking him to sleep have been streamlined. There's been a crackdown on the captain's access to pre-sleep visual stimulation. A daily itinerary has been set and followed to the letter.

In other words, there's a new routine. So far, it's working just fine.

Now, if only we can get him working on that curveball. Maybe we won't need Sidney Ponson after all.

Todays picture I call, "Not. Funny. Grandma.":

Happy First Month-day

2006-12-13T19:38:00.000-07:00

Quinn is a month old today.

Funny, because it seems like six months.

That's not to say, of course, that we're tired of the little guy. No. Not at all.

We're just tired period. The U.S.S. Fussy Britches, you see, is full steam ahead these days.

The wee captain is turning out to be a generally unhappy little man. Here's how Mommy describes his routine over the last few days: "Eat. Look around. Fuss. Cry. Sleep. Repeat."

Clearly, it's tough being a month old. I always though the teenage years were the most angst-filled. Turns out being the new guy on the block isn't all it's cracked up to be.

We haven't figured out the exact reason why he's so discontent. Feeding him isn't always the solution. Rocking him isn't always effective. I've tried singing, but -- well, you just have to hear me sing to know why that wouldn't work. He could be colicky, but how do you really know?

The most unique answer -- and possibly the most logical -- came from Uncle Dwight and Bill, one of Daddy's co-workers: It's a high pressure system wreaking havoc on our little hero. But high pressure systems probably go away after a while. This fussiness, it seems here to stay.

We're open to suggestions. At any time, even. It's not like we ever sleep.

To be clear, we're only mildly frustrated. Which, I'd think, is to be expected from first-time parents. He's still the most amazing little man ever to grace this planet. And I'm sure that, some day, our wee captain will sail on to conquer the world in his own way.

Because if there's one thing we know about Quinn, it's that he's got a lot of fight in him.

Today's picture I call, "Big Britches":

Wonderment

2006-12-11T21:13:00.001-07:00

Studly? Yes he is.

2006-12-07T19:35:00.000-07:00

The picture to the right, an image of my desk at work, poses a serious question: Will the wee captain someday win the Heisman Trophy? More importantly, do I care?

Say in the year 2027, or thereabout, I find myself sitting in the New York Hilton, staring up at Quinn as he and two other nervous young men wait to see if they're to be crowned the greatest player in college football that year.

Yeah, then I'd care.

But otherwise, no. Not really.

Certainly, every dad hopes, perhaps secretly, that his son can be a triumphant athlete -- usually because they were never one themselves. On that same note, dads might also hope to see their sons follow in their footsteps. For example, friends, knowing my fanatacism toward the Minnesota Twins, often ask me, "What happens if Quinn isn't a Twins fan like his daddy?" My response: then he's a Pirates fan, or a Dodgers fan or -- God forbid -- a Yankees fan.

I deal with it, and get back to cheering for the Twins.

But I can't help asking myself similar questions. Will he play soccer? How about the trombone? Will he be a writer? Or an X-ray tech like his mommy? How about a chef? Will he play first base?

I'm careful not to want too much for my son. In much the same way, I'm reticent to force childhood characters like the Sesame Street gang, Winnie the Pooh or Spongebob Squarepants upon him in the hope that he can somehow make his own choices when the time is right.

These are some of the emotions I'm encountering in these first weeks of parenthood. Suddenly I'm pondering the future of someone other than myself. I'm also finding myself sensitive to the criticism of other parents. Not that it's happened. I'm merely bracing myself for that moment when someone questions our methods -- if you can call them methods -- only to profess their own rock-solid, foolproof ways of mastering this inexact science.

We must be doing something right, though. The good Capt. Quinn (as a side note, I'm also considering the nickname Sir Cries-a-lot. Chew on that a bit.) has now surpassed 8 pounds and is likely nearing the 9 pound threshhold as we speak.

He's a big, tough fella. A linebacker maybe?

I've got to stop that.

He does have one thing his dad doesn't . A wiseacre editor named Phill was kind enough to point it out on a sticky note he placed next to Quinn's picture on my desk at work. It's written as if it's coming from Quinn's mouth:

"Too bad my dad's not as studly as me, dude."

I'll give you that one, son. You certainly are studly.

Today's picture I call, "A good mommy":

Breakthroughs

2006-12-04T18:16:00.000-07:00

Quinn turned his head tonight.

I know. Not exactly inventing fire, but the little guy is only three weeks old. Not spitting up is a milestone at this point.

No, the wee little man, napping on his belly, gathered the strength to lift his head up from one direction and turn it the other way. It's quite a feat, considering most newborns have shoestrings for neck muscles.

It's been nothing but breakthroughs for the good captain. He handled Dr. Good's snip-snip procedure last week like a champion, as if to say: "What? That's it? What else ya got?"
I thought for a minute that he'd already learned to talk before I realized that it was just an AM radio frequency coming through his baby monitor.

Daddy could use some more rest.

He's getting fatter by the day. Quinn and Daddy, that is. But it's more noticeable on Quinn. Grandma Smith is noticing that his legs, which earlier looked like they'd been stuffed in a bag three times too big, are now filling out. He's got chubby cheeks, too, though Grandma Siemers says all babies have that.

Dexie the Wonderdog, meanwhile, endured her own kind of pain last week. The Doggie Doctor removed her broken tooth, leaving a series of stitches to dangle from her upper jaw like loose strings on an old raggedy doll.

Mommy, too, has recovered nicely from her own snip-snip, stitch-stitch procedure that brought the wee captain into our world.

Looks like Daddy's the only one not to receive anesthesia in the New Mexico Branch of the Siemers family.

It doesn't sound so bad, really. I could use the sleep.

Today's picture I call, "Captain Fuzzball":

That lovely noise

2006-12-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

A little snip-snip and some snow

2006-11-29T09:51:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Grandpa Siemers arrived from Minnesota on Monday night. By Wednesday morning, snow came to New Mexico.

Coincidence?

It's Capt. Quinn's first brush with snow. Not that he cares. He's probably more concerned with all the attention being directed at more intimate parts of his wee body.

Dr. Good handled Quinn's little snip-snip procedure masterfully yesterday. Quinn was a trooper, making Mommy and Daddy proud. He only cried while being restrained, which makes sense, considering he was strapped to a table while a strange man in a white coat took a scalpel to his you-know-what. If that happened to me I'd start learning Kung-Fu.

I've come to believe that grandparents have cast some kind of spell over babies. Quinn's wails could register on the Richter scale while being held by Mommy and Daddy. But Grandma Smith just waltzes in his general proximity and it's like someone hit the mute button. Grandpa Siemers, too, has this talent. I'm convinced the magic spell is written in code on the back of AARP cards.

Quinn's big surgery is over. Now it's time for Dexie the Wonderdog to go under the knife. Come to think of it, I'm not sure there is any cutlery involved in pulling an absess tooth. So, I guess she's more likely to go under the pliers. Nonetheless, our furry friend is having a tooth pulled tomorrow, so here's to hoping that doesn't suck.

Today's picture I call, "So there's snow on the ground. Big deal. Put down the camera and throw me the ball."

That warm feeling

2006-11-25T19:09:00.000-07:00

Quinn laid in my arms, his wide little eyes staring back up at Daddy's. That's when it hit, that warm feeling, the sensation all new dads feel when holding their baby boys.

Yep, he peed all over me.

Through five layers of clothes, no less -- two of which were mine.

Before Quinn was born, he already had enough clothes to dress him through junior high. Now I know why. He goes through more wardrobe changes in a day than the cast of a Broadway musical. They don't pee themselves, though. At least I hope not.

After one change today, Aunt Carmen and Grandma Smith dressed him. Which was my first mistake. He came downstairs with an octopus on his head. It may have looked cute, but the little captain didn't seem amused.

He doesn't ever look too amused, though Mommy swears that she sees him smile now and then. I can see what she's talking about. But I think it's just gas.

As I type, Grandma Smith is grimacing over in Quinn's room:

"Ohhhh. I just changed him and he's making noises. I think he's filling 'em up."

See. She's getting the warm feeling, too.

Today's picture I call, "Who's great idea was this?":

A first Thanksgiving, and time to shop

2006-11-24T09:21:00.000-07:00

Quinn came out of his first Thanksgiving much like every other day.

He slept, cried, ate and dirtied his diaper -- just like the rest of America, only without turkey. No, our wee captain bypassed poultry for his favorite meal: Mommy Brand© Milk.

It's funny how much a kid eats. For a few days he would awake every four hours for his 2.5 ounces. Now it seems like we're waking him every 2.5 hours for four ounces. The way he eats, I'm thinking he's more like Daddy every day. He's going to look three months old by Tuesday.

Speaking of resemblances, I think I can see a little bit of Nicole and I in Quinn. But I can't seem to point to anything specific that resembles either us: He's got her nose? Or is it mine? How about his ears? Too small to be Daddy's.

That is, except his hairline. Sorry son, that widow's peak that makes you look just a little bit sinister is Daddy's fault. Uncle Ken has it, too. Thankfully neither of us are bald yet. So you've got that going for you, buddy -- which is nice.

Today, Capt. Quinn and Daddy are taking Mommy and Grandma Smith out shopping. He's going to take his new wheels -- a stroller -- out for a test drive. We're not stupid, we know we're going to run into dizzying hordes of shopping zombies today. But this isn't about post-Thanksgiving sales. Mommy just needs to get out of the house.

Quinn, he'll probably do just like he did on Thanksgiving.

Sleep, cry, eat and dirty his diaper.

Today's picture I call, "Striking a Pose":

Our Funky Little Dude

2006-11-23T13:58:00.001-07:00

Two restful nights and a doctor named 'Good'

2006-11-21T18:34:00.000-07:00

As Capt. Quinn nears a week old, we celebrate the fact that he's adjusting smoothly to life at home.

We just wish we could say the same for Dexie the Wonderdog.

Dexie has lived here for a year and a half. She'd pee on the floor a few times, but otherwise adapted well. While she's largely been great with Quinn, she hasn't gotten used to the vastly reduced levels of attention directed her way.

She left a puddle of urine in Grandma Smith's bedroom this afternoon. That was right before she snuck a bite of the hamburger patties I had set out to thaw for dinner.

Dexie will improve. Hopefully as fast as young Quinn has.

It's been two nights in a row that the wee little man -- Captain of the U.S.S. Fussy Britches, in case you were wondering -- has righted his ship and slept a fairly regulated schedule.

Four hours of sleep. Eat. Four hours of sleep. Eat. Repeat.

It makes me wish I was a baby. All I want to do right now is sleep and eat. Heck, I'd even do it every four hours, so long as someone woke me up.

Yesterday was the good captain's first visit to the doctor, and he came out shining. Our pediatrician's name is Dr. Good. Now, there's a dentist in town who's name is Dr. Hurt. He has billboards around town that says, "It's my name, not my intention." Dr. Good could do something similar, saying: "Yes, it's my real name. And yes, I'm good. Very good, actually. Just ask the Siemers family."

Or something punchier.

Dr. Good next week will perform a little snip-snip procedure that most of us boys have endured but don't remember. I'm not talking about the umbilical cord either. But the good Capt. Quinn is a trooper. And the doctor, well, he's just Good.

Today's picture I call, "Get that camera out of my sleeping face":

To sleep or not to sleep. It isn't a question.

2006-11-19T19:48:00.000-07:00

There are times when I look down at my son's sleeping face and feel overwhelmed by his quiet, serene presence.

That wasn't the case last night.

As I mentioned previously, Capt. Quinn keeps night hours. Mom, Dad and Grandma, however, have yet to adequately address this issue. It's not so much that he's awake at night, but he's awake and screaming. And these are the kind of screams you'd expect from someone who's been kicked in the teeth, or something similar. And there's been no kickin' in this household.

He's just a wee little man, though. He's still searching his way through this strange world, as we all are. His trip has just begun. And it's probably a little spooky (and all together ooky. The Addams Fam-i-ly snap, snap).

The little fella, however, was the picture of serenity this afternoon when he fell asleep on Daddy's chest. I'd make the joke that I started a stand-up comedy routine and we both fell asleep, but that wouldn't be funny. Which is kind of the point.

Capt. Quinn got a good three hours of rest on Daddy's red Lobos shirt today. I look as if I'm sleeping in this picture, though I'm really just posing. I tried to sleep, but it's hard when you got this cute little fella on your belly. You just want to stare and say "awwww, look at that."

Dexie the Wonderdog, however, doesn't understand serenity. In a world with serenity, nobody throws the ball. And really, that's all she wants.

That leads me to The Daily Quinn's Photo of the Day. I call it, "What about me?"

Of boogers and baths

2006-11-18T15:42:00.000-07:00

Here in Day Four of When Quinn Takes Over the World, our wee captain, he of eternal cuteness, has boogers.

Boogers are a new discovery for Quinn, who doesn't quite know what to do with them besides wail. Mommy, Daddy and Grandma Smith, however, hope to leap this hurdle post haste, whatever post haste means. Someday, Quinn will learn all about the wonders of the English language -- and Kleenex.

In other exciting news, the brave Capt. Quinn endured the wrath of his mortal enemy Mr. Soft-Washcloth-Over-My-Bottom. Our young hero endured his first bout with forced cleanliness, coming out squeaky clean and soft. He smells nice, too.

So far, Capt. Quinn keeps night hours, like the lonely night watchman of some Downtown skyscraper. Except our hero wasn't alone. Mommy and Daddy, the great enablers, worked hard to match his endurance. It was all a bit of a fencing match.

"Fie, we will match your horrifying cries with this plastic `binky' young minion. TAKE THAT!"

Mommy and Daddy haven't won a match yet. But we will, oh yes ... we will (Daddy says, as he sheathes his 'binky'.)

Now, I sign off with The Daily Quinn's Photo of the Day (afternoon edition). I call it "My Muses."