Thumb Sucker!

I woke up this morning to Charlie crying really loud. The poor guy has been trying for weeks to suck his thumb, but he can't quite figure out how to separate it from the rest of his fingers. He makes an attempt to get his thumb and ends up with half of his hand in his mouth. With no teeth to protect his gums, he usually ends up stabbing himself with his little fingernails.

He will suck on his "hand/thumb" pull it away from his face and look at it like "Yummy!" and shove it right back in for more. The noises he makes are hilarious. I have to keep checking to make sure that all of his fingers are still intact. He is going to bite them off when he starts cutting teeth.

He is growing fast and is a very happy baby, between 7:30am and 6pm, he gets a little grumpy when it is close to bed time. My big boy rolled over from his tummy to his back the other day! It was partially assisted by the weight of his head, but he was twisting his torso and leg as if he wanted to move to his back.

My little thumb sucker is going to be a back talking teen before I know it. I try to enjoy everyday with him while he still likes to cuddle.

Mr. Entrepreneur!

I am always thinking of new ideas for small businesses and ways to make some extra money, but I rarely act on most of them. If I had tried most of my ideas I would surely be a millionaire by now.

Building a business requires time and money that I think that I have, but it usually turns out that I do not. I have attempted ventures in making fishing lures, which requires a lot of time and is not very cost effective for one person. The wife has ventured in making candles and I backed her idea 100%, but again, too much time for 1 person that is taking care of a baby at home.

I have a ton of ideas for small startup businesses, but don't have the resources to put them into place. Maybe I should become a small business consultant or put together a team that can make these businesses come to life. Anyone interested?

"Big Hop Enterprises", I like the sound of that. "We do a little bit of everything." It will be the next Walmart! Get your hair done, eat lunch, file your taxes and buy a new fishin' pole all in one place.

Okay, okay. I am getting a little carried away at this point. I have always desired to be my own boss and live the "American Dream". The point is that it can be a big risk to take when you are the only one providing income for your family. The initial investment can place a strain on your budget and the time can place a strain on your life. Is it worth it if your business becomes successful?

Fourth Generation!

We had dinner at my Dad's house on Sunday, it was delicious. My grandparents and siblings were all gathered together to enjoy in the feast. As I looked around at my family I began to realize how dominant the Hoppy genes are. I could see my past, present and future all in one place. Just look at the picture.

Charlie looks just like I did at his age, I am going to look just like my dad and he looks just like my grandpa. It's amazing how our DNA is transferred to our offspring. There is no mistaking a Hoppy male and his offspring. A customer came in to work a few weeks ago and said, "You look like a Hoppy." He used my real last name in place of Hoppy and it kind of caught me off guard.

Some times I wonder what my earliest relatives looked like. I don't think that are genes have deviated much. There has been some Italian, Irish and a bit of Native American that has attempted to dominate the Hoppy genes, but they have fallen to the blonde hair and blue eyes.

I can't wait to see whose traits our next child takes on. Hopefully it will be a little girl that looks just like my beautiful wife!

March Madness!

The weather has been wonderful, the trees are blooming and my NCAA bracket is busted. What more could you ask for.

March is one of those months when anything can happen. We had tornadoes one day and the next it was snowing. Today it is 75 degrees out, but tomorrow may be 20. Duke lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament which doesn't bother me too much since I bleed blue, but it killed my bracket choices.

Charlie is 12 weeks old today and he already loves being outside and going for walks. I love spring. It gets you out of the winter funk and you can actually be free from the indoors. Grilling out, chilling on the deck and yard work are a few of my favorite things. Of course fishing is a hobby that I frequently enjoy this time of year.

The daylight hangs around longer and makes the day much more enjoyable. I feel like I can actually accomplish more and not feel like the day is over at 6pm because it is dark out. What are your favorite activities in the spring time? I can't wait to take the boy to feed the ducks while Daddy fishes.

"The Boy"

Lately I have been refering to Charlie as "The Boy". My wife has informed me that she does not like me calling him that. She said, "His name is Charlie or Charles!" I find it kind of funny because my mother hates it when people call me something other than Michael. "The Wife" calls me Mike and receives the "his name is Michael glare" from my mother. I find it funny how upset mothers get when you do not call their children by their given name.

We all have nick names that are typically given to us as children and they usually stick throughout adulthood. No one says anything about people calling me "Hop" or "Lil' Hop". So what is it about the shortened versions of our name that drives our mother's crazy? I don't call Charlie "Chuck". It has been made very clear that "Chuck" is not an approved name for "The Boy".

I don't mind people calling Mike or Hop. I am sure that Charlie won't mind being called "The Boy". He may think that it is pretty cool that Daddy calls him by a special name.The word "The" is a definite article that indicates a particular person, the best or most important. Charlie will one day realize this and think, "WOW, I am the ONE! Daddy said so."

I know that it sounds kind of plain to say "The Boy", but I think it's pretty cool. Maybe one day he can take over my nickname of "The Kid"!

It's Our Anniversary!

Four short years ago today, I married my wonderful wife. Over the past four years we have had our share of good times and bad times. We have been through a lot. The toughest part of our marriage was dealing with infertility.

We knew that we wanted children immediately, but things were not happening the way we expected. We spent hours at doctors offices, specialists offices and fertility tests. Nothing was helping. At some points we thought that we would never have a child.

We heard a sermon at church one day and it really made us realize that we had to give it all to God and he would carry out his plan. We prepared our nursery and our home in hopes that a baby was in our near future. We changed our lifestyle including our diet and prayed.

A few months later we found out that we were pregnant. We had not been to a doctor or specialist in several months. We simply left it up to God and he saw that we had prepared our lives for a child and he blessed us with a perfect little boy.

Through our marriage, our love has grown stronger everyday. Faith, hope and love are key ingredients for a long and lasting marriage. You must have faith in God and your spouse that they will be there for you. Hope for all of things that you in need in your life. Love each other and the lord and your marriage will be strong.

Four years can seem like a long time, but it has flown by. I hope for many many more years with my wife and have faith that our love will be stronger than it is today.

Happy Anniversary Babe! I love you and Charlie!

A Smile Says a Thousand Words!

Every morning when I wake up for work, I roll over to see the cutest baby boy in the world. He has been awake for quite a while before I begin to stir. I give him a little smile and his face lights up like the Fourth of July. It makes my day. Though I am tired and wish that I could stay home all day and do pretty much nothing, that giant smile on my little boy makes it a little more bearable.

I wonder what goes through the mind of our children when they are only a few weeks old, but they recognize you. Are they thinking, "Hey, there's Mommy or Daddy!" or are they thinking, "Hey, there is the crazy people that make funny faces and noises that I like." It doesn't make much difference to me, but it melts my heart when that little facelights up like he knows exactly who I am.

The grunts that have accompanied Charlie's smile have begun to sound more like giggles. He is growing so fast. he loves peek-a-boo and any other high pitched noise that you can make to entertain him. He has found the T.V. and loves to watch just about anything. I guess that I will have to start being careful about what shows are on when he is in the room.

I have started construction on a train set at Charlie's request. Well, okay, maybe I wanted the train set, but it will be his one day. Having a baby is a great excuse for re-living your childhood joys though.

Everyday bring something new with my growing boy. I hope that he is not walking by the time I get home today.