Where have you been?

A year of reflection!

My goodness! At Six months and I was not my son would squirm like a worm. As exciting as it is that he is crazy, I was worried. Not that I would drop him because he moves so much, but that I'll get worn out or run out of things to do for the short attention span. He's still at the age where you can rotate back to the thing you did in the beginning, but I'm going to have to start racking my brain when he is a little older and wiser.

I wrote that paragraph a year ago and now, "the boy" as the wife and I like to call him, is walking. I no longer stay home with him because the roles are now reversed. My wife gets to spend all day with the little munchkin and she is enjoying every minute. Things are much different since I last wrote on my blog about being a stay at home dad. It was a lot fun while it lasted, but truth be told my wife needed the break from work and to be home with our son. I am old fashioned with the belief that mom at home is best for the child. Please don't misunderstand me, I am not saying it is were she belongs due to inferiority, but because it creates the healthiest environment for his development. I will hush up now before I get in trouble. The darling spouse is so overjoyed and this afternoon she says "I think he is so cute and I love watching him grow up". You do not know how much that means to me.

Since writing this paragraph the wife and I are expecting another little boy and "the boy" is running around like a maniac. Oh yeah, he is talking too. MINE and OH BALL AND BAT!! among other funny expressions. On another note, my wife and I started a business. It focuses on health and wellness, nontoxic cleaners and no paraben cosmetics. It is an exciting time for us here and just crazy to think that time really has wings and fly's off.

Until next time, may your life be filled with God's grace and His truth.

A spoonful of sugar makes the.....

Cereal go down. Ok, I need to get out more with that header. On that note, we have introduced the spoon to our boy and we are seeing the change from bottle in our arms to high chair of independence. According to the pundits we should be introducing more solid foods to him around the 5 to 6 month age in which, I think, we are on target. It usually takes time for kids to accept the spoon, but this kid has a knack for eating (I think he gets that from his daddy and if you ever met me you'd understand). We put some carrots food (organic of course or else his mom would die!!) with organic (again, mom would die if otherwise) rice cereal . I was even brave enough to try my mom's old peruvian suggestion of boiling yams and including it in his meal. It worked and there weren't any poopy repercussions in his diaper. I would test it out before giving this a try with your son or daughter. It could get messy as every child responds differently. It been about 3 weeks since I started writing this blog and MAN! has a lot changed. He's on to 2 cereal feedings a day, but I believe 3 feedings of cereal a day is recommended, but our son hasn't been asking for more, so I don't want to overfeed. I'm sure if gave more he wouldn't mind taking it. The more cereal the more poopy diapers...

Diapers, who needs a stinkin' diaper!
Speaking of diapers, changing one has become a sinch and some tips that would be valuable for me to share is putting a new diaper underneath the one your changing your baby, have an extra onsie in case he/she has soaked through the one he/she has on, take the socks off (this is an extra step, but the legs usually go everywhere and stain them), use the old diaper to wipe off excess poop (important because it saves you wipes and money). These are a few tips I can think of for now, but they have make changing a diaper really fast, safe and easy! In relation to diapers, make sure you have extra bags in your diaper pale so that it makes it convenient to change when it gets full. If you want to minimize the stink in your diaper pale you should keep plastic grocery bags near the diapers so that you can throw the poopy diapers away separate. This really helps the nostrils and makes your babies environment better for her/him to live in.

Like a 401/k and cingular wireless plan minutes
He can rollover. I've had those rollover jokes stored for a couple of weeks and I had to let them out (I apologize if you don't appreciate corny jokes). It was just a moment ago that he was developing to arms to hold himself up on his belly. Now! I go into his room after a nap and there he is on his back with a big'ol smile on his face. Its exciting and scary. I can't take my eyes off this guy without worrying what he might do next. I suggest getting into the habit of being careful. It is easy to confide in your ability of taking care and end up being careless.

Peace out!
It has been a great 3 weeks since I started writing this post and as you can see things are a changin'. I keep hammering this home, but it is a priveleage to be my son's dad and take care of his well being. I don't ever want to forget that.

Another week, another dollar?

Nope, I don't get paid, but I wish I did to do this. By this, I mean blogging not daddying (Not a real word, deal with it). I apologize for not getting this out earlier as It has been a hectic week, but things are moving along. Lets get into what has happened in another jam packed exciting week of stay at home daddy world.

NO! Don't drop it!
Yup, its official! My son took a toy and dropped it on the ground. Only four months old and he has started the endless pick up battle. I can see myself in the near future bending over too many times to pick up a toy that will be on the ground only milliseconds later. If the saying "necessity is the mother of all inventions" has a small ounce of truth I think I can win the war . Trust me, I've thought of different things that might work so that I don't feel like the Greek mythical character Sysiphus (This character was compelled to roll a huge rock up a steep hill, but before he could reach the top of the hill, the rock would always roll back down again, forcing him to begin again). I've thought of stringing rubber bands together, but I'm not sure how that would help. I think it would be faster picking up the toy or whatever is in his hand, than spending time making the rubber band contraption. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know! Its for a good cause, MY BACK!

Venus fly trap
FEED ME SEYMOUR!!! Yeah, my son now knows how to grasp things and vacuum them into his mouth. He grabs, conquers and licks. It was cute when he didn't know what he was doing and just trying to grab, but now I have to be more conscience of how dirty my hands are. It means they'll get even more dry then they already are; not that I mind it because I'm a man's man, although my wife would say otherwise. He reminds me of a Venus fly trap where anything in close proximity of reach is HIS! He is extending, grabbing and pulling in! Its a work of art and he does it rather gracefully. I'm excited how fast he is developing, but like I said last week, sad that it will be but a memory that I will soon forget.

Peace out!
Its been a great week so far and things are just dandy. I thank the Lord everyday I get the opportunity to be with my son. I don't to take him for granted or ever want to. I know it is a privilege and what I do with him at home is just as important, if not more, as if I brought some some bacon. Peace out and until next time!

P.S. This snow fall has to stop!!!

Not my first day on the job

It's been three months since I was put on forced leave from my job, which lead to the eventual decision to lay me off recently, and I honestly can say that I don't miss it. I don't mention that as a negative reflection on my company or the job itself; its just that being with my son is infinitely better and more rewarding than being a technical recruiter. Besides, being a technical recruiter for the past seven years has not really worked out all that great (This is my second time being laid off in this industry). There is comfort in knowing that my son can't put me on forced leave or lay me off due to cutbacks. Fortunately for me or, perhaps, unfortunately for my son he is stuck with me. Plus, I'm his boss so I can lay him off (or out, when the time comes). Its weird to have been home for this long and see the changes in my son right before my very eyes, but at the same time they have passed me by. What I mean is that I notice him growing and maturing, but I don't notice how fast. I guess my memory fails me as I remember him not being able to smile or laugh or drown in his pj's because he was so small (now its a struggle to find something that fits him) Its an odd occurrence that I notice but not notice at the same time, if that makes any sense. Maybe its because I am a first time dad and every little thing he learns or does is amazing. They create new memories that take place of the old ones. I really would like to keep the old ones, but I can't, seriously.

As a first timer and stay at home pops I look back at this time and found it wasn't too hard to adjust to being at home all the time. Telecommuting for my company helped as I got use to being confined to my house 24/7. It's much easier to sitting at a desk sending emails and answering phone calls than holding a baby with the bottle in one hand and the remote in the other queuing up NFL Network Gameday highlights on the DVR. The perspective of being a father as a privilege really made things easier for me. My wife and I had waited, not by our choice, so long to be blessed with our little dude that him crying was better than not having him at all. I would suggest laying basketball or any other physical activity as helpful. It released weeks of stored up energy. I may have freaked out my buddies from time to time cause I was so hyped, but it was because I was a prisoner of my home teaching and attending to my son. I don't want to give the wrong impression that it was all smooth sailing. There were times when I would melt down because I had absolutely no clue why the little guy was crying, but for the most part it was easier because of these things I mentioned.

Well to end my first blog ever I have to say that being a stay at home dad has been more than I bargined for, but worth the price. There is so much more I want to express, but its getting late and I plan on continuing to blog about stay at home Pop's adventure. So, until next time PPEAACCEE!!!

Sincerely,

PapadontPreach