Milestone - First Tooth

Today the baby got his first tooth.  I heard about it from New Mom who sent me a text at work.

But before I go into that, New Mom just walked by.  I motioned for her to come over, which she reluctantly did.  I asked her what it was like to discover our son's first tooth.

"You want me to tell you what the text was?  The text isn't on your phone?" She asked, reading this post instead of answering my question.

"I'll add that later.  I just wanted to know what was it like to find our son's first tooth."

"That's why you called me over here?  What was it like?  Surprising?  I don't know.  I have to go to the bathroom.  Geez."

Only then did I notice the newspaper under her arm, and remember her direction of travel before I stopped her had been toward the bathroom.  She returned to her original course.

Here's the part where I add the historic text message exchange marking the appearance of our son's first tooth.

New Mom:  Omg, our son is getting a tooth!  Bottom front.
ND: no way
ND: Tonight we feeds him steaks.
ND: On a serious note, do you want to get Chipotle for dinner tonight?
New Mom: And yogurtland!!!
ND: :)
New Mom: That emoticon came across as a square.
ND: :(

-ND

Five Month Milestones

Yay, the baby turned 5 months today!  (Actually, it's three days later, and I'm back-dating this...because, well, no time!

So, 5 months today!  Woo!  We're in the clear - he sleeps through the night, never cries, and his poops smell like angel...food cake...

OK, not exactly.

But there are a few developments.

1. Flips over - as noted in a previous post.

2. Sleeps in his crib now - in his own room.  This is a big step from the pack-in-play (or is it Pack'N'Play?) right by the bed.

Although, as I write this it's 8pm and he's wailing in his crib because he can't fall asleep.  There goes New Mom to calm him down...because Daddy is staring at the computer screen with an intense look on his face as if he's engaged in some serious business.

Oh, she's back!  It was quick!  Thank god.  That's another milestone...

3. Puts himself to sleep.  You can lay him down and he'll wiggle around in the crib, and as long has he doesn't flip over on his stomach and panic because he can't flip back, well, sometimes he'll fall asleep!

And other times, he just wails.

-ND

Two Milestones in One Day

Two milestones today.

1. Baby rolled over

From his back to his stomach - into a self-imposed tummy-time.

New Grandma says that he did it before... But I never saw that.

And today I saw him do it like, six times.  So I'm counting today as the milestone.

2. Baby ate his first solid food

If you count mushed bananas mixed with breast milk as "solid food."

Which of course, we do.  He ate it from a spoon! (A spoon that we saved from Yogurtland...those are GOOD SPOONS.  Too good to throw away after one use...)

Well, I didn't actually see this milestone, but New Mom was nice enough to take a video of it.  It's a great video, too, as New Mom set the camera down nearby while she fed the boy.  Smart.  Really need to set the camera down more often.

The baby is also grabbing things now.  Like leaves and his bottle.

And soon, a spoon?

Seriously.

-ND

Multitasking for Dads

Before I was a parent, I used to think I was busy.

It turns out, "busy" is relative.

Very, very relative.  

In fact, since we just have one kid, I hate to even call myself "busy," for those with 2, 3, or more (oh my!) would scoff, and say, "He doesn't know what ' busy' is." 

Perhaps not.

Whether you're busy, Busy, or BUSY!!1!,  here are a few multitasking tricks that I've discovered to help turn those 2 minutes away from the baby into the most productive two minutes of your life.

1.  Showering while brushing your teeth and peeing.  Don't tell New Mom about that last one...

2. Getting some exercise with a brisk walk...with the dog and baby.   This is tricky.  Last time, I was half way down a street before I realized me and the baby were in the street, and the dog was walking next to us on the sidewalk.  

3. Washing all dirty clothes, sheets, and towels in the same load. This isn't so much multitasking as it is convenient as hell.

4. Working out while playing with the baby.  Basically, the baby is down on a play mat, and New Dad is doing yoga or pushups or jumping jacks or shadow boxing right next to the baby, who gets mesmorized by a sweating daddy.  

Also, this must look funny as hell to the baby, so I consider it "playing" with the baby.  e baby's amusement.  

Also 2 - Those pictures of babies sitting on their dad's back while he's doing pushups.  Those are photoshopped.    

Oh no, is that all the multitasking tricks I know so far?

God help me discover more...

-ND