I have to admit the video is not all that exciting, but I took it, so you have to see it. I also wanted to prove to those naysayers that his eyes really do open. We were just chillin' on the couch so I figured I would let you all into the life of the superstar known as Alex Julius, LaDanian to his fans. Please disregard the crying at the end...He only puts up with the paparazzi for so long before he has to put them in their place.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Gas Bubbles
I'm afraid to say it because every time I say something out loud, he totally proves me wrong, but Alex still is a really good baby. His awake time is as fun as a larva-like being can be. Usually his eyes are as wide open as he can get them. He employs his eyebrows to their fullest extent to attain maximum eye wide-ness. Which basically makes him look like a very inquisitive old man with a wrinkled forehead.
The main problem we have run into is gas. Coming out of both ends. But that is not where the problem lies. It's all good when the gas is coming out. When it stays in? That's a whole different story. Then the back arching, red faced, nose snorting, leg kicking crying starts. And good sweet gravy that is some crying. We have switched from Enafamil to Similac to Target Gentle. We are currently working on the Target Gentle stuff. It is usually about a 50/50 shot on whether a bottle is going to upset his inner workings. Last night I went to Walgreens and got some Mylican. It is pretty much baby Gas-X. It works pretty well. Which is good because I definitely do not like the feeling of not being able to help him. The other frustrating part is that I burp him usually twice per bottle. And some bottles he doesn't get any issues. But other bottles it's like he has been sucking on an empty bottle the whole time there is so much gas in his belly. I cannot for the life of me figure out what is different about the ones that bother him. All I know is that it sucks when he is gassy. A gassy baby definitely does not a happy baby make.
The main problem we have run into is gas. Coming out of both ends. But that is not where the problem lies. It's all good when the gas is coming out. When it stays in? That's a whole different story. Then the back arching, red faced, nose snorting, leg kicking crying starts. And good sweet gravy that is some crying. We have switched from Enafamil to Similac to Target Gentle. We are currently working on the Target Gentle stuff. It is usually about a 50/50 shot on whether a bottle is going to upset his inner workings. Last night I went to Walgreens and got some Mylican. It is pretty much baby Gas-X. It works pretty well. Which is good because I definitely do not like the feeling of not being able to help him. The other frustrating part is that I burp him usually twice per bottle. And some bottles he doesn't get any issues. But other bottles it's like he has been sucking on an empty bottle the whole time there is so much gas in his belly. I cannot for the life of me figure out what is different about the ones that bother him. All I know is that it sucks when he is gassy. A gassy baby definitely does not a happy baby make.
Friday, July 24, 2009
She rules.
My fears of Aiden not doing well with the addition of a baby to our house have been laid to rest. She has been in love with Alex since the first moment we brought him home. She gets concerned if he is crying and looks at Travis and I like, "Ummm...are you going to do something? The baby is upset." Whenever we are in Alex's room she comes in, lays on the rug and doesn't leave until we do. Every chance she can get, she licks him. Especially after he has been crying or we have been away from home.
If there is any problem it is that she is very protective of Alex. This is only a problem because her need to bark at people and dogs walking on the sidewalk next to our house has only increased. And those skateboarders? Don't even get her started on the danger they present to her baby.
It used to be that when I was gone she would wait outside near the garage for me or jump at the door excited to greet me when I came home. She still sits outside and jumps at the door, but it is no longer in excitement to see me. She wants to see her baby. And smell her baby. And lick her baby. Where is her baby?!
If she likes him this much now, can you imagine how much she is going to love him when he starts dropping food off the table?
If there is any problem it is that she is very protective of Alex. This is only a problem because her need to bark at people and dogs walking on the sidewalk next to our house has only increased. And those skateboarders? Don't even get her started on the danger they present to her baby.
It used to be that when I was gone she would wait outside near the garage for me or jump at the door excited to greet me when I came home. She still sits outside and jumps at the door, but it is no longer in excitement to see me. She wants to see her baby. And smell her baby. And lick her baby. Where is her baby?!
If she likes him this much now, can you imagine how much she is going to love him when he starts dropping food off the table?
Done and Done.
I did it. I went to the daycare to turn in the paperwork. And surprise surprise, everyone was very nice to both Alex and me. The director went through the paperwork with me and then took us over to the infant room to meet the teachers. The room was exactly how I remembered it. Very clean and bright and all the babies in the room were happy or sleeping.
The place is a very nice facility. The people that work there are nice. The people that take their children there...very East Side Madison. Which is a nice way of saying kind of ghetto. I love living on the East Side. It is definitely a bit rough around the edges but I like it. It is very different from the West Side of Madison. The West Side is very nice, but a bit too richy rich for my taste. I don't like feeling like I am under dressed at the mall. The West Side has stores like White House Black Market and R.E.I. The East Side has Scott's Urban Wear and Tha Basement. That is not a typo. That is the name of the store...Tha Basement. Yeah...
Anyway, back to the daycare. Like I said, everyone there is very nice. And aside from the guy that came in to get his son with half of his afro braided and the other half not, everyone there was very average. So here's to hopin' it goes well when we leave Alex there.
The place is a very nice facility. The people that work there are nice. The people that take their children there...very East Side Madison. Which is a nice way of saying kind of ghetto. I love living on the East Side. It is definitely a bit rough around the edges but I like it. It is very different from the West Side of Madison. The West Side is very nice, but a bit too richy rich for my taste. I don't like feeling like I am under dressed at the mall. The West Side has stores like White House Black Market and R.E.I. The East Side has Scott's Urban Wear and Tha Basement. That is not a typo. That is the name of the store...Tha Basement. Yeah...
Anyway, back to the daycare. Like I said, everyone there is very nice. And aside from the guy that came in to get his son with half of his afro braided and the other half not, everyone there was very average. So here's to hopin' it goes well when we leave Alex there.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Terrifying
I filled out the daycare admission paperwork yesterday with the intention of packing up Alex and heading over to the center, dropping it off and stopping in the infant room to re-meet the teachers and let them have a look at the boy. Apparently I am insane because filling out the paperwork almost made me cry and I totally chickened out on going to the daycare.
I am not really sure what that was all about, but here are some theories I am working on:
1. If I take him to daycare it means I have to work at the office and not at home. Boo.
2. The daycare is not going to be the loving and development promoting place I remember and I am going to have to find a new one.
3. I have him now...and I kinda like him and I am not so sure about this not being with him all day thing.
So I decided yesterday to not stress about it and let myself kick around my issues for a day and make it my goal to get the paperwork there today. The thing is, I know this is a good thing for all of us. I can get back to feeling like a contributing member of society instead of living in questionable attire all day. Travis won't have to constantly reassure me that although I am not "working" I really do have an important job right now. And Alex will be on his way to gaining socialization and development skills that I am not sure I could teach him if I kept him home all the time. Oh and the pesky fact that we cannot afford for me to stay home and not get paid...details.
But then my really rational imagination takes over. And all I can see when I picture the infant room at the daycare is screaming dirty babies and chain smoking teachers all splitting a plastic handle of Siberian Ice vodka and glaring at the babies. Yes yes that must be what happens when the parents leave and the teachers are alone. I just haven't figured out how they have managed to hide their horrible scheme and stay in business longer than I have been alive. They sure are tricky those nasty people who care for tiny children for a living.
Once again, there is a part of my brain that will win over the ridiculous part of my brain. Hopefully it will be before I have to leave my sweet boy with the evil drunken teachers.
I am not really sure what that was all about, but here are some theories I am working on:
1. If I take him to daycare it means I have to work at the office and not at home. Boo.
2. The daycare is not going to be the loving and development promoting place I remember and I am going to have to find a new one.
3. I have him now...and I kinda like him and I am not so sure about this not being with him all day thing.
So I decided yesterday to not stress about it and let myself kick around my issues for a day and make it my goal to get the paperwork there today. The thing is, I know this is a good thing for all of us. I can get back to feeling like a contributing member of society instead of living in questionable attire all day. Travis won't have to constantly reassure me that although I am not "working" I really do have an important job right now. And Alex will be on his way to gaining socialization and development skills that I am not sure I could teach him if I kept him home all the time. Oh and the pesky fact that we cannot afford for me to stay home and not get paid...details.
But then my really rational imagination takes over. And all I can see when I picture the infant room at the daycare is screaming dirty babies and chain smoking teachers all splitting a plastic handle of Siberian Ice vodka and glaring at the babies. Yes yes that must be what happens when the parents leave and the teachers are alone. I just haven't figured out how they have managed to hide their horrible scheme and stay in business longer than I have been alive. They sure are tricky those nasty people who care for tiny children for a living.
Once again, there is a part of my brain that will win over the ridiculous part of my brain. Hopefully it will be before I have to leave my sweet boy with the evil drunken teachers.
Monday, July 20, 2009
New Standards
I just realized at 3:12pm I am still wearing the clothes I slept in. And when I say slept I am referring to the clothes I wore last night while trying to sneak in cat naps between feeding the beast child.
Anyway, I have been working from home for about four hours today and just now noticed my outfit in the bathroom mirror. Hair in a ponytail, but fairly clean as I managed to shower yesterday. Glasses on as contacts were apparently too much work today. White men's Hanes undershirt. Almost see through it is so old. The highlight of the shirt though is the leaky boob stains all over it. They are not leaking as badly as they were, so the stains look more like someone shot me with mini paintballs filled with breastmilk. Finish the outfit with shorts I stole from my sister about 14 years ago. No joke. They are from when she was on the UW Crew team, but when I stole them she had already finished her scholastic career at the UW, and I don't know how many years she had the shorts. Needless to say, they are not Trav's favorite shorts of mine.
Hot.
Anyway, I have been working from home for about four hours today and just now noticed my outfit in the bathroom mirror. Hair in a ponytail, but fairly clean as I managed to shower yesterday. Glasses on as contacts were apparently too much work today. White men's Hanes undershirt. Almost see through it is so old. The highlight of the shirt though is the leaky boob stains all over it. They are not leaking as badly as they were, so the stains look more like someone shot me with mini paintballs filled with breastmilk. Finish the outfit with shorts I stole from my sister about 14 years ago. No joke. They are from when she was on the UW Crew team, but when I stole them she had already finished her scholastic career at the UW, and I don't know how many years she had the shorts. Needless to say, they are not Trav's favorite shorts of mine.
Hot.
3 Weeks and we are all still alive.
The ups and downs of having a new infant are more extreme than The Demon at Six Flags. Not shockingly the ups tend to coincide with adorable baby things. Funny faces, cute outfits, a 3 week old baby sneezing, etc. Seriously, I don't know that I have ever seen anything funnier and cuter than an infant sneezing. Well, that and when he gets really worked up crying, which honestly does not happen too often, he snorts like a little pig between cries. I feel bad because I cannot stop laughing while trying to comfort him. I am going to give him some weird complex, but I cannot help it. It is so funny. Along the noises front, I can't wait for him to start making cooing sounds instead of just pooping grunts. I also am so looking forward to when he smiles when he actually means it. Not just because he is gassy or filling his pants.
The downs however, don't really seem to coincide with much of anything. Well, except for nights when a certain someone doesn't want to stay asleep. The days after those nights are particularly difficult. Add wild raging rapids hormones to little sleep and Whamo! There has been some crying. By me, not the baby.
I also can't help but feel trapped some days. Everyone knows going into the whole baby adventure that your life will change dramatically. But you can never really know. You can think you have a pretty good idea of what life will be like. And then you can have that pretty good idea trampled by a herd of angry elephants carrying 947 dirty diapers and 1065 used bottles....in a week. That's kinda where the trapped feeling comes in. There is always some sort of baby related work to do. So yeah, you probably do want to go wander around downtown with your friends, but the baby just fell asleep and you have don't have a single clean bottle to take with you. So you skip it. And sometimes, that makes you cry.
But the sneezing...it is hilarious.
The downs however, don't really seem to coincide with much of anything. Well, except for nights when a certain someone doesn't want to stay asleep. The days after those nights are particularly difficult. Add wild raging rapids hormones to little sleep and Whamo! There has been some crying. By me, not the baby.
I also can't help but feel trapped some days. Everyone knows going into the whole baby adventure that your life will change dramatically. But you can never really know. You can think you have a pretty good idea of what life will be like. And then you can have that pretty good idea trampled by a herd of angry elephants carrying 947 dirty diapers and 1065 used bottles....in a week. That's kinda where the trapped feeling comes in. There is always some sort of baby related work to do. So yeah, you probably do want to go wander around downtown with your friends, but the baby just fell asleep and you have don't have a single clean bottle to take with you. So you skip it. And sometimes, that makes you cry.
But the sneezing...it is hilarious.
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