Saturday, March 20, 2010

Few missing days and onward

I've been pretty overworked and a little burned out recently. With a ton of school work and a nasty, nearly week-long cold on top of that, I'm taking a brief break from the blog. I'll be returning to regularly scheduled updates on Tuesday, in time for the Spud's half-birthday.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Not so much on the sitter front

So, Zelda the sitter had a doctor's appointment on Wednesday. We knew about that and had planned in advance. What we hadn't planned for is that Zelda's diabetes has apparently gotten bad enough that she's going to need dialysis. While I'm glad that she's going to get the medical attention she needs to maintain her health (because that's the most important thing) it leaves us looking for new Connor-sitting.

Speaking of Connor and sitting, he's been getting really good at it. He still drifts to one side from time to time and has had several loud head thumps, but he's getting very stable. He'll sit there playing with something, then stop and look back up at me over his shoulder and give that impish grin.

Still no new developments on the teeth. I think the pain is still getting to him from time to time. While he had a good streak of through the night sleeps built up, last night he woke up screaming at 2 AM and Leigh didn't get him back down until about 4:30 AM. (I was dead to the world thanks to night-time cold medicine.)

Anyway, only a day behind now. Hopefully I'll be all caught up come tomorrow.

Unexpectedly occupied

Tuesday's biggest news was that Zelda, the sitter, wasn't able to watch Connor. This did not bode well as it was only day #2. So Leigh ended up taking Connor in with her. On one hand, she didn't have to deal with missing the Spud all day. But on the other hand, she got very little accomplished.

Other than that, there wasn't much new and interesting. So, instead, I present you with a picture!

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Sitter time?

Well, Monday was Connor's first day with the sitter. And it didn't go incredibly well.

Apparently Zelda (the sitter) hurt her arm and was having a hard time doing any lifting. Connor's not exactly a lightweight (weighing in at over 19 pounds now!), but fortunately she had her neice there to help.

Leigh stayed for the first hour, then went to work. She was not having an easy time of it. Despite her complaints of lack of time trying to watch Connor and work at the same time, she missed him horribly the whole day and was all but running to pick him up.

Apparently, though he did get a couple of good naps in, the Spud spent most of his waking time crying. We think it was just that he missed having anyone he knows really well (like Leigh, her father, or me) near him, but that's something he'll learn to get over in time.

Once I got home, Connor was in a nearly festive mood. He was all smiles and happy noises and a real pleasure to be around. After being changed, eating, and taking some gas drops (which has become a part of the nightly routine), he passed out, woke up once he was put into the crib, fussed for 10 minutes until he got picked back up, ate a little more, then promptly passed out for the rest of the night.

Only two more days of posts until I'm caught up. But I don't think the nighttime cold meds will let me get that done. So, until tomorrow...

Sunday Synopsis

Since I'm now pretty far behind thanks to visitors and illness, I'm going to be a little less verbose than normal.

Sunday was a pretty relaxing day. Leigh had to head into the shop to pick up Connor's portable crib and whatnot since Monday was to be his first day with the sitter. While she was gone, my father, step-mother, and I entertained the Spud and a good time was generally had by all.

When Leigh got home, she fed him and he stayed out for about two whole hours! It was a mega-nap and we all mightily enjoyed it.

Other than that, it was a quiet day. I made jambalaya again and it seemed to go over pretty well. Connor got a full night's sleep in. And I managed to only have one argument with my father throughout the entire trip, so it was generally a win all around.

Well, that's one down. Maybe I can actually get caught back up tonight.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Non-Stop Saturday

To say that Saturday was busy would be an understatement.

Leigh woke up early and did her normal Saturday morning stuff and Connor got a good nap in. This was good because there was a long day ahead of us.

Connor and I spent the morning hanging out with my father and step-mother. After Leigh got home, we had to get the cars into the dealership for maintenance. And then, we had to start getting ready to head over to her brother's for his daughter's first birthday party.

We were at the party for about three hours and, thankfully, Connor was extraordinarily well behaved. He got a little cranky towards the end, but he didn't seem to mind that there were a lot of people around, nor all of the noise and excitement. He enjoyed getting fawned over by a few people (including Leigh's uncle Dan and his fiancee who had come into town for the party) and was generally content playing with some of his cousin's toys. He's especially fond of a V-Tech driving game she has that Leigh and I are now looking for.

Anyway, with the party over, we got home and relaxed for a bit before preparing to head out to dinner.

We ended up going to the Cypress Grill (which I need to add to my list of restaurants to review in my food blog...) and the Spud snoozed through the first fifteen minutes or so. Then, waking up, he proceeded to fuss a bit. The restaurant had a lot of conversation going on, so his fussing didn't disturb any of the other dinners. He spent most of the rest of the night on Leigh's lap, delaying her eating, but otherwise being pretty well behaved.

When we got home, Connor ate and passed out. He slept well and was well rested for a relaxing Sunday. But that's next post.

Getting reacquainted with Grandpa Ken and NTB

Friday was an exciting day for Connor: my father and step-mother got into town to visit. They're going to be leaving tomorrow (Monday) morning, which is why this post is a couple of days late.

Leigh stayed home again on Friday and managed to get the rest of the cleaning done in between Connor's fussy periods. (Incidentally, she did a fantastic job and deserves much praise for it.) When it was getting close to time for the visitors to arrive, she made a run to the store to get something for dinner. By the time she made it back, they'd arrived...and managed to get the car stuck in the mud. But that's another story.

"Grandpa Ken" and "Not The Bubbie" got to help Leigh feed the Spud some more sweet potatoes shortly before I got home, at which point they got to help me give him a bath. After a final feeding, Connor drifted off to sleep while the adults chatted for a bit before following his lead to rest up before a long Saturday. But that's the next post.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Thursday at Home

Leigh came down with a cold last night and decided to spend the day at home with the Spud. My father and step-mother are coming for a visit, so this not only gave her a chance to rest a little and spend some quality time with Connor, but also get some more straightening up done.

Connor was apparently pretty well behaved throughout the day. He took an almost 2 hour nap, was generally very cute (I've posted some of the photographic evidence thereof on my Facebook page), and even managed to help his mommy feed him. Leigh took a "two spoon" approach to the sweet potatoes and, by alternating between the two, managed to get all but two bites into (or at least close to) the Spud's mouth. He even got a chance to try out one of his "Nom Nom Nom" bibs from thinkgeek.com.

By the time I got home, Connor was a little fussy. He ate on and off for a while, then left a large, smelly present in his diaper. Once changed out of the soiled diaper, he was able to fully focus on the meal at hand and was soon finished and passed out.

That's all for tonight. Expect short posts over the weekend, since there will be visitors and I have some homework to attend to. But hopefully timely updates, at least.

Flashing back to Wednesday

Yes, I'm running late on my blog updates. Fortunately(?), Wednesday was another slow news day.

Leigh was out and about for most of the day, so Grandpa Gordon got to look after Connor. Amazingly, the Spud took several long naps and was generally well behaved. He was a little cranky in the evening, but ended up settling down and having a full night's sleep.

The only other Connor news was that Leigh found a code for 50 free prints from kodakgallery.com and we uploaded a lot of new pictures and, in a week or two, should have new physical pictures to horde and share. And with that, I leave you all with a preview shot.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Tardy for Tuesday

Well, obviously I'm a little late in posting Tuesday's update. It was mostly a slow day and then was compounded by Connor waking up at about quarter of 1 and not wanting to drift off easily to sleep. So this is going to be a short update.

Connor's sitting up a lot more and a lot more comfortably.

Teething continues and I can feel ridges on the Spud's lower gum. However, it is still "any time now" versus any real progress.

Sweet potato is definitely a hit in the baby food catagory. Next up will probably be string beans or peas.

Leigh sent me two videos of Connor from her phone. As soon as I can figure out how to embed them here, I'll include at least one in a blog post.

Other than that, things keep on keeping on. Something more substantial tonight. Promise.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Short Monday Update

I'm tired and want to just pass out, but I'm also tired of being behind on my posts. So this is going to be short and (hopefully) sweet. Only two major items of note today, anyway.

First of all, Connor seems to have found an amusing new position to sleep in. When I went to give him a kiss this morning, he'd rolled about 4/5 of the way over with his butt and one leg sticking up in the air. I wish I had taken a picture because it was ridiculously adorable. Leigh's caught him that way before, but it was a first for me. If he does it again tomorrow morning, I'm definitely snapping a shot.

Secondly, Leigh was out and about at work, so Connor spent the day being watched by his Grandpa Gordon. They had a good time, but the impressive thing was that he took a nearly two hour nap! I guess mommy's just too interesting for the Spud to sleep around.

Anyway, Connor's passed out, Leigh's passed out...and I should join them. Until tomorrow!

Monday, March 8, 2010

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

Sunday was a pretty quiet day up until the end.

Connor slept pretty well, although he didn't want to go back down for a nap after his first feeding. I watched him while Leigh went shopping in the afternoon and he napped for a little while then, allowing me to get some homework and housework done.

He was in a good mood throughout most of the day, but got cranky towards the end. We were able to partially settle him by setting up his new high chair in the kitchen. He always seems to calm down in the kitchen. I suspect it has to do with the bright lighting. But anyway, the Spud got an early bath, fell asleep during his last feeding and, ordinarily, that would have been that.

However, he woke back up at around quarter of midnight. I gave him some gas drops and did my best to soothe him for about half an hour, but he wouldn't even calm down enough for me to read the rest of Bartholomew and the Oobleck to him. (We're about 2/3 of the way through, now.)

Finally, Leigh woke up and came out to feed him. That took care of the last objections to sleep and Connor drifted off for the rest of the night. Fortunately, it was only about quarter of 1 at that point, so no one lost too much sleep.

Hopefully a more detailed update tonight.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Connor's Long Day

It started off as a pretty typical Saturday. Leigh fed Connor before putting him back down for a nap while she went on her normal Saturday outing. He woke up at about 9:30 AM which got me up to change and feed him. But as I put him into his bouncy chair to play while I started on some homework, Leigh called to tell me that visitors were on their way.

One of Leigh's best friends, Jazz, was in town with her husband, Cooter. Jazz hadn't seen Connor in months and Cooter had never had the opportunity to meet the Spud. They dropped in and hung out for a while, chatting and getting in some quality time with the little guy. After they left, he managed to get about an hour of nap-time in, which was great because he had a long night ahead of him.

This was followed by an early dinner with Leigh's entire crew at a local Mexican place (that I really need to write a review of for my food blog once I finish the other review I'm behind on writing). Connor was extremely well behaved, getting a little fussy towards the end, but a bottle soothed that quickly enough.

After dinner, it was off to my brother-in-law's wife's last minute birthday gathering. Connor got some interaction time with a couple of other babies. He played well with others. Also, he spent a good portion of the time sitting up unassisted and playing with this V-Tech driving game. He started getting a little grumpy after an hour and we headed out, since there was yet another stop to make.

We headed over to Leigh's friend June and her husband Robbie's for a late holiday get together with present exchanges with Jazz and Cooter, since they'd missed the Christmas-time gathering. Connor spent a goodly portion of that in the spare bedroom, snoozing for a little while, then nursing, then fussing. Leigh spent a lot of the time with him with me spelling her from time to time, but Connor definitely wasn't in the mood to be out of the spotlight. We brought him out to hang with everyone and he was much happier.

It was almost 11 PM by the time we got home and, after an aborted lay down and a short feeding, he passed right out.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

More milestones

The Spud had a very big day today.

Leigh and I have been slowly adding a little rice cereal and oatmeal to Connor's diet and he's been hit or miss with them. But today, Leigh gave him a little sweet potato. Based on what she told me, it seems that milk might have some competition for its spot as the favorite food. It's hard to believe that he's already to the point where he's starting on 'real' food.

Connor's also been sitting up a lot more. Leigh had him in a bouncy chair during the day and he sat up in it on his own several times, staying stable for several minutes before leaning too far to one side. I got to witness this part personally, since he was also doing it at home. At one point, we had the nursing pillow behind him for support and, after laying back on it, he managed to get himself back into an upright (but not locked) position. Then he promptly fell over and bumped his head on the rug. Fortunately, he has his daddy's hard head.

But it's not all good news. Today marked the end of Connor's afternoon nap streak. Time to try to start a new one tomorrow.

At any rate, it's bed time now.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Catching up again

Yesterday was a slow news day on the Connor front and, combined with an overwhelming sense of exhaustion, I failed to post. But I promised myself a post a day, so I'm making up for it now.

As mentioned, there really wasn't much of note that happened yesterday. Leigh was out of the office for a while, so her father was keeping an eye on Connor. Apparently, the Spud's newfound napping ability (with white noise machine, at least) has continued to blossom; his grandfather reported an hour long nap during the afternoon.

Overall, this has generally given Connor an even sweeter disposition in the evening. He's still inclined to not want to sleep and miss out on something, but with that nap in him, he's a lot less cranky.

He didn't drift immediately to sleep last night. He passed out mid-feeding and, after giving him a few minutes to make sure he was out, Leigh and I got him into his crib. A few minutes later, he was up and fussy. We gave him about 10 minutes to see if he'd settle, but he didn't. So we got him back up, fed him some gas drops, fed him a little more from the proverbial tap and he zonked right out.

The only other thing going on is Floppy. To be blunt, he's starting to smell a little. We've been giving him light washings, but I think something more drastic is going to be needed to get him clean. Leigh's afraid of washing the scent off of him, so we're still considering options. If anyone has any bright ideas, please share.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

The secret to napping?

Today was a break in an ongoing pattern of Connor's.

Due to the weather, Leigh's family's shop opened late, so she had a couple of extra hours in the morning. After she fed Connor, she worked on some stuff around the house and the Spud...napped in his nursing pillow. With as much trouble as he's been having with naps over the past month, it was nice to hear that he'd managed to get one in. But, while infrequent, the morning naps weren't anything to celebrate over.

The thirty or so minutes he spent asleep this afternoon, however, were a big relief for Leigh. And, based on his improved mood this evening, for Connor, too.

The secret? Leigh's brother's ex-girlfriend had worked at the shop for a while and had brought in a white noise machine for her infant. Leigh found it and tried it out today and it appears to have been the missing piece of the puzzle.

Between the teething pain and his natural inquisitiveness, it's tough for Connor to get to sleep when there is anything going on around him. The white noise, much like the radio he has playing in his room, helps him tune that out so that the tiredness can lull him into sleep. And, as a bonus, let Leigh get some extra work done.

With only another week and a half before the he starts with the sitter, this information is a little late in coming to us. But if it makes Connor a happier little Spud for a few more days, then I think it's safe to say that Leigh and I will be happier too.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Catching up

I think I may need to start making my posts a little earlier in the evening. I was getting prepared to write last night and the next thing I knew, it was about 45 minutes later and I really needed to get to bed to finish the snooze I'd started.

Anyway, yesterday was a fairly typical day on the Connor front. According to Leigh, he barely napped during the day and was very vocal throughout. I found this kind of surprising considering the way the day started.

I'd been heading to bed shortly after midnight and Connor woke up in a fussy mood. Leigh and I tried to calm him down and get him back to sleep, but he wouldn't have it. Eventually, Leigh stayed up with him and fed/entertained him, but it was after 4:30 before she got back to bed.

When I got home, the Spud was napping, but he woke up shortly thereafter and fussed until he got carried around. Fortunately, once we ate, bathed him, then fed him, he was out for the count. I gave him some gas drops, just to be sure that he wouldn't wake up howling again. It seemed to work.

Anyway, my lunch time at work is almost over, so I'll wrap this up with a quick picture. More updates tonight.

Monday, March 1, 2010

You spin me right round

Really only one item of interest today. Sure, there was the usual Connor cuteness and fussiness and failure to nap. And his falling asleep halfway through feeding is, without a doubt, adorable beyond words. But I've mentioned all of that before and I really don't want to be too repetitive.

But I digress.

I went into Connor's room this morning to give him a kiss before I left for work and found him in an unusual position. For the most part, he sleeps up against the side of his crib closest to the door with his head towards the windows. He's moved around a little before, like rolling half onto his side or rotating 45 degrees or so counter-clockwise. But this morning, it was different.

When I walked in, the Spud had pulled a full 180. Apparently it's a genetic thing carried on the Y chromosome as both my father and I have done the same in the past. Leigh told me that it hadn't stopped there. By the time she went in to get him for his morning feeding, he'd managed to continue his circuit and gone almost a full 360 degrees.

That's all for tonight.

Sunday Funday

Connor seemed to have a much better Sunday this week.

I woke up at about 9:30 AM and was joined by the Spud, brought in for a visit by his mother. The three of us hung out for a bit before I got up to get something to eat.

Once everyone had fed, Leigh packed up some coupons and headed into town to get the shopping done. It was an extended trip since she also had to stop by Lowes for a bulb for the laundry room's ceiling fixture. Needless to say, Connor and I got to spend some quality time together.

In addition to eating and taking a couple of brief naps, Connor spent some time bouncing in his bouncy saucer, playing on the floor, sitting up in the nursing pillow, and even sitting in this chair designed to help infants learn to sit up on their own. although, in the last example, he kept pulling the little saddle horn doohickey off, which compromised his balance. However, he seemed to be enjoying his new-found freedom.

Eventually, we settled down with Connor moving between my lap and the nursing pillow as we watched Balls of Fury. He seemed to enjoy the slapstick and bright colors. shortly after it finished, Leigh got home and I helped her unload the groceries.

Connor ended up taking another 30-40 minute nap after that, but it ended just before Leigh had a chance to take one of her own. Then she watched after him while I worked on getting some brown rice jambalaya made (recipe to follow on my food blog once I have the chance to tweak it a little more). After we ate, the Spud got his bath, had a quick meal, during which both he and his mother passed right out, then got moved to his crib for the rest of the night.

Floppette was subbed in for Floppy overnight to give the latter a chance to dry off a bit. But Connor didn't seem to notice at that point.

All in all, he was a lot more relaxed than he has been over the past few weekends. I'm not sure if it's because the teeth are gtting closer to popping out or what, but it's nice to have a sweet tempered child. At any rate, glad I managed to get this post finished. and now, to finish lunch and get back to work.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Another Saturday night

It feels like I'm spending a lot of my blogging time writing about the same things. While Connor is growing rapidly and changing a little every day, the shifts are so subtle that they don't come out easily in the blog entries. But I made a promise to myself and damn it, I'm going to keep it.

Leigh had her normal Saturday morning activities to attend to and Connor wasn't down for his usual post-feeding nap, so I was up at about 7:30 AM to keep an eye on him. We had some good father/son time since Leigh also had a haircut scheduled and didn't get back until the afternoon. We had a good time, although I didn't get much accomplished. He did go down for a couple of 30 minute naps, which let me at least get my lunch and the dishes handled.

After Leigh got home, we spent some time relaxing as a family, then started getting ready for "Date Night". Leigh's father and step-mother had agreed to watch Connor (in truth, I think we could charge people to watch him instead of vice-versa, but...) so that the two of us could go out for a little while. We had a good time (a review will be coming tomorrow on my food blog), but every 20 or 30 minutes, we kept checking our phones to make sure that there weren't any calls coming in about the Spud.

When we got back, Connor was in a good mood. He had apparently fussed for a bit after we left, but it seems it was only gas. We got him home, changed him, fed him, and he passed right out. He's been quiet in his crib since then.

I still can't believe that I've got a child sometimes. But looking at him, watching him, and thinking about the way I feel every time I see him, I can't deny that he's my son. It's just weird to realize that I'm a father. I don't know how long it'll take to get used to the idea.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Better late than never

I passed out unexpectedly last night, so I didn't get a chance to write yesterday's official blog post. Nothing worse than passing out stone-cold sober. But at least it meant that I was up early to take care of Connor this morning. But more on that tonight in the Saturday post.

Friday was a pretty typical day. Work with the promise of a baby at the end of the day when I get home to keep me going.

When I got home, Connor was chowing down, but he finished pretty quickly thereafter. To free our hands so we could eat dinner, Leigh and I put him in his bouncy saucer and his eyes were immediately drawn to the dangling bird. Over the past few days, he's been trying his hardest to reach that bird and stick it in his mouth. He'd managed to grab the tail feathers, but wasn't quite tall enough to get further.

We'd tried putting a book under him to give a little more height, but it was small enough that he had trouble staying on top of it. So, in a moment of inspiration, Leigh decided that putting the Wii Fit board under him would solve everything.




Needless to say, Connor's got a new favorite game.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Bonus Post: Firsts I'm Looking Forward To

Leigh and I received a baby book as a gift and, like most baby books, it has a list of firsts that you can record for later child-embaressment. But while things like "first tooth" and "first word" are important to record, they don't include a lot of the things that I want to remember. So for my long delayed but promised bonus post, I present to you...Connor 1sts that I want to see.

(Note: If any of these seem odd, remember that this is my list and there are a lot of things, such as where I grew up and my overwhelming love of food, that color my perspective.)
  • First soft pretzel
  • First cheesesteak
  • First pizza (date and flavor)
  • First ice cream (date and flavor)
  • First book read on his own
  • First movie in a theater
  • First video game
  • First complete sentence
  • First running attack hug
  • First joke
  • First hand-made card
  • First brain-freeze
There will be other firsts, but these are the ones that have come to me so far

    Running around

    I took a half day at work today so I could get some errands taken care of and surprise Leigh. I knew Connor had been really fussy, so when she got home, I was waiting for her and able to take him off of her hands for a while.

    He was really gassy again, but between a few burps, farts, and some Mylicon, he settled back down. What amazed me is that between the fussiness and cries, he was still full of smiles. He's definitely one of the most sweet tempered children I've ever known and I'm incredibly thankful for that.

    So while I was running errands, I stopped at Best Buy. I had a couple of gift cards and had something I wanted to pick up. While I was there anyway, I decided to pick up a few movies. And that was where I discovered Shaun the Sheep.

    I remember being introduced to Wallace and Gromit back in the mid-90s and finding that the same company had made a series of animated shorts starring a sheep (who bears a striking resemblance to Floppy) was too much for me to resist. I hope Connor enjoys it as much as I think I will.

    Anyway, enough rambling for tonight.

    Thursday, February 25, 2010

    Washing the Sheep

    It may just be that it's late, but I can't help but think that I came up with a title that sounds much too dirty.

    Anyway, Connor spent another fairly restless day with Leigh, but by the time I got home he was relaxing on the couch while Leigh was making dinner (Chocolate chip pancakes and turkey bacon. Brinner FTW!). After we ate, we got Connor into the bath and, while he idly munched on his toes, I turned my attention to my son's best friend.

    Floppy spends a lot of time with various parts in the Spud's mouth. In the course of an hour, I've seen all four legs, the muzzle, both ears, and the tail spend time between the gums. He spends so much time in Connor's mouth, in fact, that even after he was left at the cabinet shop overnight, his ears were still wet in the morning.

    Needless to say, he's gotten a bit dirty and his ears have taken on a concentrated baby-droll smell. So while Leigh took care of one side of Connor, I scrubbed away at Floppy.

    Now clean but damp, Floppy is spending the rest of the night watching over Connor as he sleeps. His usual position in the crib has been filled in by Floppette. And tomorrow, when he's dry, he'll resume his usual place at his best friend's side.

    Wednesday, February 24, 2010

    The Grunting

    Over the past couple of days, Connor's been grunting during some feedings. His face gets red and it seems like he's trying to poop, but he's not. It doesn't seem to be constipation; he's pooping fairly regularly. But it's weird and it's interrupting his feeding.

    According to Leigh, the Spud has been a lot grumpier in the afternoons. He's still not napping much or well and he requires a lot of attention, which keeps Leigh from getting much work done. As much as we hate having to do it, I know Leigh is looking forward to having a regular babysitter.

    Other than that, there isn't a whole lot going on. Got in some good playing on the floor time with Connor this evening. He was in a pretty good mood once I got home, although that had apparently only started about 5 minutes before I got home.

    Anyway, it sounds like he may be fussing in his crib, so I had better check on him, then pass out. Until tomorrow.

    Tuesday, February 23, 2010

    Reflecting on the first five months

    At 3:45 PM on 2/23, Connor will officially be five months old. Looking at him now, I can still see the (relatively) tiny newborn who peed on the first nurse to try to take him to get cleaned up. But he's already come such a long way from there that it's tough to believe it's the same baby.

    Connor was 8 lbs 13 oz at birth. He lost 5 oz in the hospital, but was back at his birth weight in barely more than two weeks. Now he's closing in on 18 lbs.

    At birth, Connor was 21 inches long. He's over 25 and a half now and seems to grow a little more every day.

    When fresh from the womb, Connor was barely aware of his surroundings. He reacted to stimuli, but didn't make connections between cause and effect. Now when he comes into a room, he's alert and looking around, trying to absorb everything about his surroundings. I'm pretty sure he even recognizes his reflection as being somehow related to him, though it's difficult to tell when it comes to abstract notions like that.

    The Spud has also made vast strides in physical development. He was trying to raise his head up from the day he was born, but now it's steady. He can sit up for a minute or so at a time without help and has been figuring out how to prop himself up with his hands. He's not crawling, but he's already learned to love standing up and can support his own weight for about ten minutes at a time, only needing help with balance. He can even roll over a bit: mostly from belly to back, but he went back to belly in the bath tub tonight, much to Leigh's and my delight.

    His first two teeth will be showing up any day now, I'm sure.

    The biggest change, though, is personality. It's still pretty amorphous, but there's a definite person developing inside of my son. He's curious and social and I think he's even starting to develop a bit of an independent streak. He just seems very happy when he's not in pain from gas or teething, or cranky from lack of sleep. And I can't wait to see how he continues to grow over time.

    Monday, February 22, 2010

    Sunday, fussy Sunday

    Today was another fussy one for the Spud. For the most part he was in a good mood, but between the teeth getting ready to pop out and an extraordinary amount of gas, Connor quickly switched from smiles to howls.

    Leigh had some things to do this afternoon, so I ended up watching Connor for a few hours. He managed to nap for about half an hour before she left and for a couple of minutes between bottles that I fed him. But when he woke up, he got all pissed off again.

    I managed to find a way to keep him happy for almost an hour so that I could get some work done on a paper for one of my classes. Considering his fascination with the bright, swirling colors of the WMP visualizer and the value of storytime, I loaded an audio-book in mp3 format onto my PS3 and put Connor into a bouncy seat in front of it. Other than looking back at me and smiling a couple of times, it held his attention almost the entire time.

    Once Leigh got back, Connor fed again and promptly passed out. We had been planning on bathing him tonight, but felt bad about waking him up. We gave him almost 2 hours, but other than opening his eyes once or twice, he stayed out. So we moved him to the crib and he's been snoozing since. We'll have to handle the bath tomorrow.

    The teeth are definitely close to coming out. I can finally see them on the top of the gum line. I hope he settles down a bit after they come out. And that he doesn't do what I did and start biting.

    Anyway, time for this daddy to tuck himself in. Bonus post is a bit delayed, but darn it, it will happen!

    Sunday, February 21, 2010

    Meeting the sitter

    Today was the day that Leigh, Connor and I went to meet the woman who we had been talking about leaving Connor with during the day. She's been the sitter for a local contractor Leigh's done work with as well as a mutual customer and came highly recommended.

    We got there at around 11 AM and were greeted by her husband, who was taking advantage of the nice day to wash his car. Connor had been pretty talkative throughout the trip and was up and curious when we went inside to meet Zelda, the sitter, and her daughter. We let them hold Connor to get to know him and he promptly began getting fussy, which concerned me. Fortunately, he burped a couple of minutes later and was his usual, cheerful self afterwords.

    Zelda and her daughter took to Connor immediately and, after discussing the details, it looks like starting in the middle of next month, Connor will have some daytime supervision! Leigh and I hate having to leave him with someone, but it looks like it will at least be a good, nurturing environment.

    Connor spent the rest of the day not napping. He got maybe half an hour combined, but that was all. I really hope he's able to nap more easily when his teeth pop out.

    Enough for tonight. Still need to get the bonus post done this weekend.

    Saturday, February 20, 2010

    Missing my boy

    Well, this was the last day (for the time being) that I had to work late. While there were definitely some cool parts to it (like getting to help out Eric Mabius with an e-mail issue), I'd have given all of that up for a few more hours of wakeful time with Connor.

    I think Leigh would have appreciated it to. The Spud has been continuing to refuse to nap, giving her no time to get things taken care of and wearing on her nerves. But the end of that may be in sight!

    First of all, Connor's first teeth look like they're just about ready to come out, which should offer him some relief. And to give Leigh an even bigger break, we're going to be meeting up with a possible babysitter tomorrow. She looked after the daughter of someone we know, but with the daughter getting ready for pre-school, the sitter is going to be available.

    We're really hoping that she'll work out, since Leigh and I would both prefer to avoid the bigger daycare centers while there's still a risk of H1N1 floating out there. Plus the more personal touch can be a good thing. But we'll see how Connor reacts to her and go from there.

    Anyway, more tomorrow including a bonus post!

    Friday, February 19, 2010

    Pending erruption

    Once again, my overtime kept me from spending much time with Connor today. But I had a few hours of solo time yesterday to make up for it. Well, it didn't entirely make up for it, but I guess I have to be happy for what I have. But anyway...

    During one of my daily checkups on Leigh and Connor, I got some interesting news. The Spud hasn't been wanting to take naps recently, which has lead to Leigh having to grab a moment to get things accomplished when she can. Today, while Connor was in his jumper, she ran to get a bite to eat, returning when she heard a cry. She saw Floppy on the floor and when she picked him up, she saw a couple of spots of blood.

    Inspecting Connor, she found the source of the blood was the front lower gum. No tooth yet, but that certainly seems to be a strong indicator that it can't be too far away now.

    Oh, and Floppy was cleaned up nicely and is blood free again.

    Nothing else Connor related today. Sleep time now. And remember, special bonus post this weekend!

    Wednesday, February 17, 2010

    Lame post tonight

    I had a great time hanging out with Connor this afternoon while Leigh got her massage, but I'm completely bushed and don't have it in me to put together a real post. I'll make it up with a significant post and a bonus post this weekend, but for right now, I think I need to just turn in.

    Chipmunk Cheeks Rides Again!

    When I was very young, my parents thought I was going to be another Dizzy Gillespie. To put it plainly, I had massive cheek capacity. And while my cheeks, over the years, have gone to a more normal level of elasticity, I always wondered if it was something genetic or just because I was constantly eating as a baby.

    Well, I still don't have an answer because Connor is pretty constantly eating. But whatever the reason, this picture definitely proves he's daddy's little Spud.

     

    In other news, Connor's afternoon insomnia continues. He just doesn't seem to want to sleep during the day, but he gets very cranky if he doesn't. Fortunately, he's still mostly sleeping through the night, so I have to be thankful for that.

    Anyway, sleep time for me. Half day tomorrow so I can watch after Connor while Leigh (finally) gets her birthday massage.

    Tuesday, February 16, 2010

    Slow News Day Flashback: Connor's early stubborn streak

    Well, nothing new or interesting happened today on the Connor front, so I thought I would take the opportunity to talk a little about our early indications of how stubborn the Spud was destined to be.

    When Leigh and I went to the doctor's for an ultrasound to determine our child's sex (at the time, we were referring to it as D-Lush, but that's another story for another time...), our hopes were up. We had been holding off on a lot of yard sale purchasing in anticipation of discovering if we were going to have a little boy or little girl. The Spud had other plans, though. He kept his legs clamped together the whole time and no prodding would get him to shift.

    When we went for a follow up ultrasound later, he tried to foil us again. For the first few attempts, Connor kept putting his foot in the way of the wand. But eventually the technician was able to get around it and I have to say that it was the first time I have ever been happy to see a penis that wasn't mine.

    The other major stubbornness indicator would be closer to delivery time. For a while, Connor was sitting transverse. That is, stretched out horizontally rather than vertically. When he finally decided to go vertical, he went breach. After discussing it with the doctor, Leigh and I talked it over and she decided to try an inversion.

    For those who don't know, an inversion involves the doctor externally manipulating the baby's position. I won't go into details. Suffice to say that based on what Leigh's told me and my own observations, it's not the most pleasant thing in the world. However, Leigh got through it and Connor was oriented correctly. The operative word being "was."

    It wasn't long before Connor flipped himself around again and was once again in breach. So we resigned ourselves to a C-section. Everything was scheduled, my parents were coming down to be there for the "blessed event," and it all seemed ready to go. Of course, there were a few things that went wrong at the hospital, delaying our appointment, but finally we had a room and we were ready to go. In the final check up before getting ready to go though...Connor was discovered to have gone head down again.


    Given the chance for a natural birth, we decided to take the opportunity. That meant coming back the next day and getting induced. And finally, two days after he was 'scheduled' to arrive, Connor emerged from the womb.


    That's all for tonight. More tomorrow. Hopefully fresh news, but if necessary, more flashbacks.

    Monday, February 15, 2010

    Mr. Cranky Pants

    Connor was definitely up and down today.

    I had a lot of school work and some cooking to do today, so Leigh was watching him for most of the day. I think the high point was when we took a break and called my mother while Connor was playing on the floor in his room. He babbled at her for a while and she seemed very pleased. We also weighed him while we were on the phone. He's up to 17.8 pounds now.

    He ate a full serving of rice cereal, too. His method is a little odd: he grabs the spoon and stuffs it in his mouth, then when I pull it out, he uses his fingers to slide the food into his mouth. But it mostly stays in his mouth and goes down into his belly, so who am I to complain?

    This evening, he had a mood switch. He was fine while being carried around or while being helped to stand, but goodness forbid he lay down or sit down for even a few seconds. Leigh had asked me to watch him for a bit and by the end, my lower back was killing me.

    He seems to go through these clingy periods every so often. I'm not sure exactly what's going on, but it could be a whole lot worse, so I won't gripe too much.

    Anyway, it's late, so I should vamoose.

    Sunday, February 14, 2010

    But I don't want to take a nap...

    I can only assume that Connor had the above thought in his head today because he just plain did not want to go to sleep this afternoon. He was cheerful enough, only getting fussy when he somehow managed to poop up the front of his diaper. But he would pitch a fit whenever he was put down in his crib.

    I got him to take a couple of 15-20 minute naps, but nothing significant. Needless to say, he was exhausted this evening. He fell asleep on Leigh on his second to last feeding, catching another 30 or so minutes before he woke up in time for his bath.

    He went right to bed after his final feeding. He woke up while being carried to his crib, but went almost instantly back to sleep once Floppy was tucked in with him. He hasn't made a peep since then.

    Yes, it's a very dry update, but I didn't have a whole lot today. More tomorrow, as Connor gets to experience his first Valentine's Day.

    Saturday, February 13, 2010

    I hate overtime

    I love the fact that I get paid fairly well for what, in the greater scheme of things, is a very simple job. But that doesn't stop me from getting annoyed from time to time. Mostly at the extra hours that I sometimes have to work. Mind you, I get overtime pay for the extra hours and the contract I'm under limits the total number I can be forced to work. But when it keeps me from getting to spend time with Connor, no amount of money can make up for it.

    Next week, there are three nights that I'm going to be working until 8 PM which means I won't get home until about 9:30 PM, about the time that the Spud normally goes to bed. This means I'll get all but no time with him on those days. Quel dommage.

    But on to happier topics.

    Last night, while Leigh and I bathed Connor, I gave Floppy a wipe down. He's been getting a little drool-saturated of late and we thought a quick cleaning might help him. Sure enough, while not soft as new, he's at least lost a good bit of dinginess. Floppette substituted for Floppy in the crib last night to give him a chance to dry out, but now he's back in action.

    It seems that every night, I look down at Connor and wonder how this could have happened. I'm amazed and delighted every time I realize that I'm a dad. On one hand I can't believe that it's only been four and a half months, but on the other hand I can't believe how quickly the time has gone by. He's almost doubled his birth weight already and is over four and a half inches longer than he was at birth. He's aware of his surroundings. He's developing a personality.

    Almost every parent I've talked to has remarked on this phenomenon, but I don't think it can be understood without going through it in some way. I suppose those who have had much younger siblings that they have helped raise get some idea of what it's like, but I was an only child, so this was the first real opportunity I've had to observe it first hand. It just blows my mind.

    Anyway, I get Connor and daddy time tomorrow morning while Leigh's out, so I should get some sleep. More tomorrow.

    Friday, February 12, 2010

    Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy.

    When Leigh and I were in Vancouver, we visited an old friend of mine who had recently had a little girl. She showed us this wonderful baby item: a jumper that attached to a door frame. It provided exercise, seemed to thoroughly entertain her, and got out all of that pent up baby energy. Needless to say, Leigh looked around and found one at a yard sale along with a similar model for her brother's little girl.

    While he showed no interest the first time we put him in the jumper, Leigh had him in the one that's kept at her family's cabinet shop for an hour and a half today and he seemed to be in heaven. He got to look all around, bounce up and down, and generally have an all around fun time.

    Connor's definitely showing more and more interest in staying upright. If he's upset, standing him up will usually get a smile back onto his face. The bouncer is another way to help him establish his balance, build up his leg muscles, and have fun.

    Anyway, I'm pooped, so I'm going to bed. Just needed to make sure I posted first.

    Wednesday, February 10, 2010

    Into the fourth week

    The hardest part of writing for me has always been continuing. I'm a fantastic starter and a pretty solid finisher, but that stretch in the middle can be a real female dog. So I'm very glad that I've been able to keep this going for over three weeks now, especially considering my main subject is so important to me.

    The thing I've noticed most over the past week is the quantity and diversity in Connor's vocalizations.

    First of all, he's "speaking" almost all the time. I've been cautioning him against speaking with his mouth full, because he tries even when he's nursing. From what Leigh's told me and what I've heard when I call her during the day, it doesn't stop unless he's sleeping. It's even interactive in the form of a conversation, though understanding is clearly limited on both sides.

    Second is how many new sounds Connor's been making. The most recent additions to his repertoire is a sort of high pitched squeaking noise that he seems quite proud of.

    Overall, the Spud continues to be very happy and is growing like a weed. But I have to be up early, so my butt needs to get to bed, as his already is. Goodnight and thanks for reading.

    Floppy's triumphant return!

    Just a short post tonight. I stayed up later than I had intended and I have to be up early for overtime.

    This morning I received a picture message from Leigh. It was of a well drooled-on sheep. That's right: Floppy's back.

    As expected, Floppy spent the night in the travel crib and was none the worse for the wear. But his absence did prove something. It seems that despite his extreme youth, Connor did notice the difference. Leigh reports that in the morning, Connor tossed Floppette out of the car seat, something he has never done with Floppy. And when he was reunited with his best friend, Connor didn't put him down all day.

    So while Floppette (and presumably the other replacement Floppies) are an adequate substitute, it's a lot like Coca-Cola: you just can't beat the real thing.

    Monday, February 8, 2010

    Comings and Goings

    Two news items today.

    First of all, one of the pictures that Leigh took last night was a big hit. I've been calling it the "Heisman Picture":

     

    I'm thinking of sending it to the Eagles in the hopes that maybe it'll help inspire them to greater heights next season. With the Saints having claimed victory, the list of teams without a Super Bowl victory is getting way too small for the Eagles to remain in it. And Connor does look awfully adorable in his Eagles onesie.

    The other piece of news, while not a disaster, is not as happy.

    Connor's grandpa Gordon was looking after him this afternoon while Leigh was taking care of some business in Virginia. When packing him up for home, he was sidetracked by someone coming over and accidentally left Floppy the Sheep at the shop.

    Fortunately, there are three "Backup Floppies" available for just such emergencies. And one, nicknamed Floppette, has already gotten some breaking in time (IE, she's been drooled on). Connor seems satisfied with her for tonight. But she's not the original.

    I find that I'm a little worried about Floppy. It's stupid and I know it, but...damn it, he's the Spud's first best friend and he's developed some personality in my mind. I know he's fine, but I'll admit, I was tempted to drive out to Hertford (30-ish minutes from the house) to grab him.

    Anyway, that's enough of my crazy for the day. It's not enough of Connor's cuteness, but that needs to be handed out sparingly. No sense in getting people jaded.

    Sunday, February 7, 2010

    Connor-Bowl I

    Today was Connor's first Super Bowl and, despite not really caring about either team, he seemed to enjoy it.

     

    He was very active again today, almost constantly in motion except when taking a long-ish nap. He also got all the way through a mini-bowl of rice cereal, though it mostly went in his mouth, out onto his fingers, then back into his mouth to be swallowed.
    Anyway, just a short update tonight. I had a few conference posts to write for one of my classes and I'm bushed.

    Saturday, February 6, 2010

    Upcoming growth spurt?

    What was originally expected to be a psycho-busy weekend has turned into a laid back one thanks to the weather. One of Leigh's best friends and her husband were supposed to be visiting as were my father and step-mother. Needless to say, they all decided that discretion was the better part of valor when the monster storm was in the picture.

    The fact that we had some time alone with Connor was nice. Additionally, it was serendipitous; the Spud has required a great deal of time and attention today.

    It all started out pretty quietly.

    Leigh fed Connor this morning, then put him back down for a nap while she took care of her Saturday morning stuff. She got back at around 10 AM, at which point both Connor and I woke up.

    Other than a fairly long nap in the afternoon, Connor was up and active for the whole time after that second wake up. He ate for about half of the time and was moving around and chewing on everything in reach the rest of it. His final feeding was almost two hours long with only a short break to attempt to get him to sleep which, quite frankly, was a giant, flaming disaster.

    Between the massive feedings and relatively long snoozes (one of which he embarked upon after I rocked him in his bouncy chair for about half an hour), it would appear that he has another growth spurt on the horizon. He's already over 25 inches long. I shudder to think of what size clothing he'll be in this time next week.

    You can call Connor a raver, cause he's rollin'!

    As usual, getting home after work was the highlight of my day. Not only did it mean that I wasn't at work or commuting, but it means I get to see Leigh and Connor. And today, Connor had a surprise for me.

    No, not a diaper full of poop.

    While waiting for a tray full of potato wedges to get out of the oven, Leigh and I were watching Connor play on his floor mat. He grabbed on to Leigh's hand and she pulled him up a little. He immediately swung his leg over and got into his 7/8th rolled over position. But then, after a little grunting and moving around, he got his arm out from under him and managed to get himself completely over. He looked around for a bit, then rolled himself onto his back again.

    He got back onto his belly a little later, although he had trouble getting onto his back a second time. He began getting frustrated, so we helped him back over, which satisfied him.

    The past few days, he's also been vocalizing quite a lot. There's a definite pattern of talking present. While the words aren't there, it's not just random noises.

    It's been a big week for Connor and he seems very pleased with himself. Despite the teething pain, he's remained in very high spirits. During tonight's bath, he was all wiggles and excitement, managing to splash about 1/4 of his bath water onto the floor.

    Anyway, it's getting to be time for me to pass out. I have a few plans for the next "nothing interesting happened" day, so I'm going to jot those down now before turning in. Until later.

    Friday, February 5, 2010

    All's quiet on the Connor front

    It's been another fairly quiet day. Leigh told me that Connor was very fussy throughout the day and he was certainly a ball of energy when I got home. He's chewing on everything in sight, so it's pretty clear that he's feeling those first couple of teeth wanting to come out. But other than that, it's been pretty unexciting.

    I turned one of Connor's pictures into an emoticon for my intra-office instant messenger program. It's gotten a good reaction from people, but I mostly did it as a way to give myself a little boost. If it makes someone else smile too, all the better.

    As you may be able to tell, I'm short of anything significant to write tonight. But I promised myself that I would post something every day and, even if it's meaningless dribble, I'm going to try hard to keep that promise.

    Hopefully I will have something interesting for tomorrow. Until then...

    Wednesday, February 3, 2010

    Connor on demand

    Nothing super new on the Spud front today. He slept through the night and when I walked in this morning to give him a good morning kiss, his eyes opened up and he gave me a beautiful smile. That carried me through most of the day, but to get me over the hump, Leigh sent me a couple of pictures.

    As I mentioned, I'm doing at least one picture a day of Connor to turn into a 365 day album for his first year. So the picture taking and sending isn't anything new. But over the past month or so, Leigh's made a real effort to get me new 'action shots' of the little guy to help get me through the tough part of the day.

    I'm not the only one with a photo jones, though. While a number of people at work have gotten used to the near-daily photo storm I carry along with me, my mother has gotten downright pushy about it at times. But I have to admit that Connor is awfully cute, so I suppose I can understand.

    He's snoozing now and, as I said, it was a pretty uneventful day. So I leave you tonight with one of the shots that provided a pick-me-up to me this afternoon:

    Tuesday, February 2, 2010

    Bad start/Good Finish

    To say that this morning started out badly would be to indulge in gross understatements of the same magnitude as saying that there's some small dislike between fans of the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins.

    I was heading to bed shortly before 1 AM. Connor started fussing as he had the morning before. As far as I can tell, it was a mix of teething pain and gas. We medicated him and I attempted to get him back to sleep by reading him a story, but he wouldn't calm down. That was when I noticed that his hands were awfully cold.

    Leigh had mentioned earlier that she thought the house was kind of chilly, so I checked the thermostat. Though it was set for 66, it was only registering 61. A check of the vents found that there was air coming through, but it wasn't warm.

    While Leigh and I were prepared to suffer through a cold night on our own, we couldn't do that to Connor. Leigh went down to her father's place to pick up a propane heater to keep things from getting too cold until we could get someone out in the morning. While getting the car warmed up, she checked the gas tank for our heating and discovered that it was empty. In barely over a month.

    On her way back with the heater, Leigh slipped on some ice and bruised herself, but managed to avoid serious injury. Connor still wouldn't calm down, so she fed him for a while until he passed out.

    By this time, it was after 3 and I was exhausted. I decided to call out for the day to give Leigh a break and wait for the gas company to show up. They filled everything up and found no leaks, though we're still a little confused as how, after improving our home's energy efficiency, we ended up using more fuel than we ever had before. But that's another story.

    At any rate, I got to spend the whole day with Connor and it was generally a lot of fun. He was rather vocal about not wanting any dang rice cereal, preferring to stick to milk. But he ate well and napped several times and was mostly very well tempered. He was just starting to get fussy when Leigh got home and, with mommy there, the Spud's mood was immediately elevated.

    Now he's finishing up his evening meal and will be getting some teething tablets, then getting tucked in. I'll be following shortly thereafter. I'm almost looking forward to getting back to work, since it implies I'll be getting some vague amount of normality back.

    Until tomorrow.

    Finishing the day off right

    As promised, post two for today.

    This morning started pretty badly. Connor woke up a little before 2 AM, just as I was getting to bed. He hadn't had any Tylenol or teething tablets before bed, so when he wouldn't calm down after being changed, Leigh and I decided to give him something for the pain. We cuddled him for a little, but he started fussing again as soon as he was put down in the crib.

    Leigh didn't want to get him into the habit of late night feedings, so I decided to read to him instead. Keeping him in the crib, I read "In the Night Kitchen" to him and, about halfway through, he quieted. By the time I finished, his eyes were drooping and he was soon asleep again, followed closely by his parents.

    As I mentioned in my last post, I took the day off to avoid crappy road conditions. VA does not understand how to handle Winter weather. Southern VA understands it even worse than Northern VA, which is pretty frightening if you've ever lived in the DC Metro area and seen how NoVA handles snow. But I digress...

    While Leigh shopped, I kept an eye on Connor. He napped on and off, but while he was up, he tended to fuss unless he was playing his favorite game, "Standing." Almost without fail, being supported so that he can stand up calms him down. His leg strength has grown a lot, too; he can stand for over 10 minutes without any problems.

    This afternoon, everyone went down for a nap. Leigh and I expected to lay down for a few minutes, but the next thing we knew, over an hour had passed. Leigh was the first one up, followed by me a few minutes later and Connor a few minutes after that. It was almost as if we had planned it that way.

    After his bath, Connor did not seem at all interested in his evening rice cereal, so we moved him right to the milk. He was a little crabby but didn't seem to be in real discomfort, so he just got a couple of teething tablets without the Tylenol. We'll see how that works out.

    Now, I am off to bed. Have to leave early to give myself time for road conditions, even though schools are closed which should keep the streets a little more empty. Until tomorrow.

    Monday, February 1, 2010

    Whoops.

    Missed a day by accident, so today will have to be a double post spectacular to make up for it.

    Yesterday was a big one for the Spud. Two major milestones have now been achieved.

    First of all, Connor's first feeding was started with a little something different: rice cereal! For the first time, Connor had something other than breast milk in his belly. Albeit, it was mostly all over his bib, clothes, and face but some of it did make it into his mouth and he looked quite pleased about it. He also finished the day with a little rice cereal before his normal milk.

    Connor's second milestone was going out into the snow. Here is the photographic evidence demanded by a certain aged relative.



    Anyway, I stayed home today because the road conditions were crappy, so I'm looking after Connor while Leigh's grabbing some groceries. More on today's adventures when I post tonight.

    Saturday, January 30, 2010

    Snow day

    Unlike many children born in the South, Connor's very first Winter was graced with the appearance of snow. While he's too small to really enjoy it, he did look out the window at it and seemed somewhat fascinated. We were going to take him outside to get some pictures, but the snow turned to sleet and freezing rain and that's not fun to be in, no matter what age you are.

    It's been a fairly quiet Saturday, otherwise. We've stuck to the house. Connor's napped a little and eaten a lot. He was sleeping for about 45 minutes, but started getting very fussy, so he's been snacking a little more. This may be the weekend that we try him on rice cereal, as the pediatrician gave the thumbs up. He's watching our food closely when Leigh and I eat, which is apparently a major indicator that he's ready to try something for himself.

    Anyway, just a short post tonight. Going to try to get a good night's sleep to finish off this cold.

    The four month check up

    Real news, for once!

    Connor had his four month check up today, which meant some immunizations (he apparently wasn't too pleased about the ones that involved a needle) and "official" measurements.

    As of today, at four months and almost a week, Connor tips the scales at a whopping 17 pounds 3 ounces and measures a formidable 25.5 inches. Leigh told me that he was very fussy after the shots, but she eventually managed to get him down for a two hour nap.

    When I got home, he was his normal, cheerful self. I was feeling well enough that I got some play time in with him. Connor's favorite new games are "Sitting Up" and "Standing." In both cases, he tries to get there himself, but requires a little assistance before he's in position. With "Sitting Up," he pretty much takes it from there, although he does requires readjustment every so often. "Standing," though, is a slightly more complicated effort.

    While Connor supports his weight all by himself, he doesn't exactly have what you could call a sense of balance. But I'm amazed at how long and how well he can stand there with only a little support. I know it's not abnormal, but I've never really thought of how fast a baby can go from a sleeping/eating/pooping machine to a tiny human. This is what I hope this blog can remind me of in the years to come, because goodness knows that it goes by fast when you're living it.

    But now, I think the cold meds are starting to kick in, so I'm going to shuffle off to bed. Until tomorrow.

     
    (Connor, 10/27/09. An early, practice game of "Standing.")

    Thursday, January 28, 2010

    The story of Floppy the Sheep

    Well, as nothing major happened today, I thought I would take this opportunity to tell everyone about Connor's constant companion, Floppy the Sheep.


    Floppy was part of a gift given to us by my father and step-mother during Leigh's baby shower. My step-mother found him at a bookstore and instantly fell in love with him. However, he was the second stuffed animal that we tried out with Connor. The first was a small, blue dog that Connor just didn't seem to react to. Floppy was an entirely different matter, though.

    Almost as soon as we put Floppy next to Connor, there was an attachment. He would pull Floppy into a tight hug and move him around delightedly. When we go in to wake Connor in the morning, Floppy might be found anywhere in the crib (although on top of Connor's head seems to be a frequent nesting location). Since he's started teething, Floppy can frequently be found with an ear or limb stuffed in Connor's mouth.

    To help prevent possible trauma, we have obtained three 'spare' Floppies to switch in if the original gets lost or damaged. One, nicknamed Floppette, has been swapped in once already to help get Connor's scent. The other two stare at Leigh and me from the bassinet that we still have in our room. It's a little creepy, but also a little comforting.

    I'm also in the process of writing a childrens' book about Floppy, but goodness knows if I'll ever finish it. But it's fun to try.

    Anyway, I still have a cold and I'm tired, so it's time to sleep now.

    Wednesday, January 27, 2010

    The "half push-up"

    I feel like I'm coming down with a cold, so this is going to be a short post. I'm going to take my nighttime cold meds and pass the heck out. Anyway, I'm a little grumpy because I didn't get to cuddle the Spud. I could have, but I don't want an even better chance of getting him sick.

    So as I mentioned in an earlier post, Connor's working on the whole "rolling over" thing. While he isn't close to perfecting his technique, he has been much more into the half push-up, raising the front half of his body up while supporting his weight with his arms so that he can look around. Just a few weeks ago, he'd lift his body up, but didn't understand how to support himself, so it was always a very short lift up. Now it goes on for minutes at a time.

    On a side note, I'm very glad to be living in this time period. While I'm not one to trust everything that I read on the internet, I would be scared as heck if I hadn't seen so many people commenting on how teething babies can get constipated. Connor went through two poop-less days, but made up for it today. Leigh estimated that five diaper changes involved a stinky present.

    On a final note, thanks to everyone who has told me that they've been reading. The best part of the parenthood journey so far has been watching Connor develop, but the second best thing has been knowing that there are other people sharing the journey with me. So goodnight, all. Be back tomorrow. If I'm feeling up to it and there's nothing more significant, I'll be telling the story of Floppy the Sheep.

    Connor 365

    A while back, I remember seeing some friends of mine posting a picture a day album they did for (if I recall correctly) an art class. The idea stuck with me and I've been doing the same for Connor. After his first birthday, I'll be going through all of the pictures and taking at least one from each day and putting them all together.

    While I'm not planning on doing anything quite so formal with this blog, I see it as being a similar exercise. Instead of visually tracking the changes, I'm tracking my observations. So, similar but different. But enough filler material.

    Connor was apparently very annoyed today due to teething, so Leigh's pretty wiped out. But he still managed to be extra cute for a few pictures. While he still hasn't managed to roll from back to stomach, when I rolled him onto his stomach, he raised himself up, looked around a little, then rolled himself onto his back again. So there is definite progress being made.

    I think I could see a white spot on his gum tonight, so hopefully it won't be too much longer before the first round of teething ends.

    Finally, we're continuing to work on the baby sign language. We're focusing on just a couple of signs right now, including 'milk' and 'eat'. We figured that since those are related to his favorite activity, they should be the easiest for him to pick up.

    Anyway, time for this little piggy to go home. Or, at least, to bed. But before I leave you, some more 'Classic Connor'...


    Monday, January 25, 2010

    Early riser

    Under normal circumstances, Connor starts stirring at around 6:15-6:30 in the morning, but doesn't really wake up fully until around 7 AM, when I'm heading out of the door. This morning I was up early because I had scheduled 30 minutes of overtime before my shift, so I wasn't expecting much of a reaction from my habitual 'see you tonight' kiss on the forehead that I give Connor each morning. Imagine my surprise and delight when I found that his eyes were wide open and he was wearing the most beatific grin imaginable.

    I checked with Leigh and that is apparently par for the course upon Connor's initial wakefulness. I just never get to see it, since I'm always in a rush to get to work. Since I was running a few minutes ahead of schedule, I took the opportunity to extend my smile time by giving Connor his first diaper change of the day.

    I took a half-day at work and came home early to get some cleaning done. My father and step-mother are planning on visiting soon as are one of Leigh's best friends and her husband, so we're working to get the house as clean as it can be considering it is home to a baby. By getting some stuff done today, though, I was able to get in more time with Connor in the evening. It's a shame I can't do it every day, but c'est la vie.

    At any rate, it's late again and I should be getting to bed. Classes start next week, so I'll have even less free time, but I still want to keep this blog going strong. Will I succeed? Tune in tomorrow to find out.



    Lazy Sunday

    Just a short post before I pass out.

    Spent the whole day at home with Connor. I watched him while Leigh and her brother worked on pricing a job. Leigh and I took him on his very first stroller ride to enjoy the fairly nice weather. Then I watched him while Leigh ran to the grocery store.

    The teething continues, but it seems to be under control. The little guy is miserable when the pain flares up, but between the Orajel, teething tablets, and Tylenol, he's getting by. And now he's tucked in and sleeping peacefully, cuddled up with Floppy the Sheep.

    Longer update tomorrow. Need sleep now.

    Saturday, January 23, 2010

    Four months and going strong

    Today was Connor's four month 'birthday' and it was very busy. It started early, with a loud yelp from Connor, who had managed to wedge his leg in between the slats of his crib. He was quickly extracted with no damage, but it was not easy to get back to sleep after that. Well, not for me; the Spud was back to bed in record time.

    Connor spent most of the day with his Grandpa Gordon and Grandma Grace (amazing amounts of accurate alliteration...) while Leigh and I went shopping in Virginia. Mind you, most of the shopping was for Connor, as he has been growing faster than we had anticipated and will shortly be in the '9 month' clothing range.

    One of the most striking things to me about how much life has changed was how much I missed Connor throughout the day. Leigh and I loved having time to ourselves, but both of us commented on how much we missed him.

    When we got back and picked him up, we bathed him, fed him, and got him into bed. We were so busy I almost forgot to take my daily picture of him. (For those who were unaware, I know some people who did a 365 day, 1 picture a day album of themselves and decided that I wanted to do that for Connor. I haven't missed a day yet, although I was technically a couple of hours late once or twice.)

    Hopefully tomorrow will be a little more sedate. We need to get some grocery shopping done and I have a beef/venison stew to make, but other than that, I just want to spend some time relaxing with the Spud.

    Short post

    It's late and I should really be in bed, but I'm sticking by my effort to post something every day.

    Connor woke up early this morning. Usually, he goes to sleep at about 9:30 PM and is fully awake at about 7 AM. I give him a kiss in the morning before I head to work a little before then and he may or may not squirm and fuss a little, sometimes even peeking at me from beneath heavy lids.

    This morning, though, he was apparently up and ready to go at about 5:30 AM. So instead of pumping then feeding him, Leigh fed him first. After he ate, Connor passed back out, so when I was getting ready to leave, I found him snoozing peacefully, halfway sitting up in his nursing pillow on the couch:



    The teething is proceeding. Thank goodness for the teething tablets that my parents never had available to them.

    That's all for tonight. Maybe something more substantial tomorrow, since it's the weekend.

    Thursday, January 21, 2010

    Another day

    A lot of the day to day things that Connor does are pretty repetitive. I suppose it's like that for most children, but he's the only one I have any sort of detailed personal experience with, so I can't be certain.

    Anyway, tonight was bath night. Leigh and I have been bathing Connor approximately every other night and it seems to be one of his favorite activities. Even if he's fussing up a storm, as soon as his little bottom touches the water, he settles down and starts smiling. While waiting for his little tub to fill, I weighed him (about 16.7 pounds) and he decided to let loose on me, necessitating a change of pants.

    He's been teething for a few days now and we've settled into a new routine, adding some teething tablets and a little baby Tylenol when switching between...er...feeding stations. It seems to keep him from waking up in the middle of the night, which has both him and his mother much happier.

    I think that's it for tonight. Maybe tomorrow I'll have something more interesting to share.

    Wednesday, January 20, 2010

    First post

    As everyone who knows me is probably already aware, I have a very long commute. As much as I hate having so much of my day sucked away by the drive to and from work, it does give me a lot of time to listen to audio books or just get some thinking in.

    The other day, I was thinking about how much I needed to get myself writing again. It didn't matter what I was writing as long as I was keeping myself in practice. I was also thinking about how quickly my son, Connor, had grown in less than four months. Much like the old commercials involving peanut butter and chocolate, a new idea was born.

    I'm certainly not the only person keeping a blog about their child. I don't have any plans to load everything down with advice, tips, or hard learned lessons. Quite frankly, I'm new to this whole 'being a dad' thing and I don't feel qualified to give advice to anyone. But this is a way that I can keep in practice and have something tangible to look back on when Connor's older so I can remember what was going through my head at that time.

    So for anyone else who may be reading this, I hope you get a couple of laughs. Whether I'm writing this for myself or not, I aim to amuse. And for an older me...just remember how cute The Spud was when this was written, even though he was teething.