Miles Summer photo shoot
It’s SO beautiful outside! I love that spring is here and we can finally get outside, and of course we drag our camera with us…
This evening Betsy and I decided it was such a beautiful day that we just had to get Miles out for some pictures. So we grabbed the baby and the pugs and headed out doors. I know Betsy is going to post some pics on her blog too, but since there are so many good ones, I thought I’d pull over a few too. So, here you go!
First we spent some time discovering the “Tree.”
Then we went back to the trampoline and Betsy held Miles and gently bounced for a while. I was busy snapping photos as fast as I could to captures these amazing grins. He was loving it! Betsy didn’t even realized he was smiling until she saw the photos.
This is positively my favorite of the bunch. The more I look at it the more I realized just how completely blessed I am to have such a beautiful and amazing family.
Much Metta,
John
Miles Blooper Reel
For Mother’s Day we created a blooper reel from video we shot of Miles. Without further adieu…
Untold Joy (small version) Untold Joy (large version)
Be sure to turn up the sound…!
These are, of course, both Quicktime format movies. If you need Quicktime, it’s available for free from Apple at Quicktime.com
Tummy Time
Today during my lunch break we took some time to do a little photography of the little guy. Check it:
Does it get any cuter? He gets better at tummy time every single day.
It’s so amazing to watch him grow and learn and really start to explore his world. Betsy is going to post some shots of him on her blog too, so take a peep there as well:
Miles Picture
Can you believe this pic?
Our little hippo
Betsy snapped this adorable photo the other day. Betsy tells the story best:
Giggles!
I don’t normally take time during MSC hours to blog, but I just HAD to post that we just heard the first giggle session with Miles!
I’m sure every new father says this, but I can honestly say that was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever heard and Betsy and I were both in tears laughing at the cute little sounds he just made, which of course make him giggle more. SO CUTE! I tried to grab the video camera but by the time I had it, the moment was past. I’m sure that won’t be the last time this little punkin-head lets out a belly laugh, but it definitely was the first!
Much Metta,
John
A new Blog about Miles
If you haven’t already, you’ve got to check out the new blog about our son Miles written by Betsy.
If you haven’t read anything Betsy has written before, you’re in for a real treat, and I’m not just saying that because I’m her husband. I, like many people, got turned on to her writing when she kept an online journal about caring for her late husband’s journey through cancer. Her writing is both witty and personal and I find myself smiling, getting nostalgic, and just falling for her that much more every time I read something she’s written. So if you haven’t yet, head on over and take a look around. Oh, and leave her a comment. She loves to know you’re out there. Wait a sec… so do I! 
Much Metta,
John
SMiles
2 things for today, both baby related.
First is Betsy and I are learning about what it is to be a parent. I’m going to start off by saying the King family had a really great day. There was a lot of time spent with Miles. We walked the whole family in this beautiful weather a couple times. I even had time to vacuum the house. But being a new parent isn’t without it’s challenges.
The day was pretty Miles-centric. There really wasn’t much time where he wasn’t being held, fed, changed, burped, cleaned up or loved on by either Betsy or myself. That was definitely the focus of the day. Come about 5:30 this evening, after tending to Miles all day, we’d been trying to get out of the house for about 2 hours to grocery shop. He had just eaten and been burped, and I’ll be if that child didn’t just burst into a fitful wail complete with tears, as if to say, of all things, “I’M NOT HAPPY!”
Not happy? What? We’ve catered to your every need ALL DAY LONG. How could this be? Ungrateful? Disrespectful? Just plain rude? No, just a baby, doing what babies do. In retrospect, probably lower gas, but at the time Betsy and I both looked at each other in disbelief at our squalling baby boy. And so it is with being a parent, I suspect. We did, by the way, eventually make it to the store, and some how squeezed dinner and not an insignificant amount of snuggling into the evening.
The second thing for tonight is what really makes this being-a-parent thing all worth while. It can be summed up in one simple picture.
Ladies and gentleman. Miles has learned how to smile!
Betsy caught this new and still somewhat rare moment this morning as I was holding him and reading the paper. They are starting to come more frequently and it just makes everything SO worth it. He’s even been kind enough to give me a face full of them the last couple mornings around 4:30am when I go to change his diaper. SO precious!
Anyway, enough doting. Check back tomorrow night, and I’ll have a new version of my TCM clip up. Until then, love to you all!
Much Metta,
John
Hello? Is this thing on?
I’ve been silent for a long time, but if any of you are still out there, have I got some news! Ok, I know most of you have already heard, but I’m a daddy!
Check out Miles Aledander King
It’s been life changing, to say the least. Instead of trying to recap everything that’s happened, I thought I’d just post the latest. Miles is 6 weeks old and mostly an eating, sleeping and pooping machine. But I heard that newborns start to learn to mimic facial expressions, so I put him down in our boppy and starting making faces. Not 2 minutes in I busted into a huge clown-ish grin and suddenly so did he! I was so overtaken with delight and amazement that I yelled for Betsy, who brought the camera. This isn’t the full grin he originally gave me, but what a great pic!
Today’s adventure involves poo. As an aside, new parents are obsessed with the stuff, by the way. And it’s not our fault, because in the parenting classes they even give you a chart so you can track everything you’d ever want to know about his bowel movements from color to consistency. Being a dad is fun.
Back to my story. To keep it short and simple, I made a classic new parent bumble. Betsy was changing Miles but doing so just a bit too early. He’d just woken up from a nap and was in the middle of grunting and groaning. The problem is she’d already removed the used cloth diaper and because he wasn’t done, he’d already soiled the clean one sitting under him. In an effort to help expedite the process, I’d learned that lifting his legs helps him move stuff along. So I did. And he did. That little boy covered a two foot line across clean diapers, blankets and clothes. Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine he would spray poo that far. Live and learn.
TCM? Anyone? I’d written enough music for the 4th clip. Then scrapped it. Did it again. And scrapped it again. Finally I think I’m closer to having the right mood, and just in time, because it’s due at the end of next week. Time to really get crackin. I’ll be posting password protected versions over the next couple days, so be sure to check back.
All for now. Thanks for all your love and support!
Much metta!
John
Inventions
Thanks for stopping by my blog! I have some music I’d like to share that I’m finally done with.
Inventions (Right Click or control+click on the Mac, and choose to download the file.)
It’s the opener to my marching band show! The show is titled Humanity and the opener is call Inventions. In this piece you’ll hear the beginnings of man’s ingenuity, the hammering out of ideas that build on one another and lead us forward. This motion of ideas builds through work and toil to the moment of Eureka! And then, as is in life, it’s back to work to evolve more as individuals and a society as a whole.
Before I go much further, I’d like to thank Scott Hickey, David Bolzman and Randy Gilmore for their helping to develop and tweak this piece. The next step is to pass it on to a percussion specialist named Brady Sark to work his musical magic on the battery and pit parts. I originally came across Brady’s work last year when I was creating the recording for a piece by Scott Hickey that Brady had written the percussion for. When it came time to choose a percussionist this year, I just so happen to be working on another piece by Scott and Brady, and as I’m listening to what he’s written for Scott, I really felt his style would be a good match for mine, so I’ve asked him to write for me.
As luck would have it, I’ve even had a chance to meet Brady at the BOA Grand Nationals in Indianapolis this year. We had a wonderful conversation in the lobby of the RCA Dome and I hope this is the start of a productive relationship. As are all talented people, he’s in demand, but with a little luck, he’ll be able to fit my piece in, and I’m excited to see what he brings to it.
On other news, Betsy and I just got back from our ‘Babymoon’ to Ann Arbor, MI. We figured with a baby boy due in February, we should take some time now to get out of town, enjoy each other’s company and visit a place we both love. The weekend was amazing, filled with walking, shopping, and attempt at swimming in the hotel pool (brrrrr), and lots and lots of laughter. Oh and a picture or two.
Betsy walking up Main Street in Ann Arbor
Me walking with her, in front of the Mighigan Theater sign
And finally, the State Street Theater, er… Urban Outfitters, actually.
Hope all is well!
Much Metta,
John