Fall Adventures

The snow has started and the weather has turned cold. While winter has not officially started, I would say that fall is over. Here are some pictures of the adventures Daniel had this fall.

To start with here is a picture of Daniel on the day he was dedicated at our church and a link to watch the video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2XfNjVlw5U

One of our favorite places to take Daniel is the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo.

Here are pictures of Daniel at Hilger's Market picking out his first pumpkin:

Here are some pictures from Daniel's (and our) first apple picking trip:

On Halloween Daniel helped Nicole pass out candy to kids in the neighborhood:

Of course basketball season has started so I've got Daniel watching games with me already:

And of course here are some recent cute pictures of Daniel:

During all of this Daniel got to go to the babysitter for the first time so that Nicole and I could celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary:

Next week we head home to Phoenix for Thanksgiving and some warm weather, yeah!

Daniel Earn's His Wings

As my mom was preparing to leave Fort Wayne we decided at the last minute to join her on a flight to Phoenix so that Daniel could meet the rest of the family.

We were very happy to have the chance to see everyone. We'll see you all at Thanksgiving!

Wow how time flys!

Daniel is now two months old! I can't believe it. It seems like just yesterday that we were bringing the little man home.

We've been very busy during the last two months adjusting our lives. Feeding, burping, bathing, changing diapers, finding time to sleep, etc. The responsibility of a little life is in our hands and it is amazing.

Daniel has been through a lot in the last couple of months as he has started to learn about the world. After Joanie returned to Phoenix my mom Paula came out to visit and help with Daniel.

My brother Mike took the opportunity to come out from Chicago and visit with mom and Daniel.

After an all too brief stay mom had to return to Phoenix. Check back soon to find out what happened next...

The Adventure Begins!!

The baby was officially due Monday July 28. On Wednesday morning July 30 we had a doctor's appointment and Nicole was dilated about 1cm. We scheduled an appointment for Tuesday night next week for her to be induced just in case the baby did not come.

I had just got back from playing basketball on Wednesday night when Nicole said she had been having some contractions off and on while she was watching TV with her mom, Joanie. This was not unusual so I didn't think anything of it. Around 11pm we were heading to bed when the contractions starting becoming more regular. We started timing the contractions and they were about 5-7 minutes apart. By midnight I knew this was probably it so I made sure we were packed and ready to go and let Joanie know she needed to get ready.

By 1 am we were at the hospital getting checked in and contractions were 3-5 minutes apart. Nicole was checked by the nurses and moved into the delivery room just before 2am. Jeni, the night duty nurse was great and helped us through the night and the toughest parts.

As to be expected Nicole was in a lot of pain but was real trooper through it all. Joanie and I did our best to keep her as comfortable as possible.

After about 12 hours of labor the moment had finally arrived. Dr. Boyd came in to help deliver the baby.

Welcome Daniel John Kessler! Daniel was born on July 31, 2008 at 10:52 am. He weighed 7lbs 3oz and was 20 1/2 inches long. The video above was taken just moments after his birth. After he was cleaned up Nicole got her first look at the baby.

It was a long night but, of course, completely worth it. And so, now the adventure really begins. We've been waiting to see him and Daniel is finally here. Nicole and I could not be happier.

We were blessed to have great nurses like Sharon and Mindy helping us.

Here he is. We've been getting to know Daniel over the last 24 hours. He hiccups a lot and likes to move his arms and legs when he sleeps and when he dreams he moves his lips. So far he has been pretty easy to calm down - one can only hope that this continues in the future.

Lord Jesus, we pray for our son Daniel. Bless him Lord with a long, happy, healthy life. Lord give Nicole and I wisdom and strength as we guide him. To You alone be the glory for your magnificent creation!