Colby Pictures are HERE!

Here are the pictures of Colby that everyone has been waiting for...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rooneyville/

I haven't had time to edit or fix any of them, or even rename them. Just enjoy!

WARNING: There may be some graphic pictures in the batch. I tried to not include them but one or two may have slipped by, so be warned!

Here's Colby!

Baby Update 3.0

Baby Colby Jack Dorris was born to Jack & Natalie Dorris March 18, 2006, at 7:47 PM PST and weighing in at 7 lbs. 1 oz. and sizing up to 19-1/2" long.

More to come in the near future...

Baby Update 2.1

Baby and Mommy are progressing nicely, albeit slow coming. Natalie has received an epideral and is a good 4cm dialated. We've kicked everyone out and are going to try to take a nap for an hour or so. We are told that she should dialate about 1cm per hour now and Colby has been firmly at zero-station since we got here, so he should be ready to pop right out when she becomes fully dialated. Let's hope this holds true!

Baby Update 2.0

We've made it to the hospital. Natalie has been having contractions all week, but nothing regular until last night. We eagerly timed them as we passed the time playing Skip-Bo until they were 4-7 minutes apart, and then called the OB. That was about 12:30am. Now, here we are, 9:45am and still waiting.

Her contractions have been fairly regular and increasing in strength, but she hasn't changed much in the way of dialating. Nonetheless, her doctor says she is definately in early labor and decided to break her water to speed things along.

Cindy and Randy, Nat's parents, are on their way and my parents are standing by a couple hours away. Our friend Tami will be here as soon as I tell her to come. We are in no shortage of support.

I'll try to keep you up-to-date as best I can... We'll see how this goes.

Family Introduction

I would like everyone to meet some of my family...

Please say "goo-goo" to Cade and Madison Dorris, born March 10th.

Momma Cori...

And Daddy Ryan.

Baby Update

Less than two weeks to her "Due Date" and still going! Natalie and Colby are doing well. Daddy, too. We're just waiting (im)patiently. If I had a nickle for every time I've asked her, "how are you doing," we would be rich! Everytime I leave the house I watch my cell phone for 'the call' like the phone is going to stand up and do a song-and-dance for all to see.

She's having contractions from time to time, but nothing consistent. The cat has been going nuts lately--I think she knows something. Nat's seeing her doctor once a week, now, and the doctor said she was on call this weekend--so, now is as good a time as any! Any bets?

Eventful Weekend

I’m an uncle again… and again.  My brother Ryan and his wife Cori gave life to twins!  A boy and a girl, Cade and Madison.  I got the call Friday around 3:00 after they babies were born via C-Section around noon.  We are told they are doing well except for some minor lung development for Cade.

Natalie and I are so excited for them.  This is their second and third, after their first boy Hunter—now 2 years, 2 months (I believe).  Cade and Madison are a bit premature—about 6 weeks or so, I think.  I’m not very good at keeping dates straight.

For a little background, I also have a niece and nephew by my sis, Christina (aka: Sissy), and her hubby Greg.  Their boy and girl are Sean and Samantha, about 5 years and 2 years respectively (again, not the best with dates).  Also, Natalie’s sister, Vickey, has a 3 year old daughter named Kristabelle.

Well, today we thought we were going to add to the mix; but it was a false alarm.  Natalie was awakened this morning, about 3am, with contractions.  She walked around to shake them off in case they were Braxton-Hicks, but they were persistent and irregular—about 30 minutes apart.  I had to work at 6am and Natalie made me go, begrudgingly.  I told her to call me with every contraction so I could keep tabs on her.

Wouldn’t you know it, the day this starts up is the one day in history we get snow!  That’s right, it snowed at our house; but not until I got to work.  Natalie called me a few times at work, having another contraction, and I started to worry about being on the opposite end of the Cuesta Grade—a 15 mile grade uphill from San Luis Obispo (where I work) to our house in Templeton.  Not sure what the elevation change is, but it was enough to snow.  I was afraid I would be stuck on one side and her on the other, so I called my boss and said I’m heading home.  Tami—my boss—was fine with it and she came in to cover my shift.  We’ve become very close with Tami, like a sister, and she is just as anxious to be involved in Colby’s birthday as we are.  She’ll be there when the time comes.

Turned out to be false labor, but we are poised and ready when the time comes.  Today was just a trial run.  We did go to the hospital because we weren’t sure if her water broke or not—sounds silly, I know; but sometimes it just leaks out instead of flushing out.  Anyway, it didn’t, she wasn’t, and he hasn’t, yet.  But we’re waiting……..

The Fast Lane

In my youth, I was always in a hurry to get where ever I was going. I believe Grant confessed to the same habits. My first car was a Camero, albeit a P.O.S. Camero, but a Camero none the less. Then a newer Firebird (stick shift--yahoo), a couple other cars, then a Trans-Am. While I had the Trans-Am, I also had a 'crotch-rocket.' I drove like a maniac and everyone was in my way.

I am a bit more of a conservative driver, now. That is to say I am usually within 5 mph within the speed limit. Often, at night, I nail the cruise control to the speed limit--we live in a rather rural area where it's all highway driving to and fro. I don't do it because I'm that cautious, but rather because I don't want the hassles of a ticket. It doesn't mean I want to spend any more time driving than I did before.

Nonetheless, slow-pokes still drive me crazy! I have trouble understanding why slow drivers insist on driving in the 'Fast Lane.' The only thing I can figure is their parents didn't teach them how to drive courteously. The fast lane--or furthest left lane--is meant for those driving faster than others, regardless of the pace. It is also known as the passing lane.

Cops and Highway Patrol alike do not want everyone driving the exact same speed. This would cause a rather stale traffic pattern. Instead, they prefer one lane move faster than the other to keep a flow of traffic--within reason, of course. Just because the speed limit is 65, doesn't mean you go 65 in the fast lane and anyone going faster be-damned. If someone is coming up on your tail, GET OUT OF THE WAY! You are more likely to cause an accident by making them go around you than staunchly poking-along in their path.

Why am I ranting about something so random? Because we live in an area largely populated by retired folk--typically the most cautious of drivers. And they are forever poking-along in the fast lane at 55 or 60 when the speed limit is 65! Just because they are retired and nowhere to be in a hurry, doesn't mean the rest of us don't either. And if you can't keep up with traffic, GET OFF THE HIGHWAY!!! You are the menace, not everyone else going with the flow of traffic, regardless of the speed limit. If traffic is flowing at 70, you are a danger to us all, so MOVE OVER!

Okay.... I feel better now. Thanks for listening. :-)