Pet Smart II, Sneaky Cat

Sometimes I get freaked out at night when I'm on the computer or watching TV and one of the boys will suddenly appear in the doorway--awakened by something.

I think cats are cute, fun, great companions and all, but sneaky. So with that in mind watch the following video and see why a pet cat is not on our list:

Cry, Baby

Dewdrop turned two months old not too long ago. She's rather fussy, much like the Oh at this age.

We would have been lost trying to soothe them without a nurse at the hospital telling us about a book "The Happiest Baby on the Block" by Dr. Harvey Karp. It saved the Oh and Dewdrop days of crying.

Basically the book suggests that some infants need a fourth trimester. He details the Five Ss: 1) swaddling, 2) side/stomach position, 3) shhh sounds, 4) swinging and 5) sucking--that recreates conditions in the womb. We weren't true believers until we saw the DVD and then actually tried it on the Oh. Most of the "techniques" are things you naturally do to soothe fussy babies: pacifiers, shooshing, swaying, etc.

Most days in those first three months the Oh required all five Ss. Dewdrop is a little better in that we can "turn off" her crying with three or four of the Ss. We don't recall the Happy Elf requiring much soothing, but that's his personality, low key and for the most part mellow.

We're convinced that the Oh and Dewdrop would have cried unceasingly for hours a day. Thanks to Dr. Karp it's only minutes a day and Dewdrop is turning into a decent sleeper too.

The best part is that I can actually be a big help with soothing of the newborns. Sugarpop can always offer a breast, but dads are stuck with what we learn from books and figure out on our own.

I pick up Drewdrop from her grandparents' house after three o'clock near everyday. I get to hold her and talk to her until Sugarpop arrives home. There are usually fussy times when we're at home, but for the most part I know how to calm her.

Today as we were driving home from the grandparents, Dewdrop was crying to beat the band. We got into the house and I took her out of her carseat. She calmed fairly quickly and opened her eyes. I could see that she was stressed and the beginnings of what will be tears were on her eyes.

She'll soon be able to generate real tears, tears that will well up, squirt out her eyes, soak her lashes, and splash down her cheeks. 

Dewdrop will shed many tears in her life--my wish is that they mostly be joyous ones. I hope as she grows that I can calm those sad tears as easily as I calmed her today. 

I Love the Night Life

Inspired by a night of little sleep by Sugarpop. It's not a typical night, but every once in a while we experience this. 

I Love the Night Life

by The Everyday Dad

I love nightime when it's time for kids to sleep

More likely it's the parents that fall asleep deep

First kids are up and then they lie down

If they are up too long momma's face starts to frown

But once they're asleep they'll sleep all night

They've been doing this for years . . . right?

First it's the Oh, then the Elf, then the Oh again

It goes on all night and momma can't win

Stories are read, water quenches their thirst

But then Dewdrop wakes up and she's wanting to nurse

Then finally, at last, all the kids are asleep

But then Daddy is up, down the stairs he does creep

He's off to work early leaving behind his love mate

Maybe tomorrow's the day they'll sleep late!

Pet Smart

The Oh has been talking about getting a pet. So far we are a pet-free family. In moments of insanity Sugarpop thinks getting a puppy would be fun. That'd be nice. Of course I'd have to change my blog from The Everyday Dad to Insane in the Membrane: My Padded Room or They Won't Let Me Have Shoelaces. Still debating which one I like better.

As a negotiating ploy The Oh then talks about getting a kitten. Nice try kid, but mom and I are semi-allergic and we're already changing the diapers of 2.2 bottoms each day (The Oh is still working on that aspect of toilet training, but I'll get into that in another post.) and the thought of scooping poop from a litter box in addition to diapers has little appeal.

So to understand where The Oh was operating from I asked him to name the pets he would like to have. He said, dog, cat, and guinea pig. When I reminded him that mom was allergic to cats he said, we could just get a new mom. When I also said I was allergic too he said, "Well . . . you can just stay in the backyard and mow the grass."

Look for my blog in crop-circle form in the near future.

One of those "Circle of Life" Kind of Posts

Sugarpop and I met nine years ago. We have been married for over six years. We have lived in our house for those six years. Our eldest child, the Oh, is four and a half. Our middle, the Happy Elf, is two and four months, and our little girl Daisy (aka Dew Drop) is five weeks old. 

Her short time in our lives has gone by so fast and we are cognisant of how quickly the years will go by. 

Monday last I was home in the afternoon with the boys when there was a knock on the door. A woman of about 60 was at the door with a double-paper bag full of baby food in jars. She said she was a neighbor from around the corner and had heard we had a new member of our family. She handed me the bag and said there was a note inside. I thanked her and she left.

I set the bag by the door and went back to playing with the kids. It was only later that I read the note. This is what it said.

Hello. I'm sorry, but I don't remember your name. We've spoken to each other on rare occasions. I'm sure you'd recognize me if you saw me--very short white hair. I would walk my dad around the block when he was still with us. We'd bring his beagle with us. She passed before last Christmas.

Pop joined her a few weeks ago. Because of pop's difficulty swallowing, we sometimes fed him baby food.

I noticed you have a new addition to your household. Congratulations!  Maybe you could use this? 

As we were welcoming Dew Drop into our lives, she was saying goodbye to her father from her life. So I savor this day, this moment, and I am thankful.

What a Month!

Today our daughter turns one month old. It also marks a month since my last post. Yikes! But my work gave me two weeks of family leave and it's taken the month to settle into the pace of three kids.

Her name is Daisy. Sugarpop wanted a flower name and we came to the name Daisy and it just made us smile. And Sugarpop's favorite flower is the Gerber Daisy. Grace is her middle name and it's a spiritual concept very meaningful to Sugarpop.

But let me tell you, from this side of the fence, three is pretty fun. The boys, the Oh and Happy Elf, are loving there sister, smothering her with kisses and always wanting to hold her. We've become more of a family because of our little girl. And not just because as parents we are managing a trio instead of a duo. We feel fuller, knowing that the brothers have a sister, the sister has brothers, and we are blessed with sons and a daughter. It's just enough of happy controlled chaos that we can manage and continue to laugh. Even when Daisy releases her ballistic cry, the corn dogs in the oven are burning, and the Oh has just dropped a duce in his Batman skivvies, what can you do but laugh.

Sugarpop has been a champ. Radically sleep-deprived and left with the kids from 6 a.m.until I come home from work around 3:30. Her hormones pendulating on their destination to normalcy, while breastfeeding, pumping her milk for a surplus supply, and writing chapter 2 of her dissertation--she manages her upbeat disposition.

To paraphrase a song by Bowling for Soup: life with three kids "is not so bad at all!"

It's A Girl!

July 2, 2008

Posting from the hospital . . . Sugarpop's water broke at 3:15 am. Left for the hospital at 4:00. Route to hospital was blocked by train in the railroad crossing, but we rerouted and got to the hospital by 4:15 (my top speed through city streets approached 60 mph).

Name: Daisy (Meaning: Day's Eye)
Delivery . . . 5:12 am
Weight: 7 lbs 10 oz
Length: 20"
Sugarpop: Doing great "ready" to go home, but have to stay 48 hours.
Everydaydad: "Over the moon with joy!"

Pictures to follow when I can get them downloaded!