Feats of Strength, Your First Christmas, and Sad Goodbyes...

It has been a while since I have posted, so I would like to apologize to you for not providing updates to your progress over the last month.  It is certainly not as if there is nothing to post, it is just a question of determining what little tidbits of your early development are worthy of making it on this blog.

As of today, you are just over 4 months old, and you are an absolute joy to be around.  Mom has been back at work for just over a month, which has provided us with an abundance of one-on-one time to get better acquainted.  You are alert and playful, and although seeing you smile is amazing, watching you laugh has got to be single greatest thing I have ever witnessed.

You have graduated from occasional smiles and noises to a steady stream of laughter and "talking".  "Talking" may not be the best word for it, since it is a cross between screaming (the good kind), cooing, and humming.  Regardless, you are constantly entertaining us with your "words". 

You seem to enjoy our time together, with the exception of bedtime.  While I am able to get you to sleep every night, the number of techniques I have developed to get you to sleep is mind blowing.  Some nights you just fall asleep on your own (I like those nights), but some nights you are determined to fight it.  It is these nights that I feel we bond the most.  "Pick me up, put me down, make me laugh, bounce me on your knee;" I feel like you are playing a never-ending game of Simon Says, only I have to guess what button is the correct one to push.  

Once I successfully bested every feat of strength you put me through, you sleep peacefully "through the night".  Don't be fooled by the term "through the night".  Doctors describe "through the night" as a 5 to 6 hour stretch of sleep.  I hardly consider sleeping from 8pm to 2am as "through the night", but I can't argue with the doctors.  And even though you do wake up around 2am, typically mom feeds you and you go right back to sleep until the morning.  So don't read this as me complaining about your sleeping habits, I am simply pointing out a flaw in the Parenting 101 manuals that are all over the internet.

Christmas came and went, and you seemed to enjoy it.  You found more entertainment from the paper your gifts were wrapped in then the actual gifts themselves, but after all, you are only 4 months old.  You also took very well to what seemed like an endless stream of people who wanted some face time with you. 

On a sad note, your Great-Grandfather left this earth on the day after Christmas.  While you likely won't remember him, I am happy that you were able to spend some time with him before he passed.  We were with him on Christmas Day, and even though he didn't have the energy to even feed himself, he mustered every bit of strength he had left to give you a few tickles just to see you smile a few times.  I can only hope that it was your smiling face that helped ease his pain as he left us.

Your Great-Grandfather taught me a lot when I was growing up, and I will make it a point to tell you all about him when you grow up.  And every time I teach you something I learned from him, I will make it a point to let you know, so that you can say that you learned something from him as well!

I will post some pics once your aunt finally sends them to me!

Till the next time,

Dad

Giving Thanks...

Today is Thanksgiving, as well as your 3 month birthday.  Now, this holiday holds a special place in my heart, because I was born on Thanksgiving Day 33 years ago.  This has always been my favorite of all of the major holidays, and it doesn't hurt that turkey dinner is probably my favorite meal on earth!!!

Today was different.  Today, just like every other day over the past three months, was all about you!  Aunt Kar doted over you, not to mention that all four grandparents were in the same room with you for the better part of four hours.  You were coddled every single minute we were at the Mueller's, and you seemed to eat it up!

The last few weeks with you have been really fantastic.  Your personality is starting to really come out, and you spend the better part of your day laughing and trying to talk!  Your mom went back to work last week, so I have been spending much more quality time with you than I did in the first couple months.  I like getting you to smile and laugh, which is becoming easier to do every day! 

I know I haven't posted here in a while, but it isn't for lack of interesting things to discuss.  In an effort to save time, I will just post a handful of photos that summarize the last month...

 

So that sums up the last month in a nutshell!  I will try to update this more often, but this is a good start.

Till the next time...

Dad

Happy Birthday!!!

Two months old today, and getting older by the minute.  Today, mom took you to your pediatrician and got you vaccinations for your birthday!  I told her we should get you some toys or something fun, but she was pretty adamant that you should celebrate by getting stabbed with a needle until you screamed at the top of your lungs!  I told your mom they they must have been tears of joy for such a thoughtful birthday present, and I suggested that we get you a drink to calm you down after such a rough day...

Also at the doctor, we found out that you currently weigh 13 lbs 8 oz. and are 23 inches long.  Definitely large for your age, but nothing to write guinness about.  The doctor did say that you were in the 99.9999th percentile for hair growth, which is weird.  Mom took you out for your first haircut after the doctor, and personally, I think you are lookin pretty good!!!!!

In all seriousness, you did get your vaccinations today, but you have been taking it pretty well.  You are a little more cranky then normal, but it is not as bad as some of the horror stories we have heard about getting your shots.  Your mom and I are really settling into our roles, and we are pretty good at keeping you calm when you start to get moody.  My swaddling technique is still coming in handy, and I have also added the ability to put you to sleep pretty quickly once you are in full swaddle.

I leave for Seattle tomorrow morning (in the middle of the "worst storm in 70 years").  If I do get to fly out tomorrow, I will be gone for three days, returning Thursday night.  Mom will likely  ave you spend some quality time with Grandpa and Busha Mueller.  I will be back Thursday, and we will get you prepped for Halloween on Friday.

I will miss you when I am gone, and I hope you behave for your mom and your grandparents.

Till the next week...

Dad

Smiles and Laughs...

You are a little over 7 weeks old at this point, and your personality is starting to make an appearance.  What started as little giggles and laughs in your sleep, has graduated into full blown smiles and laughs when you are awake.  There might be no greater feeling on earth than watching you crack the first of, what I hope are, millions of smiles in your lifetime.

Over the past few weeks, you have been in pretty good spirits.  Either that, or your mom and I are starting to figure out what makes you tick.  Regardless, the stress of a perpetually crying baby is beginning to wain, and we have started to really settle into our parenting roles.  Actually, your mom has really started to settle into her parenting role.  I think I still have some work to do...

You have been sleeping really well at night.  Not quite all the way through the night, but you have gone for 6 hours straight at one point.  Granted, while you slept for 6 hours straight, your mom and I didn't, because we were constantly checking to make sure you were still breathing!  We have started to notice that you sleep really well at night after you have a bath, so that has become part of your nighttime routine.  You really seem to enjoy the water, and we have even used it as a method to calm you down during some of your fits.  The flip-side to your enjoyment of bath time, is that you HATE being taken out of the bath!!!

You are also starting to stand for longer periods of time.  Don't get to excited, you have TERRIBLE balance!  BUT, you can put all of your weight on your legs for 20-30 seconds at a time.  I haven't done any research to see if this is normal or if you are some kind of mutant, but it makes me proud anyway.  Next project will be to get you some more tummy time so that you can learn how to crawl.  We have probably neglected your tummy time a bit over the past few weeks, but we will make a concerted effort to rectify that in the next few weeks.

Overall, things are still going well.  There is a bit of debate of your actual size at this point, but you have a doctor's appointment coming up in the next couple weeks, so that should solve that.  Basically, everyone thinks that you are a monster, but the question remains, just how much of a monster are you.  The guesses range anywhere from 11 pounds to 14, which is a pretty big range for a 7 week old. 

Till the next time...

Dad

6 Weeks...

FYI, 1 month, 1 week, & 5 days translates into 6 weeks total...

Your mom and I are in our early 30s, and for the past few years, time just seemed to fly by.  I was 25 when we met, working at a dead end insurance sales job and slinging cocktails at your mom's bar to make ends meet.  It is hard to believe that it has been 7 years since I met your mom.  The past 7 years have gone by so fast, but it pales in comparison to the last 6 weeks (literally and figuratively).  I have previously mentioned how everyone tells us to enjoy our time with you as a newborn, because in the blink of an eye, you will be a teenager rebelling against everything we say.  Its not like I didn't believe these people, but man, the last 6 weeks have FLOWN by!  This issue are likely compounded by a number of other changes in our lives (i.e. new jobs and new cars), but you are surely at the center of it all.

In order to help you understand how you will perceive time as you grow up, I have put together the following handy illustration.  See below for a more detailed explanation of your life expectancy...

• From birth until about 5 years of age, I assumed that time would be passing rather slowly.  I may be completely wrong, but it seems like since you really don't know anything and you can't even control even the most fundamental of movements.  Seems like some weird form of prison, which is why I assumed that your perception of time has got to be REALLY slow right now.

• From 5 to about 15 years of age I assumed that your perception of time would start to pick up for you.  You would likely experience times that seem to really drag on (such as school, homework, chores, etc.), but you would also experience times that seem to fly by (like summer and fishing trips with grandpa).  Overall, good times should far outweigh the tough times, so I expect your perception of time to pick up a bit.

• From 15 to about 18 years of age, things start to get interesting.  These are your high school years, and they can either be one of the best times of your life, or it could be one of the worst times.  Even if you are just middle of the road in the popularity department, high school will likely be a decent time, making these four years pass rather expeditiously.

• Notice a decline in your perception of passing time from 18 to 21.  Once you turn 18, many milestones will be behind you.  You can vote, serve in the armed forces, purchase cigarettes (I will kill you!!), and you will also likely be away at college.  However, the 800-pound gorilla in the room is the fact that you STILL won't be able to have a beer in public.  Now, drinking SURELY not the most important aspect of your life during these three years, BUT if you are anything like your mom and dad, you're social life will be an active one, and this milestone will be an important one.

• And then you turn 21, and its all downhill from there.  With the exception of your wedding day and witnessing the birth of your own children (assuming that you are appealing enough to the opposite sex that the latter of these milestones is feasible), there is likely nothing else significant in your life that will slow your perception of time from here on out.  It will likely spiral out of control until you are in a nursing home having someone else change your diapers AGAIN!

There are countless more milestones and important events that you will experience along the way,  but most of these important events will be milestones for YOUR children, like their first words, their first steps, their first ANYTHING! But even these events will likely all seem to blur together after a while.  You will eventually find yourself reflecting on your child's first words or first steps as you watch them receive their diploma or walk down the aisle.  Every day that passes, is a day that you can't get back, so make the most of EVERY day, and you will never live with regret.

I am lucky!  I have never taken anything for granted, and I am proud to say that I have enjoyed almost every moment of my life to this point, with the crown jewel accomplishment being your birth 6 weeks ago today.  Although I know that you will be a moody 16-year-old in the blink of an eye, I am sure to have a wealth of fantastic, meaningful, proud, fatherly memories of you along the way (along with a handful of bad ones!).

Til the next time...

Dad

What's Wrong?!?!?!?!

 

We have passed the one month mark, and we have managed to keep you alive.  Not saying that I was concerned at all, but you have made it longer than any fish or plant I have ever been responsible for!  

I hoped to have this wealth of fathering knowledge flooding into my brain on a daily basis, but that is just not the case.  The only thing I really know is that nothing can calm you down like your mother!!!  Although I am a proficient swaddler, sometimes that doesn't even work.  There is nothing in life more frustrating to me than when you are having one of your "fits".  I run through the usual remedies, like swaddle, shush, rock, glide, walk, bounce, and drive, but sometimes NONE of those work.  I really want to be a good father to you, but when the only remedy that seems to work is handing you back to your mom, it kind of makes me feel like I am falling short in the father of the year running.  But don't feel bad for me, what I lack in patience with a newborn, I will make up for in math tutoring and sports clinics when you are older...

I have always been good at solving puzzles, but figuring out what is making you scream at the top of your tiny lungs is a complete mystery to me.  Maybe it's gas, but we have all kinds of things that are supposed to make that easier to deal with.  Maybe its something that your mom eats that is passing through to your food making you uncomfortable.  Maybe you are just like me, and you are only crying to be difficult!  Maybe you are pissed that you don't have your own room.  Maybe you feel like you got the shaft in the parent lottery (too soon to tell if that is the case).  Regardless of why you do what you do, you have been a real handful over the past two weeks or so.  Don't get me wrong, you definitely have your good days, but when you are having a bad day...     

On a lighter note, we took you downtown for the first time on Sunday, and you REALLY loved the tall buildings!!!  Just kidding, you slept the whole time.  We came down for Lucas' baptism, and you were well-behaved before church and during church, but after church you got into one of your moods.  That is the first time I have had the pleasure of trying to calm a screaming baby in a restaurant (thanks a lot!!).  You will be happy to hear that I was able to get you calm (by handing you to your mother after 15 frustrating minutes...).

So as good as the first few weeks started for me, I have been in a daddy slump the last two weeks.  Hopefully I am able to get right in the next week or so, because I think your mom is starting to get a bit pissed at my recent ineptitude! 

Till the next time...

Dad

4 Weeks Old...

What a crazy few weeks it has been.  You are 4 weeks old today, and growing by the minute.  We don't have an exact weight, but based on our scale at home, you are pushing 11 lbs. already.  Over the past couple weeks, you have been pretty cranky.  Mom and I are getting better at calming you down during one of your fits, but it can still be pretty exhausting listening to you wail.

We tried to feed you with a bottle last night, and it went pretty well...     ...for the first few minutes.   Then all hell broke loose!!!  You screamed for about 30 straight minutes while we tried to get you to finish the entire bottle.  The only thing that was able to calm you down was to put you back on the boob.  Apparently, your mom is not supposed to be within 20 feet of you when we feed you with the bottle.  I guess you, as well as babies in general, prefer milk straight from the tap,.  In addition, if you can even smell your mother in the vicinity, you won't enjoy the bottle.

We have some new photos of you that we really like, as you can see from the pics in this post.  These pics were taken by Sarah Plourd-Jastre, a really talented friend of ours who is starting her own photography business.

On another side note, I started a new job on Monday.  The new position is so close to home, that I can come have lunch with you and mom almost every day.  Talk about a sweet perk!  Also, you mom and I are looking for a new chariot to cart you, and the wealth of baby supplies that come with you, around. 

Pretty boring week in the Thompson household.  While we have been thoroughly entertained by you every night, there is nothing really worth noting to the blogosphere.  I am sure things will get more interesting as every week passes.  But as of right now, I think your attempts at understanding the world around you are likely far more entertaining to you than they are to us.

Till the next time...

Dad