Category: baby
Baby Number 2
| July 18, 2008 | Posted by under baby, Health, Home, Kids |
Melissa and I, well mostly Melissa, had our sonogram last week. There was a beautiful heartbeat and everything appears to be on track for baby number two come February. I’m really glad we are settled into our new place. The desire for baby number two was one of our primary motivations for moving in the first place and we found such a wonderful neighborhood. I always wanted children, but the actual experience is so far above my expectations that I truly don’t have the words to describe. In some ways I think I am more excited this time around. Well that isn’t actually fair to say. It is a very different experience on multiple levels. Since we have been through this before, the fear factor is kept in check. I am doing a much better job of finding a work/life balance and I am really just more present on so many levels that I can’t get into without completely over sharing. Suffice it to say, I am in a much better place emotionally then I have been in sometime.
Weekend update
| May 27, 2008 | Posted by under Apple, baby, Garden, Home, iPhone, Kids, Local, Weekend Update, writing |
Had a wonderful weekend. I didn’t do any writing, but you know what, that is OK. I don’t think I spent more then 15 minutes at my computer all weekend. Not to say I embraced a luddite way of life, I had my trusty iPhone, even made a couple Joshua related blog post straight from the Jesus phone. I did not think about work until I hit the gym this morning – work related reading material in hand. While the pregnant 4pm Friday before a holiday weekend phone call did indeed come, I had left at 2 and no one bothered my cell. What I did do this weekend was spent quality time with my wife and son. We read, gardened, shopped, hung photos on previously barren walls, played with Joshua, rode the CJ Park train and went for walks. Actually Melissa walked and pushed the jogging stroller and I strapped on the roller blades and entertained Joshua with my wheeling around. It was a wonderful weekend filled with family, love and joy. It was a beautiful reminder of why I get up every morning; battle the demons (traffic, work and personal) happily and without reservation.
Feeling like a really crapy Dad
| May 14, 2008 | Posted by under baby, Home, Kids |
Joshua is going through a mommy only stage. If Melissa is home, he wants nothing to do with me. We are fine if it is just the two of us, but if he knows Melissa is anywhere around, he will have a fit until she picks him up. I know I am not around as much I would like. But it is not like he doesn’t know who I am, he sees me every morning. I try to give him his bottle. And at least once or twice a week I get home in time to see him before bed. While I may not be so good at the work life balance during the week, I am home most weekends. My two working theories are 1) he remembers that I am the one who held him down when he got his shots. 2) He associates me with Melissa leaving e.g. she will need some down time on the weekend, or is teaching toga class at night, and he he knows he is getting the B team. Of course there is also the third possibility that it is just a phase and he will be back to Daddy Daddy Daddy in no time, well Dada was his first word.
Recent Updates
| May 5, 2008 | Posted by under baby, Fiction, Garden, Home, Kids, Local, Weekend Update |
Real Life
Saturday was gardening day. Took a trip to Lowe’s and the Potomac Gardening Center and came away with lots of plants, flowers, herbs and vegetables. I never thought I would get into gardening but I found it relaxing, rejuvenating and was filled with a sense of accomplishment. I think I did a pretty good job and I am really looking forward to the veggies and herbs coming up. I have a few pictures on Flicker if you want to check out the fruits of my labor. Saturday evening, I helped my brother load up a U-haul to help with their impending move. Between the gardening and the packing I was expecting to be pretty sore but I am actually feeling OK.
Sunday morning Melissa taught a Yoga class so I babysat* Joshua. Anyways, we drove to downtown Bethesda, walked around and grabbed some breakfast. We ate in the courtyard in front of Barnes & Nobles and it was good bonding time. Joshua went wild for all of the dogs on show. He really loves animals.
Joshua is now officially a toddler, I wish we caught it on video… He has been cruising and walking with push toys since he was 7 months but refused to take a step without a toy, hand or piece of furniture for assistance. That is until yesterday. Well a couple weeks ago he started to take a few “unassisted” steps. Basically he had to already be walking with a decent amount of forward momentum, and we would have to pull our hand away. We would take a few steps and sit down or dive into the couch. Yesterday was different; I actually got him to take about 19 steps from a standing position. It was pretty amazing to actually get to be there for such a huge first.
Fiction
I got some writing done this weekend and even had a little break through on one of my projects.** My protagonist has a mentor whose motivation for helping I have never quite been able to pin down. Basically I had him call her on it. Hey – why are you helping me… I am not planning on keeping any of it, or at least not most of it. It was more an exercise in understanding. Biggest thing I realized, she is lying and my protag is too damn trusting – going to have to toughen him up.
*Although I don’t think babysitting is the appropriate term when it’s your kid.
**Maybe I would get one done if I actually worked on them one at a time.
Kidville is coming to Rockville
| April 30, 2008 | Posted by under baby, Kids, Local |
Kidville is coming to Rockville. My sister in-law and fellow blogger just posted some exciting news on the ways to entertain, education, exercise and socialize your child front. I briefly looked through some of the classes, they do look fun. To bad they don’t seem to offer any weekend programs; I would love to do something like this with Joshua.
Random updates
| February 6, 2008 | Posted by under baby, Health, Home, Weekend Update |
Home: Closed on both places – moved in and mostly unpacked. Well, the essentials are unpacked, I am afraid we will be living with boxes for sometime. Our new dinning room set will be delivered tomorrow. We had the baby proofing service out this weekend; they will be back to finish the job tomorrow.   Our new couch and Chair & ½ should be here sometime next year (or the end of March). I am very happy to be able to grill again.Â
Josh:  Josh was cleared by both the Pediatrician and Pediatric GI for all foods except shellfish and nuts. Yeah! No more liquid gold formula. More importantly it has been so much fun seeing Josh discover all sorts of new eats. We had a nice little family get together for his first birthday. He cried his way though his first haircut. He is still not walking, which is surprising since he has been cruising (walking along the edge of furniture) and walking if you hold his hand forever. Maybe now that he has some carpet to play on he will take some unassisted steps. Personally I think he just realizes he can get from point A to B much faster by crawling… Â
Melissa: She wonderful as usual. She has been a little stressed about the move and unpacking, but now that things are really coming together she is finally starting to relax. She has had a couple problems with her eyes and the Doctor said no contacts. She hates wearing her glasses but I think they are totally geeky hot. Â
It has been an extraordinarily hectic month and I am working on my third cold of the season(this is crazy not sure what’s up with my immune system). I plan to get all flickred up shortly with some pictures of the new digs and various recent events.
Joshua Ezra Feldman
| January 10, 2008 | Posted by under baby, Family |
Happy Birthday Joshua!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is going to be quite a week.
| January 8, 2008 | Posted by under baby, Home, Weekend Update |
Thursday is Josh’s fist birthday. I can’t believe he is going to be one. This year is just –wow- I don’t have words
Friday we close on our current Condo. It going to feel weird renting back, but we still have a few weeks before we can close and move into our new townhouse.
Saturday is Josh’s birthday party.Â
Unfortunately Josh won’t be able to eat any of his birthday cake. He is still on a no dairy or wheat diet. Now that he has reached a year we can start introducing the restricted foods, but it is a slow process – table spoon here and see how he reacts. Most kids with dairy/wheat allergies outgrow it after a year and we are really hoping that Josh has as well. It will be nice when he can get him off the special formula we refer to as liquid gold, but more importantly I want him to be able to have the ice cream, cake and pizza … the normal birthday party meal.
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