In Jarod's Words: 2011

Quite an interesting year it’s been.  It started with being staffed at Borders, the only retail client I’ve worked on.  The company met an unfortunate end, but the experience is valuable.  Kathryn’s pre-eclamptic symptoms started in January, and mid-March brought a nightmare travel scenario for yours truly.  While taxiing to the runway in St. Louis, Kate called and said she was heading to the hospital on doctor’s orders.  Though I knew it futile, I asked if there was any way to go back for a family emergency.  Nope, I flew to Detroit, only to exit the plane and see that the next flight back to St. Louis was cancelled due to snow.  So while Kate checked herself in to the hospital, I spent half the day at DTW and arrived back in St. Louis around dinner time.  The next week or so was spent worrying and waiting to see what Melanie had in store for her mother.  Unfortunately, she arrived two months early, but her perfection makes the distress (mostly for Kate, obviously) irrelevant.  Her one month stay in the NICU brought daily concerns and delights, as did her first few weeks at home. Now she’s growing fast and “catching up” with good pace.  Her personality is shining and it’s often difficult to silence her jabbering, but who’d want to?  “D” seems to be her first clear consonant, so that’s bringing a lot of “dada” sounds.  This father is very proud of her progress, and her intelligence seems to expand daily (I’m sure it helps that she has a ridiculous collection of developmental toys).  I’m also amazed at her mother, both for her resiliency through a rough pregnancy and her maternal prowess.  Not to mention handling the load of household duties and other “life maintenance”….I’ve certainly slacked in that area. We just finished our first family Christmas with MC, and are already looking forward to the next.  It was a grand way to close out a busy year.  Now we’re focused on new challenges and milestones for 2012.  If only I could travel less… Below are a few of my more favored blog photos.