Tobin Samuel Sincoff Rocks like a Hurricane!!!

Sorry I have not posted in a few days. A certain handsome young lad has been requesting my presence!! :) In all seriousness, Tobin FINALLY arrived on December 4th @ 4:47pm. The shot you see above is literally his first moment in the world. The doctor leaned over to me and said, "Ok, Ethan, it's the 2 minute warning, get that camera ready!" Lo and Behold Tobin appeared.

The first couple of days were spent at St. Barnabas hospital in Livingston, NJ. The staff was wonderful, and they took great care of Mr. T, and Vicki. We got to go home as a family a week ago today!! Ironically, Tobin and I watched the Giants play lamely against the Philadelphia Eagles, and tonight we are watching the Giants blow a game against the Cowboys!! I've had the past week off of work, and it's been great helping Vicki a bit, and to immerse myself into fatherhood as much as possible.

Fatherhood is amazing. I wish Tobey would let his Ma and Pa sleep a little more at night, but hey; he is a night owl like his parents! In all seriousness, I feel asleep this afternoon in my reclining chair in the living room. Tobin was strapped into the baby carrier that I wear, with his head facing me, against my chest. It was pretty amazing. Eventually our breathing (snoring!?) became like one as we slept there. Pretty incredible.

I would be remiss to not give a shout out to Vicki's BFF, Aunt Kayly who came over from Harrisburg this past week. Kayly, thanks for the company, you were great!!!!

Thanks to various folks for all of their well wishes as well !!! Now, sadly, it is back to work tomorrow!!!

I'm waiting on my Man!!

Well, the countdown to Tobin's arrival is truly on! I am off officially on vacation as of today, thru December 15th!! The little fella is due to arrive tomorrow at 4pm, if all goes according to plan. To say that I'm blown away and exhausted are understatements. I've been putting in alot of extra time at gnirreF to catch up, and not leave such a mess for everyone. Remember, I write the name of where I work in reverse because they have one of those thingamabobs that let's people in the company know when the company has been referenced on the net. The last thing I need is them finding this blog and seeing me kvetch or something.

My immediate coworkers have been cool, and supportive. Unfortunately, much like John Cougar Mellencamp; I'm always fighting Authority, & the authority seems to win!

The Biggie types there have inquired into some of my late arrivals that have happened recently. The fact that we're in a difficult pregnancy w/a history of previous pregnancy issues(including one that occured while I worked there) does not seem to register. Also, Vicki can't drive right now. Which is another reason I have had to be at her appointments more regularly as of late.

I've provided documentation, so that should quiet the wolves a bit. However I just find it ironic that a company that works in the FERTILITY field should be so negative. What can you do?

However, this blog is not about my late hours that I've been working at the drug place (working til 9pm, and 8:30pm the past 2 nights!), nor are they about the new refridgerator we are waiting on to arrive any moment now from Sears (where our Landlord, and America shops)! Pretty soon, I will be able to hold my little man in my arms!! I am bewildered, scared, excited, and a whole bunch of other emotions!

I wil try and get on here later and blog a bit about my 20th High School Reunion! Vick and I went to that last Saturday!!! It was pretty cool, actually.

Let me leave you with a pic from Mr. T's latest ultrasound on Monday

How CUTE is that Pout???!?

More baby news and Chinese Democracy!

Well, Vicki had her next to last Ob appointment before Mr. T's delivery. Her doctor said everything is looking good, and we are proceeding as normal. The doctor even said that we can expect to enjoy Thanksgiving, and Tobe will not be arriving tomorrow :) . I had the feeling that he could arrive very soon, but we were told that he is going to wait til at least the weekend. So we shall see. Touch wood, everything is looking great!!

I would be lame if I did not put down my .02 regarding the new Guns N'Roses album, "Chinese Democracy". I've been a fan of G n'R since 11th Grade when JoAnn Kosiak came into home room to tell me that she had gone to see this punk metal band at the (now defunct) Ritz @ 4th and Broadway in NYC. JoAnn always rocked like that.

Well, I listened, and listened to "Appetite for Destruction". There was an urgency, and a sense of the unknown to the bluesy based metal that I heard for the first time on that disc. It still holds up today in 2008. I remember digging their acoustic "Lies" album.. then in 1992, towards the end of my time at Temple University, "User Your Illusion Versions 1 and 2" finally were released simultaneously.

They were classics. You could tell that the band was attempting to stay based in glam punk metal, and broaden their musical palette. They pulled it off amazingly well.

Of course, years passed, and all the other members of the band left. W. Axl Rose was the only remaining member. "Chinese Democracy" has been promised in one way, or another since 1998 or so. People felt that it was never going to be released. Axl would be some sort of joke, who never left his mansion, and he would be the J.D. Salinger of Rock Music.

The album was being worked on , and then reworked. Buckethead joined, and left. Tommy Stinson from the Replacements, and Robin Finck from Nine Inch Nails joined.

Well, the album finally came out on November 23. I preordered it from Best Buy

Initially, you listed to it,and you say "wow, why did this take 15 years?". However, after you put those emotions aside, and actually listen to the tracks. From the opening title song, to songs like "Better", "Catcher in the Rye", "Sorry" and "IRS", the musicianship, the lyrics, and the vocals are unbeatable. This album rocks with an urgency, and a passion that I've not heard in quite some time. It truly is a work of art. Honestly.

As someone who has battled ups and downs, I can kind of relate, in a way what Axl has gone through on the rocky road to making this album. All I can say is that I knew this album would eventually come out. It is amazing, and I' m so psyched for him. Congrats, Axl! I hope the next album comes out sooner!

December 4th is Quickly Approaching

I would be remiss if I did not post here as December 4th gets closer and closer. I'm so excited about Tobe's arrival. However, I am worried that I will be a good Dad. I have to be honest... I am going to try my best to be the best Dad for this little baby that I can be. However, it is something so HYOOOOOGE that I just am going to have to do it day by day. Vicki is certain that I'm going to be a wonderful Father. It's just my natural sense of feeling insecure that is leaving me feel kooky.

I just want him to get here! I want to wear that baby sling and feel his breath against my chest. I'm even looking forward to the diaper changes (a little bit!). I'm looking forward to the months down the road when we will be able to interact with each other a bit!! What am I gonna do when I can make this kid smile, or giggle for the first time?? Tobey is totally gonna have his Dad in the palm of his hand!!

I'm totally reading Dr. Spock right now. I'm gonna be a very involved Daddy. There is not gonna be any of this "I'm home from work now. I'm the Man, and I'm not gonna help". Nope!! I'm gonna be as involved as much as Vicki will let me!!

I am predicting that when Tobin is a teenager, I soooo am gonna be the hip, go to Dad! Vicki is the disciplinarian in the family :). It is just that as Mr. T's birth is approaching, I'm getting insecure. Why is this? No idea... However, it is something I struggle with. I'm keeping my chin up however!

Gotta show everyone some pictures from the week 37 ultrasound on Monday!!

Tobin is being kind of bashful in the picture above and in this one below:

Much like his Daddy, he is always putting his hands near his mouth!! If I'm not eating something I've always got my hands on my face looking all intellectual like I'm pondering the meaninf of life!!!

Vicki and I kept it so real this past weekend. Our friends Abby and Andy & their little boy Aidan came over to help us with the nursery. Andy and I put the crib together in under an hour!

Aidan did a great job of supervising! He was a real task master. However, Andy and I managed to pull it off:

It looks like I actually know what I'm doing, huh!?!?!!?

I love this particular pic. We're doing a jungle theme for Tobe's room, and this was very appropriate, and sooo awesome that Vicki found it on Ebay:

More pictures will follow very soon!! I have to go to bed now. On a different note, stay tuned for my Farewell notes on "The Shield"..... and speaking of "The Jungle"! I will be reviewing Guns n Roses "Chinese Democracy" very, very soon!!!

Sometimes You Can't Beat Father Time

I've been thinking about the recent UFC 91 PPV alot this evening. My friend Dina wrote on my Facebook wall that she was surprised I had not blogged about the Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar Heavyweight Title Fight. Vicki and I did not get the PPV. While there were some good fights on the card, and I love Randy Couture; I had a funny feeling that he was gonna be 45 years old this fight.

So many other fights, Randy has managed to turn back time, and look like a fighter decades younger than his real age. This fight was different. Brock was too big, and too fast. First off, it is a crime that a guy who is the size of a truck, like Brock Lesnar can cut from like 300lbs to make the Heavyweight limit of 265lbs. By fight time, he probably rehydrated to 285 or 300!!! Randy was 6'2" and 220, and solid, but it looked like he was fighting a cartoon character.

I always feel bad when I see a fighter that I really admire who hangs in there too long, and takes a ferocious beating. Dina said Randy got hit on the ground like 40 times too many. Too bad the referee did not jump in sooner to stop the fight.



It looks like Brock is gonna be a force to be reckoned with in the Heavyweight division. I still feel that the verdict is still out on him as a total fighter, however. Could he beat Nogueira? Can he beat Mir in a rematch? We will see. Until that point, congrats to you, Champ. The "Next Big Thing" has arrived!!

Even now, when there is a fight on TV, be it MMA or boxing, and there is a fighter who is past his prime who gets beat, our phone rings. It is always my dad, and he goes "Ethan they NEVER learn... You can't beat Father Time. They Never get it." It's sad. I can count on one hand the # of boxers who hung it up when they were on top. MMA is still a newish sport, so I can't speak for those fighters. Poor Randy, I hope you are ok, and keeping your chin up! Concentrate on training fighters, and doing your charitable work for returning Veterans w/ head injuries. You've done alot, there is no need to get into that Octagon again.

On a happier note, the Sincoff Nursery is starting to look awesome!! We managed to purge alot of stuff, to clean out the 2nd bedroom to make it nursery ready!! Also, Vicki put down a cool looking rug, and hung lot's of cool jungle themed stuff on the walls!! I especially like the giraffe picture that says "Tobin's Jungle"!! It's the best.

December 4th is coming before we know it!! Vicki and I went to a breastfeeding class at St. Barnabas hospital the other night!! Not that I plan on doing any breastfeeding. It was fascinating to see how to feed your child correctly!! I can't wait to participate and help Vicki out in any way I can!!!