Wilma came and went. We were very fortunate to be unscathed by such a ferocious storm. The only positive aspect of the hurricane was a visit from Nat's Grandparents. They were refugees for three days. Nat had so much fun with them, he was exhausted the next day and took several very long naps during the day.

Nathaniel continues to try and stand on his own or with the help of others. He stood up in his pack-n-play without any help, just the sides to assist his balance. As for crawling, Nat has discovered most of the house. His explorations make me double my efforts in cleaning the house.

The doors are finally installed and painted. They look great. Good job Woodworks! It only took 6 weeks, once the doors were here. Next up on the Home Improvement front -- tiling the front entry.

Kathleen's work is a great experience for her. She has met some interesting people and working towards positive goals. Were are so proud of her!

As for me, I'm reading "Independence Day" by Richard Ford and trying to keep the house clean and financially aware. The book is a simple story, but the writer's vocabulary is amazing. Home finances are a necessary evil and I'm the guy in charge of the budget. I caught a snook from the dock yesterday. Just a small one, but a good sign that the line-siders are making their way back to the estuaries. We recently rented and highly suggest the movie "Bread and Tulips". Also, we saw the tear-jerker "Whale Rider", another good movie.

Be well!

I find it amazing how much joy a little boy and a new refridgerator can bring to a home. Nathaniel is crawling at an amazing speed of almost two feet a second. That's across the nursery and into the hall in 6 seconds! This progress doesn't leave much time for me to do quick things around the house. He is an intrepid explorer, in the ilk of his father, who, at the age of three, had rode his tricycle to the neighborhood 7-11 following his brothers for a slurpee. Ah, the call of the slurpee is never so strong as it is when it is the summer and you've had a long bike ride. I will have to be doubly vigilant on my watch over this little guy.

It has been a simple week for us. We visited our friends from my last job and the next day visited friends of many years in Brandon. Then, we enjoyed a day in the park at Indian Rocks Beach for Octoberfest. It's always fun when a polk band is playing and you are drinking beer and having a great time.

I learned this week that there were three Premos on the bench for a Mite's game. The statement seems a bit cryptic at first, but we have been a hockey family since the mid '70s. My dad (Al), brother (Patrick) and his son (Dominic), were all in attendence for the first game of the new season. That is a family milestone.

Ciao!
(Grandma Premo and Nat at 1 1/2 months)

That should brighten up your day. We were eating pears and oatmeal for breakfast. Nathaniel couldn't resist this moment to show us his teeth. The second upper incisor is coming in slowly.

We had our trip to the zoo this week. The giraffes and zebras were running together, which was a treat to see in the mid-day heat. Nat enjoyed the colobus and chimps. It was a brief and uneventful trip. Nat was not interested in the animals. He was more interested in the kids running and making noise around him.

I had my first frantic hour of child care, wrought with worry and fret. The first incident was a prolonged period of choking. Nat is slowly acclimating to formula and is generating an enourmous amount of flem while teething. Combined, they make a thick fluid that could probably choke a horse, as well. After ten minutes passed, we were able to work together to clean out his lungs .

The second incident occured while I was in the kitchen preparing fajitas for dinner and Nathaniel was on the living room floor playing with his toys. Everything is brought to his mouth once it is picked up. Many times, he will roll off his quilt and pull up the area rug to give it a test. I had finished cutting the peppers and onions, a little tear-eyed, and put them in the refriderator, when I peaked around the corner to see how Nat was doing. He had rolled off the quilt and rug, making his way to the tile step that is a transition from the sunken living room to the dining room. On the edge of that step are two plants, one is a palm and the other is a Xanadu. He had reached up and snatched a piece of Xanadu leaf. Of course, it went into his mouth. I immediately pulled the leaf from his hand, then did the sweep of his mouth and found a small piece. I pieced the leaf together to make sure I had all of the pieces. Into the penalty box he went. I hurried to answer the phone, because it was ringing at the same moment of our discovery. Kathleen calls every night on her way home from work and I knew it was her, so I quickly answered the phone. While we talked briefly, she reminded me to look on the internet about the plant. I hung up with her and then search for Xanadu (a member of the philodendron family). Poisonous? Yes, "will cause inflamation of mucous membranes and can restrict breathing." I called Florida poison control, all of this happened in the matter of a minute, but it felt like an hour. They answered in seconds. There was an elderly woman's voice on the phone. She reassured me that one bite of a leaf would have burned (caustic) his mouth and he would have dropped it, which is a good thing when dealing with poisons. She reassured me that everything was O.K. for Nathaniel.

When I worked for a corporation, we had a saying, "This (marketing) isn't brain surgery. No one is going to die on the table if it isn't prefect." I couldn't agree more. But, now, there is a life in my care and the responsibility can be overwhelming, if you think about it too much. So, I don't and we play all day.

Ciao!
(Nat's first bite of cereal)

We have a new addition to the family. Born on Thursday, September 15th, Sophia Ann Peiser (6 pounds, 11 ounces). Welcome to the world Sophie! You are very lucky to have such great parents. Both mom (Lisa, Kath's older sister, for those of you who do not know her) and baby are doing very well. She is already up to 7 pounds 2 ounces.

Nathaniel now has three teeth! His lower incisors came in when we were on the road to Jackson Hole, Wyoming and his upper left incisor appeared Monday morning. His sleep has been fragile with frequent awakenings from discomfort. That's the life of a 7-month-old. It's nearly impossible to get a good picture of them theeths, so you'll have to imagine them there.

A couple major milestones for Nat have been achieved this week: sitting up on his own; crawling across the floor; standing on both feet with help for balance only. As for sitting up on his own and how he did it, we don't know. Crawling came from many days of practice and the coaching of his grandpa. We are very proud parents of such a strong and willful young boy. This should not be surprising to many of you considering that most of his genes came from his mother.

Nat prefers to play and roll on the floor. Anything new to him is something he must have, but he has to stay on the playing field.


In bounds.







Out of bounds, two minutes in the playpen.







We had a great visit from Rich and Bonnee this week, as they make their way to Sanibel, then onto Cabo San Lucas. They wore Nat out from playing with him, so much that he finally slept through the night Thursday.






Kathleen went back to work after a 7 month hiatus. There is a difference in the work she is doing. I encourage all of you to look into the Shriners Hospitals and consider them in your thoughts and charitable donations. They do so much good work here and in Canada and Mexico. They have become an invaluable part of our society and culture.



The third and final door is installed and the finishing touches are coming to fruition. Next up, I will be tiling the front entry and landscaping once the daily highs are 85 or less.

As for me, I'm running everyday, which is a first since the '90s (college). The corporate weight has to come off and stay off. I need to get down to 175 pounds and try for 170, but I'll have to see if my body will let me. The main goal is to keep it off. No more up and down, it's not healthy. I'm also working on several home projects, but my time is devoted to Nathaniel.

Ciao!
Nathaniel at 2 weeks!