In all the craziness I don't think I've mentioned what a good talker Jack has become.
He basically can say everything now...a great deal of it he just repeats and doesn't fully know the meaning of...however, he seems to be beyond the typicall 18 month milestone.
These are some of Jack's words that he does know the meaning of and common phrases he actually uses in correct context:
The basic stuff...
bye bye, milk, more, no, no, no, no, no, no, apple, cat, orange, star, moon, night night, mommy, daddy, cat, dog, woof, meow, snake, ssss, turtle, lion, roar, hungry, doctor, sand, yucky, hat, shirt, pants, diaper, garbage, car, truck, house, home, walk, outside, shoe, sock, stinky, grandma, grampy, Sunny, garage, run, fast, bus, airplane
...while writing this I realized this list will go on for forever so I will skip to the harder more impresive stuff like....
Where did it go?
I don't know?
I love you (the newest one)
I'm a model...Susie tought him to do this when he sees people in magazines
Ready, set, go
1, 2, 3
I'm hiding
I see you
helicopter (he can say all 4 syllables---genius)
At his check-up the milestone indicated he should know at least 20 words...I think he knows somewhere near 100 and seems on the brink of full on conversation. Actually, I don't think this has a thing to do with intelligence but an intense desire to communicate as this kid from the beginning has seemed extremely alert and attentive to people and their every move.
Soon he can help me with paperwork and maybe even begin tutoring at The Homework Club...he needs to work off the diapers and monthly college fund payments.
I'm glad you can talk, now get to work Jack!
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
Temper Tantrums and Terrible Twos Commeth?
This weekend, while the family was attempting to fully recover from the Great Stomach Plague of 2007, Jack decided to crank up the temper tantrums about ten fold. During the Plague the tantrums had progressed which Susie and I wrote off to the poor guy feeling sick and, of course, we catered to his every need. However, this weekend, Jack appeared to be fully back to normal aside from the mental breakdowns. Apparently, somewhere during the past week Jack decided that temper tantrums, by this I mean screaming with fists clenched, face reddened from lack of oxygen intake, crying uncontrollably for 10 to 20 minutes straight, and stiffening the body like a board as to prevent any conceivable activity from being accomplished, needed to take place about once per hour and, at least once in the middle of the night at or around 2am.
Today is our wedding anniversary and I must say it is overshadowed by lack of sleep and PTSD symptoms triggered from the colic of 2005. What the hell? Right when you think, life is getting easier, wham!
Today is our wedding anniversary and I must say it is overshadowed by lack of sleep and PTSD symptoms triggered from the colic of 2005. What the hell? Right when you think, life is getting easier, wham!
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Stomach Bug
Warning to all...hide in your house if you know anyone who says they've had the stomach flu recently...holy !@#$. It is the worst sickness I've had since I was about 8 years old and I believe my wife would concur on this after our weekend form HELL!
On Friday, I took the day off from work and Susie and I took Jack to the an art festival spending the day outside getting ready for a long weekend filled with springtime fun. On our way home from the festival, we stopped at Toys R Us to let little Jack pick out some beach toys for our Sunday, planned beach day. Problem is, Jack's stomach was not informed. 10 minutes after getting back in the car things got pretty gross with lunch finding it's way all over the car seat, the car, and all three of us.
We headed home...for the next 48hrs. Jack's tummy decided it hated him as it would not hold anything down and the poor guy got dehydrated. Then, Saturday, St. Patrick's Day evening....my stomach decided to join in the fun. A violent evening of toilet hugging ensued while Susie juggled taking care of me and the boy for 24hrs. Then, as I came out of the fog, Susie fell ill on Sunday evening...5 hrs of horrific, stomach wrenching war. Then it was my turn to take care of Susie and the boy who had become quite dehydrated and on the brink of an ER trip as he refused to drink Pedialyte the only recommended treatment besides an IV apparently.
In the 11th hour, Jack decided to drink the stuff. 6 days later, Susie and I are nearly recovered. Little Jack is hydrated but still not quite back to normal as he just started eating real food again yesterday and had his first milk this morning in nearly 4 days. On the brighter side, as a family we probably weigh about 20 lbs lighter and saved some money on groceries.
Happy St. Patty's Day and springtime despite our collective stomachs' objection to honoring these special occasions.
On Friday, I took the day off from work and Susie and I took Jack to the an art festival spending the day outside getting ready for a long weekend filled with springtime fun. On our way home from the festival, we stopped at Toys R Us to let little Jack pick out some beach toys for our Sunday, planned beach day. Problem is, Jack's stomach was not informed. 10 minutes after getting back in the car things got pretty gross with lunch finding it's way all over the car seat, the car, and all three of us.
We headed home...for the next 48hrs. Jack's tummy decided it hated him as it would not hold anything down and the poor guy got dehydrated. Then, Saturday, St. Patrick's Day evening....my stomach decided to join in the fun. A violent evening of toilet hugging ensued while Susie juggled taking care of me and the boy for 24hrs. Then, as I came out of the fog, Susie fell ill on Sunday evening...5 hrs of horrific, stomach wrenching war. Then it was my turn to take care of Susie and the boy who had become quite dehydrated and on the brink of an ER trip as he refused to drink Pedialyte the only recommended treatment besides an IV apparently.
In the 11th hour, Jack decided to drink the stuff. 6 days later, Susie and I are nearly recovered. Little Jack is hydrated but still not quite back to normal as he just started eating real food again yesterday and had his first milk this morning in nearly 4 days. On the brighter side, as a family we probably weigh about 20 lbs lighter and saved some money on groceries.
Happy St. Patty's Day and springtime despite our collective stomachs' objection to honoring these special occasions.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Public Bathroom Behavior (Yes, I've made three blog entries in one day)
What the hell is with men at urinals in public bathrooms? For those of you that aren't privvy to the urinal experience...many men like to lean on the wall or flusher while they relieve. During this leaning event, some of them like to grunt or even let out a low, howl. Ask any honest man and he is sure to tell you that this is true unless of course he is a howler or grunter. Even worse are the sounds coming from the closed stalls...I don't want to get gross (or have I already) but the noises that come out of the stalls are even worse. Who are these men that sound as if they are giving birth at Carrabbas Italian Grill? Do they do that at home or are they marking their territory? I suppose they can't help it or why would they do it. Is it a sign of masculinity learned in I'm A Man Hear Me Grunt, Moan, Wail, and Howl 101 at AARP meetings. Funny thing is, if in there with a friend, family member, or acquaintance, no one ever makes a peep. It's always strangers somewhere between the ages of 40 and 105.
Also, who are the people writing the graffiti? Where are their pens and pencils? How is it that I've never walked in on someone in mid sentence or genital drawing? What happens if you call the phone numbers on the wall? Perhaps you really will have a good time? I know that women like to write weird things on their walls when they have had one or two or twelve too many but men seem to do it completely sober with every intention of expressing anything from sexual frustration to religious conviction to anger release.
Note to self: write a book about the Psychology of Bathroom Behavior and get rich or simply spend entirely too much time in bathrooms...likely the latter
Also, who are the people writing the graffiti? Where are their pens and pencils? How is it that I've never walked in on someone in mid sentence or genital drawing? What happens if you call the phone numbers on the wall? Perhaps you really will have a good time? I know that women like to write weird things on their walls when they have had one or two or twelve too many but men seem to do it completely sober with every intention of expressing anything from sexual frustration to religious conviction to anger release.
Note to self: write a book about the Psychology of Bathroom Behavior and get rich or simply spend entirely too much time in bathrooms...likely the latter
Shout Out To My Mom & Dad
Parents make you crazy! Some parents are over-involved some are under-involved but all seem to make their kids crazy. If not every moment, than at least some amount of the time.
I think I already make little Jack crazy. I fawn over him, kiss him, flip him, chase him, hug him and so on every chance I get. And if I'm not doing it, Susie is. Sometimes I think he would say, "stop, leave me alone for a minute". But, alas, he can't say that yet and therefore, we just keep on going...making him crazy.
I can see making Jack crazy the rest of his life. I already know I won't deal well with any suffering he may have to endure at any age. I probably will always want to help or fix it. I'll probably always want to be on his good side and never be in confrontation with him...especially when he's an adult. I'm sure I'll think, "he's got to get through this on his own" and then I'll rush to help him or come across as "how can I fix this for you" even when I'm trying not to come across that way at all.
My parents are the best...they always want to help me and my family and always have. My dad is the king of tragic reality and is the perfect superhero when it comes to bailing you out of a jam. My mother is the queen of positivity and "look on the brightside". The two of them together make me crazy...probably because they make me feel like they want me to be happy every second of my life which we all know is impossible and probably not even desirable.
The fact is, every interaction with them, every time they watch Jack, pretty much everything they do is directed at making me and my family happy even when it can't possibly achieve this goal. I guess this makes me crazy because sometimes they can't help. One thing is for sure though, I'm incredibly lucky to have parents like them.
The other day, my father came to babysit Jack while we went to Universal Studios for the evening to see the Doobie Brothers. While upstairs, I overheard a conversation he had with a friend on the phone. I heard my father indicate to his friend that he was going to be babysitting for the evening. Apparently the friend expressed his remorse and suggested that my father was somehow being dooped. I heard my father say something to the effect of, "no, I love spending time with my grandson, I want to do it". The exchanges went on for a few minutes as one man tried to convince another that spending time with his grandson was desirable, not a chore.
Thanks dad and mom....I think a great deal of parents and grandparents feel they way you do about their grandson/son but not many show it through their actions consistently the way you two do. You certainly are not under-involved and I know that I won't ever be that with my son because of you. You make me crazy and I hope I make Jack crazy just the same...well maybe not exactly the same.
I think I already make little Jack crazy. I fawn over him, kiss him, flip him, chase him, hug him and so on every chance I get. And if I'm not doing it, Susie is. Sometimes I think he would say, "stop, leave me alone for a minute". But, alas, he can't say that yet and therefore, we just keep on going...making him crazy.
I can see making Jack crazy the rest of his life. I already know I won't deal well with any suffering he may have to endure at any age. I probably will always want to help or fix it. I'll probably always want to be on his good side and never be in confrontation with him...especially when he's an adult. I'm sure I'll think, "he's got to get through this on his own" and then I'll rush to help him or come across as "how can I fix this for you" even when I'm trying not to come across that way at all.
My parents are the best...they always want to help me and my family and always have. My dad is the king of tragic reality and is the perfect superhero when it comes to bailing you out of a jam. My mother is the queen of positivity and "look on the brightside". The two of them together make me crazy...probably because they make me feel like they want me to be happy every second of my life which we all know is impossible and probably not even desirable.
The fact is, every interaction with them, every time they watch Jack, pretty much everything they do is directed at making me and my family happy even when it can't possibly achieve this goal. I guess this makes me crazy because sometimes they can't help. One thing is for sure though, I'm incredibly lucky to have parents like them.
The other day, my father came to babysit Jack while we went to Universal Studios for the evening to see the Doobie Brothers. While upstairs, I overheard a conversation he had with a friend on the phone. I heard my father indicate to his friend that he was going to be babysitting for the evening. Apparently the friend expressed his remorse and suggested that my father was somehow being dooped. I heard my father say something to the effect of, "no, I love spending time with my grandson, I want to do it". The exchanges went on for a few minutes as one man tried to convince another that spending time with his grandson was desirable, not a chore.
Thanks dad and mom....I think a great deal of parents and grandparents feel they way you do about their grandson/son but not many show it through their actions consistently the way you two do. You certainly are not under-involved and I know that I won't ever be that with my son because of you. You make me crazy and I hope I make Jack crazy just the same...well maybe not exactly the same.
Where are they now?
I wonder what percentage of people look up old friends when sitting at a computer with nothing to do? The other day I looked up an ex-girlfriend only to find out she is about to get married. In the past I've looked up other ex's discovering marriages, kids, lucrative jobs. I've also looked up old friends discovering interesting jobs or places they lived. Sometimes I find websites, blogs, or even pictures of them. Somehow I form some pieced together perception of who they are now which is probably way off considering the tiny bits of info I come up with.
How strange that I know these things about people I may not have seen or spoken to in over 10, 15 or sometimes 20 years. I've even looked up kids I went to elementary school with...one is a championship, one-legged, special olympic skier who survived cancer. Somehow I usually assume that if I find absolutely nothing that the person didn't or hasn't done very much to date...doesn't really even make sense. I always feel a bit stalkerish even though I know everyone else is doing it too. In the old days, this kind of detective work would probably lead most to assume you had a problem or maybe even result in an injunction.
I wonder who has looked me up? They probably would have found The Homework Club website and from that seen my picture and also obtained an abbreviated work history. They may have found this blog and then found out all about my family and so forth. Perhaps they found nothing and think I have been up to nothing. For some reason when I write this blog I never think of people that I knew but don't know anymore or people I don't like reading it, I always think of friends, family and maybe a few curious cats who don't know me reading it.
What a strange world will live in...perhaps someday I'll run into some old high school friend who will ask, "How's Jack?" I wonder if I'll be creeped out?
How strange that I know these things about people I may not have seen or spoken to in over 10, 15 or sometimes 20 years. I've even looked up kids I went to elementary school with...one is a championship, one-legged, special olympic skier who survived cancer. Somehow I usually assume that if I find absolutely nothing that the person didn't or hasn't done very much to date...doesn't really even make sense. I always feel a bit stalkerish even though I know everyone else is doing it too. In the old days, this kind of detective work would probably lead most to assume you had a problem or maybe even result in an injunction.
I wonder who has looked me up? They probably would have found The Homework Club website and from that seen my picture and also obtained an abbreviated work history. They may have found this blog and then found out all about my family and so forth. Perhaps they found nothing and think I have been up to nothing. For some reason when I write this blog I never think of people that I knew but don't know anymore or people I don't like reading it, I always think of friends, family and maybe a few curious cats who don't know me reading it.
What a strange world will live in...perhaps someday I'll run into some old high school friend who will ask, "How's Jack?" I wonder if I'll be creeped out?
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Beach Trip
This past Sunday, Susie and I made an impromptu decision to take Jack to the beach. It was only his second time there and really his first real trip as the last one was in November when it was too cold to really get beachy.
Jack loved it. For the first 30 minutes he just walked around us in a circle, smiling with a kitchen spoon in his hand. I love this kid so much I think I'm going to explode sometimes!
The best part about living in Florida, sorry to those of you that have moved away, is the fact that you can go to the beach in the middle of winter. While the water was cold it wasn't too cold as I was able to dive in as were all the British tourists who are the only thing that makes me feel comfortable in my glaring, whiteness. Here are some pics from our beach outing:
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