Tickling the Ivories

I found a new passion while visiting my cousins! I could not stay away from making beautiful muzak for everyone's listening pleasure.  This is my favorite piece I composed - it builds steadily to an exuberant crescendo then ends with an advanced technique that requires more than 10 fingers. Enjoy!

Photo Shoot

Our good friend, Lech, took some amazing photos at a kiddie birthday party last weekend.

Here are his shots of our beautiful boy.

Mohawk Man!

Logan's hair is only growing in a strip down the middle of his head. So many people have commented on his "mohawk" that we decided to try the real deal.

Look Who's 6 Months Old!

New this round of photos - sitting all by myself!!!

Slippery Fish

Mom and I went for a swim at the Richmond Plunge. It's a beautiful pool with a solar thermal heating system and saline water that uses ultraviolet technology for cleaning.

Rice Cereal is Muy Delicioso

Finally got to have some "real" food - rice cereal mixed with breast milk. It was uh-MA-zing! I couldn't get enough. What else you got for me? Avacado? Banana? Bring it!

What the heck is this thing?

Shovel faster, mom, or gimme the spoon and lemme show you how it's done.

Bath Time

Mom and Dad finally got around to letting me take a bath in the bathtub instead of the sink, which was getting waaay cramped! Let's just say my new tub rocks.

Run, Mama, Run!

Dad and I went to cheer for mom at her race last weekend. It was a perfectly beautiful morning for hanging out in Crissy Field. She was hecka slow, but she did it - and I got to watch it all happen from my stoller perch on the grassy knoll.

yes. I am super stoked.

this may be the coolest wicker basket.....ever

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Logan and Smokey Bear: 5 Months Old

The Roaring '20s

For Halloween we dressed up like folks from the 1920s. Or mobsters. Or gangsters. Whatever you want to call us, we had a lot of fun! Logan went to his first Halloween party at the Chabot Space and Science Center and partied well into the night.

Planning our next vacation

Looks like we are going to Madagascar

Visiting the "Wee Wee" Doctor

Every couple of months, Logan goes to the nephrologist (kidney doctor) to get his urine tested. He gets to wear a fancy bag to collect the urine and a special diaper with a hole cut in it.

Logan's Big Boy Ride

Logan and daddy went to get coffee this morning. Before they left, Logan decided to ditch the infant car seat and ride facing forward in the stroller like the big boy he is. He LOOOVED seeing all of the hustle and bustle of the neighborhood.

Logan and Smokey Bear: 4 Months Old

Logan is still growing like a weed. At his four month checkup he was 27" long and 17 pounds.

walking in the rain

Logan loved his first rain experience

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Sooo Big!!!

We've been taking pictures of Logan each month next to Smokey Bear to document his growth. He just turned three months old a few days ago - so hard to believe!! Here are the photos of him at 1 month, 2 months, and 3 months.

Chatterbox

We just had a flash forward into our future. "Are we there yet?" "Why is the sky blue?" "Why?" "What makes waves?" "Where do bees go in winter?" "Why?" "Where do babies come from?" "Why?" "Why?" "Why?"

First Trip to Yosemite!

Uncle Lech decided to celebrate his birthday with a trip to Yose. We had a splendid time sitting around the campfire making s'mores, watching the sun set behind Half Dome, catching a few meteors from the Perseid meteor shower, sleeping in a two-person tent with mom and dad and Ruby and Tucker, swimming at Tenaya Lake...can't wait till next time!!! So many adventures to be had...

Surprise for Mommy

Logan was having so much fun in his crib - squeeling, cooing - I had to take a video. He had a little something extra to share.

Sleepy

Sneezy

my fishing hat

Who wants to go fishing?

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A visit from Auntie Melissa

I had so much fun with Auntie Melissa this weekend!  We spent a lot of time just smiling and laughing together - I think she is really really fun. I hope to meet uncle Shaun and cousins Blake, Anika, Caden, and Claire soon!

Baby-pattern baldness

About 3 weeks ago, I started to lose my hair. At first it was just two little bald spots on the back of my head - but soon enough, I found that none of my hair was exempt from attrition. I am now down to just a few strands here and there. Oh-well. Mom and Dad assure me that I am still the cutest baby ever, so I guess this recent development will not have any long-term impact on my social status.

Weebles Wobble...

and sometimes fall down!

So mom had this brilliant idea (stolen from another mom) to take my picture once a month next to the same stuffed animal to document how much I'm growing. She was trying to take my picture today next to my Smokey Bear but couldn't even operate the camera - she's not so tech savvy. She accidentally took a video, but apparently I was cute enough and she decided to just keep filming. Notice it was Tucker, my trusty guard Chihuahua, who finally came to my rescue when he realized mom was too busy laughing at me to do her job.

I have a really cool mobile

Making funny faces with mom

Ah... the good life

I returned home on June 20th - Father's Day.  Dad said that it was the best Father's Day ever - and I will have to agree.

I am doing great and the doctors told me that I am healthy and will never need to worry about my guts again.

Mom and I went for a hike today through the redwoods and then met up with a bunch of new friends. I can't wait for more adventure tomorrow!

Logan Learns About Modern Medicine

Logan had emergency surgery at Children's Hospital in Oakland on the night of June 12th. He is recovering and will be back home within he next few weeks. By the end of the whole ordeal he will only have an clean abdominal scar as a reminder of his brush with serious illness.

On Saturday June 12th, Logan was living life to the fullest. Only six days old, he was eating and growing well, and the Dedricks were continuing to grow together as a family. We spent the day relaxing and visiting with friends at the farmers market. Later in the evening it became clear that something was wrong with his digestive system. We called the pediatrician for advice and were told to go to the emergency room as soon as possible - the symptoms seemed to indicate that he had an intestinal blockage.

When we arrived at Children's triage, the waiting room was packed and we worried that it would be a long time before we would get a diagnosis. When we informed the attendant of his symptoms, he was immediately admitted. As a result of the visit to the radiography, Logan was diagnosed with a intestinal malrotation and blockage.

Malrotation is twisting of the intestines (or bowel) caused by abnormal development while a fetus is in utero, and can cause obstruction. Malrotation occurs in 1 out of every 500 births in the United States.

We transferred Logan to the Operating Room and met with the surgeon, Dr. Jim Betts. Dr. Betts is a bit of a local hero; during the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, he crawled into the collapsed Cypress structure to perform life-saving surgery on a little boy trapped in the rubble. Within the entry to the OR, Dr. Betts described Logan's procedure to us, answered our questions, scrubbed in, and began the surgery a mere two hours after admission to the emergency room.

After an excruciating 1.5 hour wait in the cafeteria of Childrens, we saw Dr. Betts approach. He informed us that the procedure proceeded very well and Logan was in recovery and ready for a visit. Logan's intestines were now positioned appropriately and his appendix was removed. In addition to the malrotation, Logan had significant volvulus - a condition where the bowel twists on itself and loses blood flow. If left uncorrected (hours to days), significant damage to the bowel can occur resulting in lifelong complications. Fortunately, we were able to get the volvulus corrected quickly enough that Logan's bowel was not permanently damaged.

After the surgery, Logan was transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where he will remain until full recovery. The intestine is very sensitive and tends to shut down when it is handled in surgery. Recovery can only proceed when the intestine begins to work again so that food is digested. Although we are still waiting for Logan's intestine to wake up, he is strong and healthy and the doctors are confident that he will recover fully - without complication.

Although it has been a very difficult time for mom, dad, and Logan, we are very grateful. We have experienced exceptional care at Chridrens Hospital and feel like we have had the best medical team at our service. Again, we have only survived with love and support from our close friends and family. The visits, the food, the phone calls, the emails, the text messages - you who are responsible know who you are, and we love you and thank you.

We can't wait to get Logan home again and look forward to a big party to celebrate.

My grand entrance (according to mom and dad)

Logan Alexander was born on Sunday June 6th, 2010 at 4:10am. He is a healthy and happy baby with some very proud parents. His birth was dramatic and intensely emotional – an experience that we will not forget anytime soon. It was a time of new discovery and love in the presence of close friends and family.

The evening of Friday, June 4th, we were resting peacefully. Earlier in the evening, Maegan had noticed that her “Braxton-Hicks” contractions had intensified somewhat, but nothing too noteworthy. Around midnight, Maegan woke up to early labor. We knew it was time - no more procrastinating - this was happening now. After all the birth classes and books we had read, it could be assumed that we would know exactly what to do. Instead, we just held each other and giggled, occasionally asking each other's opinion of what we should do next. "Should I fill the birth tub?", Dan would inquire. Should we call our midwives?

As Maegan got comfortable for early labor, Dan got busy and started filling the birth tub and preparing as we had rehearsed. The excitement was palpable. We labored together in the dimmed light all morning. It was the most beautiful time with both of us growing closer and loving each other. As morning's early glow began to trickle through the windows, we knew it was time to start making phone calls.

Our dearest friend, Ariel, was our first call at 5:45am. A labor and delivery nurse by day and a close friend for many years, Ariel agreed to our be our doula many months before. As she drove from Montclair (about 5 minutes away), Dan alerted Beah Haber (East Bay Home Midwifery) that active labor was underway. By 8:00am, the preparations were complete as Maegan labored more intensely.

Time became meaningless. Maegan's rapid progress seemed to indicate that we would be holding our new baby by mid-day. Of course, this was only an indication - in all actuality, progress slowed to a crawl and Maegan labored on. Soon it became clear that with each contraction, Maegan was becoming more fatigued. As of 6:00pm, Maegan had been in active labor for 12hrs and in transition for nearly 2 hrs. After trying every trick in the book to progress, we decided that Maegan needed to transfer to Alta Bates Labor and Delivery. Maegan had given it everything she had and then some - but now it was clear that additional assistance would be necessary.

Maegan was transferred to Alta Bates with the assistance of Dan, Ariel, Beah, Ellah, Jeannie, and Karen. The doctors and nurses, all colleagues of Ariel, were superb - Maegan was able to rest and prepare for the final stage of labor. Around 2:00am, it was time to bring the little guy into the world and Logan Alexander was delivered at 4:10am into the hands of his new father.

The first few minutes of Logan's life in the outside world were difficult. He was fatigued from the long labor and was also under quite a bit of stress due to an unfortunately placed umbilical cord situated loosely around his neck. With some help from the nurses, Logan was able to find his breath. Auntie Ariel gave him his first bath to get the blood flowing and soon enough, Logan was trying out his new-found vocal ability. At last, Mom, Dad, and Logan were able to get to know each other and recover.

It is time we will never forget. We found new love and humility, we discovered limits unknown and strengths untapped. In the end, we could not have done it without our closest friends to support us. Maegan's Mom, Karen, was an invaluable source of love and care. Our midwives were amazing, providing us with the best care that we could imagine and helping us make the best decisions possible. And Ariel, the strength and care that she provided along the journey could not be substituted. We are eternally grateful.

The joy that he brings to us is indescribable. He is perfect, we hope you all can meet him soon!

Here are my digits

I like sleep. a lot.

Today, I spent a tremendous amount of time sleeping and looking as cute as possible. Mom and dad tried to keep me awake a little bit, while mumbling something about needing to sleep at night. whatever.

My first blog

Hello world

Logan was born Sunday, June 6th, 2010

8 lbs 12 oz

It was a tough day but now I am ready to roll!