RIP, 2008 Detroit Tigers

A Detroit Tigers season that started with so much promise will mercifully draw to a close in an hour or so. It's been a very frustrating year, as a team with a $138 million payroll and supposed "Murderer's Row" of hitters showed time and time again how extremely overrated they were. I watched pretty much every game until Levi was born, and then the wheels finally fell off and I couldn't stomach it anymore. I was watching their make-up game against the White Sox tonight and just saw their bullpen give up a grand slam. What a fitting end to the season. I hope there are a lot of changes before next year, although at this point I have no idea what they can do to fix this mess. Looks like it'll be another 20 years before we make the playoffs again....just in time for Levi to start college!

Ahh....nothing like a Magglio walk-off HR to help ease the pain

In other Detroit sports news, all the Lions fans rejoiced when Matt Millen was finally fired last week. Unfortunately it was 5 years too late, and the team is in terrible shape. Terrible OL and DL, bad coaches, old QB, and not many good young players. Millen may have lasted 7+ years, but this team will be terrible because of him for much longer.

Levi had a rough week. For about three days, he was Mr. Fussy Pants (our nickname for him). He was extremely fussy when we held him, and if we put him down he started screaming. Luckily it only lasted a few days, and then he has back to his normal happy self. He has started clutching and grabbing on things. I have found this out the hard way because he likes to grab and pull my armpit hair when I'm holding him. He has also started sucking on his hand. He can pretty much shove his entire hand in his mouth. He's still gaining weight at a healthy clip and we enjoy admiring his double chin, chubby cheeks, and the little roll that hangs over his waistband. He's still sleeping through the night which is a blessing for mom and dad. Oddly enough, its easier to function during the day when you get enough sleep at night. Who knew?

He's only 2 months old, but he's already advanced enough to gather all his toys and read books.

"I wonder if I can swallow my entire hand?"

Not sure what question mom asked, but it looks like Levi has the answer.

Elephant, monkey, giraffe, and....turtle? Even Levi knows something is a bit off with that.

I'm happy that Levi laughs at my jokes. He may not understand them, but at least someone laughs at them.

Two Months Old!

This past Thursday our little munchkin turned two months old. He celebrated the big day by going to the doctor and getting poked by a lot of needles. He was a little upset after his shots, but after a few minutes he settled down and was pretty good until his Tylonel wore off later that evening. We didn't think he would ever go to bed that night, but he finally did get some sleep.

He weighed in at 11 pounds, 12 ounces and he was 22-1/2 inches long. His weight was in the 50th percentile and his length was 45th percentile. His head circumference was only in the 7th percentile though. Luckily his hair is in the 98th percentile, so his small head isn't that noticeable.

This past Saturday Grandma and Grandpa Chapin came up to watch Levi while Courtney went on a birthday shopping spree and I worked on my to-do list. Then on Sunday he got to see Grandma Carla and Grandpa Terry for a little bit. The rest of the week he's been entertaining us with loud coos, frantic movements, and upset cries whenever he is set down for longer than 5 seconds. He also discovered the TV on Sunday. Courtney and I were rearranging the downstairs, and he was fussing so we set him on the couch while we tried to figure things out. A couple minutes later we realized he wasn't making any noise, so we looked at him and he was transfixed on the Lions game. Not sure why he didn't start crying immediately, but he probably couldn't see that far.

I think the flash was a little too close to his face.

He was asleep when Courtney took this picture. Probably dreaming about how cool his parents are.

Rockin' it in his pumpkin bib.

Grandma Carla and Grandpa Terry w/ Levi, and Levi is apparently trying to do a backflip out of Grandma's arms.

Levi watching the Lions. Poor guy doesn't know what in store for him.

Getting him prepped for his future baseball career.

With the #1 pick in the 2026 MLB draft, the Detroit Tigers select Levi Chapin...

That glove is about 100 years older than him.

Now that Levi is around, Prince is pretty happy he doesn't have to be in as many photoshoots.
But he still gets used a prop from time to time.

The Office starts up again on Thursday!! Here's a clip to get you in the mood.

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

Well, I think fall is officially here. I do love this season though. Fall means cooler temperatures, football, leaves changing colors, and raking. Wait, that last one isn't fun...

This weekend was quite the experience. On Friday my parents and sister came up to take Courtney out to dinner for her birthday and to see Levi, of course. We started driving to the restaurant and I thought the car felt a little low to the ground. Realizing Courtney was the last person to drive, I adjusted the seat back to where I like it thinking this would solve the problem. It didn't. Then I started hearing a funny noise, so I pulled off on a side street. We had a flat tire. So my dad and I changed the tire (in the rain) and drove back and got the Pilot. Eventually we were able to have a nice dinner at Los Tres Amigos. Saturday morning I woke up at 7 AM (yes, you saw that correctly. 7 freaking AM. I haven't been up that early on a Saturday in...well...I can't even remember when) to take Court's car in to have the tire checked out. It was beyond repair so we had to get a new one. After that we went grocery shopping, to Target, to a birthday party, and then eventually back to our house for life group. It was a pretty exhausting day. Luckily on Sunday I was able to compensate by watching football all day while Courtney spent most of the day hanging out with her friends Casey and Melissa. The weather presented us with some interesting challenges as our basement had a little river coming out of the foundation on Sunday. But luckily it was in the unfinished part of the basement, and flowed straight down to the sump pump crock.

Also, Courtney has come to a decision about work. She is going to go back to work part-time and work 3 days a week. So we've got a daycare set up for Levi 3 days a week, and she'll be home the other 2 days. We figured this would be the best of both worlds as Courtney would get a chance to get out of the house and interact with real adults 3 days a week, but also get to stay at home with Levi and not take on a full work schedule. She goes back on October 14th...just around the corner!

Levi turns 2 months on Thursday and has a doctor appointment full of immunizations, so that should be a pretty fun night for all of us. He's still "talking" to us and lately has been pretty clingy. When we put him down he'll start crying almost immediately. He is still sleeping about 6-7 hours most nights which is very nice. He's moving a lot in his bed at night. He'll be in an almost entirely different position in the morning than he was when we put him to bed. Oh, and he's still pretty cute.

Not sure what I just said, but it must have been pretty darn funny.

Levi practicing his Kung Fu moves.

Grandpa Chapin and Levi. Not sure who Grandma is talking to.

The Chapin family. Its pretty amazing how well this turned out. My dad is more red than Prince is.

Levi and Aunt Mindy. Looks like he's trying to leave a present for her in his diaper.

To save some time, Courtney decided to run Levi through the wash with the rest of the clothes.

He really seemed to enjoy it.

Prince is a little confused why there is a baby in the clean laundry.

Happy Birthday Courtney!!!

This baby turned 29 today. Grandma Carla volunteered for babysitting duty so we could head out for dinner at Bennigan's and a warm drink at Biggby's Coffee. I still owe Courtney one backrub, so maybe if I take a while with this post the clock will strike midnight and I'll be absolved from by obligation. Nah, she deserves it. Happy Birthday Courtney!!!

For an additional treat, we've uploaded a video of Levi just being cool. Enjoy!

Another Lions Disaster is Underway

I don't know how people continue to get excited about the Lions year after year. Take my dad for instance. You would think that after 50+ years of terrible football, that he would be bitter, jaded, and negative beyond belief. Not true. He asks me if I'm watching the preseason games, tells me how good they look, tells me all the good stuff he's reading about them in the Free Press, etc. And then the season starts, and they find new ways to rip your heart out. I remember in the 90's how they would tease with a good regular season, only to fall flat in the playoffs year after year. Of course, after the Matt Millen era, losing in the first round of the playoffs would be like winning the Super Bowl. Another season started yesterday, and it took all of three plays for me to lose all hope for this season. So congrats Matt Millen, you've officially killed the Lions fan in me. I just wonder how many more years he'll be on the job before he actually gets fired.

And since I'm sure you're not here to read about how terrible the Lions are, here's some Levi-updates. He's been getting better at sleeping through the night. We'll put him to bed between 11 and 12, and he's been sleeping pretty consistently until between 6 and 7 the next morning. He's given us 4 AM wake-up calls the last couple of nights though, so its still a work in progress. He's definitely becoming more aware of his surroundings. He seems to really like it when we talk or sing to him. He's starting to "coo" as well, so I'm sure he'll be talking in complete sentences in no time. We also had to remove the infant insert in his carseat this week, so we're wondering how big our growing boy will be at his next doctor appointment.

Also, for you faithful blog readers, just wanted to let you know that this Wednesday is Courtney's 29th birthday. She's a little bummed since we'll no longer be the same age....she really enjoys this three week overlap where we are the same age. So be sure to tell her happy birthday to cheer her up!

Levi seems pretty fixated on his jungle-themed mobile.

Fast asleep in his kangaroo pouch.

I need to remember pictures like this when he is crying uncontrollably.

Our little frog-boy.

Practicing his dance moves.

It's a bird, it's a plane...

Dad: "You see Levi, if Adrian Peterson scores 7 points tonight, then Daddy wins in his fantasy football league."
Levi: "Very interesting father. Excuse me while I poop my diapers and throw up on the keyboard."

Happy Labor Day!

It's been a couple weeks since we've updated our blog (I know what you're thinking...Thanks, Captain Obvious). For whatever reason having a kid seems to take up all the free time you used to have. Who knew?

The last couple of weeks have been pretty good. Courtney and I enjoyed watching the Olympics when they were on, although if I hear another story about Michael Phelps I might throw up. I love watching track and field because it reminds me of high school when I was actually fast and in shape. It's amazing to me that in the 200 meter dash these guys are about 4 seconds faster than I was in high school. 4 seconds!! It seems like such a small amount of time, but in actuality I'd probably be making the turn when they were crossing the finish line. Watching the Olympics can be pretty inspiring and it makes you want to get out there and get in shape. It didn't take with me though, because about the only thing I could compete for a gold medal in would be an ice cream eating contest.

Aside from the Olympics, Levi has been keeping our lives pretty busy. He is getting bigger and much more awake and alert. He really enjoys his playmat and looking at all the hanging animals and lights. He has been sleeping through the night pretty regularly too.....a nice birthday gift for mom and dad! He's definitely a people-person and prefers to be held as opposed to being left in his bouncey seat or swing. He seems pretty strong too and often tries to stand when I am holding him up. I have a feeling he'll be moving all around the house before too long....better enjoy this time before he is mobile. We'll have to update the blog more often, because there have been about a zillion cute pictures since the last time. And since those of you reading this care much more about pictures of the baby than what is going on with us, I won't keep you waiting any longer. Enjoy!!

Levi decided to practice his senior picture poses on our friend Melissa.

I asked Levi for advice before my fantasy football draft, but all he did was looked at me and messed his diaper.

It gets pretty tiring being a baby...

I hope he doesn't have eye damage from all the flash photography...

Mom and Levi looking good as usual.

I know he looks like an angel, but I promise he actually cries. A lot.

I think Levi liked Prince as a Hairy Boppy. Prince had no idea what to do so he tried to remain as motionless as possible.

Levi is really starting to enjoy bath time....he didn't cry the entire time!

And afterward he was even smiling in his towel!

Levi enjoyed his first Freed family photo shoot.

Mom and Levi taking a Sunday afternoon nap. They're both super excited about the NFL starting this week!!

Levi and Prince were exhausted after a fun Labor Day at Grandma and Grandpa Chapins.