Vacation

Working for a bank has many advantages; one of which comes every Columbus Day when we get the day off. I extended the long weekend to a full week in order to spend some quality time with Dylan. Dana has exhausted all of her vacation (and then some.) So, it was the boys at home.
The good news out of this week is that no one got seriously injured in the process. We both made it to the weekend in one piece. That is a victory in and of itself. I told Dana at the end of the week that, despite the fun we had, I needed to get back to the office to kill something.
Here is a recap of the week’s activities:
Monday
Dylan wakes up every morning a happy baby. It is such a treat to see that smile first thing in the morning. After his first feeding, he is back to sleep within 90 minutes of waking up. This long morning nap allows for some Bryan time. Bryan time these days involves watching Sports Center and Squawk Box on CNBC and catching up on email.
We went to historic downtown St. Augustine in the afternoon. We had lunch at Madre’s. I loaded him into the Baby Bjorn and walked through St. George Street. He was all smiles as the people gawked at him. This wore him out as he was sound asleep by the time we made it to the car.
Tuesday
We went to the driving range in the afternoon. It was perfect weather and Dylan was wide awake to see his Dad hit some golf balls very poorly. He has watched enough golf on TV to know better. He has graduated from cooing and has found this high pitched shrill (the kind that makes your ears ring) and was using it on the golf course. I had to leave my bucket half way through as my gallery was a little too loud.
Wednesday
Dylan had his 4 month checkup and shots in the afternoon. He, again, was all smiles to the nurses at the doctor’s office. This boy can really turn on the charm when he wants. The charm ended when she pulled the needle out and gave some shots. We stayed in the room for a couple of extra minutes and ‘hugged it out.’ He was very tough and I walked a very proud father. Why so proud? Well, it’s because he is in the 99th percentile in length! Coming from a slightly vertically challenged family, this is great news. Coach Izzo, are you reading this? I can come up with the scholarship paperwork by the end of the week.
Our doctor came in and asked me if I had any questions. I am not sure what the normal response she gets, but it’s probably not what I did. I pulled out a folded piece of paper and a pen and proceeded to go down our list of questions. Halfway through the list, the doctor politely asked if she could tend to Dylan while I continued to pepper her with questions. From suntan lotion (hey, the bottle says less than 6 months old, ask a doctor) to swine flu symptoms, I think we got all of our questions answered. We got our money’s worth during this visit.
Thursday
Dylan was a little groggy today from Wednesday’s shots. He did a lot of sleeping. We made it out to do a little shopping and people watching at Panera Bread. Actually, the people watching changed to being watched by people when Dylan burped up half of his bottle on my black shirt. What a mess. I packed an extra outfit for him, but not one for me. I’ll know better next time.
Friday
We saved the best for last today, at least that what I thought. We made it to the beach just in time for the rain to come down. We stayed out there for about 15-20 minutes before heading back to the car. Not the beach trip I had imagined in my head, but it was fun while it lasted.


Bryan and Dylan were enjoying some football together. Like father, like son.

At the pumpkin patch. Dylan "tolerated" it. He was mesmerized by the pumpkins.

For Halloween he is a baseball player.

Dylan was really enjoying some rice cereal. He loves to eat.