What I am playing 5/30/08

I just posted a short article over on GTSM about my late introduction to the Mario Kart series. You can find it here.

I have been playing a lot of Rock Band with my son Zach. He is a blast to play with, so we've killed many hours jamming away. We usually alternate between playing guitar and bass. I have ordered some drum pads for my RB drum set. These help soften the noise while actually banging on the drums, so we won't disturb the whole house. I love drumming so this will make it easier for everyone.

I am about 25% done with Grand Theft Auto IV. I absolutely love the game, but it's been hard to find time recently. I like to play it late at night after the kids are asleep so I don't warp their minds when they come downstairs earlier in the evening. Having a new baby at home cuts into my sleep so it's hard to stay up so late. But I am very interested in getting back to Niko and the gang and hope to do that halfway soon.

I still enjoy playing my career mode in MLB '08: The Show as well. But again, it's been hard to find the time to keep my career going steadily. It's such a great game that I think I will be revisiting it all summer long. Just maybe not as much as I'd like.

Tuesday sees the release of Lego Indiana Jones. I adored the Lego Star Wars series, and I much prefer the Indiana Jones movies over Star Wars, so this is a no-brainer for me. Luckily I have a Best Buy gift card saved up, so I will be picking it up next week. Zach and I played played through Lego Star Wars together and had a great time of it, so I am sure we will tackle Indiana Jones together as well.

That's all for now. For those interested, John is doing better each and every day, getting stronger and looking more like a full-term baby every time I look at him. Thanks again for all the kind thoughts and prayers.

The Eagle Has Landed!

John is finally home where he belongs. The other kids were waiting for us, with homemade signs and videotaping our arrival. We have truly been blessed. Thanks to everyone out there who took time out to think of us for a second or maybe offer a little prayer. And thanks to the Big Fella upstairs as well. Couldn't have done it without you!

Special prayers go out to our neighbors Jason and Hillary, who have twins in the same unit that took care of John. They were early too, but have been doing unbelievably well. Here's hoping they come home soon so they can start bonding with John. Keep growing, boys!

He's homeward bound!

Or at least he will be tomorrow! John was actually ready for release from the hospital today, but his circumcision could not be scheduled until tomorrow morning. But once that is done he will be on his way home! Barb is just beaming (as am I) and we are gearing up for the big day.

Congratulations, John! You did it!!!

Another day, another step closer to home

I am happy to report that John had his feeding tube removed today. From now on he will be getting his nourishment from either breast or bottle. This is tremendous news, since neither method requires him to be hospitalized. His weight has gone up to 5 lbs, 7.7 ounces. The doctors told us today that he should be home by the end of the week!

Needless to say we are ecstatic and are counting the days 'til the little man is fully released. I want to once again thank everyone for keeping John in their thoughts and prayers. I really believe it made a difference.

Big John

I haven't posted the last couple of days because things have been going smoothly but without much change. John is moving tonight, from his isolet bed to an actual crib, which is another step closer to coming home. Two of Barb's sister's came to visit from out of town, and they got their first peeks at the beautiful boy. Barb and I are headed back in a few minutes for his 8 PM feeding.

Our neighbors had twins today, a bit early as well, and they are sharing the same room with John. Our best thoughts and prayers go out to them, of course. Be strong, little ones!

That's it for now. I'll check back in later in the week.

Couldn't be more pleased

We saw John tonight at the the hospital and it was the best I have seen him look yet. He seemed very aware and was quite active. All of his numbers are great and he is eating like a fat man at a smorgasbord. I am very relieved to see him this way. Barb and I can't wait to get him home! Keep improving, little John! We love you!

Today's John update and picture

John had another great day! He had his I.V. removed as well as his nasal canula. You can now see his sweet face! And to top it all off, he took milk from the breast today. Way to go, little big man! He is now up to 38 cc of food every 3 hours. Most of his feedings are now coming from a bottle rather than his tube. All in all, we are remarkably pleased with his progress. His nurses are very happy as well. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers and please keep 'em coming!

We love you John!!!

Protected by the mighty Michigan "M"!

That's right, baby! Let's Go Blue!

Goodnight, John. We love you!!!

Barb's home, John's improving

That's the big news for today. Barb came home tonight and I was amazed at how she held it together. Sure, there were some tears, but I honestly think she was more composed than I was when I left the night before. Barb continues to heal and is strong as ever.

John did great today. He is now up to a whopping 20cc of breast milk, and has even taken it by bottle a couple of times. He had a lot of smiles for us today and even a few laughs. It is absolutely the best feeling in the world when he gets that grin on his face.

It's great to be home with the other 3 kids again, but we sure miss John. Hopefully he will continue to improve and can join us soon.

Today's picture is Barb's dad holding John. What a terrific grandpa!

Quick update on Momma and John

I decided to finally leave the hospital tonight and sleep at home, only because I have to work tomorrow, Barb is coming home in the morning, and I promised my 3 year old (Laurel) that I'd be home tonight. Leaving Barb and John there was heart wrenching for me. It finally hit home what all has transpired; how lucky I am that both are still here with me, and that John will be staying for a while longer. I know when Barb is discharged tomorrow that she is going to be absolutely hysterical. Leaving your baby in the hospital, going home without him, is almost unthinkable. You feel like you are leaving him all alone (which you are not, but still...) and that you are abandoning him. It's all illogical, but that's how it feels.

John had a nice, steady day. He is now eating 10cc of breast milk every 3 hours, which is great. He was moved to an iso-bed, which is a step up. The force of air they are giving him was reduced. He has had to go back to 30% oxygen, but the nurses assured us that is normal at this stage. They hope to slowly ween him back to room air shortly. Room air, by the way, is around 21% oxygen.

My sister got some great pictures of him, which I hope to have soon. I will post them when I do. In the meantime, please keep those thoughts and prayers coming John's way.

I love you, John. Sleep tight my brave little son.

Baby John update

Well, John has been here a little over two and a half days and fortunately things continue to look good. He has started eating (breast milk put directly into his tummy) and has pooped and peed, so his kidneys and bowels seem to be okay. He has been receiving oxygen, since his lungs were not fully developed, but he is now breathing regular room air, and receiving just a little help to keep him going. Hopefully he has learned how to breathe on his own and will be able to do that without assistance sometime soon. Both Barb and I have held him numerous times and he is just a sweetheart. If things continue to progress at this rate, we will all be absolutely elated. The staff at the hospital has been wonderful; we can't thank them enough.

Barb also continues to get stronger by the moment. She has been very pro-active in recovery from her surgery and is now able to be on her feet for small moments. We are hoping she comes home tomorrow or Sunday. Stay strong, Sweetie.

Now that a few days have passed, I'll give an abbreviated version of what took place. Sunday afternoon Barb had some contractions and we had to head to the hospital. She was released that evening and things seemed to be going well. But early Monday morning she started bleeding at a pretty alarming rate. We called 911 and got her to the hospital. They were able to get the bleeding stopped and the baby still looked healthy. We stayed in the hospital overnight and things appeared to settle down. They wanted to keep Barb at least one more day to make sure everything was fine. Barb was doing great; there was no more bleeding and she was very stable, so we went to bed. But Wednesday morning at about 12:30 AM, Barb woke me and said she was bleeding badly. We called the nurse, who in turn called the doctor on staff that night. Neither the nurse or the doctor were able to locate the baby's heartbeat using ultrasound. Barb and I were beside ourselves and wanted to get the baby out right then and there. The doctor agreed and Barb was wheeled into the O.R. I had to stay outside. Barb was given a general anesthetic and John was removed from her womb. From outside the doors, I heard the sound of a baby crying. A nurse came out and told me that the baby was alive and that Barb was stable. I was able to go in and hold the baby while they got his footprints and weighed him. Barb was still unconscious and being closed back up. It was a horrible frightening time, as I was worried about the baby's health and Barb waking up okay. I thank God for helping us get through such a tough time. He/She/It was definitely in our corner, that's for certain. We were told that had Barb not already been in the hospital, neither she nor John would have survived. So you can imagine how thankful I am.

John was delivered 4-6 weeks early, so his health has been a real concern. As I stated earlier, all signs are looking good up to this point. Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers, especially Dave Roland, who I called in a panic after Barb was wheeled into the O.R. He was able to calm me down a bit and I appreciate his being there for me at such a crazy time in the morning.

We are very fortunate that Barb's parents have been in town with us this whole time. They have kept the rest of the family going and have been priceless to us. And as usual, my own parents and siblings have been a real source of strength as well. I know I scared the heck out of them when I called them to say that Barb was going into surgery. As always, they were right there for us.

Thanks everyone and please keep little John in your thoughts and prayers. He still has a ways to go and we are going to be there for him every step of the way.

A Real Miracle Baby

John Arthur William Schmaltz was born on May 14th at 12:52 AM. How he got here is quite a story, which I will share at a later time. For now I will just say that he arrived quite a bit early and that I am very fortunate that both he and Barb are okay. So Zach, Jess and Laurel have a new brother. John still has a bit of a journey to go through before he will get to come home. Any good thoughts and/or prayers are appreciated.

I'll blog more when I can. Right now it's back to the hospital!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

I am blessed to have both a great mother for my children (Barb) and a terrific mother of my own. My mom has always been there for me and has given me unconditional love and support. She has meant so much to me through the years and she has been a great friend as well. I admire how she handles things, how she gets things done and her outstanding ethics and character. What a great role model she has been for her children and her grandchildren. Now if we could just get her to stop smoking...

I love you, mom. You're the absolute best.

Barb, you are just an amazing person. I have no idea how you handle so much at one time. I am blessed to have you in my life and for being the mother of my children. Thanks for all you do as a mother, spouse and best friend. I love you so much!

A great day for my lady

Our family and friends had a baby shower for my wife Barb and our (soon-to-be) baby boy John today. It was absolutely wonderful. Barb's friend Angie had everything planned, but got sick and couldn't attend. So as usual, Barb picked up the ball and ran with it. She had everything put together perfectly and everyone seemed to have a wonderful time. We are truly blessed to have such terrific friends, and our family couldn't be better. Barb's parents and her sister Theresa and her husband Tom came in from out of town, which was a real treat. It was so great to have everyone together in one place and they all got along splendidly. The gifts were wonderful and went way beyond what we could have imagined. It's amazing to see how loving and generous your friends are.

So a great big thanks to everyone who attended. You all made the day one we will always remember. Barb is truly touched by your friendship. Me too, of course!

She just doesn't get it

Hillary Clinton has vowed to fight on in trying to capture the Democratic nomination for president, even though Barack Obama has a lead that cannot be overcome without some sort of manipulation of the super delegates. Evidently Mrs. Clinton is more concerned about her own ambitions rather than the good of the Democratic party, and in turn, the good of the country.

Senator Clinton has to realize that if she somehow gets the nomination now that a large percentage of voters, particularly African-Americans, are going to feel that she stole it, that she somehow robbed Barack Obama of what is rightfully his. Obama supporters will be bitter about this and will not automatically vote for Clinton in the general election. They may just sit the election out, feeling once again that their votes didn't count. Without a doubt, many African Americans will feel disenfranchised and be disgusted with the whole process. They will not support Clinton and may end up largely abandoning the Democratic Party, which many have accused of taking the African-American vote for granted. By taking the nomination away from Obama, Clinton could set her party back for a long time. You have to hope that she realizes this soon and does the right thing by stepping aside.

There are many things I admire about Senator Clinton. I hope I can soon add selflessness to the list.

The Big Headache

After Charter Cable pissed me off, mistakenly turning off my digital cable because of a typo, I decided to go with Dish Network. It offered a lot more (including the NFL Network) for a bit less money, and after Charter screwed the pooch, I had incentive enough to switch. That all went pretty well, although Barb has spent a lot of time on the phone with them, trying to get the bill straight.

After dropping Charter's TV service, the price for their internet service increased, as it was no longer part of a bundle. So I called around and found DSL (with similar speed to Charter) at an unbelievable $25 a month cheaper than what Charter was now charging me. So far so good. But getting the DSL up and running was no easy feat, especially when coupled with my wireless router. To make matters worse, none of my e-mails to my old address are being forwarded the way AT&T claimed. So if I need to check my old e-mail account I have to disconnect the DSL modem, shut down the computer, hook up the cable modem and start the computer up again. Major pain in the ass. And trying to contact all of the different web sites I use and changing my e-mail address has been no picnic either. It's been a long, tedious process and I am not even close to finished yet. In the long run I'll be happy I am saving almost $300 a year by switching over to DSL, but right now I am not having a good time making it happen. Once things get back to normal I will start blogging more here and at GTSM. In the meantime there is some great stuff over there, so by all means head over to GTSM and check it all out. Seriously, go ahead. In the meantime I'll be here, pulling more hair out.