'Tis the Season?

Greetings from the non-snowy east coast! It's been ridiculously warm here with temperatures in the 50s which boggles the mind until you remember that global warming thing Al Gore keeps mentioning. December has never been the coldest month here and there have definitely been times where we haven't had any snow on Christmas, but I can't remember anything like this before.

I'm slowly catching everyone up on photos of the boy and the three in this post are from this past September. I guess we were pretty busy doing things with him since we only managed to take 8 pictures all month! I made a promise to myself before the boy was born that I wouldn't be a dad that kept the film rolling when he fell over and started to cry, even though it might be worth $10,000 on America's Funniest Home Videos. I have to say that I much prefer playing with him or kissing him on the cheek to trying to get him to hold still while I take a picture. Quality time you know!

Right now, the boy and I are watching Sesame Street and a segment on jolly olde England. He definitely enjoys the show and it sure takes me back, although I actually remember a time when a certain red monster that shall remain nameless didn't dominate about half the program! It's clear that kids go crazy for him, so if I were running the show I'd probably do exactly the same thing. However, do we need another character that refers to himself in the third person? Last time I checked there was a blue monster that did that who enjoyed certain round bakery items. Or am I wrong?

The boy alternates between watching the show and spreading his toys all over the living room. We recently rearranged the living room to accommodate the Christmas tree we put up by the sliding glass door, which has temporarily reduced his play area. However, it doesn't seem to bother him at all or at least I haven't been able to detect any distress. He's become quite the chatterbox too, saying "yes" and "no" quite clearly, but his favorite word is still our cat's name which he repeats on a regular basis.

So, the attempt to get into the Christmas spirit continues and I'm sure it'll come soon. My wife got the week between Christmas and New Year's off and we'll be traveling to top see both sets of grandparents. The trips in the car can get a bit tedious, but we can't complain too much having just the one. It'll be good to see everyone and for those we won't get to see in person, we hope you have a great holiday! I'll do my best to update the blog through the holidays, but to be honest I haven't been all that successful lately. Oh well, maybe that will be my New Year's resolution...after the world peace thing of course. ;)

In Memorium: James Kim 1971-2006

To a father who gave his very life to save his family...please send your thoughts and prayers for his family and all those who knew and loved him. May he rest in peace.

Stolen Identities

A quick entry to report that our identity was stolen this week! I won't give out any specific details since the case will eventually go to court, but a couple of employees at a store my wife and I frequent got our credit card number and used it twice. The authorities already know who did it and were actually tipped off by the owners of the store, so we heard about it before we or the credit card company knew anything was wrong!

So, now we have to cancel our cards and get new ones, but that's nothing compared to some other folks who got fives times the number of charges we did. My wife already gave a statement and we should get our money "back" before we even have to pay the bill, so I think we were incredibly lucky it wasn't any worse. In the past something like this would have completely freaked me out, but now I think it's just the price you pay for living life these days. I put anything with our address on it through the shredder and keep our computers virus software updated, figuring it's the least I can do to keep our information safe. However, if someone wants the information bad enough they'll get it and there wouldn't be anything I could do about it.

To me, it's very similar to a quote I've heard about terrorism: "If you change what you do or who you are because of terrorism, they win." Of course it's easy for me to say that and it might seem an extreme example to some, but in terms of the stress your body goes through you can't let fear of any kind dominate your life. If you do, you haven't really been living anyway.

The Little Man

Quite awhile ago I promised my readers some newer pictures of the boy, so here they are! These are from back in August and I'll bring everyone up to date over the next few posts. In the first picture you'll see our hero grabbing the cat which has become one of his favorite pastimes (and probably the cat's least favorite). At this point he was still crawling and had become very skilled at maneuvering around the apartment. We were wondering if he was getting behind on his development, but the pediatrician told us not to worry. Besides, the boy would usually crawl faster than I could walk next to him, so why would he walk when crawling was quicker? :)

In this second shot, you can see the boy using his cart/walker which really got him moving. At first he would just walk behind it in a straight line and then look confused when he ran into something. However, like so many other things in his development, one day he just learned how to turn and after that he rarely walked on his hands and knees anymore. He took it for laps around the dinning room table at breakneck speeds and would fall down from time to time, but he'd just look at us, laugh, and get right back up for another trek! The boy would get so excited about being mobile and his laughter and smiles were always contagious. He's just such a natural comedian and never ceases to find ways to make us as happy as he obviously feels.

After keeping it rather quiet for awhile now, I finally have to admit that the boy is the best sleeper we've ever heard of...ever. He sleeps over 10 hours a night and takes two naps during the day. While he loves to look at the cars go by while in the car, more often than not I have the view from the picture below when I look back at him. He can tolerate us talking up front and hardly ever cries or begs for attention. He just always seems so content with simple things which is such a blessing. That's certainly not to say he doesn't let us know when he's hungry or tired. In fact, on one recent ride home from my my in-laws, he cried pretty much the whole way home because he was just so exhausted from a flu shot he'd received. I've really been hesitant to mention how good a sleeper he is in this blog since I have read countless stories of sleepless nights by parents and babies alike and I didn't want to seem like I was gloating. It's just how he is.

As shown in these last two photos, he's totally adorable, cute, and handsome whether he's awake or asleep! There is undoubtedly some parental bias in that statement, but we have had some outside opinions that indicate he's universally cute. ;) When we took him to his last appointment with the pediatrician, everyone in the waiting room, including other kids, were just starting at him and saying he should be on the cover of a magazine. It is true that he has the traditional "Gerber baby" look that they notice, but I think it's really his demeanor that engenders him to people we meet on the street. I just love the fact that people smile at me (really at him) when I've got the boy with me instead of that look people have when they don't know you from Adam.

So, that's the boy as of this past August and I'll bring the pictures up to date in the next few posts. When I saw that it had been a week since I had posted last I was very surprised, so I'll have to get it in gear this next week. I hope everyone had a good Turkey Day which we spent with my wife's folks. And, bless her, my wife actually went to some of the early morning sales on "Black Friday" and got a couple good bargains to boot. I have often failed to understand why people get up so early, but the deals were especially good this year and I think there is a camaraderie that develops with other people in line. I have to say in this era of Internet and indirect communication, the activity is quite social. We'll probably venture out again tomorrow once the professional shoppers have gathered their hauls! More to come!

Waking Up

Whenever I'm under a lot of stress, I tend to get only small tasks accomplished and the big, important stuff gets pushed aside. I guess it's because the small tasks give me a quick sense of accomplishment but not quite enough to make me feel like I can take on more valued projects. One of the things that gets ignored during these times is this blog and I shouldn't let that happen. Writing (when it isn't a required activity) has always been a good outlet for me and helps to empty my thoughts. Then, instead of letting them cascade around my brain, I can leave them on the page to fight amongst themselves.

As some may know from reading this blog, I have been struggling through my doctoral program for years. There were several bumps along the way and I have never wanted to be a quitter, but lately I've realized that I'm not on the right path. Many things have changed since I started the program as an eager 25 year old. I had become a listless 31 year old who had very little vision of where he was going. My wife told me that it had been a long time since I had been truly happy and not enveloped in some level of pain. I've probably known this for awhile, but until recently I wasn't able to admit it to myself.

The greater part of me expressed the need to make a clean break from my program and leave it behind, but there are undoubtedly some advantages to finishing the degree. There have been a number of things about the program that made it nearly impossible to finish, so I wrote a letter to my advisor asking if those obstacles could be sidestepped or even eliminated. I figured there wasn't any harm in trying since I had very little to loose, but the likelihood that such conditions would be accepted seems very low. So, why didn't I just make the break? At the time it seemed egotistical to think there was absolutely no chance things could change for the better and I had to give it a try.

In the two weeks since I sent that letter I have heard nothing and any resolve I had to continue in the program has begun to fall behind me. The person I was, the conditions and influences that propelled me, and the influences that blindly guided me are all gone now. That isn't to say that I am an empty vessel waiting to be filled since I've never believed that was what I'm all about. It was a big step to realize I was on the wrong path, but that doesn't mean the journey ahead will be easy. On the contrary, it may be much more difficult.

So, here I am on the verge of a new voyage where I can leave behind the anchors I had left dragging in the sand. I know now that I have to release them if I ever hope to find out who I really am and what it is I'm going to become. The anchor to friends that left me behind in their self absorbed world, the anchor to a childhood that was filled with negative influences and nightmares, the anchor that told me I couldn't change and become who I want to be...all need to be left behind in the harbor so I can set sail and finally wake up.

Pastimes

It's been a busy couple of weeks here, most notably with my wife having surgery this past Monday. It had been originally scheduled for December, but when her doctor had an opening she took it since she'd be in a good deal of pain. For longtime readers, you already know that my wife has Endometriosis and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and that she had surgery a few years ago. Well, this time was basically the same thing: to check things out and see how each condition has progressed. The only major change from her last surgery is that she does have some cysts on her ovaries, which was largely expected and why we were encouraged to have our son when we did.

So, my wife will be home for the next couple weeks and, at least for now, I'm doing most of the boy's evening care in addition to my usual stay at home dad activities. Understandably, she's been resting and taking it easy since surgery always comes with some pain. So, all in all, I'm quite sure I'm getting the better end of the deal.

As for the boy's progress, he's now walking around like a pro and has taken to it like a fish in water. His favorite pastime at the moment is to waddle over to where we're sitting and bring book to us. That doesn't mean he wants us to read it as he often just walks away, so we're not always sure what he wants exactly. He's also getting to that stage where he makes this subtle whine when he doesn't get what he wants the moment he wants it, but I imagine most kids go through that stage. Last night he found his belly button for the first time and walked around with his gut hanging out. He's also got nearly a full set of choppers which we're told is a bit early and he sure loves to flash those pearly whites!

I've gotten a few requests for recent pictures of the boy which I'll try to get up before the end of the week. I'm also doing my best to get my daily zazen routine down and to talk more about it in this blog which I will also work to do. My mind has been ablaze with various thoughts and I know some meditation would be what the Zen Master ordered, so I've promised myself I'd make the time for that. So, I'll go do those things and check back with all of you later in the week! ;)

Walking, Sitting, and Playing

It's been a busy couple weeks for me, but for very good reasons. The boy is walking! My wife and I have been spending a lot of time with him and slowly but surely he's been taking to the bi-ped lifestyle. He's got it down pretty well, only getting sidetracked when he encounters new challenges or obsticles. Yesterday we took him to see my wife's parents and he tripped on a very high rug. He gets upset and his lip gets a bit redder than normal when he falls, but he springs back anew very fast.

I've also been spending more time learning about Buddhism which I have mentioned before. I'm specifically interested in Zen which seems very "me" if that makes much sense. It's a hard concept to describe in a short form like a blog, plus the fact that I'm not sure I even "understand" it myself. The aspect I'm exploring now is awareness and exploring the different precepts that are central to Zen Buddhism. A friend sent me a book that I had actually seen on our last trip to the Cape called, Waking Up to What You Do: A Zen Practice for Meeting Every Situation With Intelligence and Compassion. It is quite literally changing the way I look at things and other people, especially in situations where I have felt scared or inadequate. Needless to say, I heartily endorse it! I've also cleared some space to do my Zen practice, but finding time in the schedule is more difficult. I have failed in my quest to find the time before, but I'm beginning to realize that what happened in the past doesn't really matter here.

And for you fantasy football fans who have been salivating for an update, I'm 2-1 with players still left in tonight's Monday Night Football game. It's not a bad record at all and I'm just pleased I'm not getting killed! I think I have a good chance to prevail for this week which would run my record to 3-1. Sorry to leave my rabid fans hanging like that, but let's just say if Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook have a good game I'm probably good to go. :)

Be Like Mike

Did I forget to mention in my blog how exhausting being a stay at home dad can be? Man that kid gave me a workout today! He slept late so the late morning nap was out and I had like 6 straight hours of "Yeah! Dada! Scream! Waaaa!" That wasn't in the job description when I signed up! Wait, what's that? It was? Oh, yeah, I forgot. My bad.

In reality our son is a very good boy; he's just at that stage where he wants everything and at the same time realizes he can't get to all of it by himself. So, that's where my wife and I come in to the picture. He still hasn't walked on his own, but it's not like he's afraid or anything. I think he just finds crawling more convenient. But today he noticed while I was walking him around that he could hold his hammer (don't worry...not a real one) AND walk at the SAME TIME! I think he may have that walking thing down soon. He did the same thing with the transition from rolling to crawling. He got around perfectly well, so why change? Then, one day he just did it. Just like Mike. :)

Are You Ready For Some (Fantasy) Football?

One of the realities of being a stay at home dad is some loneliness and isolation. Sure, you want to be more social and have conversations that begin with something other than, "Hey, don't touch that!" or "Oh man you smell bad!". However, opportunities to mingle with others can be far and inbetween. So, what can you do? Join an all dads fantasy football league!

Now, anyone that knows me well is aware of my paradoxical nature in that I'm definitely a geek, but I also enjoy following baseball and football. Yes, I dress my son up in baseball jerseys and logo merchandise appears here and there around the house. We even have a football shirt that happens to have my son's name on it, but that's just a coincidence and I swear it wasn't a special order! ;)

Anyway, the season is only a week old but I'm already immersed in the world of adding and dropping players, following the waiver wire, and figuring out who to start as my wideouts. If you didn't follow that it's okay since it means you are probably a normal and well adjusted person. :) Is it basically a forum for taunting your opponent and saying, "You're going to loo-oose!" Yup. Is it a way for people who use computers to appear hip and cool? Absolutely. But it has been fun and I actually won my first game! Ha!

In the end it is a nice way to spend a few minutes each day and hopefully there will be some good interaction. The football talk is great, but I really hope it leads to discussions with other dads, most of whom stay at home, about balancing life's priorities and the things we all struggle with every day. That and figuratively spiking the ball in your opponent's face and yelling, "Na na na na na!" I know it's infantile, but I have some recent experience with that kind of behavior from an actual infant. :)

Smelling the Roses

The last few weeks have been very busy and I just don't take the time I should to smell the roses. As I have learned more about Buddhism, the more I have come to appreciate the oft described "little things" in life. However, they are certainly among the most important and precious experiences of life. For as long as I can remember I have lived life hard and fast, but not only have I found it harder to do so of late, it is also becoming far less appealing than it once was.

There is simply nothing in this world that makes me as happy as my son's smile. Think about that for a second. By either causing him to be happy myself or to witness someone else do it, the awareness of such a young being is so remarkable. Ten years ago I would never have imagined such a state of contentment being possible, but it is. That isn't to say it only comes from having children since others may experience the same feeling in other ways. It's really the simple things people. No matter how cliched that phrase has become, it couldn't be more true.

As for updates, the boy is growing like a weed! If we measured him correctly, he's in the 95th percentile for weight, although he's only 19th percentile in weight. Can you say beanstalk Batman? :) I swear it was just last week that he was reaching up onto an end table to feel for things he couldn't see. Then yesterday my wife and I were remarking that the top of the end table only comes up to his chin now, making it all too easy for him to see what's there.

All this bliss I'm describing comes in the middle of resuming my schooling, my ever continuing struggle to integrate the Four Noble Truths into my life, selling stuff on eBay, doing laundry (or leaving it on the floor way too long!), not even including eating and sleeping mind you. In the past all this would have resulted in a less than calm mental state, but I've been on a pretty even keel of late. Let's just hope it lasts!

Catch 22?

I sat down to write a post thinking I was updating pretty soon after my last one. However, after noticing the date it's actually been another 2 weeks! The amount of time that passes when you have a little one is quite something, although it is time well spent. Regardless, as someone suggested in a comment, I'm going to stop apologizing and just write entries!

The boy is nearly ready to walk on his own! He's been pushing a "cart" of sorts around the living room and doing laps around the dining room table. (I should note that in our apartment the term "room" is used very loosely) He's also reaching for things and "falling" towards them to catch himself, so we know the first steps are right around the corner. From the day he was born he's done things at his own pace which I see no reason to rush or change. I think he's going to be an independant minded person like his mommy.

Tonight I'm feeling really tired for some reason and hope I'm not coming down with anything. I am a REALLY bad sick person...Lots of moaning and complaining. However, I'm more mentally tired than anything, which I didn't expect to happen spending all day with a 13 month old. I do try to challenge him in some small way every day. For example, when we transitioned from bottle to sippy cup we still fed him the same way to make the change less sudden. Slowly he's been getting the idea that he can hold the cup and that if he tilts his head back he can get more out. Well, today I just put him in the highchair and gave him his cup. He stared at it and then me a few times, but after a minute or so he got the idea.

I often wondered if I'd dwell on things he doesn't do anymore as he gets older like feeding him. I find that I do to some extent, but it really is outweighed by excitement at what he's going to learn next. Perhaps that's the teacher in me. Speaking of, I want to try and teach him Spanish over the next few years and figured before he was born that the best way to do that was to learn it myself. So, I probably should start doing that! :) I'm not going to be showing him flashcards like Rick Moranis' character in Parenthood, but a few words as he learns to speak should be fun and I have a feeling that by the time he grows up Spanish will be a lot more prevalent than it is today...and it's already come a long way.

Have I mentioned that Brady talks to himself before he goes to bed? No, it's a good thing! Really! He's able to soothe himself to sleep which is a GREAT thing. Either that or he's gone completely "bat shit" insane (I love that phrase), but I think you'd to have achieve sentience before you can go crazy, right? Wow, another Catch-22! Or would that be Catch 4? Catch 44? Catch Zero? Hmm... ;)

What Was the Title of That Last Post Again?

So, I've done it once again my faithful readers. I thought I was getting better and it got worse. Oh well, I guess it's a swift caning for me. Oh yeah, I don't live in Singapore. Barely escaped that one folks! ;) In reality, it's just having so many things up in the air at once and it feels like someone tossed a bucket of baseballs up in the air and I'm supposed to catch them all. Still, I'm not doing too badly, but blogging often gets relegated to the back burner at times like this.

I'm finally getting the boy's birthday pictures into the blog after taking my sweet time (which smells like actual candy canes) to learn a new photo posting system, but I think I've got the hang of it now. As you can see he enjoyed his cake (or should I say his frosting) very much. I actually had to smoosh the cake part for him but I think we got the desired effect.

I'm also including a picture from his playdate at the local museum for the kiddies. They had places for wee ones to hang out with their brethren, so he was well served. He's been growing like a weed and is starting to make intelligible sounds. When I went to wake him up this morning he saw me and said, "Hiii daaadeee!" He's also saying the cat's name and chasing him all over the apartment all while pointing at everything in sight.

The boy also stood without support for the first time last week, although he still finds crawling the best way to get around. He doesn't gradually develop abilities, no sir! He masters every aspect and then, apparently out of nowhere he just does it! At this very moment he's repeatedly saying "dada" while racing about the apartment with his Fisher Price "cart" like a bat out of hell. He's also dancing every time he hears music which he gets from the old man. There are old home movies of me doing exactly the same thing.

So, I'll end tonight's entry looking at the positive and will once again predict a more regular posting schedule for this blog. Will it happen my faithful readers? Maybe, maybe not. Will I try my best? Sure thing. Would I bet my life on it? Absolutely not. :) Oh well, I guess it IS the thought that counts! ;)

The Best Laid Plans

So much for updating regularly, huh? As I said, it's a new day and a new beginning! That's the spirit! :)

The boy's birthday was an exhausting event to be sure, but I've never been so happy being dead tired. It was great to see so many friends and family there to celebrate the little man being with us for a year. And no, I don't have pictures up yet but we'll get them up soon! As you'd expect, he also had his one year appointment with the pediatrician this week. He's nearly 30 inches tall and 22 pounds, making him eligible to have his car seat turned to face forward. The boy is growing up so fast!

Tomorrow we're having a play date with another couple and their daughter, which is very exciting. We're eager to see the boy with a baby near his own age since she's only a couple months older. He got some time with our friends kids last weekend, but one is almost two and the other is only a few months old. Right now the little man is only saying "dada" and miscellaneous gibberish, so I'll be interested to see how he communicates with someone at or just above his level. Still, he always finds a way to communicate with everyone and has two basic nicknames right now: Flirt and Smiley! I think he could do a lot worse than those, don't you think?

So, off to bed to prepare for tomorrow's play date. Do you think I'll be tired after that event too? ;)

A Year's Time

So far my efforts to keep this blog updated regularly haven't been very successful, but I like to look at every day as a chance for a fresh start. Granted, it's been a busy time over the last month so I do have a good reason, but I really do want to keep the blog updated. Come to think of it, I can't remember the last time things weren't busy! I suppose that's what happens when you bring a baby into the mix, which we have been integrating into our family for the last year.

It's hard for me to believe at times that the boy has been with us that long and that one year ago this coming Monday I was holding him for the first time. As you might expect, we're having a gathering for his first birthday this weekend and have some folks coming in from out of town to celebrate with us. In fact, by Friday night there will be three kids under the age of 2 here while some friends stay with us. How do you think that's going to go? :) Regardless, it should be interesting and I'm looking forward to the little man socializing with his peers.

My task for this week has been to clean the apartment in preparation for visitors and with help from the wife we're doing ok. There's always that last minute rush to get everything done or at least hidden in a closet, but we expanded the boy's space downstairs so some of that is already done. Did I mention that he's walking with help? He's been doing it for about a week now with a "walker" of sorts that gives him support. He walks pretty fast for a first timer and I have no doubt he'll be walking without it very soon.

We've had some fun getting him to take his formula out of a sippy cup, but I'll leave that for next time to encourage me to post again soon. I'm hanging in there despite all the stuff I have to get done and hopefully I'll get a better handle on it, but for now I'm just going with the flow. More pictures of the little man next time, promise! ;)

Back From Whence I Came

Hi All! I haven't posted in awhile since I went on vacation with the family. It was the boy's first real vacation and there were some bumps with teething and getting to sleep in new places (and oh do I have a whopper of a story about one particular night). However, he did really well overall. We went to Cape Cod for a little over a week to stay with my folks who rented a place there. It rained most of the time, but we still enjoyed ourselves and got one day on the beach for pictures with the boy. I'll try to get some posted tonight or tomorrow.

Besides time away from home, I've really been trying to learn more about Buddhism. I have been referring to myself as a Buddhist for awhile now but I think I should learn more if I'm going to continue doing that. :) Basically, it speaks to me and helps me define who I am as well as who I want to become. Nothing wrong with that, right? Along the way I just have this one other little task: writing my dissertation!

So, I just wanted to write a brief post so the 3 people who read this blog didn't think I was gone for months again! I also have to go because the little man just found the remote control to the television and is flipping between C-SPAN and Animal Planet, neither of which I've watched in some time! I'm so glad he's mobile now, but there is a certain comfort level when he's not able to move very much. Now he's watching Jessica Simpson in an acne medication commercial. Oh no...it's starting already...doh! ;)

The Calm After the Storm

I haven't had much time to post as I've been finishing up a class I taught this spring. Grades were due yesterday, so for all intents and purposes I'm done! It was my first solo gig as a college teacher and I thought it went really well. Although I'm technically unemployed for the moment, I'm always looking for new teaching positions. If anyone needs a education instructor to teach online courses, drop me a line! Appointments are not limited whatsoever, but please still call now! ;)

As you can see, I'm including more pictures of the boy from January through March in this post to conclude what I started in the previous one. A number of folks posted or emailed to say how cute he is and my wife and I most certainly agree! He's standing with support and moving from object to object, getting more sure of himself each time. I imagine he'll be walking within the next month or so, but it's so hard to tell when he's going to make that next jump forward. His growth is just amazing on any level you can think of and he's just such a happy and content little guy!

Now that my class is over, we're going to take our first real family vacation! It'll be the boy's first experience with the ocean and I can't wait to see how he reacts to the beach. We're staying with my folks who rented a house for a couple weeks and we'll be there the first week. We're looking forward to getting out a few times by ourselves, but we've always had the experience that when the time comes for us to "do our own thing" we really want the little man with us! Still, alone time is important so I'm sure we'll want to slip away and his grandparents will be more than willing to offer their babysitting services. :)

He Ought To Be In Pictures

It's the end of another week and I could definitely use a nap! Fortunately I get to sleep in tomorrow. Yay! I've been working on the final exam for a class I'm teaching and my wife has been trying to get ahead at work before our trip to Cape Cod in June where we'll take more pictures than anyone but us would want to see. However, that made me remember today that while I wasn't updating my blog, I obviously wasn't posting any pictures here either. So, when someone recently commented to me how cute the boy was, I realized that any readers of this blog don't know how much he's grown. So, I'll take this opportunity to let you all see how our little man has changed.

At two months, most folks were saying that the boy looked more like me than my wife. What I pointed out to everyone, however, was the fact that we looked alike because our hair styles looked pretty much the same at that point! Yup, you have a receding hairline in the genes my boy and for that your ancestors humbly apologize. ;) The most repeated comment we received around this time was how happy he was, not only in pictures, but when they'd see him in person. Even now he seems so content and along with sleeping through the night since six weeks is why we never get any sympathy.

It was around this time that we took Brady on his first long distance non-grandparents trip. We went to Vermont for a few days and wondered how he'd do in the car. Other than waking up when he was ready to eat, he slept...well, like a baby the entire way. (Ok, you parents out there who haven't slept in months are really peeved now!) We had hoped for a nice Fall leaves tour, but when we got there we had nothing but wind, rain, and cold. It was really the boy's first experience in cold weather since when he was born it was about 90 degrees outside! So, the first time that a gust of wind came up he put his arms out and had a look of panic in his eyes. To this day whenever it's windy I say, "We're back in Vermont boy!"

By the time we got to December and the boy's first Christmas he was starting to hold his head up pretty well and was beginning to flip onto his stomach. As with many other kids, when he opened his presents he was usually more interested in the wrapping paper than the gift! Around this time he also started developing a very specific personality that has only developed since then. He still didn't care much for the cold, especially up in the Adirondacks, but always greeted new people with a smile. I tell you, he's such a flirt and women flock to him like you wouldn't believe.

So, that's enough for today and I'll begin next time with 2006. I think we have at least a few more pictures to post. ;)

Beck and Call

It's been an eventful week and I've tried to make time for an entry, but that isn't the only thing that's gone by the wayside. Actually, my last post didn't make it up on the blogger site until Wednesday because I kept getting errors when I tried to post! I guess they figured it out eventually; darn technology!

About a week ago the boy was relegated to an army crawl for getting around, but since then he's perfected the "hands and knees" crawl technique and got up on his feet with support for the first time. Now he's on his feet all the time and is even trying some sideway steps. It's funny to watch since his feet slide apart slowly and he doesn't notice until he's almost done a split. A normal adult reaction would be to readjust one of your feet and I wondered to myself why he wasn't doing that, but then I remembered that he doesn't know how!

It goes without saying that the boy is into everything and those days of putting him on the floor and expecting him to be entertained are over! He still loves the simplest toys, but he goes from toy to toy with hardly any transition. That's been made even more demanding by the fact that my wife hurt her back on Friday which left me to do all of the boy lifting this weekend. I don't mind it though since I'm pretty used to it from weekdays and I've been loosing a bunch of weight over the last few months! I dropped about 10% of what I weighed last November, so it's nice to know all that running around provided some benefits!

The highlight of the week has to be the little man saying his first intelligible sounds. He says "da da da da da" quite a lot and even some "ma ma ma ma ma" which left my wife and I tearing up. You know objectively that he doesn't know what he's saying yet, but you can see that glint in his eye that he's beginning to associate certain sounds with different objects. I think it'll be pretty cool when I can have a conversation with him, which absolutely blows my mind. To think, 10 months ago he wasn't much more than the size of a football and now he's standing up!

Well, duty calls as it's time for his feeding since I'm still at his beck and call for the time being. It's tiring, but since I know I'll miss this stage when it's gone, I don't mind one bit and am enjoying every minute of it.

A Not So Instant Replay

It's another week in stay at home dad land and I can't believe that the boy is about a week away from being 10 months old! The time has gone by fast in most ways, but I can remember every single thing that happened leading up to the birth. So, I thought I'd take today to recap some of the missing information from the blog and what kept me away.

The birth process itself was very trying, as I believe I reported before my hiatus. After numerous medications, pushing for hours, and finally having a c-section, my wife welcomed our little man to the world...while I was out in the hall trying not to keel over. Only after we were back in the room did it occur to us that I hadn't eaten anything for almost 24 hours! So, a tip to you dads is to bring snacks! In truth I did bring food, but in that moment when your wife is in pain and you are focusing on what she needs (and doesn't need), everything else pretty much fades away.

When we got home, I think my wife and I were in shock in addition to the obvious exhaustion my wife was feeling. I wasn't feeling especially spry myself, but I was the only one allowed to do stairs and I wasn't in any pain. Well, except for a pain in my ass, but I'll leave that for another entry! ;) My parents were here for awhile which made the situation both easier and harder at the same time. You obviously appreciate them being there for support and to help you troubleshoot if anything goes wrong. However, I think both my wife and I wanted time for just the three of us. In the end, my parents didn't have to do much more than be there for moral support since the boy slept at four hour intervals from the day we brought him home, but we so appreciated them just being there. To this day we get no sympathy because he sleeps so well, but I suppose that's to be expected. :)

After a couple weeks, the boy wasn't just sleeping at four hour intervals, but through the night entirely. He also took naps in the morning and afternoon and what I wouldn't give sometimes to get that time back since now he sleeps much less during the day. Well, that's true from a "getting things accomplished" standpoint, but I also wouldn't give up the time I've spent with him these months for anything. I have loved reading to him, helping him learn to flip and crawl, and just spending time with him. I suppose that's something that most dads don't have time to do or frankly don't want to do, but I think that's beginning to change.

During all this time, the boy had significant problems with acid reflux. Even at the hospital he was spitting up a large portion of his formula and we were concerned that he wasn't getting enough nutrition. The doctor assured us that he might grow out of it as most infants do, but he was below the average weight which seemed to us like a bad sign. We know now that although he was under weight, he was and is above average in height, so taken together it now seems very logical. He was also consistently gaining weight at the pace he should have which he wouldn't have done had there been a real problem. Eventually, after trying many different formulas, changing medications, and going for tests at the hospital, he slowly outgrew it and appears to be absolutely fine. However, we didn't know that at the time and it left us stressed and worried.

So, as you might expect, blogging wasn't high on my priority list, especially since we kept in almost daily contact with family and friends. There was also a time that I felt guilty for not having kept a record of the boy's development, so I ended up avoiding it for awhile. But last week I just felt compelled to go back to it and hopefully the last few entries are a sign that it will stick. I won't be trying to write a saga of the boy's life over the last 9 months as I post in the coming days, but will add tidbits here and there as the blog goes along. Here's to hoping I can keep it going! Cheers!

Times, They Are a Changing

It's been a busy week and I'm very glad it's Friday! The last few days have seen the boy doubling his number of teeth (7 total are through with 1 just ready to pop) and he's approaching 30 inches in height! I think he'll end up being a beanpole like his uncle was and not short and stout like his daddy. When we went in for his 9 month appointment a couple weeks ago, our pediatrician said he was about 10-15th percentile in weight, but 75-80th percentile in height. I always felt short (despite the fact that I am exactly the average height for males) and like the idea that he might be tall, but he'll be perfect no matter how tall he gets. Awwwww!

So, as I mentioned in my last entry, our friend Jen has been in town and we hit Babies R Us last night to pick up some safety gear. The boy has been constantly on the move since he's been crawling and we have to do an overhaul on the apartment. His old man didn't crawl until after a year, but I also walked before I crawled. So, at least Brady is doing things in order. My wife and I commented recently that every time we wonder if he's about to do something or if he's behind developmentally, he usually does it the very next day!

In other news, my father has finally decided to retire after nearly three and a half decades as a community college professor. He's thought about it for a long time, but decided the time was finally right. I congratulated him, although it felt weird because I'm sure there is a part of him that would like to continue. So, I'll reserve my full congrats until I see how he likes retirement. Truth be told he'll teach a couple classes next year, so he's not leaving completely until another year or so. He's been teaching at the same college longer than I've been alive.

One of the reasons my Dad said he was retiring was to spend more time with us and the boy, which will be a very good thing all around. He changes so much from week to week and even from day to day. I do find myself missing some of his newborn attributes, but every change is a wonderful thing and I just enjoy being with the boy and his mom. We're a little behind on getting pictures up for posting, but I promise more will be forthcoming soon! He's changed so much from the last pictures I had up, you almost wouldn't recognize him. I suppose it's simply inevitable since the only true constant in the universe is change.

Spam! Spam! Spam!

Has anyone come out with a cute abbreviated title for blog spam? I was going back over some of my old entries today and realized that one of them had 3 comments that were clearly computer generated, mostly on the topic of acid reflux. I suppose it was only a matter of time, but I find it more than a bit annoying. I think back when they were originally posted and I just figured someone was very dedicated to eradicating acid reflux, but it only took me several months to crack that code!

The ironic part of all this is that, since I typed the phrase "acid reflux" in this entry, I might just receive even more spam! Oh what a tangled web we weave. I suppose I could put in phrases like "free family dwelling" or "enlightenment" and perhaps I'd get professional advice on how to make them mine for only $19.99 + $2 million shipping. But, I'll probably be ok as long as I don't mention Viagra. Aw crap, I just did! ;) So, until they come up with a cute name for all the news outlets to start using, I guess I'll have to come up with my own: Splogm? Blospam? Spamlogging? Let me know if anyone has a favorite, but any phrase with the word "log" in it gets my vote.

The only news for the day is that our friend Jen came down for a conference and will be hanging out with us and the boy for a few evenings. While his initial reaction to Jen was a bit tear filled, he warmed up to her quickly and was again his usual smiley self. In the coming entries I'll try to fill in some of the gaps left from months 2 through 9 of his young life and why I didn't write entries after he went to bed. Actually, that last part may be self explanatory, since I'd probably have started falling asleep while I zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Back to Blogging

Hey folks! I'd be very surprised if anyone is still around who read this blog during my wife's pregnancy and the first month of my son's life, but I am planning to get back to blogging. Frankly, I had some concerns about all the info I was putting up on the web about my son and got pretty busy taking care of him, especially since I'm a stay at home dad! So, I promise I'll be updating again soon with a blog that is a bit more general about specific details, but hopefully rich with insight and interaction with other blogging dads. See you in cyberspace and, if you have be checking this site since last August, kudos to you! :)