We were hanging out on the couch while Roland played around on the floor with his cars. His play took him to the open door, where he stopped to stare out the screen for a minute.
Suddenly he was in my lap making a scared face. But a playing-it-up scared face. We asked what was wrong and he said, "I scared."
"You're scared? Of what?"
"Monster outside."
"There's a monster outside? Is it nice? Want me to come look?"
"Yeah, nice monster. Come on." He hopped off my lap and what you see is what happened next.
A few nights ago he told Mom a story about a dragon family that lives outside. The baby lives in my motorcycle and is protected by Batman at night. The dad dragon lives outside. He's adding to it I think.
Showing posts with label video. Show all posts
Showing posts with label video. Show all posts
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Friday, June 7, 2013
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Week 10- Home Alone (with pictures and video)
By Dad
Week ten was Mom and Cannonball's first real week alone together. All of the other weeks had been full of vacations, traveling, or visiting relatives. From what I could tell every day when I came home it went great. Roland is a great little boy and he was having good days. He'd sleep, eat, sleep some more, then be up for a while.
What that meant for me is when I finally got home from work he'd sometimes be a grumpy, tired baby in need of a nap. Naps were once again EVIL and must be stopped. I must admit, it wasn't fun the first time I came home from work and a swim to pick him up and have him start crying right away. I blame the chlorine smell.
Roland got to watch his first Super Bowl. I know it's silly, but it was neat to hang out with the boy during the biggest football game of the year. Yes, it would have been cool if he had been born [FEMALE NAME REDACTED] instead too. It's not a gender thing, it's a We're probably going to do this every year and sometimes it'll be on your mom's birthday and we'll have to do something nice for her too that day tradition thing.
Roland has been getting so much bigger. I think not seeing him all day is making that feeling more intense. He's stronger too, when we do tummy time he hold his head up like a champ. And he likes to stand. We support him upright and he plants his feet. I'm quite sure, said the proud if delusional father, that if he had the proper balance he'd be standing and walking already.
The other funny thing that's happening is to his head. He's going bald. They told us to expect him to start rubbing the hair off with all the time he spends on his back but I didn't really believe it. Nope, hair is definitely disappearing. But only around the high sides. Soon he's going to be Jean Luc Picard.
Roland is tracking things better every day with his eyes and I think he's going to start reaching soon. He's not yet, but the thought process of what are these things attached to my arms is happening. It's so much fun to stand him up and watch him meercat around (Angela's term, he does it in the Ergo too). I want to know what he sees and what he's thinking.
He's adorable, he's being the best baby, and we couldn't be happier.
By Mom
This was my first full week on my own as a Mama. The week started with my birthday, and it ended up being a good thing that for my first full on meal from scratch was something that could wait. Roland must have spent too much time awake during the day because right around the time my cooking was finishing up he started in on the I-will-never-sleep-again road. Daddy tried to keep him calm as long as he could, but once my roast was out of the oven to rest I took over to nurse him. Usually when he gets all worked up he can't eat because he can't cry, breathe, and eat all at the same time. I knew he was tired so I took him to bed to nurse. He calmed down for me eventually, then made eye contact while cooing at me. Poor Doug kept coming in to ask what he should do every time the timer went off. Once Roland had eaten enough he fell asleep and I left him in bed to go finish my dinner. We got about an hour to eat with only a couple of interruptions to offer his pacifier so he could go back to sleep. So far an hour is about all we get if we put Roland down to sleep.
During the work week Doug had to get up on his own, kissing both of us goodbye and making sure to lock the deadbolt before he left. I would sleep with Roland until he woke up to eat around 8:30. After that it was out of bed for some playtime. I found that to ensure at least one good nap during the day I would have to hold him during the nap. Putting him down or in his swing would mean a 10-15 minute nap, and then awake for a long stretch. Not really a problem for me, but it tends to make him fussy in the evening, which is frustrating for Doug. He wanted a chance to hang out with Roland, but Roland was too tired to want to hang out with Daddy. Our days were pretty tame. Neither of us had to be anywhere, so we stayed home.
I did start doing some light exercise with him. I signed up to participate in a study being done at the University of Hawaii. They sent me a Google TV device and a username and password to use an exercise program online. The workouts are meant to be done with baby, either holding him or with him nearby so I can still interact with him. What I've done so far have been chunked into 10-minute sessions. It works out well, since so far that is all Roland can handle before we need to do something else. Which means I am also learning to do other things in 10-minute chunks or less. Sometimes I can rotate laundry and load the dishwasher before he wakes from a cat nap or wants to play again. Most days longer things, like showering, end up waiting until Doug gets home. Staying home with Roland is a lot different than teaching Kindergarten, but I can't imagine going back yet. I like the change.
And now a bunch of videos of him being cute-
Week ten was Mom and Cannonball's first real week alone together. All of the other weeks had been full of vacations, traveling, or visiting relatives. From what I could tell every day when I came home it went great. Roland is a great little boy and he was having good days. He'd sleep, eat, sleep some more, then be up for a while.
What that meant for me is when I finally got home from work he'd sometimes be a grumpy, tired baby in need of a nap. Naps were once again EVIL and must be stopped. I must admit, it wasn't fun the first time I came home from work and a swim to pick him up and have him start crying right away. I blame the chlorine smell.
Roland got to watch his first Super Bowl. I know it's silly, but it was neat to hang out with the boy during the biggest football game of the year. Yes, it would have been cool if he had been born [FEMALE NAME REDACTED] instead too. It's not a gender thing, it's a We're probably going to do this every year and sometimes it'll be on your mom's birthday and we'll have to do something nice for her too that day tradition thing.
Roland has been getting so much bigger. I think not seeing him all day is making that feeling more intense. He's stronger too, when we do tummy time he hold his head up like a champ. And he likes to stand. We support him upright and he plants his feet. I'm quite sure, said the proud if delusional father, that if he had the proper balance he'd be standing and walking already.
The other funny thing that's happening is to his head. He's going bald. They told us to expect him to start rubbing the hair off with all the time he spends on his back but I didn't really believe it. Nope, hair is definitely disappearing. But only around the high sides. Soon he's going to be Jean Luc Picard.
Roland is tracking things better every day with his eyes and I think he's going to start reaching soon. He's not yet, but the thought process of what are these things attached to my arms is happening. It's so much fun to stand him up and watch him meercat around (Angela's term, he does it in the Ergo too). I want to know what he sees and what he's thinking.
He's adorable, he's being the best baby, and we couldn't be happier.
By Mom
This was my first full week on my own as a Mama. The week started with my birthday, and it ended up being a good thing that for my first full on meal from scratch was something that could wait. Roland must have spent too much time awake during the day because right around the time my cooking was finishing up he started in on the I-will-never-sleep-again road. Daddy tried to keep him calm as long as he could, but once my roast was out of the oven to rest I took over to nurse him. Usually when he gets all worked up he can't eat because he can't cry, breathe, and eat all at the same time. I knew he was tired so I took him to bed to nurse. He calmed down for me eventually, then made eye contact while cooing at me. Poor Doug kept coming in to ask what he should do every time the timer went off. Once Roland had eaten enough he fell asleep and I left him in bed to go finish my dinner. We got about an hour to eat with only a couple of interruptions to offer his pacifier so he could go back to sleep. So far an hour is about all we get if we put Roland down to sleep.
During the work week Doug had to get up on his own, kissing both of us goodbye and making sure to lock the deadbolt before he left. I would sleep with Roland until he woke up to eat around 8:30. After that it was out of bed for some playtime. I found that to ensure at least one good nap during the day I would have to hold him during the nap. Putting him down or in his swing would mean a 10-15 minute nap, and then awake for a long stretch. Not really a problem for me, but it tends to make him fussy in the evening, which is frustrating for Doug. He wanted a chance to hang out with Roland, but Roland was too tired to want to hang out with Daddy. Our days were pretty tame. Neither of us had to be anywhere, so we stayed home.
I did start doing some light exercise with him. I signed up to participate in a study being done at the University of Hawaii. They sent me a Google TV device and a username and password to use an exercise program online. The workouts are meant to be done with baby, either holding him or with him nearby so I can still interact with him. What I've done so far have been chunked into 10-minute sessions. It works out well, since so far that is all Roland can handle before we need to do something else. Which means I am also learning to do other things in 10-minute chunks or less. Sometimes I can rotate laundry and load the dishwasher before he wakes from a cat nap or wants to play again. Most days longer things, like showering, end up waiting until Doug gets home. Staying home with Roland is a lot different than teaching Kindergarten, but I can't imagine going back yet. I like the change.
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| Wait! A blackout and the Ravens are leading!?! |
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| Hi daddy! |
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| Bonus points for naming the movie |
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| Baby at knitting |
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| Other Angela has got the child! |
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| Yeah, it's been a rough day |
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| Instagram via poor lighting |
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| The two best people ever |
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| He's also started chewing on his fingers |
Monday, January 21, 2013
Week 7 - Out and About
By Mom
So far Doug has been writing weekly updates about Roland, but since he has been back at work I've seen more of Roland. Sunday night Papa went back to California, and Grammy stayed to spend another week with us. Sunday was a pretty uneventful day. We watched football and hung out around the house, spending time together as a family. Doug did a race early in the morning; his mom and stepdad went to watch while Roland and I stayed home and slept in. It was the second race in a three-race series - you might remember Doug having mentioned he did a race the morning Roland was born. That was the first race of the series. Luckily I was not on the list for another childbirth. Yet.
Monday was a terrible day for weather - making it perfect for getting things done around the house. Roland was a champ in his swing which made it easier for me and Grammy to get things done around the house. There was lots of cleaning mixed with a bit of box packing and furniture rearranging done. With the list of chores completed the rest of the week was left open for more preferred activities. We went shopping, visited Daddy's school again, and visited Mama's school for the first time. Grammy found things to decorate her house and helped me find things to make our apartment feel a little more homey.
When we were shopping Roland was in his Ergo - and asleep. The bigger he gets the more he fights naps during the day. Put him in the Ergo though and he snuggles down and visits dream land. On a few occasions he has stayed awake to look around a bit, but he usually doesn't last long. When he is hungry he'll wake up to nurse. Besides soothing a fussy baby, the Ergo is fantastic for nursing on the go. I might have been a little skeptical of trying if it weren't for the instruction booklet stating that the carrier had been designed with nursing in mind.
Grammy stayed with us through Saturday night. Doug and I even went out for a couple of hours on our own while Roland stayed with Grammy. It felt weird to leave the apartment without a baby and the baby things. We had a hard time figuring out what to do with ourselves. It's only been 7 weeks and already we revolve our decisions to go out around the baby. The first thing we noticed was that it was nice to be in the car without someone hollering from the backseat to get there already. So we got off the freeway and stopped at all the lights. The highlight of our trip out was finding a Star Trek version of Settlers of Catan to bring home. Since we've been spending almost all our nights in I had the idea to shop for board games. Figured it would be easy to stop in the middle of to do things Roland needs us to, then go back to once he is happy again. Even though we were only out for a couple of hours I was eager to get back home and make sure he was doing okay. Of course he was fine, making it obvious to everyone that the mom worry has been turned on in me.
And now for the part you came here for: pictures!
So far Doug has been writing weekly updates about Roland, but since he has been back at work I've seen more of Roland. Sunday night Papa went back to California, and Grammy stayed to spend another week with us. Sunday was a pretty uneventful day. We watched football and hung out around the house, spending time together as a family. Doug did a race early in the morning; his mom and stepdad went to watch while Roland and I stayed home and slept in. It was the second race in a three-race series - you might remember Doug having mentioned he did a race the morning Roland was born. That was the first race of the series. Luckily I was not on the list for another childbirth. Yet.
Monday was a terrible day for weather - making it perfect for getting things done around the house. Roland was a champ in his swing which made it easier for me and Grammy to get things done around the house. There was lots of cleaning mixed with a bit of box packing and furniture rearranging done. With the list of chores completed the rest of the week was left open for more preferred activities. We went shopping, visited Daddy's school again, and visited Mama's school for the first time. Grammy found things to decorate her house and helped me find things to make our apartment feel a little more homey.
When we were shopping Roland was in his Ergo - and asleep. The bigger he gets the more he fights naps during the day. Put him in the Ergo though and he snuggles down and visits dream land. On a few occasions he has stayed awake to look around a bit, but he usually doesn't last long. When he is hungry he'll wake up to nurse. Besides soothing a fussy baby, the Ergo is fantastic for nursing on the go. I might have been a little skeptical of trying if it weren't for the instruction booklet stating that the carrier had been designed with nursing in mind.
Grammy stayed with us through Saturday night. Doug and I even went out for a couple of hours on our own while Roland stayed with Grammy. It felt weird to leave the apartment without a baby and the baby things. We had a hard time figuring out what to do with ourselves. It's only been 7 weeks and already we revolve our decisions to go out around the baby. The first thing we noticed was that it was nice to be in the car without someone hollering from the backseat to get there already. So we got off the freeway and stopped at all the lights. The highlight of our trip out was finding a Star Trek version of Settlers of Catan to bring home. Since we've been spending almost all our nights in I had the idea to shop for board games. Figured it would be easy to stop in the middle of to do things Roland needs us to, then go back to once he is happy again. Even though we were only out for a couple of hours I was eager to get back home and make sure he was doing okay. Of course he was fine, making it obvious to everyone that the mom worry has been turned on in me.
And now for the part you came here for: pictures!
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| Parental Tragic Face |
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| Cannonball Tragic Face |
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| All the smiles for mommy |
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| Mom on the new giant pillow |
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| Carry the baby like a football |
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| "Why must you make me sit up?" |
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| WOOOOOO! |
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| King of the Side Eye |
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| Getting the snuggles |
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| "Tell me again why we hate the Giants, daddy." |
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| Love my swing |
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| Grammy + glider chair = yaaay |
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| "I suppose you're all wondering why I called you here today." |
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| Hair |
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| There are four lights! |
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| Crime fighting socks |
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| Papa gotta fly home? No! |
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| Yeah, I'm a frog now. What? |
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| This is my monkey. Sometimes I smack it. |
A video where I dance on my mat after playing the elephant.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Week 6- School, Smiles, Suckers
By Dad
Roland turned six weeks old Saturday and boy was week 6 busy. I have the feeling I'll be saying that a lot. Every week is full of growth and changes like I don't even believe. I knew, intellectually, that tiny humans do a lot of growing very quickly in their first year, but to see it right in front of my face is still amazing to watch.
The biggest change is smiles. He smiles now and it looks like he's smiling on purpose. I don't know if he's smiling at me or not, but it looks like there is control of facial muscles happening. Angela saw the smiles a few days before I did, but I'm back at work so she is spending more time with him than I am. By the time I get home from work it's time to battle a mid-day nap and he's not always the happiest little boy for a while. But over the weekend I got some good smiles too. That was very good, to be lying in bed next to him and have him look over, then to see a huge smile split his face in half. I haven't been around enough babies to know if they are all prone to big expressions, but if they aren't then Roland is definitely mine. All his faces are bigger than life and over-exaggerated. The Tragic Face that comes mid-cry, which has not yet been successfully photographed, now includes a pouty lip. This elicited an excited call from the other room the first time he did it. "Honey! Come look! He's got a lip now too! It's so cute!" I'm not sure he knows his parents laugh at him while he's crying right now, but he'll probably pick up on it by the time he's two.
This was Grammy and Papa's (my mom and Skip) first full week here too and I can't overstate how helpful they have been. I knew it would be nice to have some family over but I didn't expect how great it would be to not have all the pressure all the time split between just Angela and I. Someone else helping out with cooking, cleaning, or just holding the crying tiny person for a little while is fantastic. Because they are here we've felt more free to do more with him.
For example, Roland went to Waikiki for the first time Friday. They went down a little early and I met them after school and the five of us strolled the main drag, shopping and taking in the first non-rainy day in a while. Roland loves his Ergo and was a good baby the whole time. Everyone who has tiny people- Get a Baby Carrying Device! Cereal, you guys, it's super Al Gore Important. 1000x better than a mobile carseat and easier to move around than a stroller. I'm sure we'll get to stroller use, but the Ergo and Moby wraps are kick ass. He's still not a huge fan of the car, however.
The way we've started combating the fight against the car is by introducing a pacifier. Angela and I were both not sure about pacifiers and we were going to try to avoid using one if we could. Grammy talked us into giving it a shot and it's been great. Sucking seems to calm him down much faster than he can do on his own. He's probably got an oral fixation like his dad, who always has a toothpick in his mouth. We don't go straight to it, we try other things before going to the pacifier, but if he's really upset or just won't relax enough to feed or sleep it's a good tool to have in our utility belt.
The swing also works better now. As he gets bigger the swing become less of an Evil Thing Which Must Be Hated. He's still a slumpy little ball of dough sometimes though. Angela put him in, buckled him down, took a quick shower, and by the time she was done he was curled over into a small ball of I'm Going To Make You Scared I'm Falling Out Even Though The Buckle Has Me Secure With My Arms and Legs Inside At All Times.
The little cannonball visited his daddy at school last week, and that was pretty cool. I have the best student teacher ever so she took my class over after lunch and allowed me to wander the campus showing him off to all my fellow teachers. Grammy took a bijillion pictures and I posted most of them on this blog here. I look forward to bringing him back every few weeks so everybody can see how he's grown. Also, once Fantastic Student Teacher starts soloing I'm going to get very bored very quickly so Mama needs to visit me for lunch regularly.
According to Mama he's sleeping less and less during the day. He's been a good boy, not very fussy at all, but he needs to sleep more. A few times we've hit Overtired Baby DefCon One (note: everyone does Defcon wrong. Defcon One is the most serious. The higher the Defcon, the less threat there is. At Defcon 12 everyone owns a unicorn).
The biggest thing he did in his sixth week was take Six Week pictures at Sears. These came out great and they will get their own blog later. But he was fantastic during the session and didn't fuss or cry or anything the entire time. Baby loves the camera. Again, just like his father.
Before we get to pictures we must all laugh at the truth of Doghouse Diaries:
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| Old school diaper pinning |
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| Damnit. Better me than him. |
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| I shall slumpscape! |
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| Baby wearing at the mall |
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| 'Allo |
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| 'Allo again |
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| I will not make eye contact with Horton |
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| Passed out with Grammy |
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| Oh, The Places You'll Go! |
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| Papa holds me backwards |
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| We have slumpage! |
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| Hello, tiny human! |
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| Genetics Rule! |
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| Dawww! |
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| Grammy in heaven |
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| Are you the cutest boy ever (since your daddy)? |
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| YES! |
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| Test trip to the park in the B.O.B. |
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| We are unsure if we are displeased |
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| Woah! |
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| You are naked! Shocking! |
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| I. Am. The Coolest. Baby. Ever. |
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