The Gardner Blog

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

2011-01-03T18:28:00.000-08:00

ONCE again, a lot has happened since our last blog. I officially began my career with the Air Force last October. It began with a 5-week officer training course in Montgomery, AL. It was a good experience, but also fairly challenging. We got up at 4:30 a.m. every day, and almost the entire day was completely regimented--filled with marching, academics, physical fitness, leadership training, silent meals (they seriously made us eat nearly every meal like we were silent robots), uniform inspections, saluting "superior" officers, and making sure almost every other word you said was "sir or ma'am." I could go on, but hopefully you get the picture. I was really amazed with how much there is to learn about the military and the way they do things ( . . . or at least the way things are supposed to be done; apparently, the "real" Air Force, I was told, is a lot more down to earth than the training environment).

After my 5-week stint in Alabama, we made a big road trip to the wonderful state of Texas. We started out in Indiana (where our storage unit was), picked up the biggest rental truck we could find (a 26' Penske), drove to Baltimore (to pick up the things in our house), and finally made our way Abilene, Texas--an obscure town in west central Texas. It's about 3 hrs west of Dallas-Fort Worth. It was a long drive, especially with 2 kids. But thankfully, we had Lola to help with the Kids. We actually had Thanksgiving dinner on the road at IHop, which was memorable, I guess. Since Mason missed me so much while I was at my training, he rode the whole way with me in the front seat of the truck (don't worry, he was in a car seat and the truck didn't have air bags).

We're actually enjoying it here in "almost-middle-of-nowhere" Texas (Abline's MSA population is about 160,000). It's more laid back that the crowded big cities on the east coast. The weather is amazing! The people are very nice (and some even have cool Texan accents). We did discover that there is some truth to the stereotype of people here really liking their guns and trucks. It seems like most cars on the road are either pickups or a large SUV's. So naturally, we took this into account when it was time to buy a second car for me to drive to work, and we ended up buying a Suburban (an '03 with ~145,000 miles on it). It seems to be in good shape and runs really well, and it should serve us well for at least the next 5 years or so. We like it because it has all the usefulness of a minivan, but also the "coolness" of a Chevy truck (and in Texas a Chevy truck is pretty cool).

Mason and Joshua are doing well. Mason is talking a lot more than before, and he likes to repeat things we say. He still loves cars and trains, although lately he has been much more focused on trains. He has two trains that he takes everywhere with him (eating, sleeping, bathing--you name it). This past Sunday was his first time in Primary. Sara had to stay with him the whole time, but he eventually started to like being there. Joshua is doing well too. He has grown to about 26" and weighs about 21 lbs. He really loves to eat, as you can tell by his pictures. Nearly every person Sara talks to asks how old he is, and when Sara says he's 7 months old, they all say something to the effect of "wow, he's really big." He is a very cheerful, observant, and happy baby. He loves to smile at people. And his smile consists of opening his mouth as wide as possible while looking right into your eyes, while his eyes just radiate with pure joy. We really love his smile. Other than eating, he also loves to be held and loves to observe his surroundings and his older brother Mason.

We miss all our friends and family and hope everyone is doing well. We've added some more pictures to our web album. We've also added some videos to our YouTube Channel as well. I've included some of the videos below:

Living in Baltimore (and moving to Texas)

2010-09-21T17:24:00.000-07:00

A LOT has happened since we last updated this blog. About 2 weeks after Joshua was born we decided to go to Cleveland to live with my family while I studied for the bar. Joshua was waking up several times a night and Sara needed some help, especially with all the studying I was doing. We had a great time in Cleveland. My mom was a great help during that time, and we're very grateful for all her help.

After 2.5 months of studying, I finally took the North Carolina bar exam, which was 12 hours of intense testing done over 2 days. Luckily, I passed the exam, and about 2 weeks ago I was sworn in as a lawyer in the fine state of North Carolina. The pass rate for the exam is about 65 percent, and typically out-of-staters don't do as well, so we definitely felt very blessed that I was able to pass the exam. It was definitely something I would not want to do again. I'll never forget the huge county warehouse that all 1,100 of us were herded into. It's normally used for storing cattle (and it still smelled that way), and I don't know how many times I had to swat gnats off my computer during the essay portion of the exam. Side note: If any prospective lawyers are reading this, I would definitely recommend investing in a bar review course (I did an online course through Kaplan and found it very helpful) and also really dedicating those 2.5 months to studying.

After the bar exam, we moved from South Bend to Baltimore. It's taken us awhile to get settled in (and to get the internet set up), hence the 3+ month gap since the last blog. We are currently waiting for me to start with the Air Force. Next month, I will go down to Montgomery, Alabama to start my 5-week "Commissioned Officer Training," and then we'll be moving (again!)--this time to Abilene, TX where I will be stationed for my "first duty assignment." (We anticipate being there for about 3 years, and considering all the moving we've done since we've been married, this will literally be "settling down" for us.)

Mason and Joshua are both doing well. Mason will be 3 years old next week! It's hard to believe how fast time has gone by. Joshua is about 17 lbs. now and has really put on a lot of weight since he was born. At first we wondered why he seemed to be born with extra flabs of skin, but now we know. He has totally grown into all that extra skin and is a rather "plump" little boy (just like I was at his age). Joshua is very alert and loves to look you in the eyes and give you the biggest smile ever.

Here is a picture of Joshua before he "filled out:"

And here is a picture of him after he "filled out:"

And finally, here is a quiz to see if you can tell which picture is of Mason and which picture is of Joshua:

We hope everyone is doing well. Below I have also included some video clips of Joshua and Mason. Take care!

One Week Later

2010-06-06T17:49:00.000-07:00

WE have officially survived being the parents of 2 children for over 1 week now! Sara and Joshua came home from the hospital on Monday evening (5/31/2010), which was 3 1/2 days after Joshua's birth. We have had my Mom with us this past week to help us take care of the joyful new addition to our family, and we have really enjoyed all her help, especially at night time, and we will really miss her when she leaves tomorrow. Fortunately, some of our friends and neighbors have offered to help bring us meals this coming week, and we are really looking forward to that.

Nursing is going well with Joshua. He is eating at about 3 to 4 hour intervals, which is better than we expected. We're still working on having him sleep on his own though--he still loves to be held and still refuses to sleep by laying flat on his back. He is still amazingly strong considering his age and size. For some reason his cries aren't all that bad; they're actually fairly quiet (at least for now).

Mason seems to be getting along well with Joshua too. I'm sure he'll be a wonderful big brother. We are very proud of him. The nursery leader at church told us that Mason was participating and singing along with the other kids for the first time, and we were really happy to hear that. It is neat how as a parent every little accomplishment by your child just makes you so proud. Even though Mason is slightly behind with his speech at the moment, that doesn't change in the least how proud we are of him or how much we love him. Having a kid really teaches you what it means to love someone unconditionally. And even though Joshua is only one week old, we are also very proud of him and his wonderful accomplishments, especially learning how to nurse (and how to do it at fairly reasonable intervals).

Sara seems to be healing well and adjusting well to life with 2 kids. She has also been very supportive of my studying for the bar. I will be officially taking the North Carolina bar in 7 weeks from now, so I've been doing my best to prepare for that (by studying 9-10 hours a day, 6 days a week). After I take the bar at the end of July, we will be immediately moving back to Baltimore to wait for my employment to being at the Air Force (which starts in October). Because Sara's brother is moving to Texas, he's letting us stay in his townhome in downtown Baltimore for free! We're looking forward to going back there and eating some wonderful Maryland blue crab. (We'll be living literally 1 block away from where we used to live.) Also, it will be especially nice for Sara because she'll have her Mom there to help her while I do my three month JAG training in Alabama.

Below is a 1 min. video clip of Mason and Joshua (about 9 days after Joshua's birth). I've also included a nice picture of Mason and Joshua hanging out together. We hope everyone is doing well. Thanks for reading. Take care.

Baby Joshua is Born

2010-05-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

OVER this Memorial Day weekend, we had the privilege of welcoming the newest addition to our family. Joshua Benjamin Gardner was born at 7:34am on Friday, May 28, 2010. He weighed 7.5 lbs and was 20'' long. The scheduled c-section went smoothly and there were no complications. My mom, Mason, and I are currently here at the hospital visiting Sara and Joshua. They both seem to be doing well, and they are scheduled to come home tomorrow.

Joshua was born with lots of hair (just like Mason). He is fairly calm, at least until he's taken away from his mother. He is nursing well, which we are very happy about. He seems to be very healthy and also very strong. No matter how hard we try, we can't seem to keep his arms bundled in his blanket.

It seems like in the 2.5 years since Mason was born, Sara and I have forgotten how incredibly small and fragile newborns are. Now that Joshua is here, Mason seems so big (even though he's only 28 lbs and nearly 35'' long). To help Mason feel special and to assure him we haven't forgotten about him, we gave him a present when he came to see Joshua.

We are all very happy and feel very fortunate and blessed to be the parents of Joshua. We have added about 20 pictures to Joshua's new photo album. We have also included a 2.5 minute video of Joshua below (it was filmed about 5 1/2 hours after his birth). We hope everyone is doing well, and we'll be sure to update this blog more frequently in the coming days and weeks!

Babies Who Love Too Much

2010-03-01T10:25:00.000-08:00

LATELY, Baby Mason has been getting upset at the fact that I have to leave him to go to school in the mornings. He has become very perceptive in noticing how my behavior changes when I'm about to leave the house. Whenever he would see me pack up my bag for school, put my coat or shoes on, or do nearly anything that possibly hinted at an imminent departure, he would immediately run to me and make me pick him up. He would then refuse to let me put him down. Eventually, when it was time to leave for school, he would have a complete and total emotional meltdown when I handed him off to Sara. I really don't want to sound prideful or anything, but Sara and I have concluded that it is no exaggeration to say that Mason is completely obsessed with me. As Lola and Sara say, "he's a daddy's boy . . . through and through."

As for why this obsession exists, I'm not totally sure. I don't feel like I'm doing anything to warrant such strong obsession by a two year old. I know that when he wants to do something that he knows he's not allowed to do, I'm always the first person he comes to (he has quickly learned the futility of attempting to change Mommy's mind). I know Mason also enjoys playing blocks with me and having me chase him around the house. But I don't think these things completely explain this obsessive phenomenon. In the above picture, you can see him clinging onto me as I try to study some notes before leaving for school. He seriously would not let me put him down to study my notes.

So, about 1 month ago I had this great idea. When it was time for me to leave, I would calmly go into my study room. Then, Sara would take Mason into our bedroom to watch his Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD and shut the door. Then, while Sara and Mason were watching his DVD, I would come out of my study room and leave for school. This plan worked great for about a week. However, Mason then seemed to catch on to the fact that I would just randomly disappear in the mornings, and then he began refusing to ever let me leave his sight in the mornings (not even to go to the bathroom). One day, he was so upset and so worked up at me leaving that Sara had to put him in his crib to help him calm down. But he was so upset that he actually climbed out of his crib (for the first time)! And this is a very big deal for those of us who are familiar with Mason's extremely cautious personality! So, now we have been forced to replace Mason's "pack-n-play" playpen/crib with a real crib.

Our new solution to this problem is to have me leave for school at about 7:30am--right before Mason wakes up. And on mornings when I leave later, he has to come outside with me. Sara, Mason, and I will then take a walk to the Community Center's indoor playground, and I am then able to leave while Mason is preoccupied with the playground. Below, you can see a short 30-second video of Mason being upset at the fact that I stepped into the bathroom. This video captures just some of the "obsession." I don't think I can completely describe how upset he would get when he would see me leave for school.

In other news, Sara's pregnancy is going well. In just under 3 months, we should be welcoming a new baby boy to our family--Baby Joshua (we've already decided on the name). Sara also seems to be doing well with Seminary (she just has 2 more months left) and also with lacrosse (about 2 1/2 moths left). School is going well for me. I'll graduate in mid May, and them I'm fixin' to take the North Carolina bar at the end of July. And assuming I pass the bar, I'll start working for the Air Force in October. Things seem to be going really well for us, and we feel very fortunate and blessed to have not only a job lined up but, more importantly, to have a happy family.

It's a Boy!

2010-01-10T12:22:00.000-08:00

SARA is now 20 weeks pregnant and just had her most recent ultrasound this past Friday -- the one where they tell you the gender of the baby. We were very surprised to find out that, yes, we are having another boy! My suspicions have now been officially confirmed! A few weeks ago when Sara saw the doctor, he also predicted, based on the heart rate, that she was carrying a boy (boys apparently tend to have slightly higher heart rates). This is yet further proof of my theory that the men in my ancestry tend to generate males in significantly higher proportions than females. Well, I sure can't complain with this lopsided ratio -- I sure love Mason and am very delighted to be blessed with another boy. Now, I will have 2 people to accompany me as we go exercising, cycling, camping, exploring, etc . . . And I'm sure Mason and his younger brother will be excellent friends. My younger brother, Brian, and I were excellent friends growing up, and I know Mason will really enjoy this opportunity to be an older brother.

Sara really wants a girl and was hoping that this might be it, but she was still very happy as well. She actually came to terms with the fact that it might be a boy a few days before the ultrasound. We are excited about the fact that, thanks to Mason, we at least know what to expect with another boy. And Baby Joshua already has lots of hand-me-downs with his name on them. (As I mentioned earlier, we will probably name him Joshua.) Sara and I are still confident that she will one day have her Baby Sophie to hang out with -- that day is just a little farther away than she expected.

Well, that's about it. Unfortunately, they only gave us one ultrasound picture to take home with us (pictured above). We'll be sure to keep everyone updated. Tomorrow, I begin my last semester of school and Sara begins coaching her girls lacrosse team and teaching early-morning seminary. It should be a busy, but enjoyable, last semester here in Indiana.

New Addition

2009-12-20T15:31:00.000-08:00

APPROXIMATELY five months from now, Baby Mason will no longer be an only child. Sara is approximately four months pregnant with our next child! In about 1 month from now, we will find out if it is a boy or a girl. Sara is completely convinced that it's a female. However, I continue to warn her that the odds are significantly skewed towards males in my family (my dad fathered 5 boys and 1 girl, and my dad's dad fathered 4 boys and 1 girl. Assuming this math applies to me, the odds of Sara having a girl are approximately 2/11 = 18.2%). If Sara beats the odds and has a girl, we will likely name her Sophie. However, if the more probable result is realized, we will likely name him Joshua. For now, since we don't yet know the sex, I've been referring to the baby as "Jophie" (a cross between Joshua and Sophie). Surprisingly, Sara is not very fond of this hybrid name :-)

This is the latest picture we have of our newest addition (the ultrasound was taken at about 12 weeks). We also have some additional ultrasound pictures on our photo album, including some at 5 weeks. And we have updated pictures of Mason as well. The due date for the baby is June 5th (two days after my birthday), which is about 3 weeks after I graduate. It should be interesting studying for the bar with a newborn, but we're confident that if we do our best, things will work out for us. And after I pass the bar exam this summer, I will be joining the Air Force to start working as a JAG officer. This is an exciting time in our lives, and we feel very fortunate and blessed to have this job opportunity but, more importantly, to have our wonderful family -- a real source of strength and happiness for us.

Mason is doing well and is continuing to grow and develop. He is starting to say some words now and can point to his eyes, mouth, nose, etc. . . whenever ask him to show us where they are. Mason also loves to play and to be outdoors. He finally got to see some snow the other day, and it really made him happy -- he was yelling for joy when I carried him outside to see the snow. A little over two weeks ago, I babysat Mason and we naturally got into a little mischief while Sara was gone -- and Mason really enjoyed it. Below, you can see a 2 min. video clip of our antics. (Fortunately, no babies were injured in the making of this video.) We hope everyone is doing well. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

TWO YEARS OLD

2009-10-19T05:13:00.000-07:00

BABY MASON is now two years old. He had his second birthday about 2 weeks ago. His maternal grandmother (a.k.a. "Lola") was able to come and even baked a delicious birthday cake. Mason received some nice gifts from both of his grandmothers and was also able to see his paternal grandmother (a.k.a. "Grandma") about 2 weeks before his birthday.

The time has really gone by fast. We just can't image life now without our Mason. Every morning when we wake up and every evening before we go to bed, we always peek into Mason's room to watch him while he's sleeping. I think the feeling that comes with that is something only a parent can fully appreciate. We sure are proud of our little baby.

Soon after his second birthday, Sara and her friend took Mason to a barbershop to get his hair cut. Sara's friend brought her kids, and they thought that if Mason watched those kids get their hair cut, he would no longer be so deathly afraid of having his hair cut. But the experiment failed . . . miserably! Mason wailed his head off (as he always does with haircuts). After it was all finished, the barber ended up with a generous tip, and Sara and her friend left hoping that they didn't cause the barbershop to lose too much business.

Other than having barberphobia, Mason is doing very well. You can tell that he is a very intelligent little boy. He tries to imitate almost everything he sees me do. He can say a few words now. And his favorite word seems to be "no," which he learned from his mother. Below, you can see a short 1.5 min. video clip of him watching cartoons and saying his favorite word "no." (Also, we have uploaded some new pictures on our photo album.)

Here is another 30 sec. video of Mason standing on our coffee table:

Back in Indiana! (Sorry it's been so long.)

2009-08-30T17:05:00.000-07:00

SORRY it has been so long since we last updated this blog. We are now back in Indiana, finishing my last year of law school (and we're both very excited about that). We had a busy--but wonderful--summer. We spent the summer in Cleveland, living with my family while I worked as an intern for a federal judge in Cleveland. The internship went very well and was a great experience. Mason loved being there too and enjoyed spending lots of time with family.

Within a week or two after arriving in Cleveland, Mason finally started walking (he was about 20 months old at that time). He is now 23 months old and is walking like a pro. The doctors gave him some braces for his ankles, which helped somewhat. But it seemed that the real help came from watching his cousin Elizabeth walk. After about 1 or 2 weeks of wearing the braces, we totally stopped using them because they were no longer needed. It was really amazing to see how quickly he picked up walking once he had an incentive to do so and really put his mind to it.

In early July we all took a trip out to southern Utah for a family reunion. It was wonderful. We all really enjoyed it, especially Mason. The weather was between 105-110 degrees, but we all still had fun. At one of the picnic areas, all of the kids decided to play with the water pump you see pictured above, and Mason LOVED it. In fact, long after all of the other kids became tired of playing with the water pump, Mason was still there--with his water-logged diaper--playing away in the water and having the time of his life.

We are now living in student family housing at Notre Dame, and we really enjoy it. Although the apartments are a little old and not very spacious, the community is wonderful. The housing complex is only for married students with kids, and the university really goes out of its way to make sure we're taken care of. There is a huge play area that Mason loves (after playing outside for nearly 3 hours one day, he still cried when it was time to come in). There is also a nice community center here, and everyone is very friendly. Not surprisingly, there are quite a few LDS student couples here, and Sara and I have started making friends with some of them.

Sara and I have received some good news: I have been accepted into the Air Force JAG Corps. My acceptance is, however, conditioned on me passing the bar and medical evaluations (and law school). We have also applied to the Navy JAG Corps and should find out from them in about a month or two. If I am also accepted into the Navy, then that will make our decision a little bit harder, as we're still trying to decide which one would be best for us. Currently, we are very excited about the Air Force offer and would be very happy with that option. We feel very lucky to have been given this offer, especially with the economy and the increase it has led to in JAG applicants. The Air Force only accepts about 120 JAG's a year, which is about a 5 percent acceptance rate.

Below is a 4 minute video clip of Mason. He saw me doing push-ups last Friday morning, and he just had to imitate me. After that we played a little hide-and-seek, and then we both did one more set up push-ups. It's really amazing to see how fast he's developing. He isn't talking yet, but I'm sure he'll be doing that very soon too! By the way, we have also added quite a few pictures from this past summer to our photo album. We'll be sure to try to update this blog more frequently from now on (at least every month or so). Thanks for reading!

Video of Mason Starting to Walk (19 mo.)

2009-05-05T06:12:00.000-07:00

Below is a 1 min. video clip of Mason. He is just barely starting to take a few cautious steps. We hope you enjoy it!

Mason Takes First Steps + New Video

2009-04-26T16:31:00.000-07:00

THE moment we have all been anxiously waiting for . . . has not yet arrived. Yes, it is true that Mason is taking First Steps. However, First Steps is a state-sponsored program that helps to ensure kids are developing in a timely manner. This coming week a developmental specialist will be coming to our house to help teach Mason how to walk. When Mason went for his check-up a week or two ago, the doctor was concerned that he’s taking so long to walk so she’s sending “Indiana First Steps” to our house. It’s a free service, and they come about once a week, I think.

Mason can stand up just fine on his own, but he has a very cautious personality, and when you combine this with his stubbornness you end up with a baby who is very determined to remain a “quadruped” (a four-footed animal). We’re not sure how much this specialist will actually help (we’ve already tried everything), but we figured it can’t hurt to try. We’re not worried that Mason is taking his time learning to walk; sometimes we just do things at our own pace. As for myself, I didn’t pass kindergarten the first time around :-).

Mason can say a number of things that sound like words: mama, dada, lala, (for “Lola,” his grandma), hi there (this can mean lots of things—sometimes we think it might even mean “hi there”), craka (we think this means “cracker”—the thing you eat, obviously), and chocko (for “chocolate”—probably his favorite thing to eat). Mason also just received a new haircut. His hair really grows fast. Also, the high school girls who Sara coaches really love Mason. He goes to all their games. Before long, he may become their official team mascot. Also, we have uploaded some new pictures of Mason on our online photo album. Below is a short video clip of Mason riding his little cart.

Finally, we just wanted to let Lola know how much Mason misses her. In fact, if he could, I’m sure he would make a trip to Baltimore to see her. He would probably even tell us he was just going to hang out in some distant city with his friends from “First Steps,” just so we wouldn’t suspect his clandestine plans to see his naughty Lola. Until next time! There is only 1.5 weeks left in the semester, so we should be updating our blog more frequently now that summer is almost over.

Our Little Couch Potato

2009-03-08T15:15:00.000-07:00

BABY Mason is now over 17 months old and is still as adorable as ever. He sure makes us happy. We just can’t imagine life without him—he will always be part of our family. It’s definitely an honor and a privilege to get to see him grow and develop.

Okay, so Mason is actually way too active to be a couch potato. However, he does love his new “Baby Einstein” DVD. (We actually have 3 “Baby Einstein” DVD’s, but he really only likes the one that teaches him about shapes—we might have a little engineer on our hands.) In the picture, you can see him sitting in his PJ’s and eating his cereal in his favorite blue chair while he watches the DVD. I actually invented this setup a few days ago when Sara had a dentist appointment, and I had to stay home with Mason. I really needed to do some studying that morning. But, as I’m sure many parents have noticed, it can be extremely difficult to perform even some of the most basic daily tasks with a thirty pound ball of energy demanding your undivided attention--and nothing less.

Thankfully, technology came to my rescue, and I was able to finish my reading and keep Mason happy while mommy was at the dentist. I must admit, Sara was rather surprised when she came home and saw Mason hanging out in his PJ’s, watching a DVD—something only dad would let him get away with.

Even with the occasional assistance of “Baby Einstein,” I am truly amazed at Sara for taking care of him all day. I honestly believe I’m not patient enough to do what she does. If anything, when I graduate from school, Sara’s the one who really deserves my degree. And I mean it. (I am going to try to see if I somehow can get her name on my degree—I’ll even pencil it in myself if I have to, since I couldn’t have completed it without her help). What I do pales in comparison to what she does. All I really do is sit in a quiet, temperature-controlled library all day, contemplating the “legal mysteries” of the universe. On the other hand, Sara’s the one doing the real work. To most people, “Mason’s Mom” may not be a very impressive line on a resume, but in my opinion it’s infinitely more important. As my favorite author, Neal A. Maxwell, said, “Women, more quickly than others, will understand the possible dangers when the word self is militantly placed before other words like fulfillment. You rock a sobbing child without wondering if today’s world is passing you by, because you know you hold tomorrow tightly in your arms.” (Ensign, May 1978, p. 16.) I will always be thankful for Sara who selflessly—and constantly—gives of herself to help us have a happy family, and it truly is.

Going to Baltimore

2009-02-20T08:02:00.000-08:00

Baby Mason is growing up fast. He's almost 17 months old now. He left today for Baltimore to see his Lola (i.e. his grandma) for the weekend. He decided to take Sara with him, but left me here since I wasn't able to get away from my studies.

It's amazing to watch him develop. He is definitely becoming more independent--he can even drink his bottle by himself. If he's playing with a toy, and we take him away from it, he has absolutely no problem telling us how he feels. Any month now, he'll probably start walking. The other day, he took 3 or 4 very small, cautious steps and then immediately went to his knees his safer crawling position.

Mason's molars are also starting to come in. Surprisingly, we haven't really had any trouble with him teething since his teeth began coming in last ~June.

According to Sara (and she's probably right since she spends more time w/ him) Mason has developed to the point where he can can get "time outs" for "inappropriate" behavior. Once, after head-butting Sara several times and after repeated warnings to cease and desist said behavior, he was punitively sentenced to an involuntary incarceration in his crib for no less than 5 to no more than 10 minutes.

In other news, school is going well for me. I finally found a topic for my econ thesis--it's an "econometric" extension of a study published by Dallin H. Oaks in 1970 when he was a law professor at Univ. of Chicago ("Studying the Exclusionary Rule in Search and Seizure"). This was right before he was asked to be president of BYU. His study was cited in 14 Supreme Court decisions and is the second most cited article in the history of The University of Chicago Law Review. Anyway, I'm pretty excited about it--the topic is quite interesting. Lacrosse is going well for Sara (she's coaching high school girls). We also purchased plane tickets to travel to Utah this July for our my family reunion. Well, time to get back to studying!

One More Video (16 mo.)

2009-01-27T16:35:00.000-08:00

We just had to post this 2 min video. In addition to seeing how much Mason likes the milkshake I made, you really get to see some of his personality. Hope you enjoy it!

Update (16 mo.)

2009-01-24T19:01:00.000-08:00

We have updated our photo album with a few more pictures this past week. Also, we have two new videos (about 1 min. each) which we have posted below. In one, Mason is waking up from a nap and is frustrated that I was filming him instead of pickup him up right away. In the other, Mason is bouncing up and down while holding onto the coffee table. Sara made the observation that as soon as Mason finished his bouncing, he "exits the stage" just like Napoleon Dynamite.

Sara bought me a new coat and Mason a new hat for Christmas. In the picture above, you can see Mason and me in our new winter outfits. In other news, we finally sold our Jeep, which we're really happy about. I also received my grades from last semester, and was happy to see that I survived another semester of school (just 3 more to go!). In addition, I have dusted off an old blog that I started last year, "My Thoughts." It's basically a blog where I plan to express my thoughts on anything I feel like at the moment: current events, law, politics, morals, school, religion, life, etc . . . I figured that's a better place to put some of my more "long-winded" thoughts.

Also, Mason is now sleeping through the night now! He goes to bed around 8pm and doesn't wake up until about 9am. We are definitely enjoying this 13 hr break. It's amazing how fast he's growing up. He still isn't walking, but he will occasionally stand up on his own. He seems to have a very cautious personality. You can tell he's thinking about walking, but he also realizes that he would do so at his own peril. He definitely has a very pragmatic attitude towards the whole issue. Why risk walking and hurting himself when he can achieve the same result in a safer (and for now, more efficient) manner.

15 1/2 Months Old (+ video clip)

2009-01-16T07:57:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since we've last made a post. I was busy studying for finals, and we never got around to updating this during winter break. Oddly enough, now that school has started again, I somehow now have time to update this (luckily the first week is fairly easy). We had a wonderful Christmas break vising my family in Cleveland, which is only 4 hrs. away. We were able to meet my brother Spencer's fiance (they're getting married in July). I was also offered a judicial externship with a federal district court judge in Cleveland (he deals with lots of habeas corpus petitions, which seems interesting), so it looks like we'll be in Cleveland for the summer.

Mason continues to grow up quickly. While we were in Cleveland, he was able to play with his cousin Elizabeth. She is about 2 weeks younger than Mason but has been walking for approximately the past 6 months. I think seeing her helped give Mason the courage to try to walk. While he is still unable to walk, he has now become very good at standing up on his own, which you can see in the video clip below.

In other news, it was -15 DEGREES this morning (with the windchill, it was about -40 DEGREES). Because of this, I decided not to do my usual 2 mile bike ride to school this morning. After riding home last night in -7 degree weather, I was in a lot of pain. It was so cold, our car barely started, and we also had frost on the inside of some of the windows in our house. After our car barely started, I tried jump starting our neighbor's. Apparently lot's of people's cars wouldn't start this morning because AAA had a 4-hour backlog with doing jumpstarts. We really miss California! According to the Weather Channel's website, South Bend's average low temperatures for December, January, and February are lower than those in Juneau, Alaska! (And the average high temperatures for South Bend are only 2-3 degrees higher.)

Finally, as you probably notice, I have made some slight modifications to the title of this blog. I think having this slight change in theme will help me to update this blog more frequently, as the updates may now also include a little more "non-baby" news. I love giving updates on Mason, but I started to realize if we have more kids, I'll have to start a separate blog for each one of them. Now, with the new and improved Gardner Blog, all I will have to do is add their name to the Blog's title (not that we're expecting any new additions anytime soon--we're thinking within 6 months or so after I graduate next spring).

It's Cold Here

2008-11-23T12:39:00.001-08:00

After living in sunny California for two years, it's easy to forget how cold it can get in the Midwest. It's not even Thanksgiving yet, and we've already had a big snowstorm. When I looked outside and saw all the snow, I couldn't help but wonder where we were. I almost expected to see a moose or Sara Palin crossing the street. I hope this whole frozen tundra thing doesn't last for too long. But as long as no Eskimos try to break into our house, I think we should able to survive this winter.

Mason is doing well. In addition to chasing polar bears and building igloos, he still loves to be held . . . and to be held some more. He is almost 14 months old now and is eating more solid foods. He is still hesitant to try walking, but I'm sure he'll be walking before too long. Mason doesn't seem to mind the cold. As long as he's with his parents (and receiving their undivided attention), it doesn't seem to matter whether he's in South Bend or Sacramento.

I'm sure mason is excited to see everyone for Thanksgiving next week. We're also excited for this semester to end and to have Mason see his family in Ohio over Christmas break. Judging by Mason's behavior, I think Santa will probably decide that he deserves to get presents this year. But you never know. There's still one month left before Christmas, and Mason does seem to have a bit of a mischievous streak--probably inherited from his mother :-)

Happy Halloween

2008-11-02T13:07:00.000-08:00

Mason was a bat for Halloween this year. While this is technically his second Halloween, it was his first time trick-or-treating. The law school had a little trick-or-treating activity for the kids of the faculty and students. Our one-year-old baby boy bat seemed to have a good time. I'm sure he was the cutest bat that anyone had ever seen. I know I've never seen a more adorable bat. Surprisingly, he was actually mistaken for a donkey quite a few times. But once we showed everyone his cool bat wings, there was no mistaking this bat's true identity.

One Year Old (posting dedicated to Jana Bowcut)

2008-10-19T11:22:00.000-07:00

It’s hard to believe Mason is 1 year old already! In fact, he has already spent 1/18th (nearly 6 percent) of his pre-adult life with us. Before we know it, he will have moved out, and we will be wondering where all the time has gone.

To provide some more statistics, in the past year Mason has used at least 2,100 diapers, drank at least 1,800 bottles, interrupted at least 800 hours of sleep, received 4 hair cuts, broken 2 lamps, and nearly swallowed 1 paperclip. His height has increased by fifty percent by growing from 20” to 30”. In addition, He has nearly quadrupled his weight, going from 6.875 lbs to about 25 lbs.

Mason has nearly perfected the art of crawling and of using practically any object to pull himself up and to brace him while he stands. As a result, he currently has no desire to walk. When we hold both of his hands and try to show him how to walk, he simply refuses to straighten out his legs and acts as if they don’t work (although they work perfectly fine when he’s standing and crawling).

Mason sure is a joy to have. He is now drinking whole milk and eating a variety of foods. His favorite "food" so far appears to be M&M's, but before long I'm sure he will greatly prefer eating something like Organic Flax Plus cereal (like his dad). By the way, we have updated the 7-12 mo. photo album and have also started a new one. We have also posted a new 2 min. video of Mason below:

10 Months Old and Living in Indiana + New Video

2008-08-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

Mason is now 10 months old and living in South Bend, IN (along with his parents). His parents have finally finished unpacking all of their things, and his dad is getting ready to start school next week. Mason enjoys being in South Bend because it is only 4 hours away from his grandparents in Cleveland and a short plane ride from his Lola in Baltimore.

Before moving to his new home in South Bend (see picture), Mason decided to take his parents canoing on Convict Lake in California. Mason insisted that everyone wear life jackets, and he wanted a picture to prove it (and to show how adorable he is in his little life jacket).

Mason now has at least 6 teeth (4 on the top and 2 on the bottom). Also, he is ready for his fourth haircut any day now. If his parents wait much longer, you won't be able to see his ears. About 2 months ago Mason started crawling. Mason's parents babyproofed their new home, and he is enjoying the extra crawling space. He hasn't tried walking yet, but he's able to pull himself up on just about anything he's able to reach. Sometimes, he will let go and stand in place for a second or two before he falls. Below is a 2 min. video clip of him crawling in his new home.

Mason's parents have updated the 7-12 Month Photo Album. Also, they have posted some additional pictures of their home in South Bend.

7 Months Old

2008-05-27T18:27:00.000-07:00

Above is a 1 min. video of Mason in his new walker. As you can see, he loves to laugh and make other loud, excited noises. He's 7 months old in the video, and he'll turn 8 months old in 2 days. He sure is growing up fast. Since this video, he has learned to sit up on his own. He is extremely observant and loves to put everything in his mouth that he can get his hands on. He has also received another haircut since this video (his third now).

He now has 2 photo albums. You can see his newest haircut about half-way through the second album. You can find the links to these albums above the slide show.

Two New Videos of Mason (6 months)

2008-04-13T17:37:00.000-07:00

Above is a 2-minute video of Mason as he laughs while sleeping and then wakes up. He is now 6 1/2 months old and continues to grow and develop at an amazingly fast rate. It's hard to believe 6 months has gone by already. Currently, he is about 20 lbs and about 28" long. He can now roll over with ease and is now able to eat rice cereal. In addition, he now sleeps through most nights, and if he does wake up, it's usually only once (to eat, and then he goes right back to sleep). Mason sure is a joy to have. We never thought that being parents could make us so happy.

Below is a 5-minute video of Mason. You can watch him laugh as I read him his book and then watch him roll over.

2008-02-10T19:30:00.001-08:00

Video of Mason's First Laughs (almost 4 months)

2008-01-21T07:01:00.001-08:00

In one week Mason will be officially 4 months old. He has already more than doubled his weight (he's over 14 lbs now), and as you can see, he loves to eat. We have added some new pictures to our online photo album (it now has over 100 pictures). Mason enjoyed our Christmas break and enjoyed visiting his grandmas, his great grandma, his grandpa, and all his aunts, uncles, and cousins. Above is a new 1 1/2 min. video clip of Mason. This is when we first started to notice him laughing. I was playing with a tape measure in the background, and he really thought that was funny.

2 Months

2007-11-29T21:41:00.000-08:00

Mason is now 2 months old and is almost 5 lbs. heavier: He just tipped the scales at 11lbs. 5oz. Unfortunately, he has not yet mastered the art of bathing himself, feeding himself, dressing himself, or going to the bathroom himself. However, we continue to remain optimistic that he will soon master all of these essential skills. Fortunately, he is now able to sleep at longer intervals (from 4 to 5 hrs), which makes his parents extremely happy!

Video of Mason (5 weeks)

2007-11-04T14:32:00.001-08:00

Above is a short 1 1/2 min. video clip of Mason. Enjoy!

1 MONTH OLD

2007-10-30T11:42:00.002-07:00

Mason is now 1 month old and is likely well over 9 lbs. He still loves to be held. In fact, the only time he doesn't seem to think about being held is when he's sleeping or eating, but he will only eat or sleep when he's being held. To further complicate matters, the only time when Sara and I are able to rest is when he's sleeping, but the only time he sleeps is when we are not resting. Therefore, . . . [I will let you fill in the blank. If you can't do so now, just wait 'til you have your own newborn :-)]. Did I mention that I missed my mother-in-law? We also have some more pics:

Web Album:
http://picasaweb.google.com/grantg103/BabyMason06Mo#

2 WEEKS OLD

2007-10-14T18:03:00.000-07:00

Baby Mason is now 2 weeks old and doing great. He has been steadily gaining weight. He went from 6 lbs 14oz to 7 lbs 6oz during his first week, and he is now over 8 lbs-3oz. He likes to eat, occasionally sleep, and be held. He is currently waking up about every two hours to feed. Sara's mom is currently staying with us, and she takes care of him at night so that we can sleep. Unfortunately, she has to leave next week. (I never thought I'd miss my mother-in-law so much.) We have posted some more pictures on our web album. Also, I hope to finally be able to post a video this coming week.

Web Album:
http://picasaweb.google.com/grantg103/BabyMason06Mo#

Baby Mason is Born

2007-09-29T22:24:00.000-07:00

After spending 31 hours at the hospital and only sleeping for two of those hours, I now finally have a chance to write about Mason’s birth. Mason Grant Gardner was born on September 29, 2007 at approximately 6:40am. He weighed in at 6 lbs, 14.8 oz, and was 20” long. He was born with quite a bit of hair, and the nurses were all amazed with how much hair he had.

As you can read in the previous post, the doctors tried to induce Sara last week but were unsuccessful. We went in for her normal checkup on Friday (September 28^th), and after measuring Sara’s blood pressure, the doctor immediately sent us to “Labor and Delivery” so that they could try to induce Sara again, since her blood pressure was abnormally high as a result of pregnancy induced hypertension. After about 12 hours, her contractions eventually reached the point where the doctors allowed her to have an epidural. However, when she received the epidural, her blood pressure suddenly became dangerously low. In order to decrease the risk of harming the baby or Sara, the doctor immediately decided to perform an emergency c-section.

Fortunately, the cesarean section was performed successfully, Sara is recovering very quickly, and the baby is very healthy. Sara said that the most physically painful part of having the baby was when she was having strong contractions while a technician was slowly cutting off her engagement and wedding rings. Her hands hands had actually become rather swollen, and the doctors were concerned about Sara losing her finger and had no other way of removing the rings. Baby Mason was born a total of 13 days early.

To see a more pictures of Baby Mason, go to our web album at http://picasaweb.google.com/grantg103/BabyMason06Mo#.

Also, I'll try to post a video in about a week or so and will continue to add photos to our web album.

False Alarm

2007-09-23T19:47:00.001-07:00

When Sara went to the doctor for her checkup visit on Thursday (20 Sept.), they discovered that she had a mild case of preeclampsia (aka pregnancy induced hypertension or toxemia). Since she was almost 8 1/2 months along, they decided to induce her. We were really excited since we thought the baby would be here in a day or two. I spent the night at the hospital with Sara and Sara's mom even bought a last-minute ticket to try to make it here in time for the birth. But the next morning they told us that Sara's body wasn't reacting to the drugs, and they decided to send us home. They said Sara would get better rest here and basically told us to just wait for the baby to come on its own. We're making sure Sara gets lots of rest and are being careful to keep our eyes open for certain symptoms, such as a severe headache, that would require us to go back to the doctors. So far, Sara is doing well and we're just excited for the baby to come. We'll be sure to update this as things progress.