First Month

Our first month has gone by pretty quickly. Nett and I are discovering the joys and pains of parenthood. I think it is good to see our parents laugh a little realizing that we are now in it for the long haul. Levi is now growing and being our new little guy. He is constantly smiling at us and makes wonder on occasion what he is thinking about. On second though maybe I don't want to know. We are really looking forward to his blessing on Sunday.

I have to laugh. I think as men we try so hard to get the girls to notice us. And despite our best and worst efforts it seems to us that they never do. Or so we think. My wife keeps confessing she noticed me way earlier than I thought. Now that we have Levi, he is a chick magnet. Of course the girls notice him and not my wife or myself. And I am fine with that.

He is good and sleeps during the night and doesn't cry or fuss very much unless he is being awoken by a cold wet wipe to clean him or if he gets really hungry.






My sister got some good pics of him. I only put in the two. He is very happy and I like the one where he is sneezing. He sneezes a ton and got me in the face the other day. I got of easy. He gives Nett presents and showers.

Of other note, we got to take a tour of the new temple in South Jordan. It is very pretty and is unique for me. I liked the ring motifs and also the abundance of glass to make the temple more open. The tour was wonderful. We took Levi, and he got us a free ride on a golf cart to and from the car. He slept through the baptistry but was awake for the ordinance rooms, celestial room and the bridal prep room or whatever it is called. Then we topped it off with a good fish dinner (I cooked it) and some burgers.

I have to say I hate our car. It has been nothing but problems for us for the last six months. First the fuel pump, then the air conditioner and now who knows what. Thank God for good friends and family who help us. You know who you are and I am grateful for you and not that car.

Oh to end on something a little more humorous. The other night Lynette and I decided to watch a few more episodes of the A-Team. we are watching the episodes in order from season 1 to season 5. We are about 2/3ds of the way through season 2. Anyway I had Levi and I was trying to burp him or something and I ended up lying down with him on top of my chest. He had his head turned and he was watching some of the show with us. He fell asleep to heavy machine gun fire and the famous words "I love it when a plan comes together."

He's Alive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have had a very eventful month. But the most recent days past have been the best. So we have a larger family now. Levi Nicholas Hancock was born on May 18 at 7:05 am. He was 6 lbs. 13 oz. and 19 inches long. He is doing well.

I have really come to appreciate my wife even more. Going through the process of pregnancy and birth with her has been amazing. She is such a trooper. It had been hard because I feel that in a marriage that the partners should try to do things equally. I haven't been able to do much of anything to help with growing this kid or even getting him here. The process of delivery is a miracle in and of itself.

Thankfully mom is doing well and baby is getting better. He contracted an infection shortly after birth and wasn't breathing very well. But thankfully our prayers were answered and all of the staff at the hospital has been very helpful. He is doing very well.

I flashed him with the camera about a half an hour after he was born and he squinted and started squirming. He is a great little boy and has been calm and peaceful. He came out eyes wide open and was just enjoying the ugly view of his father. He got to visit with mom and with his grandparents before they took him over to the nicu (neonatal intensive care unit). But he is doing well and has progressed well. Now for the medicine to finish working and we can take him home.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So welcome here son,

Love Dad

I forgot to post a little story that happened to us. They announced a few weeks ago that our ward was going to have a chili cook off. I didn't know what to think because our ward is a geriatric ward. Lots of old people with lots of health problems. I didn't quite know how to take it.

But my mischievious nature took over and I got my wife to enter me in the cook off. Now for the confessions. I have never made chili. The closest I ever got was opening a can. So I had no Idea what I was doing. Confession number 2. I love spicy food. To me chili should have a kick. I wanted to make some real chili and enjoy myself. Nett was worried because if there were left overs than she would have to eat some. Spicy food and her "medical condition" don't get along very well.

In the end it worked out very well. I gave it a small kick but not too bad. Nett liked the flavor and I won the spiciest chili award (my original goal anyway). My certificate and ribbon are on the fridge. And the best part was my chili was the first to be devoured by the ward.

The Ramblin' Man

So we begin again. This last month has been, lets say busy. First off my diploma finally came in the mail. I have been kinda expecting it for a while but you know colleges are slow. They do not ever practice what they preach.



Going along with that. I have been searching for a job for the last 6 months. Ever since i finished my final class in October. I had to wait until January for the school to post my diploma as earned on my transcript. But BooYah! I finally made it.



The market in my field was bleak before this whole economy imploded upon itself. Thanks alot Bill. Now it is even harder because most places are on a hiring freeze. So they post jobs, have an internal hire/promotion and leave the rest of us in crappy jobs.



So about my job.... it sucks. I was told for the first time in my life that being honest is not the best policy. Allow me to elaborate. There was a new position opened that had never been before in our facility. It gave me an hour cut but there was no weekends and no early morning shifts either. I went for it. I was told that the position was given to someone else because I am too honest. That was what they said! I think blunt would have been the better word to use but hey that is why they are where they are.



The search for work in the state has been bleak to none as of late. My wife wants to stay close to home. I want to as well. I have applied for many jobs and had 1 interview. I got turned for a management job for someone with no management skills or education. Geniuses!



I can be grateful we both are in good health. Nett continues to grow and prepare for May. She is finally having back pain. Our unborn son enjoys kicking and punching her every opportunity he can. He probably has UADHD. That is the same as ADHD but in the uterus. We are trying to get stuff ready so when the kid arrives soon he will have a place to stay.



We are going to have to move most of our books down to the folks basement and rearange the furniture. The guitar stuff stays in the room but I don't know if I will get to use the loud stuff because he will be sleeping.



My health is improving. I can play basketball, however I am slow and sore. This comes with the territory of recovery from surgery. I was excited that the doc gave me a clean bill of health and I don't have to go see him for anymore follow up visits unless something goes wrong.

I finally got a calling in the ward. It was an informal visit and I am going to be teaching Elder's Quorum. I am happy because I love teaching. It should be a great assignment. Nett is no longer serving in the primary and was sad to leave. Now she is the pianist in Relief Society. She likes it and plays very well.

Chau until next time

Ouch! That smarts

Another month has flown by for the clan. Most things haven't changed.

Nett is still trying to grow this baby of ours. He aparently responds to noise a whole lot. When we were at Guitar Center in late december the baby was doing all sorts of things. Nett went for food and he calmed down. We watch American Idol (Nett is really into following it) and everytime somebody sings (for better or worse) the babe starts doing stuff. He usually starts playing soccer with his mom's ribs or diaphragm. He also likes to act up (as she calls it) when somebody is speaking in church or a new voice comes on the scene. If something really loud happens he also squirms.

I finally got better. Well sort of. I made it through the bandages and all of that stuff. I rediscovered that growing back leg hair really itches. They sent me back to work because I am a menace to society and myself if left alone too long with nothing to do. I got to re-learn how to walk normal again. I don't limp now and I landed my first two foot jump the other day. It didn't hurt. I raise up on my toes but the muscle is still too weak to support running. I am praying for a few more weeks of winter so I can get to where I can run again. Then we break out the soccer ball.

The other painful thing though is finding a job. Not only is my degree in a field that is hard to enter, The economy isn't helping either. At the advice of a great mentor and friend (I'll call him father) I took this networking workshop from the LDS employement services. The class was informative and really gave me a great outlook on how to land that job, or atleast get your foot in the door. I haven't started to go for it yet, because my resume is looking a little down. But it gets better with each revision and will be ready to submit soon. I also have some great contacts to start networking through. So for anybody who needs help take the class. You will be glad you did.

I do have to back track. We are getting excited for this baby comming in a few months. He still has no name but we are thinking and trying to work on it. OK so Nett is I am procrastinating. We are kind of figuring on being in the apt. for now so we are thinking of how to rearrange the furniture so the Baby will have some place to sleep other than with us. We are going to have to get rid of the books, the camping equipment and some old junk but I think I have the wife talked into letting the guitars stay for now.

Surprise or not to be surprised.

In the last few weeks our lives have changed for the better. I have decided that certain people do not understand what a surprise is or what it is supposed to be. Or maybe I am off my rocker.

To start out Nett had her super duper ultrasound with all the bells and whistles trying to tell us if we are having a boy or a girl. Now on a major side track I enjoy certain surprises. Key word certain. I love christmas and the excitement that brings (it is better when you aren't high on lortab). I love finding things you thought were lost (especially money). I also like finding out good news for friends family and of course me. So back to the story. I have never been to an ultrasound let alone been in a room where they do them. So the tech gets nett up on the chair thing and starts rubbing to goop all over her belly and then starts putting this thing on there that of course emits the sound wave and produces a picture.

We were excited to find out and to see the baby move and stuff. Up unto this point Nett had bravely gone to these appointments alone. So the tech starts looking and says first thing, It's A Boy. See right there. So much for building the anticipation. And to top it off the baby decided to behave because dad was around watching. He has enjoyed punching and kicking Nett in the cervix as well as all over, when dad isn't watching. Especially after she eats chocolate or starts tapping her foot to the beat of some music. This of course usually happens when she is at work.

Now everybody wants to know what this poor child's name is. We don't know yet and well it may be a while before we do.

The other fun thing is we got a call from some good friends of ours. We were high on their notification list of people they want to notify when exciting things happen. They are also expecting their first child. It is early on so we don't know much yet but we are excited for you two.

Other than that nothing to report really. My ankle is healing and I have the luxury of making a decision about work before I go back in a week. I am trying to decide how to enjoy my last week of freedom before I get to be a slave again. I will miss being able to sit around and look for new jobs all day and play the guitar. It was a punishing life really.

The REAL Christmas Story

Now that the holidays are over it is time to reflect on what they really mean to each of us individually. For me it was a season of firsts.

It was my first holiday with my family. A short explanation is that I finally got married and now have a wonderful wife (and small developing fetus) to share the joys of the season with. It was my first time getting presents from my wonderful inlaws. It was the first time my wife spent Christmas away from her family. (I get to wait until next year to do that) It was the first time I got to be sneaky and hide my wife's gift so she couldn't find it.

And so the story goes...
The husband had surgery on christmas eve so the pregnant wife got to drive to the family hotel (atleast that is how it seamed). He was on pain killers so he was feeling pretty good. He did miss carrying in all of the stuff and generally helping out. He also missed playing with the nieces and nephews.

Weeks before the inlaws had their holiday party and a grand party it was. There were presents and food, cheer and loving warmth. There were teasings and ticklings, pleases and thank yous, and wonderful memories. This year there was a parade showing all of the adults the costumes of the nativity scene ending with a manger scene by the front door. Although no angels appeared to us to tell of His birth, the Mormon tabernacle Choir filled in nicely.

Christmas eve came and went. Everyone had a part to play. Music was played and sung, duets were attempted and some people still can't stop laughing. The piano hummed sweet melodies, and the strings of the guitar played out in the night. In this parade of the nativity, Uncle told the story of Luke, mary dragged Baby Jesus by his head and clothes, bouncing him on the rug, and there was only one shepherd. That shepherd had a really neat staff that wasn't curved and had owls and maple leafs on it. But the spirit of christmas shone on. More pain killers please.

This was probably the first Christmas Eve I have ever slept. I enjoy the season and the wonderful opportunities we have to think of the glories of Christmases long long ago. I just can't sleep. Although Santa has changed his identity a few times, I still look forward to his arrival every Christmas Eve night.

The kids had a blast seeing what Santa brought them and even Mom and Dad loved what they were given. Their kids are geniuses when it comes to gift giving.

The paper is gone, the fire is out. The gift card to Guitar Center is burning a hole in my pocket. The wife is happy she got what she wanted. The snow keeps on falling with pristene beauty. Too bad the wife says no sledding this year. At least not until after the leg heals.

So the story continues each year. Something new will happen again and again. Next year there will be a new addition to the parades. We will have to learn how to operate as Santa Claus did for us. And the Choir's will sing the Messiah again and again. Mannheim will sound and TSO will rock. And we will continue the story as it was told to us.

Now the non Story news. We had some good friends get married over the Christmas break. And it is all my fault. The story really is theirs but it was fun. It was nice to sit in the temple and reflect on our own marriage. Can't wait for them to come back.

We also got to meet another good friend's fiance. She is wonderful and we are looking forward to their marriage and all the joys of that. Vanessa is awesome. We got to spend some quality time getting to know her.

New Years was great. Nett's family had another party. I still suck at Halo but enjoy playing most of the time. It is always fun for people to see the words (blank) killed Chuck Norris. Nett fell in love with the Nintendo Wii. And we got to really just relax. Except for the dumb cat it was wonderful. We got to see a fireworks display worthy of the Fourth Of July. (I Love Evanston Wyoming) Unfotunately we both had medical conditions that made it so we couldn't go to jump on it this year.

My New Year's Resolution is to.......
(Like I'm gonna tell you.)