Days 155, 156, 157, 158

The significance of today didn't really hit me when I woke up this morning. My wife's final day of work is this Friday, so this is essentially the beginning of the last week of SabDadical as I've come to know it. Granted, it will be nice to have her home all the time, and it's certainly exciting to think that within a week or two we'll be welcoming another member to our family. However, the whole "two against the world" nature of our relationship this past year will never be the same. It simply can't be. The fact that I was able to have this experience at all is amazing in and of itself, and I can truly appreciate that now that it's ending. No matter what twists and turns await us in the future, I'll always have these memories to lean on. I'm not sure if I'll continue to document things as thoroughly as this, but that's a decision for another day. More on that later.

We had to return some DVDs to the library, so I pulled out the stroller and we took our time getting there. When we finally arrived, I think my son was a little confused. He walked right over to the children's area and pulled out a chair for me. We stood there for a while, perhaps waiting for the other kids to arrive. After a few minutes, he acquiesced and decided to make the best of an unfavorable situation. He started pulling out toys and books and having a good time on his own. I let him go for a few minutes, but soon he realized that nobody else was coming to play. He walked over to the stroller and with that, we said goodbye to the library.

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A few months ago we took my son to a local indoor playground. Maybe he was overwhelmed by all the other (older) kids that were running around there, or maybe he was just too young to understand what to do. Regardless, he wasn't all that excited about it, and at one point even threw a minifit when we tried to get him to play. Based on his recent affinity for jungle gyms and the like, I figured it might be time to give the place another try.

I was immediately more optimistic when we arrived to find only one other child there. My son walked right up to the entrance gate and waited for me to open it. Another good sign! The final positive piece of the puzzle fell into place when he ran past all the toys in the day care area and climbed right on to the play equipment. Bouncy room? Check! Ball pit? Check! He eventually climbed all the way through the tubes to the very top of the area (we're talking 15 feet or so)! That, of course, means that I had to climb up there with him. Somehow my knees weren't nearly as entertained by all of this as his seemed to be.

We survived a poop scare while we were up there (turns out it was the other kid) and toured the entire complex before returning to the ground level. They also have a bouncy-castle-rain-forest type area, so I  lifted him up and let him check it out. That's literally what he did: he walked around the whole area once and walked right out. Maybe next time.

We went out for lunch after that, and I got him a kid's meal with what I think was his first juice box. We'd been avoiding them, but I'm not sure why. He loved it, and especially enjoyed pulling the straw out of it and working to get it back in. In between this and ignoring his chicken nuggets, he maintained an on-again-off-again flirtation with an older couple sitting near us. I'm not sure which he likes more: chasing little little girls or playing peek-a-boo with senior citizens.

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Today was our last music class together. It was sort of a "greatest hits" including some of his favorite songs that we practiced at home. Strangely, when it came time to show off the skills we worked so hard on at home, he chose to wander around the room instead. He still smiled knowingly as each of the songs went on and mimicked the corresponding motions from afar.

He got a whole lot more interested when it came time to play with a hula hoop during a song called something like "Floating Down The River". He likes to jump in and out of it, turn it like a steering wheel, and bounce it like a ball. He does not like when someone else wants to hold it with him. Thankfully, he knows when it's time to put it away, and he is happy to help.

My son doesn't seem to be much for goodbyes, as he walked out the door before we had a chance to say them to our teacher. It's been great to see him grow so much over the two "semesters" we were in the class. This type of interaction was really important to me. I know I'll miss it, and someday maybe he'll be able to understand why.

The Reading Phillies had another day game today, so I called my dad and we met him there once again. My wife reminded me that we had free tickets leftover from an R-Phils Valentine's Day promotion, so I redeemed a single ticket for the game. This placed us in the first row of the yellow box seats, and gave us half a row to ourselves. This came in handy when it came time for my son to empty out my diaper bag and place all of the items strategically throughout the area. My son spotted Pop Pop before I did, and started waving his arms wildly trying to get his attention. Eventually he found us, and I left the two of them together while I grabbed lunch. When I came back, my son was sitting calmly on Pop Pop's lap, seemingly enjoying the game and clapping at appropriate times. I can't say that upset me one bit.

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This Sunday is Mother's Day, so it's about time that we figure out what we're going to do for her. She deserves far more than we can provide- taking the proverbial bullet and heading back to work so I could stay home like I insisted (that's the way we planned it, right? I forget...). As we get closer and closer to TNB's 0st birthday, it's gotten tougher and tougher for her to be anywhere from home. While I can't do anything about that, I made sure that I did my best to make sure Mother's Day, of all days, would be a relaxing one for her.

My plan was to get her some bath supplies because she's been spending a decent amount of time there lately. We drove to the local strip mall and immediately spent too much time in ULTA. I was surprised that they didn't have any sort of gift pack of bubble bath there, despite having an entire aisle dedicated to individual items for ablution. I checked Target, and I checked Bed Bath and Beyond, but neither had what I was looking for. Feeling defeated and inspired by my surroundings, I decided to take things in a different direction. My wife loves tea: sweet tea, hot tea, Icy Tea- I'm not sure if she has a preference between Mr. T and Ice T, though. She has a teapot at home that she used sporadically, and she always orders "Mickey D's Sweet Tea" whenever we get McDonald's. Unfortunately, our closest McDonald's was recently torn down and won't be reopening until sometime this summer. It's just such a pain driving all the way to and dealing the traffic patterns of the local strip mall just to get some tea, regardless of its alleged sweetness. Surely, there's got to be a better way.

It's difficult to navigate through a Bed Bath and Beyond without noticing that they offer a variety of instant coffee machines. While neither my wife nor I drink coffee, I had never considered the other things these machines can make: namely tea for her and, to a lesser extent, hot chocolate for both of us.
I checked out some reviews and compared prices online but decided not to buy just yet. If there's one thing that can always be found in my house, it's a Bed Bath and Beyond coupon. I decided to check for coupons at home and go back on my way to work the next day (it's my last day of work at the Phillies before the baby comes).

We ate lunch outside at Panera Bread (Cuban sandwich and soup for me, apple slices, sandwich pieces,  and juice for him) and learned a lot about the family issues of a nursing student sitting next to us (she was quite upset about someone dying some kid's hair purple to show up someone else for giving the kid a bad haircut - yeah, I don't know either). Anyway, our brains survived the fountain of dumb overflowing nearby and headed home for our final nap before our final band practice of SabDadical.

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So that's it for now. I think I'll post a proper wrap up in the near future. It took me over a week to finally write this because I've been so busy getting stuff ready for TNB. He'll will be here any day now, and I remain as calm as I was the night when I typed my very first entry here.

This was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I can't even begin to put into words how great it has been. I keep telling myself nothing is really ending; I'm just going to be doing what the archetypical dad is supposed to do- providing for his family. I was just lucky that I got to do a whole bunch of things that most dads don't get to. Thanks for coming along for the ride. See you soon.

Days 151, 152, 153, and 154

We actually made it to baby storytime this week. We missed it the past couple weeks because my son can't seem to get up in time to make it there by 10:00. I'm not sure if that classifies as bragging or complaining.

When we got there, we found out that another little boy had replaced my son, so to speak. As it turns out, they have the same name! We didn't create a name or pick a trendy one, but we're still shocked any time we hear of or see anyone with the same name as our son. As teachers, we had a hard time picking a boy's name that didn't evoke memories we didn't care to recall. It's been even more fun the second time around.

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I decided we should take a walk around the neighborhood today, and I grabbed my son's lawnmower to see if my theory that it keeps him moving in one direction continued to hold up. We were fine for the first time around the block, but as soon as I asked him to make the turn for the second time around, he began what amounted to the worst tantrum I'd seen him throw. Looking back on it nearly a week later as I write this, it probably wasn't nearly as bad as I originally thought. However, it seemed worse mainly because all of a sudden, there were people all around us. This guy was pulling weeds. That guy was getting out of his car. That lady was sitting on her front porch. They all looked at me with sympathetic eyes and wrinkled lips as, one at a time, they let me know that they had been there before. I picked up my shrieking son in one arm and his lawnmower in the other and carried them until it appeared that he had calmed down. I put him down, gave him back his lawnmower, and we both looked forward to his nap.  

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Mommy had the day off yesterday today as we headed to the doctor to get some prenatal glamour shots of TNB. As of right now, he looks just like our oldest son did when he was that age. I assume the black and white turns to color as part of the actual delivery, Wizard of Oz-style.

Today was a "day on the floor" as we played zoo, LEGO, and worked on our numbers and letters. He's becoming quite good at distinguishing letters from numbers. He has a couple wooden puzzles that help him with this. I hand him the pieces and he puts them where they belong. Strangely, he puts them in the right spot but doesn't always get them facing the right way. He then tries to force them in, and I remind him to turn them around. Occasionally I will work in a letter when he's working on a number puzzle, and he will make a noise and then cast the piece aside. Granted, they are different sizes, but it's still rewarding to see him recognize things like that.

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I had some business to take care of this morning, and my dad made himself available to take care of my son. We got up early and made our way over to Pop Pop's house. My son immediately took ownership of all the toys that had been laid out for him and didn't really look back. I was worried that he would start crying as soon as I left the house (my son, not Pop Pop), but he barely flinched as I walked out the door. I didn't take it personally.

We all went to McDonald's for a less-than-nutritious lunch. My son was more interested in putting on a show for our fellow diners. Between loading and unloading his Happy Meal box with anything he could carry, climbing into someone else's both, and mangling his juice box, he had several eyes on him. Though they fell short of giving him a round of applause, the other patrons certainly seemed to be entertained.

When we got home, we had a few minutes to relax before taking the dogs to their hairdresser. It was no small feat to wrangle both dogs and deliver them while also holding a near-22-month-old, but I took care of business. I let the hairdresser know that my son would be going to sleep as soon as we got home, so I couldn't guarantee when I would be able to come back. She understood and let me know their closing time was flexible. Keeping this in mind, I returned home. It was a long day and longer week, and it was time for Daddy to take a nap.

Days 147, 148, 149, and 150

Today started great: I remembered all of my supplies for the grocery store! We didn't need a lot there, but I was fully prepared. This is my first personal "little victory" in quite some time. Way to go, me!

We overslept for baby storytime yet again, so after the grocery store we stopped at the mall for lunch and a little shopping. I saw Gymboree was having (surprise, surprise) a sale, I figured I'd stop in and get some stuff that Mommy would approve of (forgetting that Mommy had just placed an online order with them the day prior!). Thankfully, I only purchased two items that were the same, and one of them was for our upcoming delivery. Bullet dodged!

When we got to Gymboree, my son walked right to the back of the store and set up shop in their small play/ TV area. He grabbed all of his stuff out of the stroller, spread it all around him, and sat down in one of the chairs. When I went back later after lunch (thinking that I had dropped a pack of wipes that turned out to be at home), I left him in the stroller while I searched the area. When I looked back at the stroller, I saw that my son had stood up and stolen my lemonade right out of the cupholder. I guess he figured I had had enough.

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Mommy had the day off yesterday so we could go to the doctor and check on The New Boy (TNB). Since we were both home at the same time for more than an hour, I finally got around to painting the ceiling in TNB's room. Give me a break- I worked hard to get that room empty.

There was a small turnout at music class today. My son and another boy spent a portion of class chasing each other around the classroom, and at one point they ended up in an adjacent stairway. I always close the door when we get there because my son isn't able to open doors just yet. This boy is. Before I knew it, they had gotten through and the other boy door slammed the door behind them. I got to my son rather quickly, but the other boy was up two flights of stairs by the time his mommy got there. For a moment I pondered my responsibility in this situation: should I chase/ grab the boy? Would I want a stranger putting his or her hands on my own son in a situation like this? Would I ever even be in a situation like this? No, because I know where he is at all times. You're on your own, lady.

Now that the painting has begun, I finally got some "me time" during my son's daily nap. It's been a long, long while, and it feels good. I knocked out last 5 or so episodes of Justified: The Complete Third Season over a couple of days as well as some other stuff I had been working on. I know time like this will be few and far between in about four weeks, so I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

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Our local minor league baseball team, the Reading Phillies, had an 11:35 game scheduled today, so I called up my dad (being at "the ballyard" is one of Pop Pop's favorite things) and we met him there. We found some empty seats along the right field line and he sat quite comfortably for a couple innings watching the game and enjoying his snack before losing interest and exploring the rest of the area. He really likes the "strongman" mallet game (that Mommy despises).

Pop Pop has made many friends in and around the stadium over the years, so he was able to finagle us some seats right by the screen behind home plate. This gave us a great (and safe) view of the game. One of the aforementioned friends even tossed my son his first* foul ball! My son and I split a couple slices of pizza and got through about 6 innings before he decided it was time for a nap. The team has a couple more early games between now and TNB's opening day, so hopefully we'll get to do this again.

(*While he was still in the womb, I got a foul ball hit by Chase Utley at a Spring Training game in Dunedin, Florida.)

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On days like today (cold and overcast), we have to find ways to keep ourselves active. Recently, my son has taken a liking to having dance parties with the "Top Lists" area of Spotify. Together, we've discovered some pretty darn awful pop music. OK, it's not all bad. I suppose I am the one hitting "play", after all! Some of his favorites are "We Are Young" by fun., "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen, and "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction. Good stuff. Much like Daddy, he doesn't get the Gotye hype and continues to mow the carpet, stairs, and window when "Somebody That I Used To Know" comes on. It's a good way to have some fun (and get him all tired out before nap time), and it's not at all embarrassing when neighbors walk by and see me jumping around like a fool.

Days 142, 143, 144, 145, and 146

We missed baby storytime this morning. It seems that sleeping with the fan on in his room causes my son to sleep a little late. No complaints here.

We started the day at the post office, as someone in the house accidentally deleted Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 from the DVR. I have to get that Netflix queue moving so we can have it in the house again!

I don't have a car today or tomorrow because my wife sold hers (we're buying a minivan tomorrow!), so all adventures will involve a certain amount of walking. Though the post office is in the exact opposite direction from my house, we packed a lunch and walked back to the park to eat and play.

Once again, there were a few girls there that my son wanted to follow around. Two of them were accompanied by their daddy! He wasn't off his phone long enough for us to develop any kind of relationship. That's a new pattern that I'm starting to notice. More on that later.

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Day two of no car saw us returning to the playground once again. Another day, another texting dad. Granted, his daughters were considerably older than my son, and therefore he doesn't need to watch them as closely, but it's still a little odd to see someone take so little interest in his children- especially when they are running and climbing all over the place. It's tough not to judge someone in situations like that. I've got a lot to learn about this whole parenting thing, and I'm by no means saying I'm any better at it than anyone else. However, when it's just my son and me, I try to only bring out my phone when I need to take a picture. I can't say that will always be the case, but honestly, I'm the only one he can count on to keep him safe. I don't think I can afford to be doing anything else.

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Today at music class, my son walked over to the one pregnant woman in the class and stood and stared at her for the longest time. She's been pregnant for quite some time, but perhaps he just noticed. He doesn't pay much attention to the other mommies there, but maybe she seems a little more familiar to him

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I had been wanting to take my son to my college, The University of Delaware, for a while. When I found out that I didn't have to go to one of my scheduled sporting events this afternoon, I checked the weather and packed for our first road trip in a while. The trip can be either all highway or all country roads, and I chose the latter, believe it or not the faster of the two. He loved seeing all the cows, horses, and chickens along the way and even let out a few "moo"s all by himself.

We parked on Main Street and I could immediately see many differences on and off campus. Many new restaurants and stores have replaced some of my old favorites- all in the name of progress, but it didn't appear that any of the buildings where I actually had classes had changed much.

After eating lunch on the lawn outside the student center that was relatively new when I was in school, my son began an unusual amount of flirting (at least with women much, much older than him). There were a few girls sitting on the same step as us, and he eventually made his way over to them. He did the usual stand-and-stare for a while until one of them laughed at him. Then he threw his head back and returned the laugh, and it was on. One of the girls would say or do something, and he would imitate it. They would laugh, he would laugh, and it would all start over again. Eventually we left (surely these kids had to go to class at some point) and made our way to "The Green", also known as "The Lawn" or "The Quad" on any number of other college campuses.

I let him out of his stroller so he could run around before we headed back to Main Street and he was ultimately confined to his car seat. I didn't expect him to run right up to the closest group of girls and repeat the process all over again. A male student who was talking to the girls approached my son and asked for a high five. He walked right past the guy and got right up in the girls' faces. His favorite girl was the blonde with the large bag- reminiscent of Mommy's diaper bag/ purse. He pointed at it and told the girl how much he would love if she would just put it down so he could reorganize its contents all over the lawn. At least, that's what I think he was saying. His second favorite was the brunette wearing a cap. He let her know that he always puts a hat on before he leaves the house, too. He didn't like the brunette in the middle one bit.

The girls went on their way, and I chased my son around campus for a while before we walked to the brand new bookstore. It's a strangely grey building with a coffee shop in the front, but it's big and located in a practical spot. I was able to find some fun clothing for my son and his eventual little brother before he made it clear that it was naptime. We crossed the street, bringing back memories of when every single car would stop as soon as I entered the crosswalk, and I changed his diaper before we got back on the road.

Once in the car, he decided that he was no longer tired. We pulled over at the first park we saw, and he played with three little girls (two being completely ignored by, you guessed it, their dad on his phone) and two large dogs until he could barely stand. He still stayed awake for much of the trip home, probably distracted by the anticipation of seeing all those cows, horses, and chickens again.

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I sold another book this morning, so we walked to the post office in our pajamas. Actually, I get kind of embarrassed when I take him out in his PJs, so I dressed him before we went out. On the way back, we stopped for lunch at The Tomcat Cafe, a rock-and-roll-themed restaurant on the main street in our town. The food was fantastic (I had the "Sound Machine" Cuban sandwich, he the grilled cheese), and the staff was kind enough to find a place to stash my sizable stroller while we ate.

We stopped and visited the puppies at Al's Doggie Dresser before returning home for a nap. We had our first actual band practice in a while later in the day, and he got in a good amount of sleep before I had to wake him up to go. When we arrived, he immediately pushed a stool up to the drum set and pulled himself up while holding his sticks. He then played a cymbal with one hand and a drum with the other to create what almos resembled an actual pattern! He's the greatest kid in the world.

Days 138, 139, 140, and 141

We went to the playground today. He decided to leave at one point but did a literal 180 degree turn when two little blonde girls pulled up with their mommy in a minivan. For the next hour or so, he chased them around while holding some sort of conversation with the younger of the two. The older sister, roughly 4, just tilted her head like a dog trying to interpret the weather report. We're getting there.

Haircuts are fun. My son's hair grows at a speed somewhere between Usain Bolt and some other fast person. His hatred of haircuts falls somewhere between my hatred for linebeards and "ill" shirts. In order to get him to cooperate today I bounced him gently as we watched cars through the picture window of the hair saloon while my wife paged through a magazine featuring photos of dogs and the hair dresser snuck around us in an effort to not be noticed. I think it worked.

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He woke up today and decided that he was going to wave and say hi and bye to everyone and everything he saw today. It's tied with "everything except bodily functions and most forms of screaming" for "cutest thing he's done yet". Doggies, clerk at the Reebok outlet, empty living room, music classmates, bottle, photographs- pretty much anything and anyone except when we ask him to do it. "I'm not your monkey, Dad!"

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A recent decision to list all of my books on Amazon.com has caused me to make several visits to the post office. My son is generally very well-behaved when we are there, and today was no exception. He even got a sticker from the clerk to enjoy (read: look at quizzically). Unlike our last trip, everyone in line seemed to understand that you need to put the address on a package in order for it to get to its destination. Take notes, son.

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I'm sure I've mentioned his lawn mower before. He takes it all over the house and uses it to mimic both the lawn mower proper and the vacuum cleaner. Up the steps, in the window, over the dogs- it doesn't matter; he's mowing. I saw another child pushing one of these around the neighborhood, and I've been having trouble getting him to stay on a straight path on our walks, so I thought I'd see if the lawn mower might make a difference. Whenever he tried to make an unnecessary turn, I pushed it the correct direction and he followed. That is, of course, until I tried to demonstrate it to Mommy! Regardless, it kept us off the street and other people's yards. I'm going to have to call that progress.

Days 136, 137, and Easter break

Storytime continues to be a challenge. I think there are just too many distractions (toys, computers, and most important of all- things to take off of shelves and organize elsewhere). We'll keep going (it's free!), but we'll really have to work on the whole sitting still and listening thing. At least he still likes the bubbles.

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I had to take my car in for a few (!) recalls, and I forgot to take my stroller out of the trunk before I dropped it off. As a result, my son had to ride in the regular stroller (with its hard plastic tires) on the sometimes rough terrain between our house and the dealership. He took it rather well, and we arrived without incident. However, when I claimed my car, an attendant told me he would get it for me. We waited. And waited. And watched. Apparently my car stumped him, as he sat in it for several minutes with no progress. Finally, he dejectedly returned and explained that he couldn't get it to start.

Throughout all of this, my son stayed completely silent and content. I, on the other hand, was not so content. Generally, when one drops off a car in good working order for some minor service, he can assume it to start upon reclamation. Naturally, this is what I expected. I grabbed the key from him and quietly stormed out the door. As soon as I opened the door and sat down, he told me he realized what he did wrong: he didn't use the key.

Yes, apparently we have come so far technologically that we have forgotten how to handle essential tasks such as starting a car. Either that or I just need to get a new car.

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We went back to swimming class last night. I had to miss the first one last week, so I was excited to go back. While he threw up on my wife last week, I managed to get him completely under the water a few times with little more consequence than a surprised and wet face.

My wife's Easter break started on Wednesday, and we kicked it off an appointment to check on l'il baby Hoodie Purrfect. Everything's good. Back off. ;-)

There were no fewer than four egg hunts completed and several new treats enjoyed. He's a big fan of carrying a bag, removing items from said bag, and returning those items to the same bag. Naturally, egg hunts seem right up his alley. While he didn't quite get it at first, he eventually figured it out. Unfortunately, his final egg hunt came right in the middle of naptime, so the main thing being sought was a dark room and soft mattress. He ultimately found them, and we all got a good deal of deserved rest over the long weekend. Back to the grind tomorrow.

Days 131, 132, 133, 134, and 135

Today marked the return of Baby Storytime at our local library. Based on our behaviorial advancements at music class, I was excited to see how these skills would translate. Things started off very well, as he grabbed a chair and sat down soon after we took off our coats (all of the other children sit on the floor or on a lap). After I sat down, he came over and sat on my lap for a little bit but soon got a little distracted by some magnets. I attempted to redirect him, but I was met with a very angry series of "DAHDAHDAHDAHDAHDAH DAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"s. We retreated to a magnetless area of the library and returned just in time for the bubbles. We certainly didn't want to miss those.

We stopped at the grocery store afterward, and my streak of forgetting an essential grocery accessory continues. This time it was the reusable bags. I'll get it next week- I promise.

Pop Pop G was doing work at the house when we got home. While I unloaded the non-reusable grocery bags, my son snuck out the back door and led Pop Pop on a tour of our block. There were no reported bumps, scratches, or street crossings.

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Let me tell you about a little film called Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2. My son somehow recorded it on the DVR a few weeks ago, and little did we know how important this would become. I've never seen a second of the first film, and honestly I had no idea they made a second one (or a third one for that matter!). In the film, a litter of chihuahua puppies somehow thwarts a bank robbery ring by sneaking into a bread factory and hurtling pans and buns at the bad guys. French Stewart and the girl who played Al on Step By Step are both in it. A true classic.

Did I mention the dogs talk? That's kind of significant, as it causes my son to freeze wherever he may be, grab his chair, and sit and watch quietly until we turn it off. He does not get bored. He does not get distracted. He watches and legitimately enjoys this movie. He laughs at the funny parts, dances to the music, and is in all other ways completely engaged.

I don't want my son to be too interested in TV, or video games, or the Internet. I don't want TV to become the babysitter that I see many parents allow it to be. However, much like Scout, this thing just works. This morning, when my son decided he needed to get up VERY early and watch Mommy leave for work (which resulted in quite the fit), I was happy it was there. After several minutes of trying to calm him down the old-fashioned way, I gave in. Power, My DVR, Down x3, Right, OK, calm child. We watched that whole darn movie straight through. Then we went back to bed. I still don't understand what they were doing in a bread factory though.

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Today we witnessed likely the worst meltdown in the history of toddlers. Luckily, neither of us were involved. There was screaming, crying, stomping, and punching. As it turns out, it was all because mommy entered the building through a different door than what the kid was expecting. I'm not looking forward to that age.

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I had planned on taking a daytrip to Delaware today, but plans changed when Baby 2.0's crib was scheduled to be delivered at some point in the day. I was somehow able to whittle an initial window of 11-5 down to 11-1. Though this still didn't allow us to take our trip, I wasn't too disappointed because the weather wasn't all that great, and there will be other days. Now I just need to clear some space so I can put this crib together. We should also start working on a name slightly better than Baby 2.0, too. How about Zwei-Dos?

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We started the day with a quick trip to Philadelphia to pick up race materials for a friend. We couldn't stay long because we had band practice later in the day. We made it just in time to wait for it to start.

My son is getting a little more serious about the drums each time we play. Today he attempted to push me out of my seat and eventually succeeded. He still alternates between hitting the drums and banging on the piano, but it's getting more and more uneven. I'm still going to lightly nudge him towards the piano, but I won't be upset if he chooses both. Or more. Or something else entirely.

Days 126, 127, 128, 129, and 130

Few things have upset my son more than our attempt at naptime today. When we got upstairs, I turned on his white noise/ sleep machine only to be rudely greeted by a flashing power light. Uh oh. I did some of the standard pseudo-technological fixes (i.e.- turning it off and turning it back on again), but had no luck. My son came over and took a look (seriously), but he couldn't figure it out either. Luckily, there's an app for that. I believe I've written about it before, and it was just about as successful as the last time we tried it. Part of the problem is that it just isn't loud enough. The other part of the problem is that my dogs can't keep their hairy butts on (or under) the bed.

About twenty minutes after he finally fell asleep, Ellie, also known as "The Worst" around our house at various times throughout her life, started scratching her way out from under the bed for no reason at all. Sure enough, this was louder than the sound machine and woke him up. He was NOT happy. Even more unhappy than before he actually fell asleep. It wasn't pretty. The only thing I was able to accomplish during the short break was find out what was wrong with the sound machine. Thanks to some helpful comments on Amazon, I found out that the issue was a faulty memory card. I called the manufacturer and they sent out a replacement right away. My wife picked up a cheap and temporary alternative on her way home, and we crossed our fingers that it would do the trick at night. Thank goodness it did.

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Today was the official first day of Spring, and that means one thing: free Rita's water ice! It was a very nice day, so we gassed up the stroller and traveled the half-mile to receive our prize. I got vanilla for me and lemonade for him (less mess), and we found a shady spot to finish it off. A few scoops in, I heard the unmistakeable sound of multiple gunshots- not the controlled and unrealistic kind you hear on TV, but very real and dangerous gunshots. Just a few seconds later, I heard and saw several police cars race around the corner. Other than one experience on in Philadelphia where a man ran by our car firing a gun, I think this was as close as I have been to a violent crime. Luckily for both my son and I, it was still several blocks away. Unfortunately for my wife, it was right down the street from her school. As far as I know no one other than the criminal himself was injured, but it was still a scary series of events. The worst thing that I actually had to deal with ended up being some sticky hands and cheeks from an increasingly independent eater.

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Someone was up sneezing and coughing throughout the night, and that same someone seemed find when he woke up in the morning. Someone else decided that someone was well enough to go to music class. That didn't work out so well for either of the someones. Ah well. There will be other weeks.

(KEY: Someone = my son; Someone else = me)

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I dropped off my car last night for inspection and had to pick it up today in order to make it to my wife's doctor's appointment later in the day. Completely disregarding the timeline, we walked to a nearby playground before lunch. Strangely, my son had little interest in anything but carrying around his diaper bag- both on and off of the equipment.

In between chasing him off of the adjacent private property and trying to calm him down by conjuring Swing Bunny, I received a call telling me my car was done. We packed up and walked the mile or so to pick it up, and I decided to take a quick look at the new cars on the lot while we were there. We're still in the process of looking for a new car. One particular salesman has dealt with us more than any others, and he was on me within 45 seconds. Luckily, I had the out of saying it was naptime. And it was.

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Today was one of the earliest mornings we've ever had (on purpose). Today was my school's "JJ Day", a day of activities named for a former student who passed away when he was in 8th grade. The morning activity is a talent show, and I always help out in some way. I was asked to do so this year, and based on my son's fantastic behavior at all other school events, I said I would.

I woke him up roughly two hours before he normally gets up on his own and gave him breakfast on the way. I also packed heavy (as far as snacks go) in an attempt to keep him both busy and happy. The show had already started when we arrived, as two 7th grade girls that assisted me with the sound for the Fall musical had also been asked to help out. Despite a few small miscues, the show would have gone on without me. I wasn't at all upset by this since it showed that I did a good job teaching these girls in the first place. It also gave me a chance to see what Taylor Swift has been up to (there were no fewer than three acts that chose her songs). As expected, my son made lots of friends- especially a certain row of 8th grade girls. The show was over before we knew it (and before the snacks ran out), and we packed up and left. We made a brief stop by my parents' house, but no one was around. Oh well.

We returned home with plenty of time before lunch. We took advantage of yet another beautiful day and headed to the playground. I made sure to hide the diaper bag this time. He went straight for the 5-12 equipment, and we were soon joined by several other childern aged 4 years or so. He tried very hard to have a conversation with them, flailing his arms all about while struggling to put words together. The targets of his tale just stared at him for a bit before continuing their playtime. It didn't upset him too much; maybe he was just telling them he wanted to be alone.

Days 122, 123, 124, and 125

This past weekend was my annual sojourn to Clearwater, Florida for Phillies Spring Training. My initial plan this year was to take my son down with me and stay for as long as I liked, but my wife wasn't too thrilled about not having me around for an extended period of time (it may have had a little to do with missing our son, as well, but who can really say?), so I settled on just a couple of days away. It was a great trip with great weather, but ultimately I missed my son more than I could have imagined. I saw a lot of families complete with toddlers and infants when I was there, but they didn't look like they were having all that much fun. I can't wait until my boys (!) are old enough to enjoy it (and we are able to afford it!) so we can all head down together. Some day...

We started the day with a nice little run, but it was all wind in our faces on the way back. That slowed me down considerably and didn't make my son too comfortable, so we ended up walking the last half-mile or so. My GPS tracing app didn't get the memo that we had stopped, and somehow kept timing us which killed my splits. Oh well.

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The time change has really done a number on my son, as I had to go upstairs and wake him up in order to make it to music class on time today. As I expected, he was back on his game today after an off week last time. He's getting good at walking with (but not necessarily in) the class circles and stopping when we stop, but he still doesn't have any interest in holding hands.

We made a short stop at home to make lunch before heading to Red Bridge, a nearby park, to eat and enjoy the weather. Because the trail is so close to the water in many spots, he stayed in the stroller until it was time to go. He started protesting as I tried to put him in the car, so I let him run around a little bit. That little bit turned into a roughly 30 minute tour of the recreational area.

His favorite spot seemed to be the stone foundation of an old log house. I am pretty sure I was also partial to playing in there anytime I got to go there as a kid, so I wasn't surprised. A woman sitting nearby told me there used to be play equipment inside, but I don't remember that. I remember wanting to playing the dirt.

We stopped at Gram and Pop Pop's house before band practice. Pop Pop was very excited to see his grandson, as he hadn't been able to hang out with him recently. We hung around for a few minutes- long enough for my son to make a nice pile of picture frames and wooden boxes.

This was our final band practice before our big gig on the weekend, so it was very important that we made it. We were working without a nap, so it was a big risk. He was his normal self for all of the songs in the first set, but started getting a little sleepy in the second. I knew it was time to go when he walked over to me and stood on my right foot so I couldn't play the bass drum. Smart, smart kid.

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Today's adventure was a trip to the grocery store. I had my coupons, my list, and the reusable shopping bags. We got to the store, and I grabbed a cart. I immediately realized that I had left the cart cover in the car, so I dragged the cart back to the car and strapped it on. An older gentleman pulled up next to me and struck up a conversation about our cars (he also drives a Prius) as well as the cars of just about every member of his family. Throughout all of this, my son didn't make a single noise or attempt to get out of the cart.

I was able to find a suitable moment to cut off our conversation and head inside. We made our way up each and every aisle, picking up the necessities and a little extra. Everything was going great. I was singing songs about all the different things we were picking up. My son was laughing and pointing at the babies and dogs on the packages. If heaven was a grocery store, well, I don't know how to end that sentence. Anyway, it was good. Then, about halfway through the store- I realized I forgot my Bonus Card.

I decided to finish shopping and worry about it later. Surely I wasn't the first person to forget his card, but I didn't want to miss out on the immediate savings OR the gas points I would accumulate. When I was done, I parked the cart near the entrance, picked up my son, and jogged out to my car. In the process, I had to take away the many items he was holding for me- including, but not limited to: peanut butter, puffed grain snacks, goldfish, and yogurt. I knew this was risky and gave me a short window before a complete breakdown. I gritted my teeth, supported his head, and made a break for it. Just as we approached fullon meltdown mode, I placed a container of goldfish (the snack, not the aquatic animal) in his hands and all was once again back to normal. Save for a half-dozen issues at checkout, the rest of the trip was uneventful. Can't wait to do it again next week!  

My plan upon returning home was to put away the groceries. My son's plan was to take a walk around the block. As usual, his choice won. The great weather we've been having has really given him a chance to show off his wheels (read: feet). Unfortunately for him, he hasn't yet figured out how to fall gracefully. Just as his previous bump on the head had all but been forgotten, he tripped and was able to catch himself with his hands but was unable to control the velocity of his relatively gigantic head. Once again, in seemingly slow motion, he scraped his head on the sidewalk. This time there was no blood, but there was plenty of crying. I'm fairly certain the crying was more as a result of me picking him up and carrying him the rest of the way than any actual pain. Regardless, Daddy doesn't like to be the cause of his upsetedness.  

Despite the morning's tribulations, he got a good nap before we had to get up and go to a meeting at my school. I am part of the technology committee in my district, and because of the subject that I teach, I like to be aware of what it is both in the pipeline and coming down the pike. Since I've been out all year, I feel so out of touch with not only my job but also the the new technology with which I'm expected to work. The meeting ended up going much longer than I anticipated, but my son, ever the good little soldier, made exactly one peep. The rest of the time he sat on my lap and flirted with other committee members or stood under the table and organized the diaper bag. I felt awful putting him through that, but I think the seemingly endless supply of snacks helped him forgive me.

Believe it or not, that was not the end of our day, oh no! I still had a drum lesson to give. Luckily my son still had some snacks left to keep him busy. When we got to my student's house, his mom gave my son a few toys to keep him busy during the lesson. He sat on the couch and played with them for approximately three minutes before grabbing his drumsticks and playing along. While this didn't help my student, it made me feel fantastic. I remember being so excited when he could simply hold the sticks. Now he's actually attempting to do something with them. It's not just random banging, ether. Something is definitely going on in his head. Watch this space...

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Pop Pop came over today to continue work on renovating our sun room. It's an interesting dynamic when we're working. My son more or less has free range of the lower level of the house and backyard. He's become quite fond of our side porch and adjacent step. At least four different times today, he moseyed over to that side of the house and waited for me to spot him. When I got near him, he let out an excited shriek and induced a toddler-speed chase around our patio furniture. It's a fun game, but I fear eventually it's going to end with another bump on the head.

We also had some swing time while we were in the backyard. I don't quite fit in his swing, so it was all him. When he's in a swing, he transforms into a character I like to call "Swing Bunny". He bends his hands downward (like any good anthropomorphic rabbit does) and sticks his upper teeth over his bottom lip. Swing Bunny. Anyway, it's cute. Really cute. He especially loves when I hold him for an extended moment in front of me at the apex of his swing and quickly let go. That causes Swing Bunny to let out a Swing Bunny Squeal. OK, I'm sickening myself with all this adorableness. Post over.

Days 117, 118, 119, 120, and 121

I knew today was going to be a busy one, so I jumped in with two feet. We went to the mall right after breakfast and walked around to get some exercise. In doing so, my son managed to break a display item at the American Greetings store. I tried to prevent it, but he's kind of quick. He stood and admired this plastic cup on a table for a while and actually listened to me the first two times I told him not to touch it. Thankfully, the woman working in the store told me not to worry about it (I offered to pay), as she would simply put it in their damaged inventory. What a relief!

We still had some time to waste before heading over to school for band practice, so we visited my old (now closed) elementary school, M.L. Lausch. They have a nice playground there that he really enjoyed. As has become the norm, he spent much more time on the "big boy" equipment than then stuff designed for him. We had a minor scare when he climbed to the very top of the play area and propelled himself down the 6 ft high twisty slide! He started tumbling about halfway down, but I was able to catch him (he hasn't figured out to lift up his shoes) and turn him back over.

I got him to take a nap in the car between band practice and my drum lesson. This was the first time I took him along to the lesson, and he was very well-behaved. In fact, he made himself right at home at my student's house- climbing up and sitting quite comfortably on their living room chair while eating his snack. What a goofball!

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We spent a good deal of today dancing to the CDs from his music class. As it turns out, he really likes the music. He pulled out a few of the moves from class and showed off for Mommy. Pretty cute!

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Last night was a bad night- he woke up several times, and I even had to take him out of the room to calm him down. I was working on finishing my final sabbatical class (which I did!), so I was already up anyway. He finally went to bed around 1:30, and I followed around 2:30.

The initial idea behind this blog was to talk about my experience with my son and balancing all my other activities, but I pretty much completely glossed over my work for grad school. Here's all you need to know: it's over. I never have to go back if I don't want to. I'm sure I will, but I don't have to. So that's cool.

Gram contacted me to invite us to lunch today, but I already had plans to start renovating our sun room with Pop Pop G. I told her she could come to music class with us instead, and she was happy to join us. Unfortunately for her, he didn't exactly perform at class. He was very clingy toward me and didn't participate as much as I've grown accustomed. It's not that he was bad; he just didn't play to his potential. :-)

When we got home from class, I had my first actual conversation with our across-the-street neighbor (he's lived there for maybe 5 years!). I told him how embarrassed I was that I didn't even know his name. We always say hi to each other when we're outside, but we're long past the point where we should be introducing ourselves. Anyway, it was awkward, so I did something about it.

Midway through our conversation (the EXACT midpoint- I timed it), my son wandered over to our next-door neighbor's front porch. She was happy to invite him in and let him play with his favorite dish in her living room for a while. Eventually he got tired of hanging out and started looking for me, so I went back and got him. Amazingly, our conversation had a third act that concluded when Pop Pop arrived.

My son was very good while Pop Pop and I worked. He took a good nap despite the sporadic noise and kept himself entertained when it was needed. This was encouraging because I'm going to need a lot of cooperation from him if we are going to get this job done!

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We spent a couple hours at the Park City Mall today because I had to go there for a Genius Bar appointment (for a problem that actually ended up completely unrelated to Apple, it seems). It was such a nice day (70+ degrees in March), so I called my dad and asked if there was anywhere nearby where we could walk around outside and make the trip worthwhile. He suggested Long's Park, which happens to be just a few hundred feet from the mall. There's a nice pond there where we got to see some ducks and geese. Predictably, there were lots of other people there, and they brought their dogs. My son was not at all disturbed by that. Just when he would focus on making his way down the path around the pond, another dog would appear on his radar and cause us to backtrack. Between that and chasing him all around the shore trying to keep him from jumping in the pong, it was a workout, and I love it. Days like this are bittersweet because I know eventually I have to go back to work. Right now I'm in the business of enjoying this while it lasts!

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I leave tomorrow for my annual trip to Clearwater, Florida for Phillies Spring Training, so I used the morning to take care of some errands. I had to run (well, drive, really) something over near school anyway, so I managed to get to band practice, too. We came home for lunch and the subsequent nap, and he was extremely playful and adorable in between.

I'm going to miss him so much this weekend. I look forward to when I can take him along (when Mommy lets me!) and hope that he'll enjoy it even half as much as I do. Oh yeah- and his brother, too! I got to go a couple of years ago with my dad, and it's an experience I will never forget.

When I get back from Florida, my son is going to be 20 months old. His brother will be here in a little over two months. These are truly exciting times.

Days 113, 114, 115, and 116

The great weather continues! We took an extra long walk into one of the swankier neighborhoods in the area and took advantage of their equally swanky (?) playground. My son figured it all out pretty quickly, even though the setup is considerably different than the equipment we were playing on yesterday. I didn't even have to encourage him to go down the slide this time; he just plopped right down onto his butt and did it all by himself! Before I knew it he was back up and ready to go again. We played on the swings for a little before he let me know that it was time to go.

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Whenever we have a breakthrough at music class, I always look forward to the following week to see if it becomes a habit. When he sat down last week and started the class, I was hoping that he'd be able to do it again this week. One, because it was so darn cute, and two, because it keeps me from having to chase him around the room. Sure enough, as soon as the teacher got there he went and sat down next to her and started tapping his legs! He's also responding very well to a few songs in particular- especially the one that ends in him getting tickled. He likes that one so much that he's even started mimicking the motions that go along with the song. He also likes when he bounces on my legs and puts his hands up and down. We've been practicing directions when we go on our walks, so this gives him a chance to show off in front of his friends.

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We had a really bad night last night. I finally had to get up with him around 12:30 (in addition to a few times before that). As it turns out, all he wanted to do was play with his puzzles in his room. After about ten minutes of playtime, I managed to rock him to sleep for good. Thankfully, he slept in a little bit and allowed me to do so as well.

I managed to get him to take a decent nap before band practice, but we were a little late as a result. Having recently learned of the passing of one of my childhood heroes, Davy Jones, it was quite appropriate when my son carried two oversized (to him) maracas and a tambourine over to me during one of the songs. I'm a bereaver, indeed.

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When I was trying to figure out what we were going to have for lunch, I remembered that my wife said she was having a pizza party for her students today. How fortuitous! After some serious playtime in the morning, we made the short trip to her school and snuck into her classroom undetected. (Of course we checked in with the imposing security guard first!) She was very happy to see (him) us, and the kids had a great time hovering over and nearly smothering him. He was happy to entertain some of his biggest fans that also happen to work at the school.

Everything was great until it came time to leave. Because I had only packed one container of snacks and it needed to get him through band practice as well, I had to take the treats from the toddler. Around the same time, he had to say goodbye to Mommy. That is not a good combination. There was much screaming. Tears were shed. About 15 minutes after we got home, he finally stopped and fell asleep for his pre-rehearsal nap. Phew.

Days 110, 111, and 112

Unlike that "quarterbacks don't get sick days" commercial with completely faulty logic, stay at home parents actually don't get sick days. Thankfully, my wife does, and she stayed home with us yesterday as I was still getting over a stomach virus.

I was feeling much better today, so we made it to music class. As soon as the teacher got there, my son sat down right next to her and started tapping his hips (we tap our hops to the rhythm of our "Hello" song). He sat on the storytime blanket all by himself again. He even faced the right direction this time!

After a quick stop at home, we grabbed lunch and went to the park to eat. We saw lots of doggies today, but very few of them actually wanted to talk to us. One of the dog walkers told me that it was good to teach him not to be afraid of dogs. That's certainly a good point, but it might not be healthy for him to be as comfortable as he is around them. As I've said many times before, he thinks dogs are hilarious. He's especially fond of when they growl, bark, and snap at him. Yeah, we're probably going to have to do something about that.

Also, I don't have the official stats to back it up, but I'm pretty sure we set some sort of record for walking back and forth over one particular bridge in the park. Whatever makes him happy!

Toward the end of our trip, I let him get pretty far away from me. We were a safe distance from the water, and he was always in sight; I just wanted to see how far he would get before he realized I wasn't with him. That never happened. I finally gave up and ran after him. Then he chased me around a tree.

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This morning I dropped the cap for his milk behind the dishwasher. He's been great about helping to "fetch" little things around the house lately, so I asked him to get it for me. A few seconds later, I had it. He didn't respond much when I asked him to rake the yard.

We've had another little run of fantastic weather, so we jogged to a nearby park and checked out the playground. It didn't take him long to figure out that he was too big for the "2- to 5-year old" equipment. While I wouldn't let him get too far away from me, he had a great time climbing all over the place- especially the (surprise!) bridge. Strangely, he kept gravitating toward a park bench. He doesn't really discriminate; if he can climb it, he will. Eventually we got back to the "little kid" playground, and I happened to catch him on camera climbing up the steps and going down the slide all by himself. He (and I!) was so proud of himself when he got to the bottom of the slide. There's just so much learning going on right now!

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We had band practice at school today, and I stopped in to see Pop Pop on the way. He's been sick recently, so he hasn't been able to hang out with his grandson. In order to get his fix, he came outside and peered into my car like it was an aquarium. My son immediately gave him a big smile and made a little of the pain go away. He's pretty good at that- even when you don't realize you need it.

Days 106, 107, 108, and 109

We started the day with a nice little run. Along the way we met a couple of doggies. My son didn't see them at first, but he found them to be hilarious as soon as I pointed them out. I hope some day he will explain to us exactly what is so funny about dogs. Probably their butts.

Today was Valentine's day, but we had to wait until after school to see Mommy. My son was supposed to get a haircut, so we couldn't go see Mommy at work because a nap was of the utmost importance. We did manage to go to the grocery store and buy some of her favorite candy. We put it in a basket that I made for her many, many years ago when we were still dating and gave it to her when she got home. She understood the significance and liked the candy.

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He sat on the storytime blanket on his own at music class today. He was facing sideways, but it's better than nothing. I saw this developing last week, as he sat near the blanket for the first time. Maybe he'll be the one holding the book next week.

We played with hula hoops, too. His favorite part was throwing them. While that wasn't one of the "official" moves, he was trying to mimic Daddy who was demonstrating how to toss one and have it roll backwards. I'm not sure I really want a hula-hooping son anyway.

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I started to feel very sick around 9 o'clock last night and went to bed soon after. Assuming the worst, I really wasn't looking forward to having to fulfill my sabdadical duties the next day. Thankfully, he and I both slept in a little later than usual, and I felt much better in the morning. He also let me sit around more than usual without having to chase him. He's so good at keeping himself entertained. We get a lot of comments about how well-behaved he is. This has us wondering what the next one will be like. Perfect... right?!??

Today was also a band and drum lessons day, and while I considered canceling both, I had already commissioned Gram and Pop Pop to watch him during my drum lesson. I didn't want to deprive them of that. In addition, my student recently got his first drum set, so I didn't want to miss that. I made it through the whole day and felt fine until the drive home. It was certainly nice (for both of us) to know that Mommy would be more than willing to take over when we got home.

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Mommy came home for lunch today. It's funny how there's never any discussion about who's going to feed the baby when we're both home.

I'm still not feeling great, but certainly better than I had been. In other words- today was another day of doing very little. He helped out today by putting away all the books that he pulled out earlier in the week. He's napping right now and will be getting that elusive haircut later in the day. Pray for us all.

Days 103, 104, and 105

We've been spending a lot of time working on our LEGO creations lately. It's one of my favorite things to do with him. I tend to make things that are meant to look like animals. He tends to make things that look exactly like a tower of the same size and shape blocks. I'm really impressed that he's able to find all of the variations of the same kind of block in the first place, let alone put them all together and forsake the others. He only has about 40 blocks right now. Excuse me while I update his Amazon wishlist...

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It's fun to watch him get the hang of his shape sorter toys. He'll sit and play with them for extended periods of time now, and he's even figured out that he needs to flip the containers over to make all the pieces fit. Sometimes it looks like he thinks he's exhausted all his options, so he cheats and opens the container and just throws in the remaining pieces.

We saw a baby in a commercial today. He pointed at the screen and said "ba-ba". He's very interested in babies lately- and in a good way. Keep it up, buddy.

We had our first band practice in a long time today. He was good as usual. I was surprised by this because I couldn't get him to take an early nap before we went. He explored both the band room and the auditorium, and he crashed a choral rehearsal along the way. He played along with a few songs and didn't even steal my sticks this time.

Just as I pulled into our driveway, he fell asleep. I wasn't about to deprive him of a nap, even this late in the day. I ran inside and grabbed my iPad to keep myself busy while I sat in the car. I've been watching Battlestar Galactica (and recommend it- even if you don't like sci-fi) on Netflix recently, and this gave me a chance to watch a little bit more. It was hard to keep my eyes on the screen knowing that I could see his sweet little face in my rearview mirror at any time.

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Apparently while he was being good at band practice the other day, he was also doing a good job of acquiring some sort of stomach virus. He was sick all weekend. Let's just say if our house were a cafe, pea soup would have been the special. Gross. Fortunately for me he seemed to be over it today.

Over the weekend he kept flipping his lawnmower. I figured maybe he thought it needed fixing, so I grabbed his "tools" and "safety goggles" (a freebie pair of sunglasses I got at the Steamtown Marathon) and we got to work. He did the same thing today, but this time he grabbed the screwdriver himself and started turning it on the lawnmower's wheels. I'd probably feel more proud about this if I actually knew how to fix a lawnmower.

Days 99, 100, 101, and 102

The weather continues to be unseasonably and freakishly warm, so we were able to get out and take a nice walk around the block. Along the way, my son saw his first woodpecker. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure how many times I've ever stopped and noticed a woodpecker before. It's funny how pointing things out to my son has made me notice and appreciate little things like that.

We went to the mall after that to get lunch and pick up the jewelry we dropped off a couple weeks ago. Of course we had to stop at the pet store as well, and much to my dismay, my two favorite puppies from before Christmas were still there. One of them was in the play area, and she has gotten so big that they had to take out the divider. I need to stop going there. *sniff*

He spent most of the trip in his stroller, but the mall was pretty empty (and for once we weren't there on the same day as a local school early dismissal day!) so I let him out to walk (run) around. Usually he stops in front of every storefront and stares for a moment before moving on to the next. Today he chose to actually go in one: Hot Topic. I'm gonna go ahead and postulate that it had something to do with the loud music that was playing inside. I'm also going to hope that it has nothing to do with Twilight or spiked leather booty shorts.

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We were able to go for another walk today. This time we walked around the block on the other side of the street. I was actually able to get him to hold my hand for most of the trip across the street until he realized what was happening and pulled away just as we reached the curb.

There's a house along the way that has two steps and a railing (together, not randomly thrown throughout)in its front yard. Every time we walk by it, he is drawn to those steps and pulls himself up. Today he did it before I could even notice. He still doesn't consistently choose using the handrail or crawling to get up and down steps, but he's starting to lean towards the former. He's also really quiet about it.

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When I was a kid, there was a Seafood Shanty restaurant right near our house. It closed about 20 years ago, but I can still recall the taste of my favorite part: oyster crackers. Though I never really sought them out, I was always disappointed whenever I would eat other variations of oyster crackers and they just tasted like regular crackers. These were different: round, sourdough pretzel-like hard, and dry. After (nonconsecutive) years of dissatisfaction, I more or less gave up hope. Then something changed.

Rumors sometimes become reality. I've read articles about it, but I'm still not sure exactly how or why it happened. Regardless, I was thrilled when I found out that the long-dead franchise was being revived just a few miles from where I live now. Much to my wife's displeasure, I couldn't wait, and my son and I were there for lunch less than an hour after its grand opening. I immediately spotted the oyster crackers on someone's table when we got inside. We got a table for one and a one-and-a-half-year-old, and I could hardly contain my excitement.

I ordered my drink and a bowl of New England clam chowder as I anxiously awaited being reunited with the tiny crackers that had been such a big part of my childhood. I waited as my Diet Pepsi and chowder arrived. I waited as my bread was delivered. I wondered if it was all just some illusion- if I had just projected the oyster crackers onto that table in a moment of desperation as we entered the restaurant. Was it all a lie? Was I destined to go through life without ever again being able to taste the dryness I so deeply desired? Would my son never know how in the world an oyster could be a cracker? Just as I had given up all hope, my waitress returned. "Oh, I'm sorry! Did you want any oyster crackers?"

Other than being my main reason for being there, no, I didn't really want any. Anyway, we had a really nice lunch, and my son got lots of attention as usual. A man who I later found out was the owner came over and told me how great it was to see me enjoying lunch with my son. I told him the same story that I'm sure 75% of the people there told him: I came here as a kid and couldn't wait to share it with my kid(s). Oh, in case you're wondering- my son had the macaroni and cheese.

After a fantastic, nostalgic lunch, I thought we should try and work off some calories. We drove to a nearby park and he immediately started running towards the adjacent school. I tried to divert him a few times, but he just kept going. Eventually I picked him up and we went over to what appeared to be the toddler area of the playground. I put him in the swing and he laughed and laughed. I put him at the top of the slide, and he braced himself before scooting his butt to the edge and taking the plunge. I could tell right away that he wanted to go again. And again. And again. So he did.

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Another little boy came over to me and sat in my lap at music class today. My son just kind of stared at him in half-disbelief/ half-contempt as I pondered what it will be like in a few short months when the other little boy in my lap will be his brother. Yikes.

We went to Wal Mart so I could pick up some packing tape to box up what will soon be his brother's room. I didn't put him in a cart because, well, it's Wal Mart. After carrying him around for the first portion of the visit, I put him down right before we headed to check out. In the pots, pans, and containers aisle. Not the best decision I've ever made.

As if anyone would notice.

Days 96, 97, and 98

Save for being a father itself, few things about having children have brought me more joy than having Legos in the house again. Now that my son is actually figuring them out, it's even better. We spent about an hour this morning just building and demolishing random combinations of blocks. Sometimes he gets them confused with other plastic toys, but for the most part he is able to keep them together in their container before and after playtime. I'm so proud of him when he eventually doesn't even need me to help him, but I look forward to him turning back around with his "Daddy, fix it!" face.

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Sometimes lunch itself is an adventure. His favorite variations on lunch include pulling his bib tight up on his neck like a noose and squirming out of his chair and placing one conquering foot on his tray.
Lately he's taken to taking a spoonful of his food and immediately whipping his head to the side like he's in a shampoo commercial. While the surrounding area has come out relatively clean so far, I know it's only a matter of time until our curtains gain some gorgeous apple and prune polka dots. Also, baby food bananas smell like death. No offense, death.

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We have another move at music class! He finally started tapping his thighs at the right time (and almost in time). Today was also the first time that he has actually wanted to hold my hand for an extended period of time. This isn't just specific to me; he rarely wants to hold anyone's hand unless he needs help balancing or getting down steps. Both Mommy and I take it personally, but what can you do? Can't fault the little guy for wanting to be independent.

When it came time to sing a song about car keys (seriously), the teacher brought out a container of bells and a container of keys. My son spent the majority of the song sitting in the middle of the circle sorting the remaining keys and bells in and out of the containers. I'm just going to assume he got that from me.

Days 94 and 95

Today was our first day of our second session of Kindermusik. As expected, he's far more "with it" this time around. There's only a couple of other kids from his old class that are also in this one. Yes, I am once again the only dad. There is one "Braden".

He walked (rather than climbed) up the entire set of steps outside of the church where we have class (with the aid of the railing). While carrying my (his) diaper bag. Motor skills are not, I repeat, not an issue.

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We met one of our new neighbors yesterday. She had their 9-week-old white German shepherd puppy out in their yard, so I figured that was a good as time as any to go and introduce ourselves. Unfortunately (and of no fault of the puppy's), my son tripped on their back porch and now has a nice big unicorn horn developing on his forehead. Poor guy. Like I said: motor skills- not an issue.

Tomorrow is Mommy's birthday, so right after breakfast we went and picked up flowers and lunch to surprise her at work. We had a nice visit, despite his disappointment at her classroom's super-stompable hardwood floor being replaced by quiet carpet.

Today's Stunning Feat of Amazement: pulling his socks off with his teeth.

Days 91, 92 and 93

I set the alarm today for a little after 8 so we could run some errands today. While I hit snooze enough times to wake up roughly 45 minutes later, I was still able to get most of my household chores done before my son finally woke up at 10:10.

The main thing I wanted to accomplish today was getting some jewelry cleaned. To my knowledge, my wedding ring has never been cleaned or polished in the ten and a half years (except while sleeping, in water, and at amusement parks) that I have been wearing it. In addition, my parents recently gave me one of my grandfather's prized rings that happens to be roughly 3 sizes too big for me and could also use a good cleaning. I figured those two factors were plenty of reason for a guy to go to a jewelry store.

We attempted to eat lunch at the food court and were relatively successful. This was much easier when he was a few months younger and wasn't feeding himself. By the time we were done, there was roughly as much soft taco on his stroller seat as there was in his belly. I may actually have to put a bib in my bag.

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Tomorrow is Gram's birthday, and once again I set the alarm so we would be able to get some shopping done before going over to see my parents later in the day. Again he woke up right around 10. We still managed a quick trip to Best Buy and Sublime Cupcakes before lunch.

We had our first band practice of 2012, so we headed to school as soon as we were able. Knowing that it would no longer hold him, I didn't bother to take his "cage" with me this time. He is certainly more interested in me playing the drums now, and he even came over and hit my snare drum with his own sticks a few times during practice. At one point he decided he needed the real thing, so he took away one of my sticks and I finished the song with just one. He hung nearby for most of our short rehearsal, and hardly put anything disgusting in his mouth.

I had dinner plans near school and my parents' house later that day, so it didn't make sense for me to drive all the way home only to come back shortly after. Thankfully, Gram and Pop Pop didn't mind spending the afternoon with us (him). I put him down for his nap shortly after we arrived, but I had to do it without his white noise machine. Luckily there's an app for that!

I must have made just a little too much noise as I attempted to retrieve my phone 20 minutes later because he woke up right as I opened the door. Even though he got over 13 hours of sleep the night before, this was still a little worrisome- especially since I would be leaving shortly. He seemed fine as soon as he got his afternoon bottle and snack, so I gave it a shot. According to my parents, he was normal and enjoyed his Chick-Fil-A dinner and cupcake frosting. Whew!

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The snow had started melting and the sun was out, so I decided it was time to get out again for another run. We all but skipped last week due to several factors, but I have no excuse when it's this nice outside. He spent most of it leaning his head up against the side of the stroller. I had to keep checking to make sure he was still awake because he was so still. Something weird happened with my GPS app because my first five minute interval added up to over a mile. Sometimes I'm fast, but I'm nowhere near that fast!

I also started the last class I ever have to take today. It's a weird feeling, but I know it won't actually be the last. Looking at the amount of work I will have to do each of the seven weeks of this one, I'm glad that I am only taking one. I managed to squeeze two classes into January, and that is going to make my life much easier over the next two months. Then I'll enjoy a little more "time off" before my life changes again... all over again.

He had his 18-month (it didn't really take that long; that would be tortuous) checkup today. Turns out he's doing pretty well. He's getting smaller against averages in just about everything but his head. The doctor says that's because he has such a big brain. I think he just wants to ruin more shirt necks, Costanza-style.

Days 88, 89, and 90

We were forced inside today by some cold rain, so we did our best to stay entertained. For my son, that mostly consisted of tormenting the dogs. As we are all confined to the living room most of the day, there is only so much sitting space to go around. While he doesn't seem to have any malevolent intentions, his mere presence in their personal space is often enough to get them to jump up and run away. Couple that with the fact that he imitates the way I playfully pat the dogs on the torso with his own (much harder) version, many times on their heads and snouts, and you can understand their reasoning. He's also taken to sticking a toy right in Davi's face in an effort to get him to try and take it from him. More often than not this results in Davi running away in frustration.

It isn't always like that, though. I have always tried to keep Davi and Ellie involved in our playtime. If they look like they want to play, we play. Today I grabbed one of Davi's toys from him and threw it behind me. Due to his age and depending on the light, he may not always be able to see more than a few inches in front of him. When it became clear that Davi wasn't going to be able to find the ball, my son trotted over to it and brought it back for him! Though I knew it wouldn't be long before he would be smacking Davi in the face again, it was a sweet little moment while it lasted.

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It looks like his illness has finally subsided. Just in time for a week off from music class! Once again we stayed inside. He's been spending a lot of time with his shape sorting toys lately. He's also getting very good at figuring them out. He even rarely tries to put the wooden shapes in the plastic holes anymore! I still have to turn the toys on the right side for him, but I suspect it won't be long until he figures that out, too.

Every now and then the dogs respond to his goading for playtime. Today he managed to get Davi to chase a few balls for him. He throws almost exclusively with his left arm. Sometimes the toys go a few feet; sometimes they land behind him. I've managed to "play catch" with him a few times, but he doesn't do much catching. He is good at keeping the ball in front of him, though. I guess as a lefty he won't be playing much infield. Perhaps its time to start teaching him a curveball.

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Our local Food Lion is closing. It's not even as old as my son. I'm not sure who thought it was a good idea to build a tiny grocery store with very little local name recognition in the middle of a 5 mile radius that includes two Giants, two Weises, a Shur Fine, Redner's, and Target. Regardless, the decision was a poor one. It's the closest grocery store to me, and including today, I've been there a total of 4 times. We went there today solely because everything (not regulated by the government) is 25% off. While the important stuff like Diet Pepsi and Doritos are completely sold out, we did manage to find some baby food, Mommy food, and dog treats.

As we were pulling out of the parking lot, I noticed a very unique, yet familiar, car in front of Five Guys. I stopped the car and peeked in the window, but I didn't see who I was looking for. Just as I was about to get back in the car, Pop Pop G, who restores classic cars, walked out the door and invited us in for lunch. It was a nice surprise, and it gave us a chance to catch up on some recent happenings and further hash out our game plan for the sun room's conversion from tiki bar to sports bar. I also learned that Five Guys sells a grilled cheese sandwich. How about that? Because I wasn't planning on having lunch until we got home, I didn't have a sippy cup for my son. Pop Pop G got him a paper cup to drink out of, and he managed to only spill it on himself once. Not bad at all.

Days 86 and 87

Today was a gross and rainy day, so we stayed inside. A short nap gave me very little time to get stuff done around the house. He's still not feeling well, and that makes some activities not very much fun (for either of us). The worst part about it is not knowing exactly what's wrong with him and what I can do to help. Hopefully this will pass soon so he can be happy again.

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A 9 o'clock wakeup call gave me a chance to run a bunch of errands before I even had a chance to take a shower. We went to the bank to make an important deposit. We went to the grocery store to get some pellets for the water softener and some treats to help the dogs with their awful, awful breath. Finally, we returned to the Humane Society to pick up the dog licenses we should have had on Wednesday.

It was very cold and windy today, so I had to hold my son very close to me as I hustled from the car to our destinations and back. He's much more accepting of having to wear a hood now; maybe he's starting to "get it". Of course I don't want this to become a habit, as I surely don't want to see him growing up to be one of those suburban pseudo-gangstas who always walks around with his hood up. Who am I kidding? This is my son we're talking about. Then again- I'm sure every dad says that.

We worked a lot on putting blocks in the right shaped holes of a few toys he got for Christmas. It's pretty funny when he loses interest, turns his head, but still keeps trying to shove a circle into a star. I just tap on his shoulder, refocus him, and walk him through it. Then he spills out the blocks and starts all over again. I know learning won't always be fun (that's the teacher in me), but I'm going to make the most of it while I can.

He's 18-months old today. I did a lot of reflecting throughout the day. His little brother will be here in a little over 4 months. Wow.

Mommy has a day off on Monday, so we get a long weekend together. I think she needs it.

Days 83, 84 and 85

He was sick all weekend, so we really had to limit our activities today. The only thing I absolutely had to do was go to the post office. I put my textbooks from last semester up on half.com and managed to sell most of them. Unfortunately they sold a few days apart from each other, so that meant I had to go to the post office a couple different times. It's one of those slightly inconvenient trips because I know I'm only going to be in there for a few minutes, but I still have to unstrap my son from his carseat, hold him while we wait, and then strap him right back in the seat. I feel bad for him because he probably thinks we're going to be doing something fun or exciting (which couldn't be more wrong).

Mommy finally got to see him point to his toes. With no hesitation at all he alternated between toes and belly. We were probably way more excited than we should be. Nose is still a problem. Will he ever figure it out? Who nose? Ahem.

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It was a really early morning for us today. It was almost like going to work. Now I'm sick, too, so I really could have used the extra sleep. Oh well. I really don't like when he gets up early because then he has to watch Mommy leave. I try to distract him so he doesn't notice, and sometimes he doesn't figure it out.

He managed to get back to sleep after breakfast, so the dogs and I went back to bed, too. Thankfully we got a couple of hours of sleep before it was time for lunch.

I started training for the Garden Spot (Half) Marathon today, so I had to bundle up my son in an effort to combat the mid 40 degree temperatures and wind. He did NOT want me to put his left mitten on, as evident by his ceaseless screaming. However, he was very helpful when it came time to put on the right one, even going so far as to stretch out his fingers and thumb. Before he knew it, I had his coat zippered up and his gloves were "locked in" by the elastic bands in his sleeves. He's not much of a fan of hats, so I was a little concerned about the next step. Much to my surprise, he didn't fight it at all. He also managed to keep all of his accessories on throughout our three mile trek. All in all- not too bad. Only 47 more times to go!

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Today was our last music class of this session. We'll be repeating the same class starting in a couple weeks- only this time he'll actually be within the correct age range. Surprisingly, he didn't miss a step from his great improvement last week. While there was a little bit more wandering around, I'm going to blame that on the multitude of other children who were setting the example. Today was like a "greatest hits" of all the songs and motions we'd learned throughout the class, and he was right on with most of them. He even managed to hold my hand for a some of our circle time (he generally only holds hands when he needs help with something)! We've got a week off, and then we'll see how he reacts to taking a class he's actually supposed to be in!

We stopped by the Humane Society to drop off our dog license applications (albeit a tad late) and take a quick walkthrough. He really liked the big fat bunnies that were hanging out in a couple of the small dog kennels. That was pretty much all he could see, as the kennels there have glass doors with translucent bottoms that keep him from being able to see the dogs clearly. On a positive note, there were several empty kennels today. We did see at least one unleashed dog wandering through the city on our way there, but I'm still going to think positively.

Soon after we left, my phone rang. It was someone from the Humane Society letting me know that my tags were ready! Oops. I didn't realize I was supposed to stick around for them. Oh well, that gives us an excuse to go back sometime soon.

Days 80, 81, and 82

Once again it appears that some time off from music class was good for my son. For the first time since we started, he was marching when he was supposed to march, spinning when he was supposed to spin, and jumping when he was supposed to jump. While none of the mommies actually said anything to me about it, I could tell by their looks that they were proud/ happy/ surprised to see his progress. Next month he'll actually be the minimum age for the group that he's in, so maybe we're just right on schedule.

We made a few stops after music class, the final one being the mall. I needed some oil for our snowblower, and my son needed to see some puppies. I haven't had a stroller in my car for a while because of hauling Christmas presents, so I either had to carry him or let him walk on his own. Being that he still doesn't take direction very well, we walked over the "Sears Bridge" nearly 8 times. After he finally tired of the bridge, we headed to the pet store.

He wasn't as excited to see the puppies as he usually is. Instead he chose to wander around the store, picking up random bags of sand, feed, and bedding along the way. When he was carrying around one of the bags with two hands, I noticed that no longer had his water. I found where the bag belonged, and sure enough, there was his water.

We watched his new favorite show, Jack's Big Music Show, after a late lunch, and then it was time for his nap. Nick Jr. always has some sort of educational lesson after each show as well as a music video from one of their other shows. Just as we were making our way up the steps, his Gabba friends came on the screen and got him all riled up. Though I was still able to get him to go upstairs, he refused to go to sleep on his own. Luckily I haven't forgotten how to rock him to sleep. I guess I will have to start that up again soon enough! I was surprised that he was able to fall asleep so easily because his head was hanging off of my shoulder and falling fast. It surely wasn't the most comfortable sleeping position, but we made it work.

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After a stop at Goodwill to drop off some old clothes, we went to the Animal Rescue League to donate some old towels and visit the animals. My son was surprisingly unfazed by the multitude of dogs barking loudly at him as we walked through the kennels. He thinks they are so funny. He shared a few cute moments with a poodle mix that reached out to him from its cage, but we are hardly in the market for another pet. I always look forward to going to places like that, but actually being there always makes me so sad.

After checking out the dogs and mostly ignoring the cats, our last stop was the small animal room. We spent a good deal of time talking about bunnies, hamsters, and chinchillas with the nice old lady volunteer that seemingly runs that part of the shelter. She was so sweet, and it was comforting to see someone who clearly cares so much about the animals. It's tough to tell, but I think my son will share Mommy's and my love for animals. I look forward to giving him "his" first pet!

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Uh oh. "Toes" and "nose" seem to be very confusing to my almost 18-month old son. I know we'll figure it out, but it certainly could result in some interesting situations in the future if he never learns the difference!

It looks like it's going to be warming up a little bit this weekend. It's a good thing, too, because we have to start training next week for a half marathon at the end of March. I can't wait to get back outside with my little training partner. It's going to get a lot tougher when I have to run with one of those ridiculous double strollers later this year!

(Half-)Day 78, Christmas vacation, and Day 79

Mommy's school had an early dismissal today, and I didn't want to be out when she got home, so we really didn't a chance to do much. It was probably best to stay in anyway, as we will be needing all the energy we can muster for the next few days.

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Christmas vacation: the highlights...

Our first day off, we had to leave our son with Gram for a short time so we could go to the doctor about a serious medical issue: WE'RE PREGNANT!!! We told our families and select few others back in October, but we didn't want to tell the world until we knew everything was going OK. Almost as soon as the ultrasound technician put the wand on my wife's belly, I knew what we were having. You know what that means: it's a BOY! He asked us anyway and typed the same words on the screen. Everything looked good (according to the mumbling and bedside mannerly-challenged doctor), so we figured it was time to let the rest of the world know. After sharing with our families, we took it one step further: Facebook Official!

We visited Grandmom K later that day for Christmas #1. Her big present to our son was a model train set. While there was no way I would be able to set it up in time for Christmas this year, I look forward to seeing his reaction next year. While we had a nice and relatively quiet visit, today began an unsettling trend of inconsistent naps that would continue through the next week.

We drove down to my sister's house in Virginia the next day for Christmas #2. He slept a little bit on the way down but was more interested in his afternoon milk and snack than opening presents. We didn't have a lot of time at my sister's, so her young daughters understandably wanted to get right to the presents. He did his best, but he just wasn't himself and clearly is still too young to "get it". We left after dinner and hoped that he would sleep a little on the way back, but not too much so we could still get him a full night of sleep before Christmas.

My wife and I woke up before my son on Christmas morning, so we had a chance to exchange our gifts. We both took it pretty easy this year (she plans on taking a full year of maternity leave next year), and my big gift to her was of the homemade variety. I compiled many of the videos of him into a music video and gave it to her after we got home on Christmas Eve. After spending so much time on it and getting it just right, I couldn't wait. I didn't think it was possible, but she may actually like it more than I do.

My son's second Christmas (and our third so far this year) saw him actually being able to open presents. Just because he was able doesn't mean he wanted to. Eventually he got through most of them, but luckily Santa had preassembled a couple of gifts that he seemed to enjoy.

Later that day we had Christmas #4 with Pop Pop G. It began with a combination of too much eating and moving and a result of puke on his nice Christmas outfit. He was then relegated to spending the rest of the evening in one of his cousin's old t-shirts. Best laid plains...

Christmas #5 came a couple days later when Gram and Pop Pop returned from Virginia. We asked them to come over to our house (mainly because we had a Christmas tree and they did not) and then spent almost no time at the tree. Whoops. They had plenty of playtime with my son in our living room, and I don't think anyone was really thinking missing the tree.

We spent New Year's Eve at the home of our friends who have twins. Our New Year's countdown was for 8 o'clock, so we could get all the children in bed at a decent hour. None of us had a problem with that. We swapped the champagne for ginger ale and discovered that our son seems to love ginger ale. It's either that or he just really enjoys drinking out of a real cup.

We finally had a chance to check out the Kids Court play area at our local YMCA. It's a pretty impressive indoor playground with a rock wall and a bunch of other cool stuff. Though our son is still too little to appreciate most of the obstacles, he did have fun going up and down some puffy steps and running around in the day care area. He was also quite fond of playing with their toys that we have at home. Toward the end of the day, he started trying to climb up a small slide. This being the first time he had shown interest in a slide, I helped him climb up the steps on the back of the slide. I was very proud of him as he walked right up to the slide and sat down all by himself. I called Mommy over as he was about to do it again, and he didn't disappoint!

My son, being a small child and all, has a fascination with lights. We took our first family trip to Christmas Village, an unexpectedly and immensely popular nearby attraction on its final day of seasonal operation. As expected, he was amazed by the trains, lights, and kitsch that surrounded him. Never mind that Christmas was a week earlier and it started to rain when we were there- nothing could wash away the joy in his face. That is, until we realized we had to get him home before bedtime.

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There were some odd bed- nap- and wakeup times over the break, so I was a little worried about what time he would get me up this morning. He must have realized we had nothing that needed to be done today, so he didn't get up until 9. A dusting of snow, extremely cold temperatures, and a slight case of extreme laziness kept us inside today. This gave us a chance to work on a little bit of learning.

He knows the names or relationships of most of his relatives and pets as well as some other essential words. However, a couple recent encounters made me realize that we never taught him very basic parts of his body. He knows his legs and arms because we call them out when he is getting dressed, but today I was determined to teach him toes, ears, eyes, nose, and mouth. Everything was going great until I tried to show Mommy when she got home. By that point all he wanted to do was hug and spend time with her. After the day that she had, I figured that was OK, too. We can always try again tomorrow!