In the last month or so, I've noticed something that Madison does and I can't decide if I should allow it or not. When AJ gets in trouble, he usually gets sent to time out or to his room. As he travels to one of these destinations, he usually begins to cry very loudly. When he is sitting on his bed, weeping, Madison will run and sit next to him and comfort him by rubbing his back. Most times she is whispering into his ear something along the lines of "its okay papa, you don't have to cry". She also whispers a few other inaudible things that I can only imagine include the phrases "daddy's mean", "screw them, what do they know", and "karma will get them." When all is said and done, he feels better and comes out and says he's sorry.
Sounds cute and touching right? After thinking about it, I wondered if her encouraging words were negating the punishment. AJ is supposed to be in his room, contemplating what he did wrong, why he did it, and why he won't do it again. In theory that is. If Madison is comforting him right away (and whispering to him that we're Satan's death angels, only out to hurt him!), how is he going to learn lessons? Worse yet, now AJ calls for her when he gets punished and when Madison shouts "what?", he proceeds to cry "I need hugs from you please!". Again, ugh!
I'm now torn as to whether I tell Madison to leave her brother alone when he gets in trouble, or to let her continue her therapy session. What if, by telling her to stop, I somehow create the blueprint for the way she treats her brother when they are older. What if AJ's accused wrongly of something, and looks to his sister for support, and she just walks on by because that's what she was taught to do from an early age? Then when AJ is off to prison for a crime he didn't commit, because his sister wouldn't agree to be a key witness, he cries out "Why Madison, why?" and she utters the horrible words "Because Daddy said not to interfere." How will I live with myself?
On the flip-side, if I do continue to let her ease AJ's pain, perhaps he'll become accustomed to being told everything is okay when really it isn't. He could join a cult or something all because a girl he liked said "don't worry AJ, its okay." Then when he's forced into slavery by a cult leader named "Wiseman", and addicted to heroin...he'll think its all okay as long as there is someone to rub his back and hold him.
I don't know. I think I'll just delay her going in to him until he's pulled himself together a little bit. Then she can work her magic and speak her whispers of support (or distaste of parents). That way everyone gets what they need, and I don't regret these days when I'm older.
You know, this could all be avoided if one day, AJ would just stop getting into so much trouble...
Yeah right!
3/28/11
3/6/11
Inspired for the Moment
This Blog, which was formerly "BabyBlog" was intended to be updated frequently as my daughter, joined later by my son, to showcase them growing up. It all started all great, as I had time even while working to sit, relax, and think of clever things to type. That eventually faded to a few post here and there, then to no posts. The blog moved from server to server as I switched providers, and eventually it was lost forever. Not because I didn't want to keep up with it, it was because I literally was either too tired or too busy. Also, our desktop computer died, which was in the office... which was quiet!
The kids are older now (2 and 4) and due to some recent inspiration I've decided to get this thing going again, because it is never a dull day with these two kids. This will also give me an excuse to break my addiction to Zynga games on Facebook. Speaking of Facebook, I think that's taken away a lot of the fire that Bloggers once had, as its so much easier to upload pictures and talk about things there. You don't get the long in depth stories though, and blogging seems a little more personalized. Or something.
The name is new, but the author remains the same. I'm on blogspot now, so you get ads, but at least I don't have to worry about losing all the pages due to a server move and what not. I also think I'll be writing not only about the kids, but also about general family chaos too. Just to give me more choices. Can't wait.
The kids are older now (2 and 4) and due to some recent inspiration I've decided to get this thing going again, because it is never a dull day with these two kids. This will also give me an excuse to break my addiction to Zynga games on Facebook. Speaking of Facebook, I think that's taken away a lot of the fire that Bloggers once had, as its so much easier to upload pictures and talk about things there. You don't get the long in depth stories though, and blogging seems a little more personalized. Or something.
The name is new, but the author remains the same. I'm on blogspot now, so you get ads, but at least I don't have to worry about losing all the pages due to a server move and what not. I also think I'll be writing not only about the kids, but also about general family chaos too. Just to give me more choices. Can't wait.
2/2/10
10/4/08
We're Back and Very Gassy
For all that haven't heard yet, Tina and I have a new baby boy. His name is Adam Matthew Villalobos Jr. From here on out I'll be referring to him as AJ though. I haven't been able to get any posts or pictures of AJ up because I've been switching my domain and hosting sites of this blog. I now own drivemetodrink.com and can now continue blogging. With that said, however, I fear my blogs will be more spread out due to the lack of sleep I'm getting having a newborn and a two year old. We'll see.
On to new business. AJ's about 5 weeks old now and weighs 10 pounds. He eats like a champ and lately it seems as if his cheeks have gotten so big that they're actually forcing his eyes to shut. Everyone who sees him says he looks just like me, but I'm not so sure. You'll have to judge for yourself. If you ask Madison who he looks like, she'll probably proclaim in a high voice "He's sooo cuuuute!" Heh.
Other than sleeping more often than Madison ever did, AJ has a really bad gas problem. He'll be fine and then suddenly he starts grunting so loud it seems that he's trying to push a coconut out of his butt. This will go on for several minutes until he finally unleashes a symphony of farts in various keys. This is followed by a huge sigh of both relief and satisfaction. When I push lightly on his stomach and bring his legs towards his body, I can make different sounds come out of his butt. He's like a human instrument. I shouldn't find so much humor in it though, as it probably isn't the most comfortable thing for AJ. The one I really feel bad for though, is Tina.
There are times in the middle of the night when Tina will be nursing the baby in bed. On one side of her is AJ and on the other side, me. There have been several nights where she is getting bombarded with gas from both sides of the bed, and she can do nothing but close her eyes and hold her breath. Occasionally I'll be alert enough to hear her utter things like "You're SO your father's son" to AJ. Sometimes she'll just say "Dear God!" and use a pillow to fan away the rancid smells. Poor girl.
And with that, I'm gonna go take some Beano and create a symphony with AJ.
On to new business. AJ's about 5 weeks old now and weighs 10 pounds. He eats like a champ and lately it seems as if his cheeks have gotten so big that they're actually forcing his eyes to shut. Everyone who sees him says he looks just like me, but I'm not so sure. You'll have to judge for yourself. If you ask Madison who he looks like, she'll probably proclaim in a high voice "He's sooo cuuuute!" Heh.
Other than sleeping more often than Madison ever did, AJ has a really bad gas problem. He'll be fine and then suddenly he starts grunting so loud it seems that he's trying to push a coconut out of his butt. This will go on for several minutes until he finally unleashes a symphony of farts in various keys. This is followed by a huge sigh of both relief and satisfaction. When I push lightly on his stomach and bring his legs towards his body, I can make different sounds come out of his butt. He's like a human instrument. I shouldn't find so much humor in it though, as it probably isn't the most comfortable thing for AJ. The one I really feel bad for though, is Tina.
There are times in the middle of the night when Tina will be nursing the baby in bed. On one side of her is AJ and on the other side, me. There have been several nights where she is getting bombarded with gas from both sides of the bed, and she can do nothing but close her eyes and hold her breath. Occasionally I'll be alert enough to hear her utter things like "You're SO your father's son" to AJ. Sometimes she'll just say "Dear God!" and use a pillow to fan away the rancid smells. Poor girl.
And with that, I'm gonna go take some Beano and create a symphony with AJ.
8/19/08
Oh yeah, I forgot this was here!
Wow, I forgot about this for a while huh? Well, I'm back with a new web address and all. If you haven't heard, Tina and I are about to have our second child, a boy! So the title and theme of this blog will be changed accordingly. Stay tuned.
12/15/07
Temper Revisited andThe Antibiotic Submission Hold
Yeah, it has been a LONG time since I've updated this thing. There's a couple good reasons for being so tardy. First off, I have a job now and gone are the days of sitting in my underwear in the wee hours of the morning, thinking of witty things to write about. Second, Madison learned how to run, talk, break, and ask for things...until she goes to bed at night. So, work all day + toddler at night = parents with no time for anything else. Today though! Today I have time to write, and it only took six months!
Life has certainly become more exhausting now that Madison's older, 18 months to be exact. Tina and I spend most of our time saying things like "Don't touch!", "Don't eat that!", "You're gonna get an owie!', "Be nice to the dog!", "Where did you get that?", and "Calm down!" The ladder is usually said when Madison's now famous temper ignites. I know I've talked about that temper in the past, and it has grown just as much as she has. The big difference from the past to now is the mean faces we get right before explosion. For all of you Bruce Lee fans, find "Enter The Dragon". There's a scene when Bruce kills O'Hara via broken neck. When the scene cuts to Bruce's face and it looks like pain and anger all in one... that's the look we get from Madison.
I'll give an example of this multi-daily event.
"Madison, what is that?" Madison quickly shoves whatever it is she's not supposed to have into her mouth or tries to run with it. "Madison, Dont' EAT!" (or) "Drop It!!!"
We then catch her and remove the object from her mouth or hand. Now we've upset Madison, and she lets us know with this look (minus the nunchakus)...
She then runs and does a lot of naughty things, things she knows she's not supposed to do: runs to stand on her toddler sofa, slap the T.V. screen, touch the Christmas tree, etc. When we stop her from acting so foolishly, she then makes this kind of face...
This is followed by falling on the floor, kicking, screaming, and sometimes fists to the face. Sometimes you can tell she's going to throw herself to the ground, and you try to pick her up before she gets the chance. All that does is increase your chances of a slipped disc in your lower back from her flailing like a rabid piglet. I've learned that its safer for everyone to just let her fall, and my chiropracter agrees. Thankfully Madison has inherited her mother's short attention span, therefore after a minute or so, she forgets that she's angry and wants to play with you.
Oh, hey, have you ever tried to give a toddler antibiotics with a measured dropper? Pretty hard to do with one person isn't it? For those of you that have no idea what I'm talking about, I envy you. You see, as they get older, children's taste buds start to become more discriminating. By the time they're Madison's age, not only do they hate the taste of some of those medicines, but the sight of them turns a child into a screaming banshee! Tina and I work as tag team partners when trying to give Madison some medicine. It usually starts with me administering the liquid, while Tina holds on to Madison. Unfortunately, Tina's grip is not as tight as mine and Madison usually convulses until Tina has whiplash. At this point, Tina tags my hand and I take over with the child. Now, I've worked on my technique for a long time now, and I have a pretty good strategy. You need to take the child's arms and legs out of the equation, in addition to holding her head into place. That's why I use a combination sleeper/headlock. It keeps her still, and that's the most important part. Usually she's whining from being pinned down so we don't have to worry about her not opening her mouth. The good news is that soon she'll be able to take chewables. Until then though, its WWV, World Wrestling Villaloboses.
There's plenty of good to go with the...challenging, though. I'd like to talk about it, but right now I have to warm up and find my head gear...Madison needs tylenol from a dropper.
Merry Christmas and we'll see you in the new year!
Life has certainly become more exhausting now that Madison's older, 18 months to be exact. Tina and I spend most of our time saying things like "Don't touch!", "Don't eat that!", "You're gonna get an owie!', "Be nice to the dog!", "Where did you get that?", and "Calm down!" The ladder is usually said when Madison's now famous temper ignites. I know I've talked about that temper in the past, and it has grown just as much as she has. The big difference from the past to now is the mean faces we get right before explosion. For all of you Bruce Lee fans, find "Enter The Dragon". There's a scene when Bruce kills O'Hara via broken neck. When the scene cuts to Bruce's face and it looks like pain and anger all in one... that's the look we get from Madison.
I'll give an example of this multi-daily event.
"Madison, what is that?" Madison quickly shoves whatever it is she's not supposed to have into her mouth or tries to run with it. "Madison, Dont' EAT!" (or) "Drop It!!!"
We then catch her and remove the object from her mouth or hand. Now we've upset Madison, and she lets us know with this look (minus the nunchakus)...
She then runs and does a lot of naughty things, things she knows she's not supposed to do: runs to stand on her toddler sofa, slap the T.V. screen, touch the Christmas tree, etc. When we stop her from acting so foolishly, she then makes this kind of face...
This is followed by falling on the floor, kicking, screaming, and sometimes fists to the face. Sometimes you can tell she's going to throw herself to the ground, and you try to pick her up before she gets the chance. All that does is increase your chances of a slipped disc in your lower back from her flailing like a rabid piglet. I've learned that its safer for everyone to just let her fall, and my chiropracter agrees. Thankfully Madison has inherited her mother's short attention span, therefore after a minute or so, she forgets that she's angry and wants to play with you.
Oh, hey, have you ever tried to give a toddler antibiotics with a measured dropper? Pretty hard to do with one person isn't it? For those of you that have no idea what I'm talking about, I envy you. You see, as they get older, children's taste buds start to become more discriminating. By the time they're Madison's age, not only do they hate the taste of some of those medicines, but the sight of them turns a child into a screaming banshee! Tina and I work as tag team partners when trying to give Madison some medicine. It usually starts with me administering the liquid, while Tina holds on to Madison. Unfortunately, Tina's grip is not as tight as mine and Madison usually convulses until Tina has whiplash. At this point, Tina tags my hand and I take over with the child. Now, I've worked on my technique for a long time now, and I have a pretty good strategy. You need to take the child's arms and legs out of the equation, in addition to holding her head into place. That's why I use a combination sleeper/headlock. It keeps her still, and that's the most important part. Usually she's whining from being pinned down so we don't have to worry about her not opening her mouth. The good news is that soon she'll be able to take chewables. Until then though, its WWV, World Wrestling Villaloboses.
There's plenty of good to go with the...challenging, though. I'd like to talk about it, but right now I have to warm up and find my head gear...Madison needs tylenol from a dropper.
Merry Christmas and we'll see you in the new year!
5/23/07
Oy Ve! One Year Brings The Temper!
During the transition from me to car seat several things happen, as they always seem to with Madison. Since I haven't posted in a while, I'll have you know that Madison is over 20 pounds, walking, says words like dada, mama, doggy, and up. She also knows a few sign language signs, such as milk, hungry, more, tired, bye, and kiss. However, her most...hmm...unique attribute lately has been her temper tantrums. I'll continue with the car seat tantrum example...
The first and foremost thing I'd like to point out is the physical abuse both Tina and I take. Most of the time, Madison is a sweet tiny little girl. That all changes when she doesn't get her way, that's when she turns from Madison to Mad Dog. If you're holding Mad Dog, as I do when I put her into her car seat, you can first expect to get blindsided with a head bunt. Blindsided because you're holding her and fumbling with the straps of the seat. All of this is done in close quarters too, so she's a mere inch or two from your temple. One second you're moving the straps aside, the next you're seeing black dots, cursing, and about to pass out. Do you worry about yourself though? Nope, you check to make sure she doesn't have a bump or is hurt. Even though she's crying more so from not wanting to sit in the seat, rather than from pain. She intentionally does the head bunt, so now I wait for it and move my head so she misses.
Next you deal with the usual tantrum things such as kicking and screaming. Since this typically happens every day in the daycare parking lot, I'm pretty sure it looks like I'm beating Madison, just by the body movements. Think about it, she's head bunting, kicking, scratching, and screaming at the top of her lungs. My ducking and dodging probably looks like I'm pounding on her. If they only knew! Anyway, thank god she's not biting yet...I say yet because I'm sure its coming soon, I'll talk about why I think so later. So I'm dodging the blows, using defensive karate moves I learned watching Bruce Lee movies, and now its time to buckle her in. Suddenly there's silence?
This is the most troubling part to me, after all that fight not to go in, she's suddenly intrigued as I get the straps over her and is mostly fascinated at the locking mechanisms. Did I say fascination? No, I meant she's studying intently on the locking mechanisms. Madison has been studying these things as long as she's been able to see them. I fear that soon she'll discover the secrets of car seat belts and be able to break from the chains in the same fashion as Houdini. Then there will be no choice for Tina and myself...we'll have use bungee cords to keep her down. Seriously, think about it. We're driving along and she silently, one-handed, pops each buckle and crawls slowly out of the seat and WHACK! Head bunt to me and hurricane sidekick to Tina...
...Okay, a bit dramatic, but you get my point.
Believe it or not, that's the calmest tantrum Madison throws... that being in the car seat. You should see her at home when you take something away from her. First she runs from you like a criminal running from the police. Then once you've plucked the stolen object from her, she throws herself down as if all her bones suddenly melted. Then the fake crying and tears come. Tina and I make it a point to never give in, no matter how hard she cries. However, her disregard to the location she falls creates some pretty scary falls. She'll throw herself into a pile of toys, or knock into one of her push carts. Then she's legitimately hurt herself while throwing her tantrum. What do you do? Console her, thus harboring the tantrum that one time. Or let her feel the pain a little and say "see, don't throw yourself like that!" She also throws tantrums in your arms if you don't let her walk when she wants to walk. Again, you have to dodge the blows because she tosses her body around like a worm that's been living under a rock for a while, and then is suddenly exposed to the sun.
The worst thing she does now though, is bang her head on something purposely. Which reminds me of my brother who was once nicknamed Hammerhead because he would bang his head on the ground when he threw a tantrum. This is the uncle that I'm sure Madison got her temper from. I blame the other infants in the daycare for showing Madison how to unleash that temper in the form of a tantrum though.
Lord Have Mercy...
The first and foremost thing I'd like to point out is the physical abuse both Tina and I take. Most of the time, Madison is a sweet tiny little girl. That all changes when she doesn't get her way, that's when she turns from Madison to Mad Dog. If you're holding Mad Dog, as I do when I put her into her car seat, you can first expect to get blindsided with a head bunt. Blindsided because you're holding her and fumbling with the straps of the seat. All of this is done in close quarters too, so she's a mere inch or two from your temple. One second you're moving the straps aside, the next you're seeing black dots, cursing, and about to pass out. Do you worry about yourself though? Nope, you check to make sure she doesn't have a bump or is hurt. Even though she's crying more so from not wanting to sit in the seat, rather than from pain. She intentionally does the head bunt, so now I wait for it and move my head so she misses.
Next you deal with the usual tantrum things such as kicking and screaming. Since this typically happens every day in the daycare parking lot, I'm pretty sure it looks like I'm beating Madison, just by the body movements. Think about it, she's head bunting, kicking, scratching, and screaming at the top of her lungs. My ducking and dodging probably looks like I'm pounding on her. If they only knew! Anyway, thank god she's not biting yet...I say yet because I'm sure its coming soon, I'll talk about why I think so later. So I'm dodging the blows, using defensive karate moves I learned watching Bruce Lee movies, and now its time to buckle her in. Suddenly there's silence?
This is the most troubling part to me, after all that fight not to go in, she's suddenly intrigued as I get the straps over her and is mostly fascinated at the locking mechanisms. Did I say fascination? No, I meant she's studying intently on the locking mechanisms. Madison has been studying these things as long as she's been able to see them. I fear that soon she'll discover the secrets of car seat belts and be able to break from the chains in the same fashion as Houdini. Then there will be no choice for Tina and myself...we'll have use bungee cords to keep her down. Seriously, think about it. We're driving along and she silently, one-handed, pops each buckle and crawls slowly out of the seat and WHACK! Head bunt to me and hurricane sidekick to Tina...
...Okay, a bit dramatic, but you get my point.
Believe it or not, that's the calmest tantrum Madison throws... that being in the car seat. You should see her at home when you take something away from her. First she runs from you like a criminal running from the police. Then once you've plucked the stolen object from her, she throws herself down as if all her bones suddenly melted. Then the fake crying and tears come. Tina and I make it a point to never give in, no matter how hard she cries. However, her disregard to the location she falls creates some pretty scary falls. She'll throw herself into a pile of toys, or knock into one of her push carts. Then she's legitimately hurt herself while throwing her tantrum. What do you do? Console her, thus harboring the tantrum that one time. Or let her feel the pain a little and say "see, don't throw yourself like that!" She also throws tantrums in your arms if you don't let her walk when she wants to walk. Again, you have to dodge the blows because she tosses her body around like a worm that's been living under a rock for a while, and then is suddenly exposed to the sun.
The worst thing she does now though, is bang her head on something purposely. Which reminds me of my brother who was once nicknamed Hammerhead because he would bang his head on the ground when he threw a tantrum. This is the uncle that I'm sure Madison got her temper from. I blame the other infants in the daycare for showing Madison how to unleash that temper in the form of a tantrum though.
Lord Have Mercy...
3/16/07
I did my best! I did my best!
The past few weeks have been some of the saddest for me as a father. You see, I started a new job as a cook for a day care center. One of the perks of the job is that Madison would be able to attend, and I would be just a couple doors down from her. The unfortunate thing about the job is that we really hadn't planned on putting Madison in day care so early, so we didn't do things which would help her transition. Up until the day we started our new ventures, Madison was with either Tina or myself for pretty much the entire day. The most Madison saw of strangers was probably while she was cruising around the mall in her stroller. This all changed on our first day, in a new school.
I remember it being very cold and wintry on that dreadful first day. Madison, who normally slept until 8:00 a.m, woke from her warm, safe slumber at 6:00 a.m. Not by her own will, but from the voices coming from the darkness, insisting that it's "time to get up."
"Surely they must be mistaken!" is what Madison was probably thinking as she rolled to her side and cuddled into the blankets. Soon though, the voices grew louder and lights began appearing from the hallway shining fiery rays upon Madison's now half-shut eyes. In the distance a dog named Luna barked to go outside, and it was then that Madison realized this was no mistake. Her mother, father, and even her dog had lost their minds and were waking up before the sun had even risen.
Madison's hell was only beginning. Her eyes had barely opened and suddenly she was being whisked away to the changing table. There she was washed, powdered, diapered, and finally clothed. Throughout the process Tina was speaking words of encouragement.
"Are you going to have fun at school?..."You're such a big girl"..."You look so pretty!"
"School? What the hell is this school you speak of, mother?" Madison began to panic. She now knew this was no routine diaper changing, that will eventually lead her back to the dark, calm room and a nipple in her mouth. No, she was being prepped for something, and whatever it was scared her. Not knowing how to express herself with phrases like "I think you're making a big mistake, mommy and daddy. Please, lets wait a few months!" Madison instead started to cry.
Meanwhile, in another part of the house, I'm running around frantically making sure I'm armed with the necessary equipment for my first born to survive day care. Holy Crap! there's a lot a kid needs for just one day. Two full diaper bags, one bouncy seat, and two hernias later the truck is loaded and started in order to warm-up in the frigid weather.
Back inside, Madison's cries have subsided and she's buckled safely into her car seat, playing with her favorite frog toy. She obviously accepted that she was not going back to sleep and looked at this as a fun new adventure. I took three deep breaths and picked up the car seat which now seemed to weigh a good fifty pounds. I am so confused as to why with today's technology, they can't find a better material to use other than heavy gauge plastic! For the price you pay for them they should be using Titanium! Anyway, final goodbyes and kisses were given, and Madison and I were off on the eight minute ride that brought us to the day care.
During those eight minutes, I thought about a lot of things. A little bit about the job, but mostly about Madison and how we were both going to endure this day. I figured she'd cry a little bit in the beginning and then once I was gone she'd be playing and laughing like all the other babies. I couldn't have been more wrong.
In the short time it took us to arrive to our destination, Madison had fallen asleep. I covered her carrier with a blanket, grabbed all the gear and headed inside. I got all signed in and made my way through the corridor which led to the nursery. It was early and most of the kids had not arrived yet, so there was an eerie silence surrounding us. You could hear my new, steel toed work shoes make a squeegee like noise with every step. For some reason the walls seemed to cave in and out with each step as we got closer to the door.
I was at the door now and I peaked into the window... no one was there yet. I opened the door and walked in, placing the carrier atop one of the tables. I peaked under the blanket to find Madison still sleeping. I slowly unveiled the blanket and pushed back the carrier handle, but the locking mechanism clicked loudly into place and Madison's eyes popped open. She quickly leaned forward and her eyes darted left and right, checking out the bright lights of the new room.
"Daddy, what is this place? Why did you bring me here?" was written all over her face as her eyes finally made contact with mine. I unfastened her shoulder strap and she quickly held her arms out to me so that I would pick her up. If the fear in her eyes didn't show enough how nervous she was, the grip on my jacket did. At that moment it would have taken every teacher in the school to tear me from Madison's grasp. As I removed her sweater, I could feel her little heart beating, as if it were fluttering as fast as a hummingbird's wings. At that precise moment my own nerves began to tighten and I had to bite my lip to keep it from trembling. My little baby girl was scared, and it was only going to get worse.
While I was waiting for the first teacher to arrive, I walked around with Madison to help her get acquainted with the room. We looked at the cribs and I pointed out hers. There were lots of toys to play with, and little activity pads that could be placed about the room. We looked out the window at the cars in the street, and then I sat down with her and gave her a few Cheerios, which she loved. Finally, the first teacher arrived, we'll call her Ms. V. She introduced herself and said hello to Madison. Madison did not react, but only stared at her, and then at me, trying to understand what was happening.
It was getting close to the time that I needed to get into the kitchen and start learning my new routine. By this time other babies had arrived and a few more teachers. I had to force myself to start trying to hand Madison over to one of the teachers. One of the teachers even looked at me and told me that I didn't have to worry, she'll be okay with them. Much easier said than done. I had to force myself to try and hand her over to one of the teachers. Madison nearly jumped back into my embrace and buried her face into my shoulder, holding on for dear life. She would poke her head up quickly to see if she was still in the same place, as if she was checking to see if the nightmare was over. I held on tighter, trying to reassure her that its okay, I was still there. At this point my own heart is starting to crack and fall to pieces. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but I didn't know how much it was going to hurt.
I attempted again to hand her over, and this time the teacher sort of ripped her from my grasp. Madison's eyes never left mine as she started to cry, she actually watched me the whole time she was being taken from my arms. She kicked and pounded her hands trying to push herself away from the teacher and then tried to reach her arms out to me. My eyes then began to glaze over, but the dams hadn't broken just yet. I quickly Madison back and this time she hugged me tight as her sobs turned to the short, sorrowful breaths that babies make when they are scared.
My heart was absolutely torn in two by the final attempt to hand her over. This time I had to close my eyes while I did it. It didn't help though, because I could see her face in my mind and it was just as sorrowful. I couldn't turn my ears off either, so I could hear her cry for daddy turn to a scream of terror. When I finally opened my eyes, Madison was clawing, kicking, screaming to get back to me...and all I could do was walk away. My baby who I had spent the last six months in close quarters with, was screaming with fear "dah dah dah dah dah dah dah!!!", reaching out her arms for me. Her eyes had gone from normal light baby blue, to a dark murky blueish gray, and tears streamed down her cheeks like tiny rivers. And all I could do was walk away towards the door and leave her behind to fend for herself among the strangers. I bowed my head and took several short breaths in order to fight my own sobs. Before I opened the door to leave, I turned my head one last time and waved good-bye to Madison. I couldn't speak, and even if I could my words would have come out as squeaks. I quickly opened the door and walked out and walked quickly to the break room to hang up my jacket.
I thought I would be safe there, to pull myself together in some silence. Unfortunately, the break room was next to the nursery wall, and whose screams did I hear on the other side? You guessed it...Madison's. I quickly hung up my jacket and fumbled in the pockets for my phone. I had to call Tina and give her an update as to how things went. My hands were shaking as I dialed the number. I got Tina's voicemail, so I started to sum up the events that had just taken place. I don't know if you've seen Dane Cook's "Vicious Circle" stand-up special on HBO, but he does a bit on hard cries and the things that lead up to it. At one point he talks about the "pre-cry breaths" and basically makes a sound like that of catching your breath several times in a row. That is basically what I was doing by the end of the message to Tina. I'm not even sure what I was saying was audible. When I was finished blubbering, I quickly hung up the phone. Only to hear Madison's sobbing on the other side of the wall. There was a deep, deep pain where my now absent heart once was. I could no longer keep the feelings suppressed, and there in the break room, my face hidden in my hanging jacket...I weeped momentarily for my little girl.
That first day, I was able to leave my job duties whenever I wanted, in order to stop in and see Madison. I don't know if this was any better than letting her go the first time. When I did go into the nursery, there she was sitting on the floor with a couple toys laying around her, crying and sniffling...you know the kind of sniffles after you've cried for hours straight and have nothing left. Then she would see me and just start sobbing as if to say "Why daddy! Why did you leave me!" When I picked her up she just collapsed. She was so upset she didn't even eat unless I fed her, so when I did go in to visit, she would eat and sleep while I held her. Unfortunately, I had to give her back and it was the same thing over again. Only God knows how, but we both made it through that day. If my Dad had to go through anything like this with me, well, now I know why his hands shake so bad now.
On the bright side, Madison has adjusted quite well and is enjoying herself at the day care. She still gets clingy in the morning, but that's because she's not a morning person, like her father. I have to give Tina a lot of credit in all this too. She probably felt more helpless than I, seeing that she had to hear all of these things second hand and try and keep me calm at the same time as herself. Have I mentioned being a parent is tough?
I remember it being very cold and wintry on that dreadful first day. Madison, who normally slept until 8:00 a.m, woke from her warm, safe slumber at 6:00 a.m. Not by her own will, but from the voices coming from the darkness, insisting that it's "time to get up."
"Surely they must be mistaken!" is what Madison was probably thinking as she rolled to her side and cuddled into the blankets. Soon though, the voices grew louder and lights began appearing from the hallway shining fiery rays upon Madison's now half-shut eyes. In the distance a dog named Luna barked to go outside, and it was then that Madison realized this was no mistake. Her mother, father, and even her dog had lost their minds and were waking up before the sun had even risen.
Madison's hell was only beginning. Her eyes had barely opened and suddenly she was being whisked away to the changing table. There she was washed, powdered, diapered, and finally clothed. Throughout the process Tina was speaking words of encouragement.
"Are you going to have fun at school?..."You're such a big girl"..."You look so pretty!"
"School? What the hell is this school you speak of, mother?" Madison began to panic. She now knew this was no routine diaper changing, that will eventually lead her back to the dark, calm room and a nipple in her mouth. No, she was being prepped for something, and whatever it was scared her. Not knowing how to express herself with phrases like "I think you're making a big mistake, mommy and daddy. Please, lets wait a few months!" Madison instead started to cry.
Meanwhile, in another part of the house, I'm running around frantically making sure I'm armed with the necessary equipment for my first born to survive day care. Holy Crap! there's a lot a kid needs for just one day. Two full diaper bags, one bouncy seat, and two hernias later the truck is loaded and started in order to warm-up in the frigid weather.
Back inside, Madison's cries have subsided and she's buckled safely into her car seat, playing with her favorite frog toy. She obviously accepted that she was not going back to sleep and looked at this as a fun new adventure. I took three deep breaths and picked up the car seat which now seemed to weigh a good fifty pounds. I am so confused as to why with today's technology, they can't find a better material to use other than heavy gauge plastic! For the price you pay for them they should be using Titanium! Anyway, final goodbyes and kisses were given, and Madison and I were off on the eight minute ride that brought us to the day care.
During those eight minutes, I thought about a lot of things. A little bit about the job, but mostly about Madison and how we were both going to endure this day. I figured she'd cry a little bit in the beginning and then once I was gone she'd be playing and laughing like all the other babies. I couldn't have been more wrong.
In the short time it took us to arrive to our destination, Madison had fallen asleep. I covered her carrier with a blanket, grabbed all the gear and headed inside. I got all signed in and made my way through the corridor which led to the nursery. It was early and most of the kids had not arrived yet, so there was an eerie silence surrounding us. You could hear my new, steel toed work shoes make a squeegee like noise with every step. For some reason the walls seemed to cave in and out with each step as we got closer to the door.
I was at the door now and I peaked into the window... no one was there yet. I opened the door and walked in, placing the carrier atop one of the tables. I peaked under the blanket to find Madison still sleeping. I slowly unveiled the blanket and pushed back the carrier handle, but the locking mechanism clicked loudly into place and Madison's eyes popped open. She quickly leaned forward and her eyes darted left and right, checking out the bright lights of the new room.
"Daddy, what is this place? Why did you bring me here?" was written all over her face as her eyes finally made contact with mine. I unfastened her shoulder strap and she quickly held her arms out to me so that I would pick her up. If the fear in her eyes didn't show enough how nervous she was, the grip on my jacket did. At that moment it would have taken every teacher in the school to tear me from Madison's grasp. As I removed her sweater, I could feel her little heart beating, as if it were fluttering as fast as a hummingbird's wings. At that precise moment my own nerves began to tighten and I had to bite my lip to keep it from trembling. My little baby girl was scared, and it was only going to get worse.
While I was waiting for the first teacher to arrive, I walked around with Madison to help her get acquainted with the room. We looked at the cribs and I pointed out hers. There were lots of toys to play with, and little activity pads that could be placed about the room. We looked out the window at the cars in the street, and then I sat down with her and gave her a few Cheerios, which she loved. Finally, the first teacher arrived, we'll call her Ms. V. She introduced herself and said hello to Madison. Madison did not react, but only stared at her, and then at me, trying to understand what was happening.
It was getting close to the time that I needed to get into the kitchen and start learning my new routine. By this time other babies had arrived and a few more teachers. I had to force myself to start trying to hand Madison over to one of the teachers. One of the teachers even looked at me and told me that I didn't have to worry, she'll be okay with them. Much easier said than done. I had to force myself to try and hand her over to one of the teachers. Madison nearly jumped back into my embrace and buried her face into my shoulder, holding on for dear life. She would poke her head up quickly to see if she was still in the same place, as if she was checking to see if the nightmare was over. I held on tighter, trying to reassure her that its okay, I was still there. At this point my own heart is starting to crack and fall to pieces. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but I didn't know how much it was going to hurt.
I attempted again to hand her over, and this time the teacher sort of ripped her from my grasp. Madison's eyes never left mine as she started to cry, she actually watched me the whole time she was being taken from my arms. She kicked and pounded her hands trying to push herself away from the teacher and then tried to reach her arms out to me. My eyes then began to glaze over, but the dams hadn't broken just yet. I quickly Madison back and this time she hugged me tight as her sobs turned to the short, sorrowful breaths that babies make when they are scared.
My heart was absolutely torn in two by the final attempt to hand her over. This time I had to close my eyes while I did it. It didn't help though, because I could see her face in my mind and it was just as sorrowful. I couldn't turn my ears off either, so I could hear her cry for daddy turn to a scream of terror. When I finally opened my eyes, Madison was clawing, kicking, screaming to get back to me...and all I could do was walk away. My baby who I had spent the last six months in close quarters with, was screaming with fear "dah dah dah dah dah dah dah!!!", reaching out her arms for me. Her eyes had gone from normal light baby blue, to a dark murky blueish gray, and tears streamed down her cheeks like tiny rivers. And all I could do was walk away towards the door and leave her behind to fend for herself among the strangers. I bowed my head and took several short breaths in order to fight my own sobs. Before I opened the door to leave, I turned my head one last time and waved good-bye to Madison. I couldn't speak, and even if I could my words would have come out as squeaks. I quickly opened the door and walked out and walked quickly to the break room to hang up my jacket.
I thought I would be safe there, to pull myself together in some silence. Unfortunately, the break room was next to the nursery wall, and whose screams did I hear on the other side? You guessed it...Madison's. I quickly hung up my jacket and fumbled in the pockets for my phone. I had to call Tina and give her an update as to how things went. My hands were shaking as I dialed the number. I got Tina's voicemail, so I started to sum up the events that had just taken place. I don't know if you've seen Dane Cook's "Vicious Circle" stand-up special on HBO, but he does a bit on hard cries and the things that lead up to it. At one point he talks about the "pre-cry breaths" and basically makes a sound like that of catching your breath several times in a row. That is basically what I was doing by the end of the message to Tina. I'm not even sure what I was saying was audible. When I was finished blubbering, I quickly hung up the phone. Only to hear Madison's sobbing on the other side of the wall. There was a deep, deep pain where my now absent heart once was. I could no longer keep the feelings suppressed, and there in the break room, my face hidden in my hanging jacket...I weeped momentarily for my little girl.
That first day, I was able to leave my job duties whenever I wanted, in order to stop in and see Madison. I don't know if this was any better than letting her go the first time. When I did go into the nursery, there she was sitting on the floor with a couple toys laying around her, crying and sniffling...you know the kind of sniffles after you've cried for hours straight and have nothing left. Then she would see me and just start sobbing as if to say "Why daddy! Why did you leave me!" When I picked her up she just collapsed. She was so upset she didn't even eat unless I fed her, so when I did go in to visit, she would eat and sleep while I held her. Unfortunately, I had to give her back and it was the same thing over again. Only God knows how, but we both made it through that day. If my Dad had to go through anything like this with me, well, now I know why his hands shake so bad now.
On the bright side, Madison has adjusted quite well and is enjoying herself at the day care. She still gets clingy in the morning, but that's because she's not a morning person, like her father. I have to give Tina a lot of credit in all this too. She probably felt more helpless than I, seeing that she had to hear all of these things second hand and try and keep me calm at the same time as herself. Have I mentioned being a parent is tough?
1/6/07
Baby food is the devil, momma!
Happy New Year everyone!
Things have settled down a bit now that the holidays are over. We had a great first Christmas with Madison, who is a natural when it comes to opening presents. Apparently wrapping paper is very tasty too, because that was her favorite thing to play with this year. Have to give thanks to the Villalobos' for sending Madison her stocking and also for the cards! Just so you know, Madison looked at all the candy, but mommy and daddy ate it for her (Hey, we didn't want it to go to waste!)
In two days, Madison will be Seven months old. Can you believe that? I know I can't. At her most recent well baby visit, she was 17 pounds 10 ounces and was 27 1/4 inches long. She just so big now, I can't believe that she was a measly 7 pounds, 7 months ago. I do believe she's had every color hair imaginable except gray and white, for now though its a very light brown. She can sit down without support, turn over from back to stomach, and can pull herself up to her knees in the crib. She can stand if she's holding on to something, and loves to make low and high pitched screams. She's also started initiating the game of Peek-a-Boo with people. She'll bury her face quickly into your shoulder if you're holding her, then quick look at you and see what you're reaction is. If you don't respond, she'll hide her face again, then look at you again until you say something. Then she squeals and proceeds to do it again. Overall she's doing just great and the doctor is very pleased with her progress.
After much praying, and quite a few animal sacrifices, Madison now sleeps through the night. She doesn't much care for her crib, and I don't blame her. If I had to sleep on that cement slab they call a crib mattress, I'd be waking up a lot in the night too. So, until we can find something a bit more comfortable, we've been keeping her in our room where she lays in the pack play bassinet and seems much happier. When she's happy, we're all happy...and rested!
I'd like to say a few things about jarred baby food. It Sucks. When I gave Madison some Beach Nut apples, she made such a sour face that it seemed she would suck her face inside and then out again. She did this with all fruits and vegetables. I couldn't understand it, this stuff should taste good so they eat it, right? Wrong. I decided to taste every one of the foods as we were introducing them to her, and they all were horrible. Bitter, sour, some even tasted metallic like. After couple weeks of watching her spit the stuff out and smack the spoon away, I've decided to make my own baby food. Its doesn't look that hard to do at all either, just steam and then mash or puree. Carrots will taste like carrots, peaches will taste like peaches, and snozzberries will taste like snozzberries! I'm doing carrots, heri coverts, sweet potatoes, peaches, nectarines, apricots, mangoes, and avocadoes. We'll see how she does with those. Oh, and one last thing, if you thought the fruits and vegetables in a jar were disgusting, the meats are worse. It looks like dog food and smells like Spam. I think I'm going to be sick, so I'll just stop now.
Christmas Pictures!
Things have settled down a bit now that the holidays are over. We had a great first Christmas with Madison, who is a natural when it comes to opening presents. Apparently wrapping paper is very tasty too, because that was her favorite thing to play with this year. Have to give thanks to the Villalobos' for sending Madison her stocking and also for the cards! Just so you know, Madison looked at all the candy, but mommy and daddy ate it for her (Hey, we didn't want it to go to waste!)
In two days, Madison will be Seven months old. Can you believe that? I know I can't. At her most recent well baby visit, she was 17 pounds 10 ounces and was 27 1/4 inches long. She just so big now, I can't believe that she was a measly 7 pounds, 7 months ago. I do believe she's had every color hair imaginable except gray and white, for now though its a very light brown. She can sit down without support, turn over from back to stomach, and can pull herself up to her knees in the crib. She can stand if she's holding on to something, and loves to make low and high pitched screams. She's also started initiating the game of Peek-a-Boo with people. She'll bury her face quickly into your shoulder if you're holding her, then quick look at you and see what you're reaction is. If you don't respond, she'll hide her face again, then look at you again until you say something. Then she squeals and proceeds to do it again. Overall she's doing just great and the doctor is very pleased with her progress.
After much praying, and quite a few animal sacrifices, Madison now sleeps through the night. She doesn't much care for her crib, and I don't blame her. If I had to sleep on that cement slab they call a crib mattress, I'd be waking up a lot in the night too. So, until we can find something a bit more comfortable, we've been keeping her in our room where she lays in the pack play bassinet and seems much happier. When she's happy, we're all happy...and rested!
I'd like to say a few things about jarred baby food. It Sucks. When I gave Madison some Beach Nut apples, she made such a sour face that it seemed she would suck her face inside and then out again. She did this with all fruits and vegetables. I couldn't understand it, this stuff should taste good so they eat it, right? Wrong. I decided to taste every one of the foods as we were introducing them to her, and they all were horrible. Bitter, sour, some even tasted metallic like. After couple weeks of watching her spit the stuff out and smack the spoon away, I've decided to make my own baby food. Its doesn't look that hard to do at all either, just steam and then mash or puree. Carrots will taste like carrots, peaches will taste like peaches, and snozzberries will taste like snozzberries! I'm doing carrots, heri coverts, sweet potatoes, peaches, nectarines, apricots, mangoes, and avocadoes. We'll see how she does with those. Oh, and one last thing, if you thought the fruits and vegetables in a jar were disgusting, the meats are worse. It looks like dog food and smells like Spam. I think I'm going to be sick, so I'll just stop now.
Christmas Pictures!
12/14/06
Must have Moose!
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.
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.
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...
