Crocodile Tears

Hello friends. Let me start this blog out by saying that the topic at hand breaks my heart. I love my little girl more than anyone will know. Words cannot express that point. However, an event occurred the other day that melted my heart. Tears.

Kelly was sleeping, so I was in charge. Scary I know. So, it was time for Addy to nap, and she was not having it. So I fought with her for a bit, tried to rock her, walked around, and still...she was not having it. So I thought to myself, if she is screaming anyways, what a perfect opportunity to try and get her to fall asleep in her "hammock" as we like to call it. It is a little fold out bed that is kind of V-shaped, which makes her feel a little more snuggled, and she sleeps a whole lot better. Well, the pattern mentioned above continued its course. Addy wasn't sleeping. So I would go in, rock her little bed and shoosh her for a few minutes, then I would leave her to cry a little bit and see if she would go to sleep. It went on and on, and she never would go to sleep. So, to the point. I went in to check on her one time and she had the most pathetic look on her face. Eyes red and swelled up, bottom lip pouted out, and then the real heart-breaker...from her big blue eyes came two gigantic tears rolling down her face. I felt awful. Up until this point Addy had cried before, but she was not producing tears, and if she was, they were very few. Not these tears. BAM! Rolling right down her face as big as rain drops. So...what did I do you asked? I don't have to justify myself. She wasn't tired, that's what we will go with. Don't judge me.

Anyways, I have now experienced the feeling of being wrapped around a little girl's finger. But I don't mind. They say it takes a special man to raise a daughter. I agree completely.

Until next time.

Blessings,
-SH

Houston, we have a problem..

Hello guys. Straight to the point...Addy has discovered TV. And boy has it made feeding time harder, as well as nap time.

She has figured out that there is a rather large box in the room that has a picture that moves and makes noise. Therefore, she does not want to nap, nor eat. I feel like I am the man on the cart trying to lead a distracted donkey while dangling a carrot. Except my carrot is a bottle. She sometimes likes to take her time while eating, so I enjoy being where I can watch the game or whatever is playing on TV. However, so does Addy. I haven't had to move to her nursery to feed her yet, but it may come to it.

As I sit on the couch trying to get Addy to eat, she will slowly move her head to where she can see the TV. Once she locks eyes on the TV, feeding is a no-go. She stops completely. Usually if you remove the bottle, she will freak out. But now that the TV has entered the picture, she stays fixed on it. So, I use the bottle and place it by the edge of her mouth, when she goes for it, I move it a little farther, then she will go for it again, then a little farther, until I have her head looking totally opposite the TV. Some might say that it is harsh, but hey, whatever works. To explain the great power of the TV, let me say this, it is even strong enough to pull Addy away from the ultimate food source if you know what I am saying. Powerful I know.

We always knew that TV was influential, but so strong as to rip a baby from the breast? Who knew?

Until next time.

Blessings,
-SH

Breaking Baby

Hello all, and welcome again to another exciting weekend of Addy and Daddy. School has started back up for me, and so far, it has gone pretty smoothly. The biggest hurdle is Monday mornings. Kelly works Sunday night into Monday morning, and I have to be in class before 8, and it takes a solid 25 minutes to get across town. With that said, Kelly pulled in Monday morning, me already prepared to go, and she handed me the keys as I handed her Addy. A quick little kiss and we parted ways. I was on time. The speed limit for a residential street is 55 mph right? Anyways, we are back in the swing of things, but we have quickly come to our next task. NAP TIME.

Some might ask, "Why is nap time so important?". Well my friend, if you have ever taken care of a child that has not had their naps during the day, they will quickly enter Addy's realm of "Beast Mode". Also, you long for those naps to clean up a bit, watch some TV, or even try to catch a little shut-eye yourself. Needless to say, naps are important.

How can you be mad at this?

With Addy, she has decided that she will go to sleep, but only if she is being held or rocked. Sure, I know what you are thinking. Just hold her or rock her until she falls asleep, and then lay her down. Feel free to come try, and when it fails, I promise not to say I told you so. I feel like a little boy again. You know when you were little and trying to sneak up on someone sleeping, or put the shaving cream in their hand then rub their face with a feather and you are trying to be so quiet and whisper so soft, but it always seems like they know you are there and wake up right before the good stuff goes down? Addy is that way. As I have mentioned before, I like to check and see if she is "Dead Asleep" by gently raising her arm, and seeing if it falls back down to a resting position without any tension. If so, I give myself the green light to initiate operation "Crib Sleep". My friends, I think she has caught on to this. Just like she has learned that if Mom or Dad rub their finger on my cheek, they are checking to see if I am hungry, so if I move my mouth at their finger and try to suck on it, chances are I'll get to eat. She can seem like she is dead asleep, I can even let her sleep on me for 30 minutes prior to putting her down, but she always knows. ALWAYS. So, we have started to try and break the habit. I would prefer my child not be 5 years old and still have to be rocked to sleep. So, we will push on, and we will endure the tears. We will come out successful.

Until next time.

Blessings,
-SH

P.S. Just an example of the great multi-tasker that I have become. Learn from it.

Back to School

Hello guys. No blog last night as Kelly was put on call, so I took the time to hang out with my little family. Don't hold it against me.

Anyways, school starts back tomorrow, and I am anxious to see how things will work with a baby. I have always wondered how people do it. My mom went to school while me and my brother were young, and I have many people in my class that have small children. School has never been something that I had to spend a lot of time at, as I was blessed with intelligence, but how will things work with a 3 month old? I think that it will be an adventure.

So, short blog tonight, as I need to print schedules and handouts and prep for school tomorrow in case Addy decides she will be nocturnal tonight. Stick with us through the adventure, I am sure things will heat up as we add more to my plate. Wish us luck.

Thanks again for following me on here. Maybe someone will see it and want to pick it up. I can dream right?

So, until next weekend, stay classy.

Blessings,
-SH

DON'T TOUCH MY BABY! DON'T EVEN LOOK AT HER!

Hello All. Hope that this post finds you all doing well. Tonight we are going to talk about a subject that really gets at me. I am sure that it is an issue for many people, and tonight we will dissect it.

It is simple. We learn it from the time we are little kids, and continue to learn it throughout our life. In much of the world, they may chop off your hand if you are caught doing this. Here it is:

IF IT AINT YOURS, DON'T TOUCH IT!

And yes...that includes my child. I don't know what it is about people, but babies make them do really weird things. There are two that come to mind that I will explore in this blog. 

I know what you are thinking, and No. You shouldn't touch me.

1) Everyone is an expert when it comes to babies.

Wrong! I heard this guy do a comedy show relating the aforementioned concept to dogs, and how everyone is an expert when it comes to telling you what you are doing wrong with your dog. This is the same for babies. "Don't feed them this..." or "You shouldn't do that...". I'm sorry, but if you are younger than me and the most responsibility that you have is to brush your teeth and apply deodorant, don't try to tell me how to raise my kid. Advice is welcome from my parents, my wife parents, brothers and sisters with children, and some close friends. However, if you are a random person that I bump into in the store, I'm not looking for words of wisdom. Just wait, whether it is your dog or your baby in the future, you will get my point.

2) Please, don't touch my baby.

If I am not in the act of handing Addy to you, and much less if you are a fellow shopper of the HEB, then your grubby paws need to stay by your side. It's like people think that Addy wears a sign around her neck that says..."Please, feel free to touch me." Sorry my friend, but you are wrong. We were in HEB the other day and I was checking out with Addy in her stroller next to me, when out of the corner of my eye I see someone going toward her while talking in a baby voice. I began to think to myself, "I am fixing to have to turn around and tell this lady please don't touch my baby." Just as I turned around I heard a familiar voice. It was Kelly. She had run into one of her coworkers and wanted to show her Addy. It was fixing to be on. I am weird about stuff like that. Don't drink out of my cup, don't eat off of my plate, and whatever you do, please don't touch my baby.

Well there you have it. Just a couple things that get my blood pumping. I know that people mean well, but some don't. And in the world we live in today, I'd prefer if you didn't touch my child.

So, until next time, look, but don't touch.

Blessings,

-SH

The Truth About Mom's and Dad's

Hello all. Consider yourself lucky. Kelly is working Thursday through Sunday this week, so you get an extra dose of Addy and Daddy. Thank me later.

Anyway, tonight we will talk about truth. There is a significant difference between Mom's and Dad's. The difference I am talking about tonight is when it comes to the way we handle Addy. Kelly pretty much just lives the same life she used to, aside from feedings, diaper changes, and baby baths. She doesn't whisper, she goes where she needs to in the house like she always has, lights on, closing doors, mindful of Addy, but not so mindful. Me? It's a different story.

Kelly says that I am scared of her. That is not true. I like to call it..."aware" of her. My mentality is if she is asleep, do everything you can not to wake her up. If she is happy in her swing, on the couch, or in her bumbo, don't touch her. If she's not crying, she is fine, and I don't do anything to disrupt her. Like I said above, I am not scared of her, I just figure that if she is entertained or asleep, I can relax, because I know that at some point I will be up, pacing down the hall, bouncing her on my lap, or doing squats to get her to sleep. Yes, I said squats, like the workout. Hey whatever works huh?

As I said before, Kelly says that she will learn to sleep through the noise and hustle and bustle of us in the house. I agree with her...when she is here. But when she is not, I'm on my own, so I do what I have to do to survive. Such things might include walking stiff-legged through the hall or into the room so my ankles don't pop. I quickly learned that flip flops weren't in the cards. The "slap" noise that they make when you walk is a for-sure wake up call. I am an expert at opening doors without making a noise, and sometimes I feel like a thief in my own home. It is funny I know, but it works. I'm sure that I could teach a class on the "Art of the Stealthy Dad". Maybe I will....

But until then, stay low, step lightly, and whatever you do, don't wake the baby.

Blessings,
-SH

Baby Poop...#2 (no pun intended)

Hello folks. Hope that all is well.

We pick up exactly where we left off. Baby poop. It has found new ways to amaze me. I guess like a lot of women, Addy has developed the habit of not pooping everyday. Me, I think that one should grace the porcelain throne 3-4 times daily, but that is just me. So, Addy was on a dry spell, with a little bit here and there, but never really just dropping bombs. Given the past history, we have started placing burp rags under Addy's rear end in her swing, car seat, and other various spots where we don't want poop to stain. And let me tell you good thing we did.

She was sitting in her swing, and all was well. When all of a sudden she just starts getting really fussy and crying. When approached, it was evident that she had done it again. She had covered herself with her own poo.  And boy did it smell. Working in the hospital you encounter some nasty smells, but the smell of this poop was something that my nostrils had never encountered, and man did they pay. Addy was quickly moved back to our bedroom and placed on her changing mat. After assessing the situation, it was evident that this outfit wasn't coming off without smearing poo all over her face. Given the smell, it could have been extremely toxic, so extreme measures were taken. I believe that I have added something to my accolades that not many can. I CUT MY BABY OUT OF HER ONSIE WITH SCISSORS TO AVOID SMEARING POO ALL OVER HER FACE. Get on my level.

Don't Judge Me

This was one of the funniest things I had ever encountered as well. I laughed the whole time, well as much as you can while holding your breath. After she was cut free from her clothes and out of her diaper, she was laid in the bath tub and rinsed off. If you are a return reader, we ran into the same issue. I had to spray Addy down with the dish hose in her little tub, remove her from the tub, wash the tub out, then return her to the tub and wash her again. It's a complicated process. Needless to say, we got it done.

Again I will say that I am amazed at the volume of poop this little child produces. It could be some sort of record or something. Next time I will get it on the video camera. Can you say senior slide show? Or perhaps even the wedding slide show? Ha Ha. Only time will tell.

Until tomorrow. Rest well my friends.

Blessings,
-SH

Baby Poop

Hello friends. We have reached the last night of the weekend, and things are getting easier for sure. Addy is sleeping better, most nights at least. It still blows my mind how fast she is growing. You would think that being with her everyday would make it seem slower, but it doesn't. Another thing that blows my mind...baby poop. I'm pretty sure it could be considered the 8th wonder of the world. There are so many different types of baby poop it could be a category on Jeopardy. It is crazy.

Addy has presented some fine specimens. It has been green, brown, tan, and yellowish-brown. It has been thick, runny, slimy and sticky. You name it, she's pushed it out.

So, lately we have been on poop patrol because Addy had not had a real good poop for the last several days. She had streaked up the diaper a bit and was passing good gas, but she never really just dropped one off. So, after talking to the doctor at her appointment, she said we shouldn't be worried until they go over 3 days with no poop. Well, today was day 4. And day 4 was dirty...

Addy was sitting in her swing just looking around, when all of a sudden I hear some grunts. I looked over at her, her face very studious and focused, her abs tensing and fists clinched. She was up to no good. So I let her sit there, allowing ample time to get it all out if anything was to come, when from a distance I noticed a little brown spot on her onsie. I went over to her and looked at it and determined it was poop. So, I then proceeded to get her on the changing table, undo her onsie, and at that moment I locked eyes with Addy and she smiled. I would soon find out that this smile meant "You're going to enjoy this one". As I got her diaper undone and onsie off, I could not believe what I was seeing. My little tiny baby girl had made a huge mess. This mess covered her diaper, her belly, her right arm, and most of her left. I was amazed.

Quickly seeing that I was no where near equipped to handle this alone, I woke Kelly up, and we tag teamed it. We got her to the bath, rinsed her down, took her out, cleaned the bath tub, then put her back in and washed her up real good. Needless to say, I have never seen a human produce the amount of poop based on her size as Addy did today. Simply miraculous. Well, at least she pooped.

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Until next time, stay classy.

Blessings,
-SH

Baby toys everywhere, but the best one of all...

Night number two is upon us, but do not fear my friends, for I have found the answer.

It is crazy how fast my house has become cluttered with baby toys. Swings, bouncers, play mats. You name it, we have it. I remember registering for these things, and some of the stuff we have we had to buy ourselves, and the amount of money that is spent on the toys and gadgets amazes me. I am certain that we have hundreds of dollars, if not in the thousand range, worth of baby stuff that is meant to entertain and distract. But I tell you, the one thing that seems to do the trick didn't cost me or anyone else associated with me a dime.

My friends, let me introduce you to...The Ceiling Fan.

Yes. Addy is absolutely fascinated by the fan. When she is fussy, I will take her into her nursery, turn the ceiling fan on and sit in the glider. She will look up at the fan spinning around and just smile and talk. She seems so happy and she will sit and look for long amounts of time.

Today I spent an hour putting together Addy's little play mat. It looked simple enough in the bag, all nice and neatly packed. But then you open it...and that's a different story. Whenever I opened it up pieces went everywhere. What seemed like a "pre-put-together" little toy was far from that. So, I spent the next hour getting all the pieces in place and constructing the thing to stand up, only to put Addy under the toy, watch her look at it for about ten seconds, and then start crying. I thought maybe she just didn't understand what it was or what was going on, so I picked her up, showed her some of the toys and how they worked, and laid her back down under it. This time, five seconds. Needless to say, my intense baby toy labor was for nothing. That toy has found its place back in the closet. Maybe she will like it one day.

So all I have to say is, when all else fails, try the ceiling fan. Works for me every time.

Until next time.

Blessings,
-SH

A Whale of a Time

Hello friends. Hope that all is well in your world. In my world, I am pretty excited/impressed with myself and Addy. I believe that I am on to something that is monumental. Perhaps even something that I am certain Isaac Newton and Benjamin Franklin would be intrigued by. What is it that I am talking about you ask? One word. Echolocation. I know what you are thinking. And yes, I know that it is a phenomenon that has already been studied and discovered. But not in this way.

I have discovered that babies communicate with Echolocation. FACT. And believe it or not, I have perfected the language of our humpback friends from the sea.

Addy and I have frequent conversations using the language of the whale, and it has allowed us to grow much closer. I may even call myself an advanced practicer of the trade. By no means do I compare to Addy, and Kelly, let's just say she's "staying afloat".

It amazes me the little language, which again I am certain is the exact same as whales, that babies use, and I find myself wondering what is going on in their little minds. I wonder this because Addy has all different tones. High pitched, low pitched, sounds that start low and go high and vice versa. Sometimes I know she is mad because the face she gives me is the exact same one I get from Kelly whenever I am in trouble. That being said, I wish I could live in the mind of Addy for one day to see, or not see, what she sees and to think what she thinks. Does she know who I am or who her mother is? I like to think that she does. But to venture into that world would be priceless. So pure and innocent.

On a funnier note, keep in mind that I did not say expert in the language of the whales. I referred to myself as an "advanced practicer". I say this because I am pretty sure that I used an incorrect phrase with Addy. After bath time she is usually all smiles and happy. She will talk to me and make faces and smile, and I always talk back and make faces back at her, all in whale of course. Anyways, I had laid her on the bed to dry her off and put her diaper and clothes on and she was going to town and just talking away and I was talking right back at her. In my best whale I let out a long "whale phrase" and smiled down at her. She then paused from our sonar communication, gave me a perplexed look, and then proceeded to pee all over me. To top it off, she looked up and smiled. Needless to say, we were back to the bath.

So, you can think what you want, and some may call me crazy, but I feel that I am on to something HUGE. Well, I hear my little whale calling my name, so I am going to go and see what's up. Remember, the key to babies is Echolocation. Just ask one.

Oh yeah. Addy has discovered her thumb, as well as laughed for the first time. She is still testing out the thumb. Sometimes she just has a hard time finding it so she puts her whole fist in her mouth. Whatever works.

Until tomorrow.

Blessings,
-SH