December 2004

We packed more activity into December than any other month in Kyla’s life so far, or any other month in my life for that matter.

Obviously Christmas isn’t limited to a single day. Early in the month we took Kyla to get her first Christmas tree. We also went through quite an ordeal getting her three-month pictures taken, as well as pictures of our little family. These photos became Christmas presents for Kyla’s grandparents (don’t we sound conceited). We also took a weekend trip to Whistler, which was my new company’s version of a holiday party (another reason I really like my new job). Linda (Becky’s mom) came with us and watched Kyla while Becky went skiing for three hours, a new record by far for the amount of time the two have spent apart. Obviously we did the rounds at Christmas (the subject of another entry), which was closely followed by Becky’s birthday.

December also brought some interesting changes in our young daughter. Kyla now giggles when she gets particularly overjoyed, which is thrilling to a new parent. She has become very adept at grabbing small objects that are within her reach, which she promptly inserts into her mouth. Often times her fussiness can be subdued by spoon-feeding her ice-cold water, which is an obvious sign of teething.

Her favorite activity is still taking baths, though Becky now joins her regularly. Just taking Kyla into the bathroom and running the water will get her wound up, causing her to squeal with anticipation. I enjoy reading to her, which helps her begin to understand language. Presently I’m switching off between Fox in Socks by Dr Seuss and America: A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction by Jon Stewart.


We had a wonderful holiday season, but I’m hoping January will be a little less of a wild ride.

Kyla's First Christmas

The holidays have always been a busy season for Becky and I, but having an infant along for the ride makes things more demanding by an order of magnitude.

The first celebration was at my Aunt Judy and Uncle Tom’s on Christmas Eve. Every year, my cousin TJ (or Tom, or Tommy, take your pick) and I, pass out the presents, which easily number over 100. Kyla and her new cousin Rylee were passed around to everyone and her other cousins, Spencer and Alanna, put on a Christmas play for us.

On Christmas Day we had our own little gift exchange, followed by breakfast here with Becky’s mother’s family. Kyla still hasn’t figured out how to open presents, she instead opts to chew on them, which is what she does with pretty much anything you hand to her. We finished the day at Grandma Dot’s where I put together Kyla’s new jogging stroller Grandpa Doug got her while Becky assembled Kyla’s new Learning House.

The day after we headed over Snoqualmie Pass to Ellensburg and my mother’s place where we spent a couple of days eating, opening presents, eating, playing games, and eating. We also took a short trip to Yakima so that Kyla could meet my paternal Grandparents Marian and Larry. They have 16 grandchildren, of whom I am the oldest, and Kyla is their first Great Grandchild.

Finally on New Years Eve we had Christmas number seven with my dad and stepmother, Kerry, who babysat for us the night before while Becky and I went to a movie. This was fairly traumatic for Becky and we hurried home as soon as the credits began to roll, though Kyla didn’t seem to notice.

Overall we thoroughly enjoyed Kyla’s first Christmas, despite its hectic nature, and she appeared to feel quite content with all of the attention she received.

November 2004

This month has been so much fun watching Kyla grow and develop new capabilities.

Kyla has crept into the 95th percentile weighing in at 14 ½ pounds. Don’t worry, we’ve been told that you can’t over feed a breastfed baby. I was also a really big baby, so perhaps this is a sign that she’ll grow tall. I just hope that she doesn’t inherit Daddy’s gigantic feet.

Kyla has also discovered her voice and loves to hear it, especially when you repeat her sounds back to her. When we get her going she’ll make vowel noises with an occasional hard G, and when she’s really happy she’ll squeal loud enough to wake Becky up from downstairs (on the rare morning she gets to sleep in).

In many ways she’s become a little easier on us. The car rides are peaceful more often than not, though she’ll still get into moods where she makes us stop every few minutes. She sleeps the majority of the night, waking mostly for some food and then falling back to sleep. The smiles that were once very rare and hard to capture with a camera now are effortless to coerce if she’s in a reasonable mood.

Parenthood is wonderfully dynamic. I can’t wait to see what my little girl does next!

New Cousins

Kyla's time as the exclusive infant attraction in two of our families has ended. Her quarter year birthday brought us two gifts of additional family members, each a second cousin to Kyla.

Ruby Claire Saulsberry was born on November 30th, weighing in at 7 pounds, 3 ounces to proud parents Wesley and Shanna. We managed to meet Ruby as the new family was heading home for the first time.

Rylee Piper Chambers was born later that same night at 11:29 pm, weighing in at 6 pounds, 11 ounces to proud parents TJ and Kirsten. I was able to hold her for a bit and I was amazed at how small she was and it brought back many memories from Kyla's birth. She is currently twice Rylee's size, which is incredible considering they are exactly three months apart.

Having a growing family is awesome and I love babies. To hell with population control!

Guestbook From The Original Family Website

As you may recall, the original Hovenkotter Family Website was something that I created completely from scratch. It was pretty ugly but it got the job done.

One of the pages from it was a guestbook that visitors were encouraged to sign. Nothing like a guestbook has existed on any of the subsequent iterations of the family website (now visitors are encouraged to comment directly on specific blog posts or photos) and since I took the original down, the contents of the guestbook have been inaccessible.

Many of the posts people made were very sweet so I'm including all of them in this entry for everyone to enjoy.

Guestbook

Kirsten Chambers
Aug 25, 2004 4:23:20 PM
I am soo excited to finally meet your little Kyla. She is very lucky to have such great parents as you both. Just think.. Rylee is just 3 months behind ya..Soon they can play together. :D  

Grampa in training Marty
Aug 27, 2004 7:16:55 AM
No pressure ...How's Becky???...No pressure....Has Brett or Becky called??? ...What was the doctors due date??? No pressure...What was Brett's due date???? Boys always came on time ...no pressure.... JK Becky take as long as you and Kyla want to... we don't mind waiting....  

Grandpa Marty
Sep 1, 2004 8:27:27 AM
September 1st 2004.....Beautiful little girl was born yesterday evening...mother and daughter both did well thru labor...and made the most inspiring photo with the two of them just laying there with the tiny little baby hand wrapped around Mom's little finger (all of baby's fingers were just wrapped around the one giant finger of the Mom)....are they really that small ??? Can she just stay this sweet ???  

Auntie Lexie!
Sep 1, 2004 1:34:55 PM
Aww!! Kyla is just the sweetest thing!! Congradulations!! And the nursery is absolutly adorible, and becky, you look great!! I love all three of you so much! and I wish you all the best of luck!! Love always! Auntie Lexie!  

Laszlo & Patricia
Sep 5, 2004 12:22:03 PM
WE ARE SOOO HAPPY FOR YOU. WE CAN'T WAIT TO MEET KYLA!!!!!! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL FAMILY, A GREAT EXAMPLE FOR EVERYONE... LOVE, PATRICIA & LASZLO.  

Ellen, Lupe, Sean and Michael - from Murrieta!
Sep 5, 2004 4:40:19 PM
Congratulations! You don't know us, but we sure know lots about you! Your new daughter is beautiful! Kerry will have a hard time not spoiling her. A girl!! She knows updates will be very welcome here- (and a bit envied!). Enjoy your new little Kyla; every moment is precious.  

Erin Saulsberry-Abens and Nathan Engquist
Sep 5, 2004 4:45:29 PM
Becky and Brett, I am so happy for you. Your daughter is absolutely beautiful. I'm so proud of you both for making such a beautiful addition to our family. Nate and I miss you very much and we hope that you are feeling okay. Keep in touch, when you have time of course and hopefully we will be able to visit sometime soon. Love always, Erin and Nate :)  

Aunt Judy
Sep 5, 2004 9:17:14 PM
Hi, Kyla, sweetie! Thanks for all the great pictures! It was super neat to meet you the other day! You are wonderful!!! Give your mommy and daddy big hugs and kisses from me...and tell them they did a great job getting you here and building the Web site so we can all follow your progress! Sending Love, Hugs, and Kisses! Love, Aunt Judy (the great one... ;-))  

Colin and Keri Vincent
Sep 5, 2004 10:52:12 PM
Becky and Bret, We are so happy for you!!!! Kyla is a beautiful little girl, who has two wonderful parents.... It is amazing that we have started the next generation of our family. I remember like it was yesterday, running around at the lake as children. Just charish these times, like everyone says "They grow up so fast and change everyday". Love you guys enjoy your Beautiful little girl.  

Wendy and Mike Wiles
Sep 6, 2004 9:40:30 AM
Wendy and I both want to congratulate the two of you on the birth of your beautiful baby girl. Good thing she looks just like mommy. =) Seriously though, we both are very excited for the both of you and are happy to hear that both Becky and the baby are healthy and doing well. We look forward to meeting the little cutie one of these days. Once again, congratulations. You two are going to be wonderful parents.  

Karl
Sep 6, 2004 12:23:54 PM
Congratulations guys! About time another Hovenkotter popped into the world, this planet needs more of em ;) Can't wait to meet her! Happy Parenting, ~Karl  

Ellie & Gene Osheroff
Sep 6, 2004 3:55:00 PM
CONGRATULATIONS! Kyla is a beautiful little girl and the Web Site is terrific. We wish your expanded family the very best of everything. Love to all Ellie & Gene  

Willian J. Houston
Sep 6, 2004 4:50:04 PM
What a pretty litle girl! Way to go you guys. Can't wait to see her in person.  

Unky KC
Sep 6, 2004 9:15:36 PM
That's a pretty nifty kid you got there. Just joking around, congrats and if you need something give me a call and I'll consider it! Once again just joking. Bye.  

Lacey
Sep 6, 2004 9:19:12 PM
yeah its okay brett you spelled my name wrong under the picture with kyla, but its all good because she is so beautiful and i can't wait to come watch her when you guys are ready to leave the house again! Good luck and lots of love!!

Jolie, Rob, Spencer and Alanna Lofink
Sep 6, 2004 10:47:49 PM
CONGRATULATIONS! We are so excited for all of you!  

Srini Nayudu
Sep 6, 2004 10:59:05 PM
Congratulations!! Welcome to the world of Joy, but with sleep-Less nights!! Kyla Looks really cute. Have wonderful time!!  

Barbara Owen
Sep 7, 2004 6:01:38 AM
Congratulations Becky and Brett!! Kyla is just beautiful. Thought I would let you get settled before I bug you to come see her (and of course you guys). Glad to hear Becky and Kyla are doing great. I'll be glad to watch Kyla anytime (along with a million other people). Seeing the pictures brought tears to my eyes (but what's new right!). Love you.

Neil Thannisch
Sep 7, 2004 11:34:58 AM
Congrats you two. What a wonderful blessing you have. These are the good times so enjoy every minute! Just don't let her grow up to be a DBA. Neil  

Grandma Linda
Sep 7, 2004 12:02:34 PM
Dearest Becky, Brett and Kyla - I can't thank you all enough for allowing me to share the wonderful experience of my first grandchild's birth. What an awesome event and what a privilege. I do hope your video comes out okay - my hands were a little shaky. And OK, I admit seeing my little girl in such pain was a little traumatizing (thank God for drugs!). And I'm sure Becky and Brett will agree that Miss Kyla Ashley is certainly worth all the weeks of morning sickness, waiting, final weeks of discomfort, and birth (did I mention thank God for drugs?) AWESOME. I'm very proud of all of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Karthik Krishnamoorthy
Sep 7, 2004 1:12:38 PM
To Brett & Family, I completely enjoyed reading your blog and it is quite amazing of the courage and strength your wife had during labor. Good luck in your new parenthood. God Bless All. Our wishes are with you always. Thanks Karthik  

Kirsten Chambers
Sep 7, 2004 2:45:17 PM
So she is finally here, and she is soooo beautiful! Im so happy for your little family. You will be great parents and Kyla will be the perfect daughter :D Kyla thanks for blessing us with your presence. I cant wait to get to know you more! Love Kirsten  

Grandpa Doug
Sep 8, 2004 11:16:20 AM
Isn't it about time for number two? Congratulations!  

Dale, Mary, Garrett & Ethan
Sep 8, 2004 5:35:06 PM
Congratulations to each of you. What a beautiful baby girl. We are happy to hear that each of you is doing well. Garrett is already asking how old she will be when he sees her and Ethan has developed a fascination for babies. We all look forward to meeting her next summer. Love to each of you.  

Pete & Sue Sposare (Grandpa Doug's Friends)
Sep 8, 2004 7:41:44 PM
Congratulations to the both of you!!! Grandpa Doug has been giving us an update every 2 weeks when he comes for his haircut. She is just beautiful, and Becky, we're glad for you, that she's FINALLY here. Once again, CONGRATS, and try to get some sleep.  

Rob Shultz
Sep 9, 2004 8:58:30 AM
Congratulations Becky and Brett !!! Kyla is beautiful!!! You've entered a whole new phase of life, which is totally the coolest. Enjoy the kid journey...its all amazing and fun!!  

Great Aunt Carol and Great Uncle David in Oklahoma
Sep 9, 2004 1:55:01 PM
Becky and Brett: You have launched a wonderful journey with the birth of beautiful Kyla Ashley. Enjoy!!! She will awaken memories, inspire new dreams and give new reasons for study and prayer. It is obvious you have been preparing in love for a delightful room and joyful adventure in parenthood. The web site was a real treat for these Oklahoma relatives. Babies are wonderful and they keep on growing in their wonder as they progress through each accomplishment.  

Aunt Toni
Sep 9, 2004 9:32:58 PM
Becky and Brett -- she's beautiful! Enjoy every little minute, before long she'll be asking for the car keys. I can't wait to get over there and meet my grand-niece. Kyla, your mommy and daddy are really new at this so give them a break now and then. Welcome to the family.  

Aunt Becky (Chambers)
Sep 10, 2004 8:34:08 AM
Becky, Brett and Kyla - Congratulations to all of you! Kyla is very beautiful and I know you are grateful for her healthy birth. God bless your little family (He will) and all the best as you set out on the new life ahead of you. Love to all - Aunt Becky and Uncle Jeff  

Kristin Hovenkotter
Sep 10, 2004 1:58:15 PM
Congratulations, you guys! Welcome to little Kyla, Hooray! Aw, what a cutie she is! And what a lovely family. :) I have to say though, the labor pictures sure make pregnancy look tempting... HAH.  

Tami
Sep 10, 2004 11:28:25 PM
Doug kept us updated enough that I think at times we were probably more excited, LOL. Congrats!!! I am so very happy that everything worked out all right and you all are doing well. Happy belated birthday to Kyla.  

Connor Vincent
Sep 11, 2004 9:25:54 AM
Hi cousin Kyla!!! I was happy to hear from you, yur parents must be doing a good job..... I also can't wait till we can play, looking forward to the holiday gatherings so we can terrorize the whole family!!!! Litte advice, let your parents get a little sleep every so often, it's amazing what it does for the old ones!!! Tell your parents I said Hi. Love you  

Great Grandma Doris
Sep 11, 2004 5:16:40 PM
Hi Kyla, Your mother and father put together a great photo album for me to enjoy and I am looking forward to seeing you.  

Great Uncle Tom
Sep 11, 2004 5:21:34 PM
Hi Kyla, I hope you love drums because I bought this huge drum set for you. I know that your parents will want to nurture your musical talents. Besides, I have invested heavy in a hearing aid company. Relax Brett and Becky, great web site.  

Great Grandpa & Grandma Jerry & Doris Saulsberry
Sep 12, 2004 12:42:03 PM
Kyla - Wecome to our third generation of the Saulsberry family! We are so happy to meet you and looking to many more visits and pictures as you grow. Becky and Brett congradulations and thanks for adding precious little Kyla to our family.  

Laura Saulsberry( Aunt Laura)
Sep 13, 2004 12:23:22 PM
Welcome Little Kyla ( What a beautiful name, It matches you!) What a special person you are and are going to be as you grow. Congratulations to all. Love, Laura, Erin, Nate and Bryanna  

Anonymous
Sep 13, 2004 7:28:55 PM
Still should have been Kirka......  

Grandma Kerry and Grandpa Marty
Sep 13, 2004 7:33:39 PM
We are so proud of you, you are already doing such a terrific job and it shows in that beautiful little girl. Thanks for sharing so much with us, it has been an awesome experience so far and it is just the beginning. Believe it or not, in a few months you won't even remember these sleepless nights! Love, Grandma Kerry and Grandpa Marty  

Donna Cowger
Sep 13, 2004 7:42:25 PM
Dear Becky & Brett, A huge welcome to your beautiful baby girl! Now maybe Linda will settle down....although I noticed she seems to be into drugs these days, as she mentions them several times in her notes about your birth! I'm taking notes on how to be a grandmother, as she comes over the finish line well before me! Let me know how she does. My best to you all, such a wonderful addition to your family.  

Vivian and Paul Ramquist
Sep 14, 2004 7:43:41 AM
Oh my gosh Becky! She is so cute, I have to say she looks a lot like her Auntie Vivi! Have a great time with your new little bundle. xxo love you

Jamie Saulsberry
Sep 14, 2004 7:57:27 AM
Congradulations Becky and Brett! She truly is a beautiful baby. I wish only the best for your family and life.  

Grandpa Doug
Sep 14, 2004 9:00:50 AM
Well..it is the 14th of September 2004. Lets see... a new little outfit for her two week birhtday... OR a new GO KART! Don't worry Beck, I still have the ole' BB gun to train her on. And, if you and Brett need the "circus act" routines, just hollar.  

Granpa Marty
Sep 14, 2004 7:51:36 PM
I think they should have named her Marka....(old joke) Those peaceful studio photos hide how fast she's growing...all the sacrifices Mom and Dad are making will be rewarded for the first 6 years with the sweetest little girl...she seems to have a beautiful disposition but hey I only see her in the daytime...  

Tami
Sep 14, 2004 8:35:36 PM
Doug said to look again and omg she is amazing, I am so happy for you all. I hope mommy and daddy are getting enough rest, I told Doug (from a mommy) to stop cooking with all the spices as he was very proud of making his famous chicken recipe but ALL I could remember is breastfeeding and then finding out AFTER the colic NOT to eat spicy foods. God bless. Tami  

Melanie Maddox
Sep 15, 2004 10:43:55 AM
Congradulations Becky and Brett on your new little girl. She is so cute and looks just like Becky! Maybe I get a chance to see you guys sometime! Melanie  

Kyla
Sep 16, 2004 12:02:56 PM
Happy Anniversary mom and dad!  

Amy Baldinger
Sep 20, 2004 9:55:27 AM
Congradulations Hovenkotter family! She is beautiful!!!  

Grandpa Marty
Sep 24, 2004 7:27:41 AM
Just checking for new pics of Kyla .....the studio photos have been around quite a while .,..aren't there any new shots ???? Perhaps I could stop over and get some new shots of her...perhaps a fall foliage shot with Kyla and her Mom and Dad in front of some of our fall foliage ?? Kyla's fan club needs new shots weekly........  

Chick Camacho
Sep 30, 2004 12:16:49 PM
I saw the first photos at Great-grand parents Ellie and Gene's and thought Kyla was such a little cutie! I see by the latest pics that she is just becoming a living doll!!! I know mom and dad are so proud of their little one. Great web site. Love to you all.  

Grandma Jan
Oct 1, 2004 11:10:20 PM
Life provides those special moments that will be with you for the rest of your life. Brett, when you walked out and the girls rushed up to you & the three of you hugged, I can not begin to express my joy. And the moment I held Kyla in my arms, my first grandchild was one of the most loving experiences of my life. But the moment that will remain as the most special is standing at the end of the bed and watching Becky's reaction to her child. She was looking at Kyla with tears in her eyes meeting her daughter for the first time. A touching moment. I also remember Brett so lovingly giving his child her first bath. Part of the reason we have children is to experience the joy of grandparenting. Thank-you both for one of the greatest gift that life offers.  

Barbara Owen
Oct 5, 2004 6:00:22 AM
Hi Beck, Brett & Kyla - Just checking in as I do from time to time to see new pictures of Kyla. What a cutie she is. Hope your finally getting some sleep. I need to get over there before she gets much bigger. Take care and give Kyla a kiss for me (as if she doesn't get enough already).  

Todd Dubois
Oct 22, 2004 3:43:03 PM
Congratulations! Quite the cute little ham you have there, and growing fast I see! Where do the days go?...it's been a long time! Thanks for the pictures and good luck to the happy family. Keep in touch, we'll have to get together sometime. :p Thanks, Todd  

Gina, Kaitlyn and Natalie
Oct 26, 2004 10:14:52 AM
Simply amazing...we are still in awe. Kaitlyn and Natalie are wondering when they will be able to play with little Kyla.They miss her as much as I do.  

Heather Bowling (Grant's Mom)
Nov 3, 2004 7:58:51 PM
Becky, I really enjoyed looking at ALL the pictures! The ones from the class were really good. Thanks for sharing your website with me! Your husband did a great job! Kyla is so beautiful! Grant and I will miss seeing you two for the next few weeks... maybe we could get together for lunch or a trip to the mall! Email me if you'd like to get together.  

Grampa Marty and Uncle Kirk checking in.....
Nov 15, 2004 9:15:05 PM
Stopped by to see the new Kyla pics....Boy is she growing....and getting cuter every day!!!!  

Andy
Nov 18, 2004 10:25:24 AM
Andy stopping by to check out the pics. Brett, you've just got it too good! Everything keeps going so well for you! Keep up the good work!  

Micah
Nov 18, 2004 1:37:56 PM
She is a doll you two, way to work the genetic code. :)
 
Jodi
Nov 18, 2004 1:55:05 PM
She is growing like a weed. I have to confess, I actually come here all the time to get a good idea of how things are going to be for us in the upcoming months. Is it just me, or does she have Brett's hair? :) Love to all three of you!!  

Great Grandma Marian
Nov 23, 2004 10:24:07 AM
She's a real cutie! Growing like a weed... Lot's of hair and bright eyes. Looks like she likes to blow bubbles. Take good care of her!  

Aunt Mary Bouchee
Nov 29, 2004 9:09:26 AM
What a fun way to see the baby! Nice pictures and the blog is entertaining. Have fun...they grow up much to quickly.  

Kyla's First Thanksgiving

Kyla’s first Thanksgiving was very busy. The holidays were always hectic for Becky and I as we are very committed to spending time with our families, and we both have divorced parents. Somehow we were ambitious enough to cover all of our families and take Kyla along for the ride.

Thursday morning we were off to Becky’s Dad’s for our first big meal. Grandpa Doug bought a Turkey that was the same size as Kyla, fortunately for that family Kyla is a really big baby. She had lots of fun playing with her cousin Connor, who is eight months old.

Next we were off to my Aunt Judy’s, for the big party (over 30 people). Of course Kyla was the most popular person there being the youngest, though she will have competition at Christmas with her cousin Rylee. My cousin TJ and his wife Kirsten were due the day before Thanksgiving, and were quite disappointed that they were able to make it to dinner.

On Friday morning we had breakfast with my Dad’s family, including Kerry’s parents who had flown in from Southern California. Next we headed to my mother’s for her extra Thanksgiving. She goes to Tom and Judy’s too, but she loves to cook her own turkey dinner. Kyla got to show off her recently acquired voice stylings while Mom pondered new ways to spoil her.

Finally on Sunday we had dinner at our place with Becky’s mother’s family. Again babies dominated the conversation since Wesley and Shanna were expecting to deliver their baby any day (they were due the day before Rylee).

The holiday season has begun; stay tuned to see if the rookie parents survive.

October 2004

Kyla is now two months old and Becky and I are amazed at how much she's changed, and by how much our lives continue to change.

Mother and daughter have really gotten the breastfeeding thing down, which has made Kyla grow to over 12 pounds. Kyla's heavy appetite has taken its toll on Becky who feeds her on demand, night and day. I don't know if it's the need to feed Kyla or motherly instinct, but the two of them haven't been separated for more than 30 minutes at a stretch; though I suppose it is natural after being indivisible for nine months.

Biology dictates that I am not able to contribute quite as much to raising the baby as Becky at this point, though I absolutely love spending time with Kyla and I try to give Becky as many breaks as I can. She has become much more interactive with her smiling and cooing. It's clear to me that she is a little genius (just kidding, I'm holding off on the Stanford enrollment paperwork).

We're trying to get her to take breast milk from a bottle, but she won't be fooled and prefers to get it straight from the source. She also shows a strong preference for her parents over all others, so she'll have to stay close to us for the time being. This has been a source of frustration for her grandmothers, who insist that she is ready to be babysat.

Kyla teased Becky several nights by sleeping for four to six hours straight, only to revert to her stretches of two hours or less. We learned that this pattern often coincides with a major development, and sure enough she just started rolling over, which is a very impressive feat for an eight week old. Apparently babies practice these types of exploits in their sleep before they are able to perform them in reality, which explains the increase in the grunting noises she's been making at night.

Everyone had told us that babies love to ride in the car, but apparently Kyla is the exception. Short trips become much longer when you have to stop every five minutes or so to appease the baby. We have done everything we can think of to make this a better environment for her; we got her a new car seat and I bought a new car (I don't think Becky is convinced that this purchase was entirely for Kyla's benefit).

I promise to keep the updates coming, so stay tuned.

Kyla's First Halloween

Kyla’s first Halloween was a busy day. I spent the afternoon haggling with the Honda dealership to get the best deal I could on my new Accord. My old car was a coupe (’99 Toyota Solara) so it was time to bite the bullet and get an official family car, complete with car seat and a mirror that flashes lights and plays an annoying rendition of “Pop Goes the Weasel.” I still have 18 months until I hit 30, but these automotive accessories are definitive proof that my youth is already dead.

Then for Trick or Treating we went to Bellevue Square with Grandma Linda (Becky’s mom) where all of the stores give out candy. Apparently many other parents were also trying to avoid the cold because the mall was packed full of Eastside offspring. I took refuge at Eddie Bauer while the girls went to the Nordstrom lounge, which is apparently a breastfeeding haven.

Kyla wore a pumpkin outfit that Grandma Jan (my mother) bought her. Having a granddaughter is an impulse-shopping woman’s dream. Kyla looked extremely cute in her costume, though she more or less slept through the entire Trick or Treating experience.

September 2004

September has been easily the most exciting, challenging, and rewarding month of our lives. The birth of our daughter was only the beginning of this wild ride called parenthood, and we feel as if we haven’t had a chance to stop and get our breath.

It is amazing to me that the human race has made it this far now that I’ve witnessed firsthand the trials you face bringing a new person into the world. I always assumed that breastfeeding was a completely natural phenomenon that didn’t require much effort on the part of the feeder. In reality it is an incredibly challenging exercise that takes a while to master. Every nurse at the hospital showed Becky a different technique and we were both thoroughly confused until we visited a Lactation Consultant three days after the birth. The fact that hospitals actually employ professionals devoted to breastfeeding speaks volumes about how simple it is.

Sleeping has of course been a luxury. Becky can’t figure out why she can only manage four hours of sleep a day while Kyla gets about 20. Relative to Becky I’ve been spoiled in this department since I have no means of feeding Kyla yet, plus a new mother produces hormones that cause her to become immediately alert when her baby cries that a new father does not.

For some reason I was under the impression that you have to change a baby’s diaper every three hours. In reality it has been about once an hour, and I’ve lost track of the number of times she’s gone immediately after changing her (and a few during). I’m thinking about dividing my 401(k) funds between Pampers and Huggies.

Other than simply caring for Kyla, September has been a blur of shopping trips to Target and Babies ‘R’ Us, visiting with family and friends who make few pretenses of who they really want to see (hint: she weighs less than 10 pounds), and attempting to keep our household afloat. I went back to work after a couple weeks, which has returned some normalcy to my routine, though I often find myself longing to hold Kyla and eager to get home.

Even in light of all of the demands that have been placed on me since Kyla’s birth, there is no doubt in my mind that becoming a parent has been and will continue to be the most extraordinary and gratifying thing I’ve ever done with my life. There is nothing like locking eyes with your child and sharing a moment with her. She has even begun to smile recently, which gives me hope that she is enjoying me as much as I’m enjoying her.

The Big Day

Kyla Ashley Hovenkotter was born at 8:27 PM, on Tuesday, August 31^st, 2004. She weighed in at 8 pounds, 2 ounces (ouch!) and she was 20 ½ inches long.

We checked into the Evergreen Hospital Family Maternity Center at 6:45 in the morning to be induced since Kyla was a week overdue and Becky was already dilated to 4 centimeters. Daina was our labor nurse, and she was great at making Becky feel comfortable and at keeping the mood light and positive. Becky’s mother, Linda, was also there to help.

Becky was given pitocin, which is the hormone that causes labor to get her started, and it didn’t take long before the contractions started getting very strong. Dr Tsuang broke Becky’s water around 9:00.

Before noon, Becky was at 5 centimeters and really started feeling the pain that we had been hearing about. She was resilient and wanted to wait as long as possible before getting the epidural. Finally after being doubled over in agony and 7 centimeters dilated she asked to have the Anesthesiologist stop by.

At around 6:30 Daina had Becky start pushing and soon after Dr Tsuang showed up to lead the show. With each contraction Becky pushed harder and harder determined to meet our new baby as soon as possible. After an hour and a half, Dr Tsuang offered to use a vacuum, but Becky refused, resolute as ever to deliver unaided. I was completely amazed by her strength and will power; she would keep pushing even after the doctor told her she could stop.

Finally, after two hours of pushing, Kyla arrived. Dr Tsuang quickly handed her to Becky and the three of us spent time together as a family for the first time. Then the nurses took Kyla to check her out and measure her. Next I had the honor of giving Kyla her first bath, which she didn’t particularly enjoy.

The rest of Kyla’s grandparents were all in the waiting room through the birth and were eager to meet the newest member of the family. Of course everyone wanted to dissect her every attribute to figure out where it came from. Becky pointed out that she appears to share a particular forehead wrinkle with me.

That first night in the hospital, Kyla barely slept and Becky and I stayed up with her, though we didn’t mind. We were completely fascinated with this beautiful little person we had brought into our lives.

Everything I had been told about the birth of my child being the most fascinating, wonderful day of my life was completely true. There is absolutely nothing like seeing a baby enter the world, and everyday of my life from this point forward will be irrevocably changed. As my mother has always said, love multiples, it doesn’t divide.

Pregnancy

Finding Out
Becky took a pregnancy test on the morning of December 23rd, 2003. At first I thought it was negative, because the second line was so faint. Over the course of that day we started getting our hopes up little by little.

Becky took another the morning of Christmas Eve, and this time the line was still faint, but darker than the day before. We went to see Becky’s doctor later that morning, who confirmed that we were going to be parents.

We were overwhelmed with excitement and couldn’t wait to tell everyone, but I foolishly thought that we should only tell our immediate family and wait the traditional three months before telling everyone else. It was Becky’s idea to wrap up a bib declaring “I love my grandma” or “I love my grandpa” and give them to our parents for Christmas, except for her mother, who already knew.

After being told, my mother promptly refused to keep our secret, and then scurried off to her bedroom where she began calling everyone she knew to tell him or her that she was going to be a grandmother. At this point I started making phone calls of my own to try and stay ahead of Mom’s vast social network.

For Becky’s birthday (the 29th), we went to Victoria, BC, since she had declared that she wanted to go on a trip before finding out she was expecting. We had fun, spending a lot of our time talking about the baby, but the trip was cut short as Becky began feeling some of her first pregnancy symptoms, which aren’t altogether pleasant.

First Trimester
The first trimester was fairly typical, which is to say that it was an awful experience for Becky. She soon discovered that morning sickness actually lasts all day, and that most of those odd cravings are actually for the only foods that were bland enough for her weak stomach to tolerate.

We first got to see the baby on February 5th, when Dr Tsuang pulled out the sonogram to make an estimate of the baby’s heart rate. The baby was just a tiny blob of pixels on an LCD screen, but it was touching to actually see this tiny human that we had created.

On February 29th, we were watching the Academy Awards (commercial edited thanks to TiVo) with the future Hovenkotter grandparents and uncles when Becky felt some twitches that she had never felt before. This we guessed, and the doctor later confirmed, were the first of the baby’s movements that Becky could feel.

Second Trimester
Pregnancy’s second three months are the easiest on the expectant mother. Becky was a little cheated since her nausea lasted 16 weeks instead of 12, but by and large this was the period of time that was easiest on her. Plus it was during this time that she started to “show,” and while she didn’t like the changes to her body, she appreciated having some evidence of her condition.

On April 2nd, we had our first ultrasound. Since we both embrace the technological capabilities of modern medicine and were too impatient to wait, we were very excited to find out if we were going to have a little boy or little girl. As Becky had been secretly hoping (Brett didn’t particularly care), we learned that we were going to have a daughter. This was for the best since we couldn’t agree on a boy name, but had picked a girl name even before we were pregnant: Kyla Ashley Hovenkotter.

Third Trimester
As the third trimester began, the kicks had started becoming stronger; strong enough that Becky started having trouble sleeping through the night. Fetuses tend to be most active when mothers are at rest, and to her dismay Kyla was no exception.

We started attending classes where I learned that everything I had been taught about labor from movies and television was wrong. Apparently less than 10% of labors begin with the breaking of the water, and the hospital won’t even admit you until you’ve made it through early labor, which can last for over eight hours.

This was about the time that we kicked into high gear to get the nursery ready for its future resident. We put up two coats of paint and Becky began designing the perfect baby room. The Baby Shower was on July 10th, and we received two carloads of gifts, and the next day we went to Babies ‘R’ Us and bought three shopping carts full of baby stuff.

My project has been this Website, which I have spent many hours getting ready for putting up lots of pictures of Kyla as soon as we get home from the hospital. Computer geeks have their own priorities when it comes to their children.

The Waiting
The first eight and a half months of this pregnancy flew by, but now that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, time has slowed to a crawl. Becky’s mood is profoundly affected by her inability to sleep, her physical discomfort, and her irritation that Kyla isn’t ready to come out yet. Excited friends and grandparents-to-be often call us, just in case we forgot about them. It is clear to me that Mother Nature knew what she was doing when she put the burden of choosing when the Big Day will be on the babies and not the mothers, because otherwise no baby would ever be carried to term.

Keep coming back for updates and news of Kyla’s arrival.