Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

5 years, 7 months.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Jack,

As we journeyed on in our family’s first road trip as a family of four (in the 2016 Toyota Highlander) last week, we made our next stop the Delta Flight Museum.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

The funny thing is, I really didn’t what know to expect beforehand: I’m not sure I had ever been to any kind of airplane museum before.

But once we got there, I realized what a great fit it was for our entire family!

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

I loved seeing how excited you were by everything surrounding you- there were planes hanging from the sky, planes for us to walk through, a small plane for you to get in, and a tunnel… all for you to explore.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Not only was there so much to see there, but Mommy and I loved the pace of the place.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

It was so open and spread out, and served as a non-intimidating environment for a family with a small baby. They have a theater room that plays a short film about the history of Delta Airlines.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Mommy was able to feed your sister her bottle there in the theater while our family watched the big screen.

I also couldn’t help but notice how helpful and courteous all the staff was.

Of course it wouldn’t be an event if Mommy and I didn’t let you get a souvenir, so you find the gift shop and you were excited to adopt a white bear in a bomber jacket.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

It was a wise decision to make the Delta Flight Museum part of our Atlanta road trip. Your attention was easily captivated the entire time we were there- and like I mentioned, it was very easily to manage a 2 month-old baby the whole time as well.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Perhaps your favorite part was the little “photo op” plane for you and your sister to sit inside. You kept going back to it, even asking me, “Daddy, does this plane really fly?”

If it would have, I’m sure you would have been ready to take flight.

 Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta

5 years, 7 months.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

Dear Jack,

As part of our family’s first road trip as a family of four (in the 2016 Toyota Highlander), we visited the Georgia Aquarium; you are particularly fascinated by whales and sharks.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

Of course, the first place we checked out was the souvenir shop, where you found a beluga whale as your companion for the visit. You took my suggestion and named her Bella. She remained by your side throughout our entire Atlanta road trip.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

I didn’t know this at the time, but the Georgia Aquarium is the largest aquarium in the western hemisphere! This fact is downplayed by how concise the place is structured, as all branches of the aquarium are virtually connected to the main court, which is connected to the gift shop.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

It was even convenient for Mommy to feed and change your baby sister’s diapers, without having to go to the other side of the aquarium to take care of her.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

Perhaps our favorite part of the Atlanta Aquarium was the underwater tunnel, in which we stood on a moving walkway as the ocean animals swam above us. I had always wanted to experience that. I finally was able to!

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

Something else I really liked about this aquarium is how we were able to see the entire place without ever having to feel rushed. We saw it all and it wasn’t too much or too little- it was the perfect amount!

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

Needless to say, you were thought it was so cool to see all the animals of the sea. I’m so glad it worked out for our family to visit the Georgia Aquarium this summer.

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

I know there are so many fun family activities to do in Atlanta, but we made the right decision in placing the Georgia Aquarium on our agenda for our family’s first road trip as a family of four.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: Our Trip to the Atlanta Aquarium

Dear Holly: Nonna and Papa’s Visit while Mommy Went to Washington D.C.

10 weeks.

Dear Holly,

Last week, Mommy went on her annual overnight business trip to Washington D.C. Instead of me using my last two vacation days, Nonna and Papa came up from Alabama to watch you and your brother Jack while I was at work.

It was a perfect match-up: Jack had Papa and you had Nonna.

When I got home from work each day, I couldn’t help not notice that without him trying to, Jack kept entertaining you as he played with his toys.

You had a front row seat to Jack’s antics. The funny thing is, you just stared intently. You never really smiled while watching him, but you didn’t want to do anything else- just watch him.

Dear Holly: Nonna and Papa’s Visit while Mommy Went to Washington D.C.

In fact, you stare so much at your brother he complains to me about it: “Daddy, Holly’s staring at me again!”

Nonna took care of you during the night, which perfectly coincided with you beginning to sleep through the night, at 2 months old. I am so happy about you sleeping longer, and I know Mommy is too.

Dear Holly: Nonna and Papa’s Visit while Mommy Went to Washington D.C.

As I look through these pictures of you and Nonna together, it’s evident what a light complexion you have, especially in contrast to Nonna and Papa’s skin tone.

In particular, it’s interesting to see how such a pink-toned baby girl can come from a Mexican/Italian grandmother who is so much darker; knowing that even Mommy and I both have an olive-complexion, as compared to the lighter tone both you and your brother have.

Dear Holly: Nonna and Papa’s Visit while Mommy Went to Washington D.C.

Something else I’m thinking about as I see these pictures… it’s helping to confirm my theory that you may end up being my little red-headed daughter. How amazing would that be?

We’ll know for sure once your baby hair completely falls out and your new hair really starts growing in…

Love,

Daddy

Dear Holly: Nonna and Papa’s Visit while Mommy Went to Washington D.C.

Dear Holly: I am Your Fitness Instructor and Speech Pathologist

9 weeks.

Dear Holly: I am Your Fitness Instructor and Speech Pathologist

Dear Holly,

One of my exclusive daily responsibilities as your Daddy is to make sure you’re being physically challenged in your exercises. So when I’m home, I do exercise time with you after each feeding.

You curiously love to stand up while I hold your hands. This seems peculiar to me, in that you’re only 2 months old. But yes, you stand on your feet for several minutes at a time before you need a break.

It’s funny because you always stand with your feet perfectly together; never in a regular stance.

Sometimes I pretend we are having a father-daughter dance, jokingly signing “Cinderella” by Steven Curtis Chapman. You totally go along with it, not knowing any better.

But while it is a joke, I look forward a lifetime of dancing you with as your father.

After you get tired of that, I turn you over on your stomach, which forces you to attempt to crawl. You have every reason to cry within in a few seconds, yet you never do.

Instead, you are always inspired to keep trying to crawl until I finally flip you back over due to your puddle of drool.

In addition to you having an obsession with maintaining mobility, you also are getting very serious about learning to talk.

During our exercise training, you also will smile at me and starting talking:

“Grrrr-ooowww-ahhh…”

I’ve learned that as I make random sounds back, you try to imitate them.

You’re also fixated on trying to roll all the way over from your back to your stomach.

Rolling over from your back to your side is easy for you at this point. My favorite time was last weekend when you were laying down on your play mat, smiled at me real big, then just threw your whole body into immediately rolling over.

It was as if to say, “Hi Daddy, bye Daddy!”

We have fun together! I am your fitness instructor and speech pathologist.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: We Loved Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Out of the Shadows!

5 years, 7 months.

Dear Jack: We Loved Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Out of the Shadows!

Dear Jack,

You and I have seen many action movies at the theatre in the year 2016 so far, including Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Captain America: Civil War, and X-Men: Apocalypse. But after this weekend, you and I both decided we have now seen our favorite so far- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.

I’m not saying it is better than the other movies we’ve seen so far this year, but I am saying it was definitely the most enjoyable and entertaining.

This is the first time a live-action Ninja Turtles movie included the essential villains Krang, Bebop, and Rocksteady; as well as Baxter Stockman. The action was non-stop. It was fun to watch the entire time, yet not cheesy at all.

Here’s an Instragram (nickshellwrites) I did of you eating your huge slice of pizza right before the show:

It is most appropriate for the kid to wolf down pizza right before we go see Ninja Turtles 2.

 It is most appropriate for the kid to wolf down pizza right  before we go see Ninja Turtles 2.

I recently officially realized that one of our traditional father and son activities is to watch action movies together. It was a couple of months ago when we were watching Jurassic World together that I put that together. Then conveniently, a few weeks later, Jurassic Park (as well as its sequels) showed up on Netflix. That was convenient.

Mommy calls the movies we watch “boy movies.”

She understands that you are wired for adventure and that it’s good for just you and me (“the boys”) to disappear for a few hours and see an action/superhero/dinosaur/sci-fi movie together.

Of course when you and I go to see a movie, we make an event out of it. We are not casually about it at all.

I typically buy our tickets a day in advance, then the next day, we show up at least an hour before the movie begins. It’s vital to get the perfect seats, so therefore we are the first to arrive to have the ability to choose whatever seats we want.

Plus, we always stay until all the credits are over, to make sure we don’t miss any hidden scenes.

I keep my calendar marked with upcoming movies to take you to see. We don’t play around when it comes to our movies!

Dear Jack: We Loved Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Out of the Shadows!

Love,

Daddy