Pryce turns 1

One year ago today the whole family gathered around in our hospital room to welcome Pryce Lucille Bowler to the world. It was the most amazing day of my life (not counting my wedding... Love you Mert). So after an incredibly fast and furious year we would all gather once again to celebrate Prycey Lu's 1 year old birthday!!!

She had no idea why we are all singing and clapping for her, but in true Bowler fashion she embraced the attention. Meredith laid out a ridiculously tasty spread which was devoured by the end of the day.
Jackson and Colin aggressively helped Pryce open her gifts. I am not sure who was more excited. There is no stopping 2 boys in a room full of presents from completely losing their minds... and they did.

In the end Pryce was spoiled with plenty of new outfits, fun toys and endless hugs/kisses. She is still beaming from all the excitement.
It is hard to believe this tiny little baby that we delicately took home from the hospital just yesterday, is now a year old. She has replaced her coos with shouts of Momma and Dadda while scolding anyone who dares to take food away from her. Her personality is getting bigger everyday and we are so proud of her.
So here's to you Prycey Lu. You are Mommy and Daddy's pride and joy. We love you!!!

Thanks to everyone for making her first birthday one that she may never remeber, but we will never forget.

A Father's Day to Remember

Happy Father's Day... It's something I've said for years, but it's AMAZING the amount of pride it feels you with when you're on the other side. Our little boy will turn 5 in 2 weeks and our baby girl is now 9 months old, just seconds away from walking. It is truly a blessing. Of course sometimes you forget how awesome it is when you are disciplining a rowdy young boy and worrying about the safety of a little baby, but today I actually had a "moment". That's a big deal for me to say, just ask my wife. I was driving home from a quick errand and a DJ on the radio said to all the Dad's out there have a great day tomorrow... and it really hit me. I'm a FATHER! People actually say to the words "Happy Father's Day" to me. Crazy.
I work my tail off everyday to make sure we are OK and the joy sometimes gets lost. But I am Dad to these kids and the leader of this family. Right now it's mostly about playing with Jackson and changing little Pryce, but someday soon it will be much more about setting an example. I will be passing down the lessons I've learned, having those little talks that last a lifetime and setting the stage for my children's future. That is Dad's work. I have taken so much in my life from some great minds and I have been in a position to lead other people, but nothing is as important as the time I will spend with these kids and their mother.
It's fun to think that Father's Day is all about getting to do whatever you choose or getting a cool new tie (LOL)... but the reality is that it's about embracing that JOY that is so easy to overlook day to day. So "Happy Father's Day" has finally set in. Now it takes on a whole new meaning. It's not about celebrating me, it's about celebrating us, this family. That makes me the proudest Father there is... That being said, next year I am definitely going golfing. LOL!!!

Catch All... My bad!

Well I have been doing a lousy job of keeping you all updated. My apologies. Things have been CRAZY! To make up for it I am posting a 90 day update. For that I am also sorry. The good news is there is much to report. Here goes...
Since moving into our new home Pryce and Jackson have come a long way. Baby girl is now going to bed on her own withour Mommy rocking her and she does GREAT! That was a BIG step. Mert has been doing such a good job of following her instincts with the next steps for Pryce. Sadly that meant that it was time for Pryce to stop breast feeding which was torture for her Mother. I, of course, was not as emotional but tried to be there as Mert weened her off the booby. I am very proud of both of them. Pryce is getting to be a BIG girl soooo fast.

Jackson has started his athletic career with Blastball!! It is so much FUN to watch him get out there and play ball.
We practice in the back yard all the time.
If you can make it to a game we would love to have you.

We hosted our first annual Derby Party at the house and it was a HUGE hit. We had plenty of food and festivities, we played horse shoes and even bet on the race. Too bad a 12 year old kid tokk everyone's money. Little turd. It was amazing though because he won the Trifecta straight up. In other words he got 1st, 2nd and third exactly right.
I still cry myself to sleep thinking about it.
We really think this will continue after the response we got. Hope you can make it next year.

After that Mert was in her best friend's wedding. Wendy and Jessie tied the knot last weekend. Welcome to no longer having an opinion pal. LOL!!!

We had a great time despite the fact that Mother Nature treated me like a punching bag, unleashing allergy HELL all over me. She SUCKS! Regardless we managed to enjoy the evening. Mert looked beautiful next to her BIG FAT date. Whatever, don't judge.


All in all it has been an AMZING few months. I pledge to do a bettert job of blogging so that our kids can read up on what is happening in our lives as they grow up. Thanks to all for hanging in there with me. We have plenty more pics on Facebook so stop by and check them all out.
being a husband and Father is the best gift God has ever given me. I hope to keep these memories forever. More to come... stay tuned.

Better late than never...

Well it's been way too long since my last post. In the past month so much has been going on. Pryce is almost 6 months old and she is showing signs of her parents personalities. We have quickly discovered that she greatly enjoys being the center of attention. No idea where that comes from???
Meredith recently attended a baby shower and as she stood in the back Pryce cried and cried. Once she was placed in the middle of the action... BOOM, she felt right at home. Mert just laughed exclaiming that's my little girl. Of course I am nothing like that so she must get it from her Momma.
Our little girl is growing so fast it's incredible. She just coos all the time and will stop everything to watch her BIG brother. The other night we were all in his room and he started jumping on me, well that made baby sister laugh out loud over and over. She is mesmerized by Jackson. He dotes on her going through every single toy in his room to see if it will make her smile. We'll say "Jackson she's got plenty of toys", but he points his finger saying "No she doesn't, here you go baby sister" Absolutely AWESOME!
We are getting more and more settled in our new home. Thank GOD for tax returns (and family). I mean seriously. LOL! Recently my folks made a special trip to the Bowler Ranch to celebrate the births of 2 of this world's most wonderful people... Meredith and yours truly. It was an amazing day. We had been bombarded with foul weather for weeks, but the sky opened up and we were able to cook out (on our new grill from Papaw and Nanna), play tee-ball with Jackson, smother Pryce with kisses and just hang out like a family. Mom and Mel stocked our fridge while Dad and Kelley surprised us with a beautiful new patio set. Incredible. Then we all gathered around for some cake and a few laughs. I told Mert she was riding my birthday coat-tails, but really we were both reaping the rewards of the grandparents needing to spend some time with the kids... I'll take it!
I am excited to say I have started my new job selling advertising and it is going GREAT! My new boss gave me a public pat on the back while telling my peers that I had turned in the best first week stats she has ever seen. Flattering, but mostly it just added more pressure. I'm excited though. Finally I can get out of my work exactly what I put into it. SWEEEEEET!!!
It has been a rocky few weeks with all of us transitioning, but these are the things that make a family stronger...or it will just drive us to drink. Either way our kids will need therapy, and isn't that what it's all about. Stay tuned. More to come from the Bowler's.

Home is definitely where the Heart is...

Well after months of searching, then more time closing and finally more time renovating I am proud to say we are settling in to our first Bowler family house. We have made a home everywhere we have been, but this is much different. We are finally property owners. I know, I know we're getting all growed up right before your eyes.
It's amazing what marriage and kids do to you. I was comparing myself to the "Family Man" earlier this week. My entire life was solely dedicated to advancing my career and being a "huge success", but I had no idea what I was missing.
While I still want those things, it is no longer what gets me up in the morning.
Now I want to jump out of bed to provide for my family rather than impress corporate. Now I want to spend my weekends finding fun for the kids instead of counting down to Monday. It's been a complete 180 over the past few years, and here we are... settled and very happy.
I heard a saying that "you spend your life thinking about what you want to do until you reach that moment when you discover what you are meant to do".
Standing beside Meredith, raising Jackson and Pryce, enjoying our new home and taking on whatever comes next solidifies that sentiment for me.

The Top 9 of 09

2009 is now behind us and overall it was one of the best year's of our lives. Sure there were challenges and frustrations, but I want to look at the bright side. So here is a 'Best Of" wrap-up...

#9. Jackson going to Pre-K at the Little People's School

It was a Big day when he loaded his back-pack uo for the first time and made his way to class. Of course it took Meredith about a month before she would let him go in by himself, but that's what Mommas do. He has loved every minute of it asking us each night if he gets to go to school the next day. It's awesome to see him get excited about it.
#8. Being nominated for an Emmy Award
Not only was it awesome to be honored with a nod for my work, but it was a rare chance for Mert and I to get away for an evening to ourselves. We had a blast. Sadly we did not bring home the hardware, but we'll try again next year.
#7. Meredith becomes a full time stay at home Mom.
We worked very hard to make sure we would be able to give our kids the experience of having Mom at home with them while they grow up. It was a huge leap of faith, but after all of our prayer and worry we embraced the fact that the good Lord will always take care of us. There may be obstacles and stress along the way, but he will provide. This is one of those things that we agree is so important for the kids in their early years. I remember we made the decision to just go for it on the way to visit my grandmother before she passed. It was a call that neither one of us regret.
#6. Preparing for the birth of our new addition


What a year. Just weeks after our wedding we discovered we were expecting. Were we shocked? Uh... yeah, but we were thrilled at the same time. Little did I know the adventure that it would create just preparing for her arrival. So many ups and downs filled with the perfect blend of worry and joy. I'll never forget the day we found out we were getting a little girl... I thought "Wow, that's GOD's sense of humor". Of course that was only the half-way point there was much more to come. The entire 9 months are safely embedded in my memory. A wonderful time I will not soon forget.
#5. Jackson experiences his very first Ranger game
This was one of our best Father/Son days. Jackson and I loaded up for a road trip to Ft. Worth where we met up with Pap'pa for a day at the Ballpark. Then Jackson was treated to all of Pap'pa's spoils including nachos, peanuts, soda and more. We all sat back and enjoyed the game (well, Jackson was a little more interested in the planes over head)and we plan on making it an annual event. AWESOME!
#4. Our first holidays as a foursome

After a long year waiting for Pryce to get here we finally got to reap the rewards as a group during the holidays. We traveled and shared laughs with our entire extended families and shared time with each other that will always be special. Oh and to top it off we had a White Christmas. It was perfect.
#3. Celebrating our one year anniversary
No one can say Mert and I do anything halfway so we applied that attitude to our BIG day. It seemed like so much was packed into our first year of marriage that we had earned it. So we dropped off the kids with Grammie and Grampie and treated ourselves to a magical night at the W in Dallas. We wined and dined one another and spent the evening relaxing. It made it easy to remember why we fell in love in the first place.
#2. We purchased our first family home.
There are many days that are special to me, but this was the proudest I have ever been. It was knowing that we were doing something so monumental for our present and our future as a family. It was a long process packed with stress, but it was worth every minute. We were all together for the closing and we immediately made our way to our new digs afterwards. What a GREAT day!
#1. The birth of our beautiful baby girl Pryce.

The largest blessing of all this year happened September 12th when our daughter finally arrived. We spent months talking to her and imagining what she would be like, but we had no idea.
Our precious Pryce has changed my perspective on just about everything. Her little smile fills my heart and I think she is just as adorable when she is crying. It's probably true that Pryce will have her Daddy wrapped around her little finger. What can I say?

So there it is the Top 9 if '09 for the Bowler clan. We had an amazing year1 We only hope that 2010 brings a little more excitement, I mean really we get bored so easy. Just kidding... we could really use a break, but we're not counting on it. there's always something on the horizon for this family so stay tuned. Same bat time, same bat channel.

The Holiday Hat Trick

We are so excited to be celebrating our first christmas together with Pryce. Time is just flying by it seems like. So we are desperately trying to saok in these moments. Last weekend we took the trip to the sticks to celebrate our first round of Christmas with Grammie and Grampie. It was a fantastic time.

We had a house full and the gifts were a plenty. We began by letting the kids tear through their gifts which took no time at all. Of course Jackson had to be in the center of it all practically opening everyone's gifts before they even started. Grampie handled it like a pro. Then we had a White elephant exchange for the adults. So much fun. appropriately enough Meredith ended up getting 2 gifts since the one I selected just happened to be a bag full of girl crap. It's like a metaphor for marriage. What's mine is ours and what's ours is hers. LOL!!! Jackson and Pryce were doted on the entire time by their grandparents and as usual cried when we left. Nice.

Today Mert spent the day cooking with Pryce while Jackson and I went on a Daddy Day Out. We went to work for a little whie, got haircuts and then saw Alvin and the Chipmunks. It's a day he may not remember, but I will never forget. We have become quite a pair.
Now we are on to round 2 with the Trawicks. That means lots of treats, eats, laughs and loud voices. We are a vocal bunch. We are making a schedule change and letting the kids open their gifts tonight (Christmas Eve), but the grown-ups (a term used loosely) will wait until tomorrow morning. Oh and the best part... we may have a white Christmas. That would be AMAZING!
Then we set-up for round 3 with Dad, Kelley, Matt, Nikki, Brooke, Josh, Amy, Brianne and Lucy. We have a few great gifts for those festivities as well. I guarantee Dad cries.

As we get closer to wrapping up 2009 I have to say it was the toughest and most rewarding year of my life. I can't wait to look back on it years from now and remind the kids with this story just how special this time of year can be.

Awesome Anniversary!!!

One year ago today our lives changed forever. This is the day Meredith and I joined forces as a married couple. We fell in love a year before that practically skipping down the aisles of a Sam's Club (long story). We had to break the hearts of our significant others at the time, she quit her "dream job" and we completely sent our worlds into an uproar, but we knew we were meant to be. When everyone else seemed skeptical we never wavered. It has been the single best decision of my life.
To celebrate this magical union I surprised Mert with an overnight stay at the W Hotel in Dallas. It was AWESOME. Grammie and Grampie entertained the chillens while we proceeded to an unforgettable evening (Don't worry I'll leave out the bomp chicca wah wah details).
We started out being treated like royalty receiving with hot towels dipped in eucalyptus while checking in. We were then escorted to our room which was prepped with bottle of champagne and chocolate covered cherries from the management. Freaking SWEET! We casually lounged in the room while life's worries went out the window, which had a great view of the skyline by the way.
Then we got all gussied up and treated ourselves to what had to be the best dinner we have had, ummm EVER. We were wined and dined by a waitstaff who would burp you after your meal if you so wished. The chef sent us treats and we gorged on 4 courses. Don't judge us. After dinner we shared another drink in our room, then (CENSOR HERE, talk amongst yourselves)then we made our way to the 33rd floor and entered the infamous Ghost Bar. It was nothing short of fantastic. We danced, had drinks, befriended perfect strangers and agreed that the DJ was some sort of music mixing savant. The entire night was perfect.
More than anything we just enjoyed one another and got a chance to see everything for what it is. We are extremely lucky. We are so proud of our little family and we understand more than ever how good we have it. I love my wife and she loves me. We are confident that will be the success for us and for our kids.
They say the first year is the hardest... we definitely made it interesting. Now we can't wait to find out what the good Lord has in store for our future.

How to get to Sesame Street...

This weekend we showed jackson exactly how to get to Sesame Street! He had the time of his life. It was Friday night and we all loaded up for a trip to the Oil Palace to see "When Elmo Grows Up". Jackson was in awe as the characters came into the crowd handing out high fives and plenty of hellos to all the kiddos. It was fantastic!
Jackson got so many treats like hot dogs and popcorn and even a little toy to take home, but most of all he got a night all to himself. So much attention has been going to his baby sister for the past few weeks we thought it was high time that the J-man take center stage. So Mimi and Duke were kind enough to watch Pryce for a few hours while we headed off to the show. Of course Jackson was very sweet and insisted that "Baby Pryce come with us", but we told him this was his BIG night. He didn't argue after that.
We were so impressed with our boy. It's funny when you're around so many little ones you get a much better picture of the well behaved versus the little hellions. Fortunately we have a very good boy. While we saw some kids screaming at their parents, running around out of control and generally being a pain in the you know what... there sat Jackson just watching the show. Thank the LORD!!!
Afterwards we headed back to Mimi and Duke's to reunite the family. Since Jeremy, Cha,na and Colin were in town Jackson got to stretch out the evening a little further playing with his cousin while we watched some Trawick family moments (caught on tape). Thank you very much for that Duke.
It was an awesome night.I know Jackson was thrilled because he woke up the next morning begging us to "go see Elmo again". You gotta love that.

Time flies...

What happened? I look up and it's November. Pryce is 2 months old, Jackson is a little taller and we are moving into week 3 of P90X. I mean seriously. You know you're getting older when everything becomes about plannning. I was talking to one of my best friends this week about getting together. The conversation used to go like this... "What are you doing? Watching the game. I'll be over in 10 minutes". Now it goes like this... "Let's try to get together soon. Well, we have plans every weekend in November. Yeah, then it will be Christmas. What do you have going on in January"? When did this happen? When did we transition to calendars for a weekend of hanging out? It's really funny how priorities change and life goes in a different direction. I've started having those moments that my parents promised would happen, "You'll understand when you're older". Well, I understand. I get it that with all of the bills and the stress and the work that things are inevitably going to change. Thank GOD it's all worth it. I see that life just sort of takes over. Things change or become different and it is all for the better. Sure it sucks to be a "grown-up", but would I want things any other way? Absolutely not. I read the other day that not knowing what the future holds is part of the fun. It's so true. What I do know is that the way time is just flying by I will look up and another year will have past and I will be saying the same thing... What happened? Oh, well. That's life.

Battling the Bulge

After 11 months of stuffing our faces with anything and everything we could find at an obscene rate we have finally surrendered to a health plan. That's right, we are making a life change because frankly, we got OUT OF CONTROL! The other night we took before pictures and it was rather depressing. Don't get me wrong Meredith still looks great, but I am apparently giving birth to our next child. I mean seriously, what a tremendous GUT! I am convinced people have been pointing and laughing at me behind my back. "Did that guy eat Jerry Mathers"? "Oh look Ricky Gervais put on more weight". That's fine I put myself in this situation. So now it is time to get out of it. So Meredith and I are taking on P90X. HOLY FAT SHREDDER BATMAN! This thing is no joke. We just completed week 1 which is 6 days a week of working out and a fantastic nutrition plan. Mert has been cooking 3 meals a day while taking care of the kids, no easy task considering we went from 0-60 flat. She is a natural in the kitchen by the way. Everything has been soooo good. It's amazing the effect it has on you. Suddenly I don't wake up tired or need to take a break mid-way through getting ready for work. Granted we still have like 83 days to go, but we are loving it. Hopefully we will get back into the clothes in our closet that somehow don't fit anymore... As important as that is to us, it will be much better for the kids. There is no reason why Jackson should not be able to play cars with me in his room because I get exhausted from bending over. I don't want to miss playing catch or teaching our little girl to ride a bike because the family has to bring me after meal snacks on a tray table since "Daddy can't get out of his chair".
So we are committed to this plan and really excited about it. Hopefully there will be a noticeable change very soon. If not we will just have to keep working at it.
So, Farewell Gutty McFatso... it's time for a change.

Important to Remember

For the last 6 days the Bowler's have been on a complete roller coaster ride. As expected it has been full of those life experiences that really define a family, which makes it all the better.
It began with the build up of an emmy nomination for some of my work that had us on cloud nine hoping to bring home the award. In order to ring in the night we packed up baby Pryce (while Jackson stayed with Jonathan) and turned her over to Grammie for a full night away from her folks. Grammie put up a BIG fight, literally grabbing her from our arms and announcing we were free to leave at anytime.
Unfortunatley we were not recognized with the statue, but it was an honor to be nominated. There I gave the cliche loser speech. Now someone please punch me in the face. IT SUCKS TO LOSE!!! All in all it was great for us to take a time out for ourselves, so I can't complain too much.

IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER: Your days of late night drinking, sleeping in and then hitting
some grease pit to recover are over. O-V-E-R. Don't be an idiot. LOL!!!

Returning home on Sunday we were still on a high from our little getaway, but reality would quickly kick in...
We got news Monday morning that Meredith's Uncle Dave had passed overnight. It was devastating! We knew the family would be gathering in his honor which meant we had to act fast. Meredith and her sisters knew how improtant their Uncle has been to Chalna and we all knew she needeed us to be there. It was a no brainer decision. So once again, only a few days later we packed up our newborn, Jackson and ourselves for what would be a family journey across TEXAS.

IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER: Don't kill each other.

I was proud to see how our family responded as a unit. Jackson was amazing. He watched some shows, played quietly in his seat and always let us know when his little sister needed something. Of course she handled that pretty well on her own. To be honest she was pretty impressive as well. We could only count a handful of cries.
Meredith and I switched off driving duties and never disagreed about the music, so that's a bonus. Right?
The real lesson however, came when we arrived. While we were there because of a death, Uncle Dave insisted that we celebrate his life. If that doesn't scream from the heavens what kind of a person he was, I don't know what does. His only wish was for the people he loved (and those of us, like me, lucky enough to be invited) to have a beer and some food in Lukenbach, Texas in his honor.
I was overwhelmed by this gesture. From what I could tell, it was exactly what his family needed too. Isn't that something? For a man to give his family exactly what they need exactly when they need it.
So here's to you Uncle Dave... a man I never met, but who somehow helped me discover some of life's greatest lessons after he was gone.

IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER: Life is always worth celebrating!!

All in all it has been a trying few days, but those are where the lessons in life come from. We are exhausted from it all, but mostly we are grateful.

Now, New and Next

Well, it has been a wild couple of weeks. We have contemplated so much. Where will we live? What will we do? How will these decisions impact our family? It has been a whirlwind! In the last 2 weeks I have been in 4 different states traveling and checking out possibilities for new challenges. It felt like we were on a decision making see-saw. It has been emotionally and physically exhausting. In the end we trust that what's "Now, New and Next" for the Bowler family is completely in GOD's hands.
We will not be leaving Texas anytime soon. It just wasn't in the cards for us this time. Right now we are thrilled to be close to our families. It would be so difficult for our family to spend anytime apart right now. I could not bare the thought of missing Pryce crawl for the first time or take her first steps or hear her first word. We know that Jackson needs some time with his Daddy Cory (otherwise Meredith will fill his mind with Rachel Ray and Big Lots). Most of all Mert and I discovered that spending a few days away from each other was hard enough. It would be monumentally more difficult to be apart for what could be weeks at a time. Although it would be temporary we would not be able to control the timeline.
What's new? Well, we are considering all possibilities which is very exciting. Anything is possible. We hope that we remain in your prayers and we can't wait to tell you what we take on next... Of course first we will have to find out for ourselves.

Pryce Points...

Here is what I have learned about our little baby Pryce so far.... This little girl loves to sleep. Sadly her favorite time for this activity is during the day. I have not seen this much sleeping from a person since I had roommates during my college years.

The only thing she loves more than sleeping is eating. For such a little bitty girl she can really put away some chow. I'm sure someday she will hate that I just said that, but seriously.

She eats just like her Daddy. There is alot of noise made (which is the cutest thing ever), she leaves a big mess and immediately after her meal she passes out. Sometimes she nods off while eating. Plus do you know where the food comes from? Yeah, freaking sweet!

Here's a little something extra for ya', she usually lets out a big yelp followed by a satisfied smirk while she is... how should I say this... having a moment.

Oh and when Mert gives her a little required medicine, she lays in her arms afterwards with this look on her face that screams... "Oh no you didn't". It's hilarious because she keeps that expression for a good 10 minutes.

I swear it's like having a little drunk with us at all times with the sleeping, the puking, and the random hiccups. Of course it does come without the annoying slurred babble about how she misses us or how she just loves everyone.

Now I have to admit that I am still bad about loud talking, turning up the t.v. and generally being oblivious to the fact that at any time our little girl could be sleeping. Meredith is like a highlight reel of "Shhh.", "Turn it down.", "Does it have to be so loud?", "You're a bear". Look, I likes my shows with a little bass... sue me. Maybe I'm just jealous because Pryce is living my dream.

In the end we are still getting used to the sleep schedule and I'm sure things will get crazy when I return to work. All in all we are enjoying every minute of getting to know our precious little Pryce.

Jackson's Daddy Days

Well it has been one week since Pryce was born. What a difference she has made in our lives. We have hardly even left this house since we brought her home from the hospital. It has been time that we would never trade in. Just being all together and celebrating our new family has been AMAZING!

Grammie stayed with us all week and we could not have made it without her. We have had friends from church and KLTV bringing us dinners regularly. Mimi and Duke have been making constant house calls and not because they want to see Pryce and Jackson's parents... It has all been such a blessing.

Now we are gearing up for what's to come. Next week we are on our own. I will be home taking care of things for Mert while she is taking care of the baby. That means Jackson is in BIG TROUBLE! Having Dad at home epitomizes the 80/20 rule of business. It is 20% fun and 80% total freaking nightmare. Believe me, I remember.

His wake up call will go from "Good morning Angel Puff" to "Get your butt out of bed". Bath time will be cut by a good 20 minutes. So instead of the Custom service job you get on your car, he willl be getting the Gas station express wash. Hey, that comes with a 30 second dryer so I don't want to hear any guff. He will get his fill of Lunchables this week and he will definitely see much less of the inside of Big Lots, Marshalls and Target. Like ZERO!

Sounds harsh right? Well keep in mind he will also be reminded that he is my main man. While our time together will be different than what he gets with Mom it will still be filled with love. He will get his chance (that he asks for all the time) for me to take him into school and pick him up. He will do some chores with me and help his Mom and his little sister. He will find out that Pryce's arrival does not equal his departure from our hearts. I'm sure this transition has been a little confusing for him (it's challenging for his parents), but we are in this thing together. I look forward to this week so Mert and I can find a groove. More than that, I am excited to get some time with Jackson that I am confident will take our relationship to the next level. So here's to us Buddy. I hope it means as much to you as it will to me.

My Awakening

You know how you hear all the time that the birth of your child will change your life? I was the guy who always heard the words, but I wasn't really listening (I guess my skepticism is almost as powerful as my cynicism... whatever). People try to tell you how it feels and after Mert told me she was pregnant I thought I understood. I didn't.

It is much more clear to me now that there is the Cory before Pryce and the me today. I lost a layer of that hard shell that believes the world is mostly something to joke about. I witnessed what GOD is capable of and it impacted me deeply. Jackson gave me the first taste of this feeling, but I was not lucky enough to see him being born. That experience is the birth of more than a child, it's an awakening. It's a life moment that will forever be with me. I stood by my wife's side not knowing what to expect and what I got was this overwhelming feeling of peace. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am a meticulous planner. I like organization and solving problems. I am somewhat obsessed with my work. All of which can make me seem a little stressed. Shut Up! But in that moment nothing else was on my mind. I wasn't worried about making enough money or the politics of work or what we were going to do next. I was just thinking my GOD, this is bar none the greatest thing I have ever done.

Me and Meredith are deeply in love and our relationship is something I never thought I would experience, but seeing what we had created from that love made it monumentally bigger.
For the last few nights I have sat by watching Meredith hold Pryce and seeing Jackson desperately want to help his little sister and my heart has swelled.

Believe me I am not an emotional kind of guy, or at least I wasn't, but this little girl has opened my eyes. Now when she is in my arms I just want to tell her about it. She has no idea how much her Daddy loves her. Add that to the endless list of our family members who are gushing over her and I'm sure she is getting some clue. I won't be able to express it to her or Jackson until they have their own kids, but one day I hope they can read this and try to understand that they are the reason for mine and Mert's everything.

In short Jackson and Pryce, you are My Awakening. Thank you for that.

Pryce's Debut

Well today is officially the GREATEST DAY EVER!!!! Finally our little girl has made her way into the world. We are surrounded by family and responding to so many well wishes. It has been very special. The most amazing thing of all is to see that little girl make eye contact with you. I wonder so much what she is thinking... "who the heck are you people" or "will you please just let me sleep" or "more pictures please". More than likely coming from Mert and myself it is mostly the latter.

It is AWESOME to see Jackson take on his role as BIG BROTHER. He wants to hold Pryce and kiss on her. For the gals it is "the cutest thing ever". It makes me swell up with pride knowing that Daddy's Duo will always be there for each other.

Here's how it happened... We were all sitting in the living room watching Horton Hears a Who. I was on-line and Mert was reading some rag magazine when suddenly she adjusted her body and BOOM! Meredith alerted me "Uh, baby" I looked over and the excitement set in, "Oh my GOD you're water broke". We frantically began moving about, Mert got in the tub as she continued flowing. I was making calls and gathering our bags. Mimi and Duke arrived just in time to stop Mert from putting on her make-up and insisting that we go to the hospital. Once we got there it was a mad dash to the room where Mert began contracting and it got really intense. Then a Doctor walked in surrounded by a bright light and wings. He held the magic that would change our night forever... THE EPIDURAL!!!! After that things began to settle down and we all just sat around visiting. Grammie had burned up the road and made it here in record time. Mimi was helping Mert get comfortable while Aunt Alie and I sarcastically ate in front of Mert while she could not. LOL!!!! Then in a "matter of fact" kind of way the nurse comes in and does a little checking before announcing "you're a 10". And so it began. It seemed like a flash and before we knew it our little baby Pryce had made her debut and September 12th became the day we will never forget.

Hopes Squandered

What a devastating evening. Between Pryce delaying the inevitable, the little Georgia girl blowing it in the U.S.Open and President Obama's entire Healthcare plan it has been a bummer of a night. I mean seriously.
Luckily it was not a complete loss, Pryce's Mommy put together her brand new rocker without any help. She decided it was her mission to get this thing built tonight on her own. So being the loving husband that I am I sat by quietly with a bowl of ice cream, both animals and the remote in hand without making a peep. She is soooo lucky to have me. That's right ladies, get in line... I'm taken.
Of course I did find time to entertain Jackson and get his teeth brushed and his business taken care of before bedtime, so I am not a complete bump on a log.
Wait until you see this Rocker. It lights up and plays music. Any pothead in town would gladly sit and watch this thing for hours so imagine what a baby will think. LOL!!!! Seriously, it is very cool. Meredith says it is the cutest thing she has ever seen in her life (excluding me I'm sure).
But getting to the giant elephant in the room... NO, Pryce is not here yet you bunch of crazy Baby Papparazzi freaks. We are trying over here, but this little girl is taking her time. I think I know where she gets that (hmm, hmm Mert). So we will continue to wait, but believe everyday she keeps us is more time she will spend saying "you never let me do anything" "why can't I get a car", "all my friends have cell phones". Well Pryce, you should have thought of that while you were hanging out in the womb. WUUHAHAHAHA, parents always win!!!

Pryce's Punishment

I am really trying to be patient here, but it's so difficult because we absolutely cannot wait to meet little Miss Pryce. She has been bouncing around in Mommy's tummy like nobody's business. We have fed her spicy foods, taken her on long walks, even tried some bedroom baby inducing, but nothing. This little girl is going to be a hand-full. In fact, her Mimi said it best, Pryce is going to be a "pistol". I agree.
We just have to trust that the Lord knows best. He knows when we will all be ready to meet. It's going to be such a great moment that the build up is well worth it. We are excited that Jackson is back home so he can definitely be there when his little sister joins the family. He has been doing such a great job preparing for his Big brother role that it would not be complete without him there. Little does he know his return has catapulted him directly into the Bowler Family Trap which is a merciless torture chamber of excitement and disappointment layered under meals and sugar filled snacks. Isn't that what killed John Candy? Hopefully not.
Anyways, rest easy everyone as soon as Pryce starts making her dissent into the world we will send out and APB letting you know. Until then, find a comfortable seat in the Baby Bowler waiting room... it could be a long ride.
By the way, when Pryce gets here, she's grounded!!!

The Waiting Game

Well it has been a couple of days, but I have a good excuse. I was surviving a near death experience. OK, that's a little dramatic... but I did have a nasty head cold.
It is finally passing so I can concentrate on what's important, when will Pryce arrive?
I mean seriously, this kid is all ready proving that she is going to be stubborn, difficult and always keeping me waiting. Like Mother like daughter, I guess.
It is officially week 38 and we are getting impatient. i know she has 2 weeks left, but that is clearly not the point. Tonight Jackson began begging her to come out and play. It was Hi-larious. He was poking at Mert's belly button and saying "Pryce, come out". I will pause for the in unison "AWWWWWW" from the ladies......... so predictable.
Well, we will keep waiting. I only ask that each of you keep thinking good thoughts about our little baby girl's arrival. Until next time...