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!

North Carolina...Paris & Tuscany???

June is here! Homework Club is closed...yippee!

Summer plans include: Running a grass roots summer camp for at-risk kids...yikes...during the month of June. Then, in July, we will take a family road trip to North Carolina where we will rendezvous with Susie's family. On the way up and on the way back we plan to stop in at Amelia Island and enjoy the beach. After that, we've got no plans...yippee!

Best of all though is our plan to go to Paris and Italy in May of next year. There, I said it. Now we have to do it! Sorry Jack but Mommy & Daddy must go! Grandparents beware...for 10 days you will be under the Sultans direct rule! Don't worry Jack...I promise to bring you some chocolate and wine from abroad...oh, you don't drink wine...well, what shall we do with 6 bottles of fine Chianti from Tuscany?

Miami con Jack

We had a great weekend!

Somewhere around Tuesday of last week, Susie and I decided to trek down to Miami with the boy to practice for planned upcoming trips to North Carolina (July) and Tennessee (October). Plus, Jack has progressively become better about the car so we figured we should test him out on a 4 hour road trip.

Little did we know that he not only loves road trips, but he now loves sleeping at other peoples houses as well. Each night, after days full of car driving, hiking in the hammocks, petting zoos, bon fires, meeting with strange and unusual relatives (my family), and only a couple of very short naps, the boy slept like a rock. In the car, Jack was content to sit and look out the window, take short naps, and sing along with the music.

In short, Jack was the perfect angel this weekend. He actually made the drive seem shorter than normal as he was quite entertaining most of the time.

One things for sure, my kid is the best! He was so sweet to all his relatives that he doesn't know very well, dropping, "thank you", "I Love You", and giving hugs to everyone. Despite his being an introvert it was clear that he knew how to be sociable when he has to.

Way to go Jack. I'm proud of you and you made your mother happy too on her second Mother's Day!

Favorite Show Crisis

30 Rock for the past several months has become my favorite show of about 2 shows that I even watch. The other being The Office. The crisis arose one morning on my way to work upon listenting to Alec Baldwin berating his 11 year old daughter on a phone message that I'm sure everyone has heard by now, calling her a "pig" and threatening to "set her ass straight".

The crisis for me manifests as such...I want to watch the show but deeply disapprove of the abusive man's actions in the show. Further, I'm not even sure if I can find him funny anymore anyway. The fact is, if I knew of everyone's closet domestic violence behaviors, I would probably be forced to stop interacting with nearly half the world or more. So should I stop watching 30 Rock as I have or should I simply ignore my morals/values and watch it anyhow simply because it's on and my decision not to watch has very little impact, if any at all? Is this the same as letting someone tell "rabbi jokes" and not saying anything or keeping a friend that uses the "n" word or different because Mr. Baldwin is in tv land?

If feel like C. Thomas Howell in "Soul Man".

Kindergarten Fever

Last night, Susie and I suddenly had a realization...someday in the next 4 years we are going to have to drop our little boy off at SCHOOL! I think we were watching a commercial with a parent doing just that and we both nearly cried. I still remember crying when I went to kg...not just once but every day for at least a month. The thing is, Jack will probably be fine but once again I expect to be crying for a month straight. Maybe we'll just home school him...I'm sure being an only child, home schooled won't lead to any problems...or at least nothing that 20 years of therapy can't cure.

Lil Sasquatch?

Is Jack actually a desendant of Bigfoot? Notice the gait and the placement of the arms. While Jack may not be hairy as of yet, there is no doubt he will be quite hairy by 33 as his father (myself) is growing hair at an alarming rate in places hair should not even grow. I suppose I should be extra nice to our young Sasquatch as he may grow up to be quite strong...as long as he doesn't evolve into the disgustingly, smelly Skunk Ape as they are hunted in these parts http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skunk_Ape

Funny

Tomorrow is the day I throw this big event at my school called Family Fun Night which is anything but "FUN" for me. It involves a great deal of food, games, and a talent show all set up by ME! The next day I will attend the most boring and mundane training mandated by those that fund my job...meanwhile, all I want to do is spend time with my family.

Jack is soooooooooo funny now. Yesterday he told a bunny in our backyard..."hello bunny...bye, bye, have a good day". We just finished making mud puddles in our bushes which Jack stomped in for 30 minutes straight saying, "dirty, dirty, mud, mud". The temper tantrums have definitely calmed down a bit seemingly correlated to learning the word "help". Perhaps the Beatles knew a 19 month old when they wrote that song.

Jack has a cold again, Susie is just about over it, and I think I'm getting it! What the hell...I think we need to live in a bubble.

Aside...Alec Baldwin...you were my comedic idol and now you've ruined it with your crappy fatherdom. No more 30 Rock for me...sucks as this was about the only show we watch except for The Office...

Time to go bathe those ladden in mud!

What's New?

The boy is yelling at me as I type this because he wants to "eat" (it's 30 minutes until dinner time), "stairs" (he wants to go back downstairs), "no" (he wants me to stop whatever I'm doing, no matter what it is)...now he needs "help" because he's "stuck" in the between the chair and the wall. Oh well, so much for blogging. Actually that sums up what's going on in these parts pretty well. Temper tantrum beginning and now fully happening!

Since I make concerted efforts to ignore these at all costs, I'll keep writing.

This past weekend Susie and I took Jack to Tavares for the Thomas the train fair/tourist trap extravaganza. Jack loved it...I think! It was a bit overwhelming but he then went home and played with his Thomas the train set he got the day before the rest of the evening.

The next day we took Jack out all day to a Latin Parade that we didn't mean to go to. Jack liked that to...I'm not sure we can say the same. We met our friends Jay and Steff and Jack liked that too. He's a huge show off and clearly prefers the ladies in his life to the men.

Okay...now it's really time to go as Jack has locked himself in his bedroom...must find skeleton key!

Bye Bye!

Some recent pictures from my phone

This is from at least a couple of months ago...one of my all time favorites!

Virus' Suck!

The infamous "Fisheye"...we say "fisheye" and this is the face he makes...that's my boy!

Jack exorcises the demon virus!

Welcome To Your 30's Lady Friend and Why The Ped Has Got To Go!

As I mentioned yesterday, Susie turned 30 and now I don't feel like I'm a decade ahead of her. Despite the week from viral hell, we managed to celebrate the big day in very small fashion with an evening of relaxation provided by The Keith & Jack Spa managed by Jack, of course, and courtesy of Bath and Body Works, Godiva chocalates, and French Silk Pie. Not much for a 30th birthday, so a mulligan was called and we will continue the celebration at a later date.

Jack is returning to form. He has learned to play the guitar, with a pick mind you, and even tries to strum with his toes (rock star?). The virus seems to be gone and the ear infection that accompanied it is hopefully going away as well, as today is the final day of antibiotics.

The search for a new pediatrician has officially begun once again. Here is a breakdown of why we are moving on to our 3rd pedicatrician...this is more for venting purposes than thinking anyone in the world really cares to read all of this:

• Our current pediatrician just started to charge a fee for after hours consultation with a nurse (not a big deal really, but still rather crappy considering the money we already give them)
• When Jack fell ill last week, with a temp of 103, the doctors office sent us on a 30 minute trek to get a blood sample done...after the initial sample, they decided to do a full blood workup only to send us back again to the original office. (still not that big of a deal)
• Then, after getting bloodwork done at Quest and capturing a urine sample...with no instructions on how or what to do with it...we were told to schedule a 48hr follow up appointment by our doctor to check on the results of the blood culture. At the 48hr follow up we were told by another doctor (who is part of the group) that they did not yet have the results but instead they would call us later but "not to worry, it's probably just a virus". Noone called ahead to let us know the results of the test were not received, further noone seemed to even remember about the results until we asked for them before leaving(starting to piss me off)
• While waiting to meet for a 3rd appointment in as many days, we were asked by a nurse outside the waiting room why our son was so upset (in the middle of a full on temper tantrum and a 102 temperature), she also asked why we were there...uhhhh you asked us to come back...I don't know why? (Enter Red Raskin)
• After being called into the examining room we waited another 40 minutes...when the doctor finally came in (3rd different doctor in as many days) no apology for the wait was given (okay whatever) and then she --the doctor-- asked "so what are you here for today" (chart in hand, clearly unopened/Jack screaming bloody murder).
• Oh, I almost forgot, an ear infection was found on the second visit when the doctor examined him much more closely than the 1st doctor did...only to conclude that he probably had acquired it since the previous days visit (bullshit!)...the 3rd doctor indicated that the ear infection could have been the cause of the fever all along (I suggest a staff meeting or doctor dinner or something)
• Then, here's the kicker, nearly 72 hours after waiting for blood results on what we were told should be a 48hr test, our assigned pediatrician called to say no results were back yet but she just wanted to check on Jack (never said she wasn't nice)...she added that we would be called later in the day with the results of the blood work...no call followed. At 4:30 Susie called before the office closed and was informed that someone would call before the end of the day after checking with Quest on the results...at 5:00pm Susie was called and informed there were still no results received! Red Raskin called back to chew someone out but the office was closed, alas, closed.
• Next day, I called the office and spoke with a nurse at around 8:30am...the nurse informed me that no results were received yet and that Quest was at fault...I was also informed that the doctors (her superiors) should not have informed me wrongly that I would recieve 48 hr results to begin with and that "sometimes the doctors don't understand how Quest works". (Waaaahhhhttt?...are the doctors at war with the nurses?)
• Later that same day...nearing 2:30 pm on a Friday I decided to press until recieving results as the weekend was approaching fast...once again I was told by a nurse, "sorry, still no results"...I lost it explaining the whole fiasco, refusing to await another call back (which I added never happened as noone ever called back as promised, and requesting a doctor to speak to...I was told that the fault was with Quest but that a doctor was going to call to see what was happening as of that very moment(despite the nurse insisting there was nothing that could be done---then why was the doctor calling now after I insisted on getting to the bottom of this???)...I indicated that I would call but I couldn't apparently due to the lab/doctor kahootz game going on so it was up to the doctor to see that the info was obtained and advocated for appropriately...I lost it some more as the nurse informed me that the office was very busy (I informed her that they should not be so busy that they can't take care of their patients...especially those with a baby and a 104.7 temperature!)...that's when a doctor got on the phone with me, finally.
• A doctor, the one who initially ordered the blood work, then indicated, after trying to explain how the blood tests work and the time tables for bloodwork as if I just didn't understand how labs work (the same one that asked us to come back in 48hrs to get the results in the first place), she suddenly realized that the results had actually been available all along and that whomever I spoke to must of simply missed them! So, 96 hours later...the 48 hr results, which were actually available all along, were given to us!

WHAT THE F***!

• I proceeded to tell the doctor, that I was ecstatic about the positive results...and appalled by the handling of my son and his case. I then was forced to tell her to stop talking as she attempted to convince me that all was okay because Jack is okay! I informed her of our decision to seek out a different pediatrician itemizing the poor communication, advocacy, and overall care my son had received on what should have been a simple case...god forbid it was something more serious, which to be honest, we still didn't know at that point and were worried to death.
• Oh yeah, one other thing, when Jack got the antibiotics in his legs noone mentioned the pain that would follow rendering him unable to walk for 4 days...the next day, while receiving the second shot of antibiotics, we were told the medicine was incredibly painful...thanks for the heads up...a**holes!

AHHHHHHHHHHH, I feel better!!!!!!!!!! But we're still finding a new ped.

The Virus? and Susie's Birthday!!!!

A week ago yesterday, Jack came down with what would turn out to be a virus, at least we think. Over the course of 4 days, Jack maintained a temperature at or above 103 reaching as high as 104.7 on at least 3 occassions. I missed 4 days of work as we were on pins and needles, going back and forth to doctors appointments, filling the boog up with antibiotics and motrin, driving around in the car for hours in the middle of the night, and sometimes just staring at the poor little guy laying helplessly. After blood work, two injections of antibiotics (in case the blood work revealed a bacteria, and a ridiculously bad experience with our pediatrician (who we are firing once again), Jack's fever finally went away. So, we think it was a virus? But, as usual, noone knows. The important thing is the boy is eating and drinking and laughing, and sleeping (not through the night but sleeping all the same), and basically returning to normal.

Meanwhile, today is Susie's 30th birthday. I was planning all kinds of fun stuff but in the midst of The Virus everything was put on hold. We did get to go stay in a hotel Saturday while my parents releaved us of our caretaking duties. We danced the night away after a nice dinner at our favorite club, Independent Bar, and got a little messy. Anyway...HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my best friend in the whole world! A "due over" birthday is definitely in order!

Verbose Child

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!

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!

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.

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

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.