A Year Later...a retrospective and new hope

The last post I made was in relation to Jack's 2nd Birthday. As Jack would say, " I was disappeared" from blog land after that. As many of you know my Aunt Jane died in December 2007 after battling with colon cancer. Jack had chronic ear infections for about 6 months following that final blog as well ending in our decision to place tubes in his ears. Further, Susie has had some health issues which she is dealing with to boot.

However, one year later is finally here and I'm ready to climb out of my cave once again.

The boy is ready to turn 3 and both Susie and I are lamenting having to say goodbye to the 2's. While the year was horrible in sooooo many ways there were so many great things about Jack being 2 that I'll miss:

1. The boy is funny...but he thinks I'm the funniest person in the world. When I ask him, "who's the funniest person you know?" He says, "you dad". What's better than that and I truly didn't train him to say this...except for my look of joy that rewards him for his target response. Needless to say I ask him every 15 minutes or so. I'm sure this won't last much longer as he's bound to realize I'm only funny to 2 year olds.

2. Unbridaled singing and dancing...there is still very little self consciousness at 2 yielding incredible displays of talent(?) most of which is displayed in the buff.

3. Pride in using the potty...I love that this brings us all so much joy. "I'm going poopy dad". "Okay Jack". "I did it dad, I made a turtle." "That's great Jack". "Come in and see it dad it's a funny U one". "Okay". "Isn't it great". "I love it". "Thank you daddy".

4. "Chipmunk" obsession...this is Jack's chimpanzee doll that was Susie's back in the 70's. Jack named it "Chipmunk", confusing the word chimpanzee as he'd just turned two. This little doll travels the earth with us. In fact it is sitting in my car awaiting our pick up of Jack at 2:30pm from school. Chipmunk hides from Jack every night before bed only to be found by Jack in hysterical laughter. Only after Chipmunk begs to stay with Jack in the crib "all night", Jack agrees and sleep may commence. Aside: Puppy is still around too...he's the Wooby/security blanket from the early days.

5. Playing in stores like they're playgrounds with no expectation of buying something...this one is on it's way out already. "Can we take this truck home dad". "No, not today". "Why dad?" "It's not ours, we have to play with it here today until we have enough money". "Oh." He's yet to start the, "But I want it", or "it's only a dollar", or "you have money".

6. The Beastie Boy obsession...fun with a two year old. Dangerous with a 3 year old...he knows what they're saying now so I think we have to stop this. We've already let it go too far most likely. He's probably telling his teachers about sabotage and his right to party.

7. Nanalan and Yo Gabba Gabba...just had to give these two shows a shout out. I'm hoping he stays interested in these for awhile as they are quite the delight. Those Canadians sure can make a kids show.

And so on...

The thing I'll miss the most though is the smallness...he's starting to get big and already has passed baby stage. Soon he'll be a "Big Kid". Trying to enjoy him now.

I'll skip the bad things like the hitting and kicking me episode we had this morning when he didn't want to get dressed. I became Super Nanny Man and put him in timeout of course. The temper comes in waves...2 weeks gone...1 week back...1 month gone...2 months back...and so forth. Hopefully we can work a year in there temper free...there's always HOPE!

Birthday Cometh

I can't believe my kid is actually about to turn two. While I can't remember being two, I do have some vague memories of three. This means we are only one year from Jack having the ability to remember stuff we screw up on as parents. To date, it simply left a mark on his personality but soon he can actually start to remember and blame us for his problems for the rest of his life.

Can't wait to sit on the beach this weekend and celebrate my Boog!

Planned to blog longer but hand still broken. Typing hard. Bye bye.

"Hello again, hello" (Neil Diamond)

Not that anyone probably checks this thing anymore but here's why I haven't been blogging in 2 months:
June & July

Ran summer camp for 9 boys for 2 months.

Jack got sick.

Road trip to Miami.

July

Visited Dee in hospital in NC drove up and back with screaming almost 2 year old.

Mother-in-law died (a great, great woman and a tragic, quick ending to her life)...think of her everyday still and I didn't even know her that well. I simply know she made everyone feel loved that she knew including me in such a very short time.

Back to NC for Dee's funeral

Aunt Jane...the favorite of all favorites was diagnosed with stage IV cancer the same day Dee died...she's doing as good as she can and fighting hard.

August

Visited Aunt Jane in Miami with family in tow.

Had a flat tire with a flat spare.

School started/Homework Club reopened

Susie interviewed and got a new job...stressful and exciting all at the same time.

Jack daycare search begins...stressful and less exciting all at the same time.

Had skin pre-cancer removed from head by cryogenic freezing AKA burning the hell out of my face.

Had 3 seizures in the midle of the night (hence ambulance ride), broke hand (hence typing errors ), hit head (hence concussion and short term memory loss, cut chin and lip (hence 10 stitches already removed and healed after Susie found me in a puddle of blood face down in the bathroom, started seizure meds (hence dizziness and nausea). All of which lead to general fear of bathrooms.

September

1 cast put on hand to be removed 9/13, 1 lab workup to check med levels, 1 MRI on head (in the tunnel), 1 neuro doc appt., 1 surgeon appt. to remove facial stitches, 2 appts. with primary care later and still 1 EEG, 2 ortho appts., 1 primary care visit, 2 dermotalagist appts., several neuro appts., several blood/lab test to go.

Back to work after 2 week hiatus.

Oh, and Jack's sick...the cherry on the top I suppose.

Not the summer I planned on.

Poor me...actually, I feel quite fortunate to have so many people that helped me/us through all of this. I feel especially lucky to have Susie as my wife. If I created the perfect wife for me I still couldn't come close to her...Thanks Susie and, of course, thanks Dee!

A week in the life of Jack

Bicycle lessons begin with our new bike and seat (He loves them)

Swim lessons with our new teacher (He tolerates them)...he can already find the side when put underwater within reach and float all alone on his back...We're proud of the little waterbug!

We ended up at Disney World this weekend after someone was supposed

to let us in for free to MGM but did not show. As it was Sunday morning and we had already

gotten Jack all excited and were sitting in the parking lot while singing the Mickey Mouse Club song, we decided to pay to go to Magic Kingdom ($140).

5 Hours after arriving at Magic Kingdom

(we weren't leaving after dropping $140 on tickets),

Jack was pooped out...the temperature on

his high tech stroller read 105 degrees!

Later that evening, Jack says "Mickey, Magic" while showing off his mouse ears!

The Disney bug has struck!

Rocky (The story of MY pregnancy)

This is a survey my wife and her friends are filling out and I felt left out...so I decided to talk about MY FIRST BABY!

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? No... it was immaculate!



2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? Yes...about two months.



3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? I was in severe pain.



4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? If I could have, I would have.



5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 31



6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? MRI



7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? I told my wife that my side hurt...then I told the doctor who acted as if I was just having a sympathy pregnancy as my wife was pregnant at the same time.



8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? I knew from the start that my baby was assexual.



9. DUE DATE: Noone seemed to know!



10. DID YOU DELIVER EARLY OR LATE? I'm not quite sure when I delivered...I just knew it was gone because the pain went away and the doctor who read my results told me it was gone.



11. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? No, but I did get Vertigo at the same time I was pregnant which made it very difficult for me to stand for about a week but antibiotics finally zapped that as it was due to an infection in my ear. I also had an extremely low temperature...around 95 for a few days and extreme pain in my back.



12. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? I drank Cranberry juice trying to get rid of the pain but basically I just craved sleep as I lay in the bed shivering a great deal of time.



13. WHO IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? The doctor who acted as if it was simply sympathy for my wife...who was also prego!



14. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX? It had no sex.



15. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? Rocks have no sex organs.



16. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY? Unsure.



17. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? No...noone cared to give my baby anything...although we did have 4 for my wife's simultaneous pregnancy.



18. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? See above comments about noone caring!



19. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? It was awful...I thought I was going to die from the pain as I was shaking throughout...it irritated my kidney but other than that, no.



20.WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? In my studio apartment I think but it's hard to say for sure!



21. HOW MAY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? It seemed like a week straight!



22.WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? No hospital, although Susie drove me to the dr. office and outpatient clinic for the MRI



23.WHO WATCHED? Noone watched the birth I hope as it was a very private moment!



24.WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? It was not a C-section but I don't no that natural is the right word either!



25.DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? I took nothing!



26.HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? Not sure as I couldn't find it.



27.DID YOUR CHILD HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS? Not sure of this one either.



28.WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? Rocky, because he was a Kidney Stone!!!



29. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY? He is approximately 2 years old next month!