If you're familiar with the name "Noggin" then you will know who Moose A. Moose and Zee are. Of all the programming on that channel, Madison loves those two the most and laughs every time she sees or hears them. I've been doing some online research and most kids her age love them also. Here's the bummer, they don't make stuffed animal toys of them. They have T-Shirts galore and clocks and coffee mugs, but no dolls! What 6 month old drinks out of a coffee mug?
So, I figured I'd let you all in on a big money maker. The first person to start making their own plush dolls of Moose and Zee will be millionaires in one week if word spreads fast enough. Nickelodeon will probably sue you, but by that time you'll be rich and can just give them half the profits and the rights to make them, and they'll be happy.
Alas though, no Moose and Zee for Madison this year.
12/14/06
11/19/06
When Babies Try To Defy Gravity
What's the worst sound in the world? Hearing a baby falling or hitting their head on something hard. Why do I know this? Because up until recently, Madison has not tried to jump off the couch.
A couple weeks ago (due to the trauma I suffered, I'm really not aware as to when this situation actually took place) I decided to bring her with me on the couch, and sit her between two cushions like I had done in the past to keep her from rolling. Madison was starting to sit up and lean forward around this time. I was not aware that when babies sit up and lean forward, they don't have the strength yet to lean back the way they came...I am now aware. I went to reach for the remote so I had to turn my head right for literally a second. In that one tiny second I believe several things happened, however I could be wrong because my head was in fact turned.
1. Madison leaned forward for her feet, because as I've noted in the past, she loves her feet.
2. Her momentum continued even after she had grasp of her foot, therefore somersaulting her off the couch.
3. She did a one and a half dive towards the floor.
4. In the distance a dog barked.
5. Madison landed back first onto the floor with a bang that sounded to me like a meteor hitting the earth.
6. Silence.
I snapped my head around to see what I missed and noticed the silence was from a baby crying so hard that nothing came out. We now introduce you to horrified father who thinks he just started what would be the last moments of his first child's life.
I picked her up and that's where my memory cells seemed to have blacked out for a few seconds. The next thing I knew I was walking around the house trying to calm this poor baby who never knew gravity existed. She looked at me with tears glistening and cried hard as if to say "Why father? WHY!!! How could you let this happen to me?" I had no answers for her, only the occasional "It's going to be okay." as I tried to comfort her.
I then took her into her bedroom to exam her body for the broken limbs I knew had to be there, or maybe a broken neck, or possibly a dislocated shoulder. Nothing. I then checked her head for the bump that would surely meant she would never make it into kindergarten. Nothing. So finally I called the doctor's office. I was able to explain what happened, well, I was able to after the nurse calmed me down. I was pretty much spewing gibberish because I was so hysterically upset. She told me she'd have to call me back after talking to the doctor. What?! My daughter's bleeding internally and you're gonna call me back? At this point I threw the phone and did what any man would do in the same situation. Call Mom.
Alas though, the only one home was my brother and he listened as long as he could to my hysterics, but had to leave for work eventually. So as soon as I hang up with him, I get a call back from the nurse who tells me that everything's okay as long as she wakes up every three hours. Gee, thanks. By this time about 15 minutes have passed since Madison actually fell. She was sitting playing with her toys and watching T.V. and laughing. I on the other hand was sprawled out on the couch, drained emotionally and physically, and twitching. It was the hardest 15 minutes of my life thus far, and I believe I'm emotionally scarred for life. Madison on the other hand is doing just wonderfully and has more than surely forgotten the incident. Lovely.
In other news! Madison is turning into a little person. I can't believe how big she looks in comparison to pictures a month ago. She's in 12 month clothes now, 3-9 stuff is just too tight on her. She doesn't like wearing clothes anymore though, and starts crying when you start getting her dressed up. Her dark hair is almost completely gone now, and its starting to come in blonde. She starts to mimick things that Tina and I do, like sticking out her tongue and tapping on things. Her favorite song is "My Little Buttercup" which I learned from the movie "The Three Amigos." That's how we got her to smile in a few of the pictures below! Oh, there's one that reminds me of a face that Chris Farley makes during an SNL skit with Adam Sandler and David Spade, Gap Girls. "*giggles* If you love em so much why don't you marry them!"
A couple weeks ago (due to the trauma I suffered, I'm really not aware as to when this situation actually took place) I decided to bring her with me on the couch, and sit her between two cushions like I had done in the past to keep her from rolling. Madison was starting to sit up and lean forward around this time. I was not aware that when babies sit up and lean forward, they don't have the strength yet to lean back the way they came...I am now aware. I went to reach for the remote so I had to turn my head right for literally a second. In that one tiny second I believe several things happened, however I could be wrong because my head was in fact turned.
1. Madison leaned forward for her feet, because as I've noted in the past, she loves her feet.
2. Her momentum continued even after she had grasp of her foot, therefore somersaulting her off the couch.
3. She did a one and a half dive towards the floor.
4. In the distance a dog barked.
5. Madison landed back first onto the floor with a bang that sounded to me like a meteor hitting the earth.
6. Silence.
I snapped my head around to see what I missed and noticed the silence was from a baby crying so hard that nothing came out. We now introduce you to horrified father who thinks he just started what would be the last moments of his first child's life.
I picked her up and that's where my memory cells seemed to have blacked out for a few seconds. The next thing I knew I was walking around the house trying to calm this poor baby who never knew gravity existed. She looked at me with tears glistening and cried hard as if to say "Why father? WHY!!! How could you let this happen to me?" I had no answers for her, only the occasional "It's going to be okay." as I tried to comfort her.
I then took her into her bedroom to exam her body for the broken limbs I knew had to be there, or maybe a broken neck, or possibly a dislocated shoulder. Nothing. I then checked her head for the bump that would surely meant she would never make it into kindergarten. Nothing. So finally I called the doctor's office. I was able to explain what happened, well, I was able to after the nurse calmed me down. I was pretty much spewing gibberish because I was so hysterically upset. She told me she'd have to call me back after talking to the doctor. What?! My daughter's bleeding internally and you're gonna call me back? At this point I threw the phone and did what any man would do in the same situation. Call Mom.
Alas though, the only one home was my brother and he listened as long as he could to my hysterics, but had to leave for work eventually. So as soon as I hang up with him, I get a call back from the nurse who tells me that everything's okay as long as she wakes up every three hours. Gee, thanks. By this time about 15 minutes have passed since Madison actually fell. She was sitting playing with her toys and watching T.V. and laughing. I on the other hand was sprawled out on the couch, drained emotionally and physically, and twitching. It was the hardest 15 minutes of my life thus far, and I believe I'm emotionally scarred for life. Madison on the other hand is doing just wonderfully and has more than surely forgotten the incident. Lovely.
In other news! Madison is turning into a little person. I can't believe how big she looks in comparison to pictures a month ago. She's in 12 month clothes now, 3-9 stuff is just too tight on her. She doesn't like wearing clothes anymore though, and starts crying when you start getting her dressed up. Her dark hair is almost completely gone now, and its starting to come in blonde. She starts to mimick things that Tina and I do, like sticking out her tongue and tapping on things. Her favorite song is "My Little Buttercup" which I learned from the movie "The Three Amigos." That's how we got her to smile in a few of the pictures below! Oh, there's one that reminds me of a face that Chris Farley makes during an SNL skit with Adam Sandler and David Spade, Gap Girls. "*giggles* If you love em so much why don't you marry them!"
10/23/06
Step-By-Step
At her last check-up, Madison tipped the scales at 15 pounds and change, and is 2' 1 1/8" tall. Her eyes remain blue, her hair is light brown now with red highlights. According to many people, she is looking more and more like me. She's eating rice cereal now, well, eating probably not the correct term. She's more or less tasting it, making a funny face, then spitting half of it out. Its only day two though, so there's hope.
A few weeks ago she figured out that she has feet, and how to grab them. Now she has cleverly devised a technique to take her socks off, due to her new found skill of feet grabbing. When she's in her bouncy seat, she slowly squirms down until she's half hanging out of the chair. She then bounces the seat a little, which slings her legs towards her face. It takes a few bounces, but eventually she literally catches her foot with her hand and grips tight to the sock. That's when you hear her struggling. She pulls hard on the sock, and it slowly comes loose. But she can only do it for a few seconds at a time, because at the same time she's pulling, she's also squeezing her insides in half. She has to stop, in order to catch her breath. In all, this activity takes about ten minutes to complete. There she lays then, half hanging off the chair, kicking her feet and crying, because now the socks are off and she's no longer comfortable. She does this a minimum of twice a day, and its quite amusing to watch.
Today she rolled from her back to her stomach for the first time without any help from daddy. She was determined to do it too. I was folding some clothes and I had her on a blanket on the floor. Normally she just lays there and looks at the television or the ceiling fan, today she had other plans however. I heard her start to grunt, which usually means she's had enough and wants to do something else. To my surprise, though, she was flipped all the way over, and laying on the arm she rolled over. The grunts were from her trying to pry that arm out so she could lay flat on her stomach. I wanted to help her, but instead laid down next to her and started cheering her on. Remember when Apollo Creed became Rocky's trainer, and was yelling out to him encouragement. That's how I was approaching this situation. She was starting to turn a little red, and suddenly sparks flew out of her eyes and she raised her head and screamed to the heavens. I gave her a quick squirt from the water bottle and suddenly she started doing a one-handed push-up! She quickly released the trapped arm and pushed herself up with both arms and screamed with joy. That was short lived though, because now she needs to figure out how to flip over from stomach to back. We'll train for that this week.
I've decided that companies that make baby products such as toys and furniture, have no compassion for parents. You would think that they would ship their products assembled or at least partially assembled. Nope. They send everything in a million pieces, because they know parents have nothing better to do than read through 32 step instruction booklets in order to put one leg on a high chair. Every time I open something new, I'm praying that its going to be the one where all I have to do is snap two pieces together and start using it. It has yet to happen. I now know why parents are able to put together things likes bikes, wagons, and tinker toys together in record times. They've been doing it since the kids were born. I'd bet that if you get a bunch of seasoned parents together, gave them some hard to read step-by-step instructions, and a philips screwdriver...they could build a space shuttle...AND...have it ready before the kids wake up Christmas day.
Heh.
Here's some pictures of Madison right before bathtime, during, and then after.
A few weeks ago she figured out that she has feet, and how to grab them. Now she has cleverly devised a technique to take her socks off, due to her new found skill of feet grabbing. When she's in her bouncy seat, she slowly squirms down until she's half hanging out of the chair. She then bounces the seat a little, which slings her legs towards her face. It takes a few bounces, but eventually she literally catches her foot with her hand and grips tight to the sock. That's when you hear her struggling. She pulls hard on the sock, and it slowly comes loose. But she can only do it for a few seconds at a time, because at the same time she's pulling, she's also squeezing her insides in half. She has to stop, in order to catch her breath. In all, this activity takes about ten minutes to complete. There she lays then, half hanging off the chair, kicking her feet and crying, because now the socks are off and she's no longer comfortable. She does this a minimum of twice a day, and its quite amusing to watch.
Today she rolled from her back to her stomach for the first time without any help from daddy. She was determined to do it too. I was folding some clothes and I had her on a blanket on the floor. Normally she just lays there and looks at the television or the ceiling fan, today she had other plans however. I heard her start to grunt, which usually means she's had enough and wants to do something else. To my surprise, though, she was flipped all the way over, and laying on the arm she rolled over. The grunts were from her trying to pry that arm out so she could lay flat on her stomach. I wanted to help her, but instead laid down next to her and started cheering her on. Remember when Apollo Creed became Rocky's trainer, and was yelling out to him encouragement. That's how I was approaching this situation. She was starting to turn a little red, and suddenly sparks flew out of her eyes and she raised her head and screamed to the heavens. I gave her a quick squirt from the water bottle and suddenly she started doing a one-handed push-up! She quickly released the trapped arm and pushed herself up with both arms and screamed with joy. That was short lived though, because now she needs to figure out how to flip over from stomach to back. We'll train for that this week.
I've decided that companies that make baby products such as toys and furniture, have no compassion for parents. You would think that they would ship their products assembled or at least partially assembled. Nope. They send everything in a million pieces, because they know parents have nothing better to do than read through 32 step instruction booklets in order to put one leg on a high chair. Every time I open something new, I'm praying that its going to be the one where all I have to do is snap two pieces together and start using it. It has yet to happen. I now know why parents are able to put together things likes bikes, wagons, and tinker toys together in record times. They've been doing it since the kids were born. I'd bet that if you get a bunch of seasoned parents together, gave them some hard to read step-by-step instructions, and a philips screwdriver...they could build a space shuttle...AND...have it ready before the kids wake up Christmas day.
Heh.
Here's some pictures of Madison right before bathtime, during, and then after.
9/24/06
A Full Reversal
On September 5th Tina had to return to work, as the new school year began. On that same day I started my new job as Daytime Household Activity Coordinator. My reponsibilities include but are not limited to the following tasks...
.......................................
*Waking when the client wakes in the morning, no matter how early it is.
*Making sure the client is washed, clothed, and comfortable for the day's activities.
*Feeding the client when they are hungry, and do it with great speed so the client does not have to wait.
*Unless the client is sleeping, they should be subjected to a fun, stimulating, and educating environment at all times.
*At no time will you leave the client unattended, even if you have to go really, really, really bad. Pinch it!
*A walk with the client will be required every day that weather permits it.
*The client will be changed regularly, as long as that client is regular.
*The client will need sufficient sleep throughout the day, inability to do this will result in a wrath from the client later in the day that would make the devil himself run screaming.
*At all times, and at any cost to you, you must protect the client from germs, smoke, cars, being touched by unwashed hands, prolonged exposure to the sun, exhaust, overheating, rashes, choking hazards, falling, suffocation, cold weather, viruses, peanut butter, dairy, nuts, shellfish, cheese, anything acidic, and overstimulation.
*In addition to the above tasks, you're also required to keep the client's residence clean. Included tasks are: garbage disposal, dish washing, laundry, landscaping, major and minor home repairs, cooking, and sanitation.
*If the client has animal pets, you will be required to tend to them also. This includes: feeding, washing, walking, and making sure they are let outside occasionally to urinate, dig holes, poop, chase after squirrels, and bark at strangers.
*At any time, additional tasks may be added to your daily workload including but not limited to grocery shopping, bank account management, and chauffeuring the client to various appointments.
*Finally, let be known that you will have no set lunch breaks, or breaks in general. The client will decide when you can or cannot do something.
....................................
...But enough about me, lets move on to Madison!
She's 14.4 pounds now, 15 weeks old, and is 24 inches long. Again, those are all estimates, but I know I'm really close. Madison can now giggle at times, and I don't think I've seen a baby smile so much, ever. She still has her beautiful blue eyes, and I think they're staying. She holds up her head fine, stands on her own if you hold her hands, and sits up with help. She's getting very strong too, I get to feel this strength when trying to put her to sleep when she's overtired. Sometimes she wins I'm sad to say, and she breaks free from my arms. At that point she sits up, looks at me and smiles devilishly as if saying "I won old man!"
Madison's nails grow very fast, so fast that we have to clip them every two days. Now, this wouldn't be a problem normally, if Madison was a baby that knew how to chill out. I've mentioned her temper before and when that temper ignites, it sends her hands not to her hair now, but to her face. This involuntary clawing results in little cuts on her nose and around her eyes. Her most recent episode forced me to nickname her "Scarface". To remedy the problem we've had to put the mitts on her and it seems to be helping. The only problem we have to worry with that is that she sucks on them and gets them soaked with saliva.
Madison's favorite T.V. show, and actually the only one she'll sit though is The Doodlebops. Something funny about this show is that when I first watched it, the guy in orange reminded me a lot of my cousin Abel for some reason. Tina laughed as I said aloud "Wow, that reminds me of Abel." Having seen the show before me, she thought the same thing but wanted to see what my reaction was. I don't know, I could be wrong, but if anyone here who knows the show and knows Abel, I think you'll see what I mean. Abel, if you're reading, check out the show, you'll be surprised.
As mentioned above, Tina and I have flipped roles. She's working and I'm at home with the baby. It's working out well, and it only took me a few days for Madison to train me in her routine. Tina told me one day that some of her friends are stunned that I'm at home all day with the the baby. I was a bit surprised because it's becoming a trend. There are so many resources out there for stay-at-home dads. There are even seminars and events that happen every year in various parts of the country. I guess some people still have the old mentality that women belong in the house with the kids. Those same people would call me a sissy I suppose, but they wouldn't say it to my face, because they'd get their ass kicked. Heh.
I think its quite a blessing that I'm able to be home with Madison, rather than have her with a babysitter. She's grown up so much in each week, I can't imagine either myself or Tina not being there to witness it all.
Some recent shots, the first is her three month photo from Aunt Danielle. The others are from Madison's Baptism...
.......................................
*Waking when the client wakes in the morning, no matter how early it is.
*Making sure the client is washed, clothed, and comfortable for the day's activities.
*Feeding the client when they are hungry, and do it with great speed so the client does not have to wait.
*Unless the client is sleeping, they should be subjected to a fun, stimulating, and educating environment at all times.
*At no time will you leave the client unattended, even if you have to go really, really, really bad. Pinch it!
*A walk with the client will be required every day that weather permits it.
*The client will be changed regularly, as long as that client is regular.
*The client will need sufficient sleep throughout the day, inability to do this will result in a wrath from the client later in the day that would make the devil himself run screaming.
*At all times, and at any cost to you, you must protect the client from germs, smoke, cars, being touched by unwashed hands, prolonged exposure to the sun, exhaust, overheating, rashes, choking hazards, falling, suffocation, cold weather, viruses, peanut butter, dairy, nuts, shellfish, cheese, anything acidic, and overstimulation.
*In addition to the above tasks, you're also required to keep the client's residence clean. Included tasks are: garbage disposal, dish washing, laundry, landscaping, major and minor home repairs, cooking, and sanitation.
*If the client has animal pets, you will be required to tend to them also. This includes: feeding, washing, walking, and making sure they are let outside occasionally to urinate, dig holes, poop, chase after squirrels, and bark at strangers.
*At any time, additional tasks may be added to your daily workload including but not limited to grocery shopping, bank account management, and chauffeuring the client to various appointments.
*Finally, let be known that you will have no set lunch breaks, or breaks in general. The client will decide when you can or cannot do something.
....................................
...But enough about me, lets move on to Madison!
She's 14.4 pounds now, 15 weeks old, and is 24 inches long. Again, those are all estimates, but I know I'm really close. Madison can now giggle at times, and I don't think I've seen a baby smile so much, ever. She still has her beautiful blue eyes, and I think they're staying. She holds up her head fine, stands on her own if you hold her hands, and sits up with help. She's getting very strong too, I get to feel this strength when trying to put her to sleep when she's overtired. Sometimes she wins I'm sad to say, and she breaks free from my arms. At that point she sits up, looks at me and smiles devilishly as if saying "I won old man!"
Madison's nails grow very fast, so fast that we have to clip them every two days. Now, this wouldn't be a problem normally, if Madison was a baby that knew how to chill out. I've mentioned her temper before and when that temper ignites, it sends her hands not to her hair now, but to her face. This involuntary clawing results in little cuts on her nose and around her eyes. Her most recent episode forced me to nickname her "Scarface". To remedy the problem we've had to put the mitts on her and it seems to be helping. The only problem we have to worry with that is that she sucks on them and gets them soaked with saliva.
Madison's favorite T.V. show, and actually the only one she'll sit though is The Doodlebops. Something funny about this show is that when I first watched it, the guy in orange reminded me a lot of my cousin Abel for some reason. Tina laughed as I said aloud "Wow, that reminds me of Abel." Having seen the show before me, she thought the same thing but wanted to see what my reaction was. I don't know, I could be wrong, but if anyone here who knows the show and knows Abel, I think you'll see what I mean. Abel, if you're reading, check out the show, you'll be surprised.
As mentioned above, Tina and I have flipped roles. She's working and I'm at home with the baby. It's working out well, and it only took me a few days for Madison to train me in her routine. Tina told me one day that some of her friends are stunned that I'm at home all day with the the baby. I was a bit surprised because it's becoming a trend. There are so many resources out there for stay-at-home dads. There are even seminars and events that happen every year in various parts of the country. I guess some people still have the old mentality that women belong in the house with the kids. Those same people would call me a sissy I suppose, but they wouldn't say it to my face, because they'd get their ass kicked. Heh.
I think its quite a blessing that I'm able to be home with Madison, rather than have her with a babysitter. She's grown up so much in each week, I can't imagine either myself or Tina not being there to witness it all.
Some recent shots, the first is her three month photo from Aunt Danielle. The others are from Madison's Baptism...
8/9/06
Finally Something Other Than Crying...
Tomorrow, Madison will be two months old, can you believe that! Judging by the effort used to hold the car seat carrier while she's in it, I think she'll be topping the scales at about 13 pounds. That'll be almost double what she weighed when she was born. She's in the number 2 diapers now, and filling them regularly. Also, I've recently discovered that Madison is related to the Incredible Hulk, as she no longer fits in the "1-3 Month" clothes anymore. Remember in the Hulk T.V. show when David Banner turns into the Hulk? He convulses, and his buldging green muscles tear right though his clothes. Madison has a few outfits that are missing snaps or buttons as a result of that same transformation! She grunts like the Hulk, but fortunately, does not turn green...yet. I'll let you know when she picks up my car and throws it into the street.
Madison's been smiling a lot lately, even laughing at times which has got to be the greatest thing in the world right now. I'm going to try and record her laugh because it makes me laugh so hard when I hear it. Forget anti-depressants, people should just listen to a CD of babies laughing and they'll be happy for hours. The flipside of the smiles and laughter, however, is hair pulling and anger. Madison's got some temper. When she gets angry, she grabs a fistful of her hair and tugs on it. This of course angers her more, and she will then start screaming at the top of her lungs while yanking at her hair. The easy solution for this is to unclench her fist from her hair. Ah ha! It is much easier said than done! Remember, we're dealing with the Incredible Hulk's daughter here. I'm not entirely sure what Tina's method is for this situation, so I'll give you the run down on what I do.
First, you must calm her. I take Mr. Giraffe's body, and yank it, thus creating music while his long neck retracts. I've timed this giraffe and it gives me one minute of music, just enough time to change a diaper in record speed. Anyway, this giraffe catches her attention, and I have a 5 second window to put a pacifier in her mouth so that the screaming stops. Once the giraffe's going, the plug is in the mouth, and 4.5 seconds have gone by I grab the fist that has the hair. Carefully I use my other hand's index finger to unclench her fingers one by one until suddenly her hair is free and has been replaced by my pinky. The Giraffe plays his final note, Madison's face goes from reddish blue to the normal pinkish white, and the screams subside. Daddy takes a deep breath, and a shot of Jack Daniels that he keeps by the changing table lotion warmer.
You gotta love it though!
Here's some of the most recent pictures of Madison...
Madison's been smiling a lot lately, even laughing at times which has got to be the greatest thing in the world right now. I'm going to try and record her laugh because it makes me laugh so hard when I hear it. Forget anti-depressants, people should just listen to a CD of babies laughing and they'll be happy for hours. The flipside of the smiles and laughter, however, is hair pulling and anger. Madison's got some temper. When she gets angry, she grabs a fistful of her hair and tugs on it. This of course angers her more, and she will then start screaming at the top of her lungs while yanking at her hair. The easy solution for this is to unclench her fist from her hair. Ah ha! It is much easier said than done! Remember, we're dealing with the Incredible Hulk's daughter here. I'm not entirely sure what Tina's method is for this situation, so I'll give you the run down on what I do.
First, you must calm her. I take Mr. Giraffe's body, and yank it, thus creating music while his long neck retracts. I've timed this giraffe and it gives me one minute of music, just enough time to change a diaper in record speed. Anyway, this giraffe catches her attention, and I have a 5 second window to put a pacifier in her mouth so that the screaming stops. Once the giraffe's going, the plug is in the mouth, and 4.5 seconds have gone by I grab the fist that has the hair. Carefully I use my other hand's index finger to unclench her fingers one by one until suddenly her hair is free and has been replaced by my pinky. The Giraffe plays his final note, Madison's face goes from reddish blue to the normal pinkish white, and the screams subside. Daddy takes a deep breath, and a shot of Jack Daniels that he keeps by the changing table lotion warmer.
You gotta love it though!
Here's some of the most recent pictures of Madison...
7/22/06
This Will Make You Smile
Madison is still learning how to use her eyes...
If you haven't heard? Madison has a twin.
If you haven't heard? Madison has a twin.
7/11/06
Chunky Monkey
Well, no one can say that all my midnight feedings have gone in vane. (Let us not forget 2am, 4am, 6am... you get the picture) Madison and Mommy adventured to the pediatrician solo today. After trying to lug the carrier (which has to be at least 15 pounds without baby in it), the diaper bag (a good 4-5 pounds), and mom's purse (at least another 10 pounds), I realized it was handy having daddy come to the doctor's visits. :)
Madison had a very good visit today. She has gained 2 1/2 pounds and is now 9 pounds 8 ounces (born at 7.7 and came home at 7.0). She's also gained an inch in height (21 1/2 inches) and everything is in working order. ESPECIALLY her lungs, since she got a shot today. It was excruciating (for her too) and I do NOT look forward to those cries again. I knew it was going to be a loud one when she cried so hard that she held her breath for 5 seconds just to get it loud enough. She is doing well though and hasn't seemed uncomfortable.
It's amazing that only 4 weeks have passed, and I have looked at pictures from the birth and the weeks after reminiscing. I can't believe how big she's gotten. I can't imagine what she'll look like next month, never the less 10-20 years from now. We've got two more rolls of film to develop (I gotta buy stock in advantix film!), so more pictures will be coming soon. xo, Tina :)
Madison had a very good visit today. She has gained 2 1/2 pounds and is now 9 pounds 8 ounces (born at 7.7 and came home at 7.0). She's also gained an inch in height (21 1/2 inches) and everything is in working order. ESPECIALLY her lungs, since she got a shot today. It was excruciating (for her too) and I do NOT look forward to those cries again. I knew it was going to be a loud one when she cried so hard that she held her breath for 5 seconds just to get it loud enough. She is doing well though and hasn't seemed uncomfortable.
It's amazing that only 4 weeks have passed, and I have looked at pictures from the birth and the weeks after reminiscing. I can't believe how big she's gotten. I can't imagine what she'll look like next month, never the less 10-20 years from now. We've got two more rolls of film to develop (I gotta buy stock in advantix film!), so more pictures will be coming soon. xo, Tina :)
7/2/06
Diapers and words like "poopie"
Well, we're approaching the one month mark with Madison. She's been pretty healthy thus far and aside form occasional diaper rash, she has few complaints. How are Madison's parents you ask? Ooooh, they're absolutely peachy! How can one not be happy on an average of 3 hours sleep a night, combined? Oh, and let us not forget the wonderful games we play everyday such as "Pee on the parents while they're reaching for the baby wipes", and "How high can I make the new parents jump when I cry." Oh yes, life is absolutely wonderful right now.
Seriously though, things are pretty good with the baby. She's eating a lot, pooping a lot, and crying a lot. According to most experts, that means she is in fact healthy. I have to say that technological advances in baby paraphernalia have made things a lot easier. No more cranking the baby's swing when it winds down. These days swings have features babies have been asking for for years: six speed automatic shifting, cruise control, music on demand, cup holders, reclining seats, mobiles! Yeah, they have it all. I remember my brother Steven's swing. It had hard metal framing, a plastic seat that only held him upright and he would stick to if he were sweating. A single white plate that would snap in and keep him from being launched into the television. Oh, and for music we'd just turn on MTV and play it real loud. The best part of the swing, however, was that if you didn't keep it cranked, the baby would wake up, and God forbid that happen! Oh yes! Hearts sank and fears ran high if you heard the swing come to a halt and the baby begin to murmur. It then became a made dash to crank the swing steadily but not to hard, for the vibrations could stir the baby more, and would in fact add to the very problem you're trying to avoid. Yes, it certainly made life interesting. That's just the baby swing. I could go on and on about the strollers and cribs and changing tables these days, but I'm sure in the future its just going to get more outrageous.
I don't know if anyone else has noticed this, but dirty diapers in bulk, are heavy! I was emptying the cool diaper disposal system we have, and couldn't believe that a little person could pee that much. I know its not that poop, because that doesn't come in as much abundance as the pee. That made me think of adult diapers, holy crap! Whoever is emptying out those diapers must have some serious biceps. I have to laugh because Madison's not even that big yet, wait til she starts dropping some big bombs in the diaper. I need to join a gym.
If you haven't caught it yet, I'm using words like pee and poop in greater quantities. I think this is an instinct that humans get once the baby is born. No more curse words. I found this very apparent at work the other day, and I referred to Madison's urethra as her "pee-pee". It just came out like second nature, and I felt a little silly saying it. My boss, however, said that its okay and the words I chose were fine. Still, I find it quite amusing.
Okay, I have to go now, I need to catch a few minutes of sleep before the baby wakes and requires my awesome singing and rocking abilities to put her back to sleep.
Here's some more pictures of Madison and a few other people you might know.
Seriously though, things are pretty good with the baby. She's eating a lot, pooping a lot, and crying a lot. According to most experts, that means she is in fact healthy. I have to say that technological advances in baby paraphernalia have made things a lot easier. No more cranking the baby's swing when it winds down. These days swings have features babies have been asking for for years: six speed automatic shifting, cruise control, music on demand, cup holders, reclining seats, mobiles! Yeah, they have it all. I remember my brother Steven's swing. It had hard metal framing, a plastic seat that only held him upright and he would stick to if he were sweating. A single white plate that would snap in and keep him from being launched into the television. Oh, and for music we'd just turn on MTV and play it real loud. The best part of the swing, however, was that if you didn't keep it cranked, the baby would wake up, and God forbid that happen! Oh yes! Hearts sank and fears ran high if you heard the swing come to a halt and the baby begin to murmur. It then became a made dash to crank the swing steadily but not to hard, for the vibrations could stir the baby more, and would in fact add to the very problem you're trying to avoid. Yes, it certainly made life interesting. That's just the baby swing. I could go on and on about the strollers and cribs and changing tables these days, but I'm sure in the future its just going to get more outrageous.
I don't know if anyone else has noticed this, but dirty diapers in bulk, are heavy! I was emptying the cool diaper disposal system we have, and couldn't believe that a little person could pee that much. I know its not that poop, because that doesn't come in as much abundance as the pee. That made me think of adult diapers, holy crap! Whoever is emptying out those diapers must have some serious biceps. I have to laugh because Madison's not even that big yet, wait til she starts dropping some big bombs in the diaper. I need to join a gym.
If you haven't caught it yet, I'm using words like pee and poop in greater quantities. I think this is an instinct that humans get once the baby is born. No more curse words. I found this very apparent at work the other day, and I referred to Madison's urethra as her "pee-pee". It just came out like second nature, and I felt a little silly saying it. My boss, however, said that its okay and the words I chose were fine. Still, I find it quite amusing.
Okay, I have to go now, I need to catch a few minutes of sleep before the baby wakes and requires my awesome singing and rocking abilities to put her back to sleep.
Here's some more pictures of Madison and a few other people you might know.
6/11/06
4/13/06
Messages from da Mama
I saw all the comments so I thought I'd comment. Adam has written so many funny blogs. He's working really hard to make sure the living room is finished soon. I can't wait until the construction is OVER.
Madison is moving around like crazy in my belly. I've been playing Baby Mozart on my belly at night and listen to 80's-current music on the radio, but I don't think my daughter shares in my musical tastes. Lately, when I turn to the dance station and a particularly upbeat song comes on, she starts moving around and kicking. I think I have a dancer in there. Must be the musical influences of her uncles!
Love to all. Can't wait for you to meet her. (I can't wait to see her!!) xo Tina :)
Madison is moving around like crazy in my belly. I've been playing Baby Mozart on my belly at night and listen to 80's-current music on the radio, but I don't think my daughter shares in my musical tastes. Lately, when I turn to the dance station and a particularly upbeat song comes on, she starts moving around and kicking. I think I have a dancer in there. Must be the musical influences of her uncles!
Love to all. Can't wait for you to meet her. (I can't wait to see her!!) xo Tina :)
4/12/06
Peanut To Pounder
Here's the lastest two pictures of the baby, from the most recent ultrasound. I have two sets, one lighter than the other to hopefully show more detail. This is a picture of her face, you'll see her forehead, nose, cheeks, eyes, and in one picture you see her mouth open... look closely. She's a little over three pounds now.
4/10/06
Doctor Visits
Wow, I can't believe it's April already! Hmm, let's see, what's happened since the last update here...
We've had a few more doctor visits, the baby is doing fine and growing like she's supposed to be. They told us that in these last three month's they will be able to determine if she's going to be a large or small baby. This is the ultimate growth spurt.
Doctor visits have been interesting, and I have to say Tina has educated herself very well about pregnancy. Its apparent when we are in the room with the doctor. As he explains what's happening, Tina is always asking questions about very calculated and scientific matters involving fetuses. Then there is me sitting in the "significant other" chair they have in the room. I'm holding Tina's Jacket, purse, and several free baby magazines in my lap, nodding like I understand what an episiotomy is. Every once in a while, I can pull a cool sounding question out of my butt, but that's far and few between.
It's not that I'm completely in the dark about babies. I know a great deal, I just don't know all the technical details. I am learning however, and having a baby is a man's crash course in female anatomy. Light years beyond anything they teach in high school.
I had hoped to have more pictures for you, but at the last ultrasound the baby wasn't cooperating. All we were given was the apparent full frontal of the baby's face. It wasn't too detailed though and all you could see was teeth. It reminded me of the Chesire Cat when it would disappear and all you saw was the grin. A bit creepy if you ask me. Next week there's another ultrasound though and hopefully I'll have some good pictures to put up.
Right now, I have to go and put some drywall up. I have some visitors coming at the end of the month and need to make sure that there's a living room for everyone to sit in.
We've had a few more doctor visits, the baby is doing fine and growing like she's supposed to be. They told us that in these last three month's they will be able to determine if she's going to be a large or small baby. This is the ultimate growth spurt.
Doctor visits have been interesting, and I have to say Tina has educated herself very well about pregnancy. Its apparent when we are in the room with the doctor. As he explains what's happening, Tina is always asking questions about very calculated and scientific matters involving fetuses. Then there is me sitting in the "significant other" chair they have in the room. I'm holding Tina's Jacket, purse, and several free baby magazines in my lap, nodding like I understand what an episiotomy is. Every once in a while, I can pull a cool sounding question out of my butt, but that's far and few between.
It's not that I'm completely in the dark about babies. I know a great deal, I just don't know all the technical details. I am learning however, and having a baby is a man's crash course in female anatomy. Light years beyond anything they teach in high school.
I had hoped to have more pictures for you, but at the last ultrasound the baby wasn't cooperating. All we were given was the apparent full frontal of the baby's face. It wasn't too detailed though and all you could see was teeth. It reminded me of the Chesire Cat when it would disappear and all you saw was the grin. A bit creepy if you ask me. Next week there's another ultrasound though and hopefully I'll have some good pictures to put up.
Right now, I have to go and put some drywall up. I have some visitors coming at the end of the month and need to make sure that there's a living room for everyone to sit in.
2/6/06
The Prophecy is True!
A long time ago, my brother and I pushed my mom to the brink of insanity. I'm not sure what we did or why we did it, but I do remember what she said to us in retaliation.
"I can't wait until you have children of your own..."
...that was followed by...
"...and I hope they're all girls!"
I for one thought nothing of it, who does when you're young and stupid. However, I've come to realize that Mothers posess magic abilities, and they use that magic to teach their kids lessons.
I'm proud to say that the words my mother spoke long ago are becoming reality, as Tina and I have found out this evening that our first child will be a girl. We're also proud to say that the baby is healthy, has all it's limbs, and has a large head like his father (that's what it seems to look like to me at least, who knows!)
Tina's absolutely giddy about the news. I'm also excited, but I tend to look way too much into the future of things. For instance, everyone says children grow up so fast. Does this mean that before I know it, I'll be dealing with first bras, boys daring to date her, college, and god forbid having to let her get married? I think about that movie "Father of the Bride" and can realistically see me as Steve Martin's character.
A lot to think about indeed, but don't worry, I won't drown myself with worries. That is, until the next daughter is born, and the one after that even! How do I know the trend of girls will continue? My mother wished it so.
With all that said, Tina and I are very happy 'bout the little girl to be. Certainly helps us narrow down the names. I leave you with the best of the ultrasound pictures we were given of the girl.
This is the head shot, look close and you'll see a shadow of the ear, the nose and mouth contours. She's about 11.5 inches long now.
"I can't wait until you have children of your own..."
...that was followed by...
"...and I hope they're all girls!"
I for one thought nothing of it, who does when you're young and stupid. However, I've come to realize that Mothers posess magic abilities, and they use that magic to teach their kids lessons.
I'm proud to say that the words my mother spoke long ago are becoming reality, as Tina and I have found out this evening that our first child will be a girl. We're also proud to say that the baby is healthy, has all it's limbs, and has a large head like his father (that's what it seems to look like to me at least, who knows!)
Tina's absolutely giddy about the news. I'm also excited, but I tend to look way too much into the future of things. For instance, everyone says children grow up so fast. Does this mean that before I know it, I'll be dealing with first bras, boys daring to date her, college, and god forbid having to let her get married? I think about that movie "Father of the Bride" and can realistically see me as Steve Martin's character.
A lot to think about indeed, but don't worry, I won't drown myself with worries. That is, until the next daughter is born, and the one after that even! How do I know the trend of girls will continue? My mother wished it so.
With all that said, Tina and I are very happy 'bout the little girl to be. Certainly helps us narrow down the names. I leave you with the best of the ultrasound pictures we were given of the girl.
This is the head shot, look close and you'll see a shadow of the ear, the nose and mouth contours. She's about 11.5 inches long now.
1/24/06
They Didn't Make The Cut...
How you doin'?
The other night I was finalizing the list of names for both boys and girls that Tina and I liked. In total we had about 100 names chosen as potentials. After some conversations with a few friends and relatives, and with each other, we got the list down to about 67. We still have a lot of work to do to get down to the top five.
In searching for these names, I read through about 55,000 names... it took me about a month. The process was particularly difficult because so many names are already taken between the two families. For a while I was getting desperate, thinking that "Turnip" or "Datsun" might have to be considered as finalist names for the baby. However, after some digging through the Internet, we found some names that were unique but not overly complicated.
While we aren't even close to a final list, Tina and I probably wouldn't tell anyone what the names were anyway. We want that to be a surprise. It'll probably be a surprise for us!
I did compile a list of rejected names, so I'll list those instead...
BOYS
Edward
Colin
Jared
Ramone
Armond
Felipe
Bradley
GIRLS
Madison
Giselle
Jocelyn
Ashley
Mila
Caressa
Christa
Cristalin
Dulcinea
Eurydice
Florisel
Sabrina
Sasha
Mistral
Carraway
Isis
Lomasi
Marissia
Natalia
Adalia
Lorelei
Kaylan
Darian
Geneveve
Miranda
Callista
As you can see, we have a lot more girl names than boys, probably because boys dominate both families and have used up all the names already. I have some advice for future parents in the family...copyright the names you might want now, because they might be taken up soon in the future.
Update on Tina. She's healthy and sleeps a lot. Oh, and remember how I wrote before that saucy things disgust her now? Well, I made this amazing Chipotle BBQ sauce and she loved it on the baby back ribs I made the other night. So that's one point for the sauces.
I'm hoping to get some pictures up of Tina soon, just need to develop the film. No stomach shots though. I love all of you but I do value my own life, and putting up belly pictures would put my life in serious jeapardy.
The other night I was finalizing the list of names for both boys and girls that Tina and I liked. In total we had about 100 names chosen as potentials. After some conversations with a few friends and relatives, and with each other, we got the list down to about 67. We still have a lot of work to do to get down to the top five.
In searching for these names, I read through about 55,000 names... it took me about a month. The process was particularly difficult because so many names are already taken between the two families. For a while I was getting desperate, thinking that "Turnip" or "Datsun" might have to be considered as finalist names for the baby. However, after some digging through the Internet, we found some names that were unique but not overly complicated.
While we aren't even close to a final list, Tina and I probably wouldn't tell anyone what the names were anyway. We want that to be a surprise. It'll probably be a surprise for us!
I did compile a list of rejected names, so I'll list those instead...
BOYS
Edward
Colin
Jared
Ramone
Armond
Felipe
Bradley
GIRLS
Madison
Giselle
Jocelyn
Ashley
Mila
Caressa
Christa
Cristalin
Dulcinea
Eurydice
Florisel
Sabrina
Sasha
Mistral
Carraway
Isis
Lomasi
Marissia
Natalia
Adalia
Lorelei
Kaylan
Darian
Geneveve
Miranda
Callista
As you can see, we have a lot more girl names than boys, probably because boys dominate both families and have used up all the names already. I have some advice for future parents in the family...copyright the names you might want now, because they might be taken up soon in the future.
Update on Tina. She's healthy and sleeps a lot. Oh, and remember how I wrote before that saucy things disgust her now? Well, I made this amazing Chipotle BBQ sauce and she loved it on the baby back ribs I made the other night. So that's one point for the sauces.
I'm hoping to get some pictures up of Tina soon, just need to develop the film. No stomach shots though. I love all of you but I do value my own life, and putting up belly pictures would put my life in serious jeapardy.
1/17/06
FYI...
Just wanted to let everyone know that unless otherwise told, I'm using home E-mail address to send correspondences, rather than work because I don't want anyone to get busted.
1/16/06
Hello!
Well here it is, the baby blog for our baby. Since this is a public blog, here's a few things non-family will want to know. I'm Adam, and Tina is the one pregnant. Good, now that we've gotten that out of the way its on to more important things.
First, Tina is 16 weeks pregnant...I think. I'm terrible with the numbers involved with pregnancy, and I don't have one of those handy wheel things that all the doctors have. 16 weeks though, that's pretty close and I'll be sure to verify later with Tina. It has been a pretty normal pregnancy thus far, no surprises or worries and the doctors say she's right on track. Hooray for us!
For those of you who like lists I've rounded up the top changes I've noticed about Tina since she's been pregnant.
1. New drink of choice - Shirley Temple
2. Number of times she threw up during the first three months - Three
3. Number of times she's thrown up since then - Zero
4. Cravings - Nachos
5. Foods she once thought tolerable, but disgust her now - Chicken (God forbid she walk in on me while I'm butchering one up!), and sauces.
6. Trips to the bathroom have increased by 50%.
7. Her driving habits have gone from aggressive New Yorker to protective mama.
8. Burping is always the baby's fault, never her own.
9. Her belly is larger and firmer, while mine has only gotten larger... not firmer.
10. When she wants to snack on something its not because she's hungry, its because the baby is.
Okay, I just talked to Tina, and she said we're about 18 weeks, not 16. See, I'm terrible with numbers.
Okay, so that's a gist of what's been happening the last several months. Now for some sonogram pictures. Look for the crosshairs, the find the baby. Oh and in the last picture, the baby was being really stubborn and kept moving so all they got was a shot of its head, arm and hand.
Its very hard to see the baby in the first two photos, but he or she is there. In a couple weeks we have another sonogram appointment and the baby will be considerably bigger. I'll hopefully have a good shot then.
First, Tina is 16 weeks pregnant...I think. I'm terrible with the numbers involved with pregnancy, and I don't have one of those handy wheel things that all the doctors have. 16 weeks though, that's pretty close and I'll be sure to verify later with Tina. It has been a pretty normal pregnancy thus far, no surprises or worries and the doctors say she's right on track. Hooray for us!
For those of you who like lists I've rounded up the top changes I've noticed about Tina since she's been pregnant.
1. New drink of choice - Shirley Temple
2. Number of times she threw up during the first three months - Three
3. Number of times she's thrown up since then - Zero
4. Cravings - Nachos
5. Foods she once thought tolerable, but disgust her now - Chicken (God forbid she walk in on me while I'm butchering one up!), and sauces.
6. Trips to the bathroom have increased by 50%.
7. Her driving habits have gone from aggressive New Yorker to protective mama.
8. Burping is always the baby's fault, never her own.
9. Her belly is larger and firmer, while mine has only gotten larger... not firmer.
10. When she wants to snack on something its not because she's hungry, its because the baby is.
Okay, I just talked to Tina, and she said we're about 18 weeks, not 16. See, I'm terrible with numbers.
Okay, so that's a gist of what's been happening the last several months. Now for some sonogram pictures. Look for the crosshairs, the find the baby. Oh and in the last picture, the baby was being really stubborn and kept moving so all they got was a shot of its head, arm and hand.
Its very hard to see the baby in the first two photos, but he or she is there. In a couple weeks we have another sonogram appointment and the baby will be considerably bigger. I'll hopefully have a good shot then.
