2008...these are the days of our lives.

The Year of Logan, 2008, is coming to an end tonight and we're going to celebrate.

We're headed over to Jen & Ben Bartel's place for a "baby new year." Nita & Matt, Jim & Shonda and Carly and I will all be in attendance as well as all of our new little boys. It's sort of a super playdate. I hope Logan doesn't drink too much champagne...you know how those lightweight babies are. Ha.

Actually, I think I can speak for all the new parents that we hope the babies all go to sleep around 7-ish. That way, we get to have some adult play time. Here's my prediction though: Logan won't sleep. Yeah...I know...where would I ever get that idea...Logan not sleep in a strange place....but seriously, I envision all the other baby boys sleeping soundly around midnight while Carly and I kiss each one of Logan's cheeks as he smiles cherub-like when 2009 swoops in. Now that I think about it, I might be a little disappointed if he isn't awake...nah...just kidding.

Happy New Year everyone!

Mice Stink

After doing some internet research it turns out that mice have some sort of internal GPS system. So my catch and release scheme turned out to be flawed. I let the mouse out in the backyard but I guess he will indeed (thanks Miss Humm) come back inside. I'm supposed to drive the mouse miles away...opinions differ, but the farther the better.

Not coincidentally, I think we caught the same mouse this morning. Around 5:00 a.m. we heard the trap wriggling and sure enough a mouse was in it. Was it the same mouse? A new mouse? I don't know. But I let that one out in the backyard too. So chances are, we'll be catching them again until I do this right or decide to snap their little necks with a trap. What would Logan do?

Mouse in Da House

We had a little critter living under our sink. Thanks to the live trap I expertly set, wee little mouse is now outside in the backyard. I really wanted to keep him but Carly was a bit freaked out. Anyway, I set the trap again in case he had any friends. Hopefully he was a loner...although we already know he wasn't. We had a bottle of oil under the sink and, well, the cap was gone and a mouse somehow got in the bottle but couldn't get out...drowned...poor Mickey. Very gross discovery along with the little mice turds.

I think Logan would have enjoyed watching a mouse run around a little wheel, but I imagine it's better that we let him outside...kind of cold though. I hope Mr. Mouse can find a warm little nook tonight.

Daddy's Robe

I've managed to stay in my underwear and new robe all day...a pretty incredible feat if I do say so myself. I think Carly is about ready to kill me since she's been fairly busy today, and I feel bad about that, but for some reason I haven't the initiative to do much of anything. Perhaps I'm depressed over the Bears' loss.

I did actually do some things today. I finished Eat Pray Love (one of Carly's Christmas present), played on the computer, booked a flight to see my sister and the grand canyon, folded some diapers, read a magazine, and played with Logan. Sure, I didn't feed Logan or change Logan much or wrangle him all that often when he needed wrangling, but I did pay attention to him. Carly paid more attention to him, but who's counting.

Logan hasn't done too much today either. He pooped twice today which was unusual. Yesterday he pooped twice too. We think his tummy is upset. Logan also gently pet the cat...a breakthrough for Grabby McGraberson.

Ughh...this is not a coherent blog entry. What is with me? I've been eating really poorly the past few days...really bad stuff like Ramen noodles, cookies, cheese curds, etc. I think it is doing something to my brain and energy levels. Plan on doing something about my habits next year...ha...which is two days away.

Pete and Repeat

Ever heard that joke about Pete and Repeat? It's not a good one.

Anyway, Logan is starting to become a good mimic. Today I sort of taught him how to flick his tongue in and out...I've turned him into the Gene Simmons of babies. He seemed to really enjoy doing it and giggled hilariously watching me do it. Mom even got it on video...perhaps I'll post it.

Who's That Strange Man in My Bedroom?

Last night I got tired of my itchy December beard and decided to use my new Christmas present, a German made Dovo straight razor. Since I've never shaved with a straight razor I made sure to carefully do it so as not to end up like a victim of Sweeney Todd. It went well and now I'm naked on my face.

The reason I'm sharing my shaving exploits is to relate a humorous event that happened when I went to get Logan this morning. He slept in until 8:20 which was nice, and as I opened his door I noticed a reaction on his face that I've never seen before. Logan was hesitant, quizzical, a bit perplexed for a split second. Whenever a man has a beard, then doesn't, it always seems to cause a raised eyebrow or two just because the change does look curious. Logan recognized me, but knew something was different. He smiled big as I picked him up and his tiny hands went straight for my smooth face. I could read the look on his face: "your face feels like my butt, Dad." Anyway, it was a neat little reaction as I start what is hopefully a nice day. The Bears have to win and the Vikings have to lose in order for it to be truly nice.

Untitled

I've been a bit of a blog procrastinator as of late. My entries have been a bit basic and I've actually missed a few days. Oops. Chalk it up to the holiday season I suppose. I plan on re-commiting myself with all my New Year's energy so expect big things in 2009. I imagine Logan will be full of energy too so I think I'll have lots of material.

We made it back from East Alton yesterday through pea soup fog. It was the worst driving conditions I think I have ever experienced and yet we drove in it for over four hours. I simply had to focus on the white line to my right and the dashed white lines to my left, occasionally seeing the red of brake lights in front of me. It was pretty intense, but we went slow and we eventually got home. Reminded me of that scene in On The Road...Kerouac and Dan Cody I think driving through the jungle with no lights...as I was driving I thought that what we were doing was a good metaphor for life, but I don't have the energy to explain it right now...

Logan had on a camoflouge outfit on today which was a hand-me-down from my cousins...he was crawling around on all fours with his usual exuberance and he looked like a baby soldier desperately avoiding enemy fire. I'd say it was cute...and it was...but now that I think about the image, it's kind of scary too. I don't feel like discussing that either. I'm done writing for now.

Christmas Morn'

It's quiet on Christmas morning and Logan and I are hanging out waiting for everybody to wake up.

Last night when everybody else was at midnight service, Logan and I cuddled under the blankets and slept. It was really nice and peaceful...a perfect Christmas gift from my little boy. He hasn't been good at sleeping with us anymore so last night was a special treat.

Merry Christmas!

Walk Hard

For a while now we've been holding Logan's hands and walking him around. Today he did something a bit out of the ordinary. He fell to his knees and began knee walking...totally cute and funny to watch.

Logan had an atrocious night last night...unfamiliar surroundings, lack of proper naps, and exciting get togethers with relatives. All Mommy and Daddy want for Christmas Eve is a silent night!

It's hard to believe Christmas is here...but it is and we're enjoying it. Wow...this is a bad blog. Oh well. Hope Santa is good to everybody.

Christmas in East Alton

Carly, Logan, and I braved the winter weather and drove down to Carly's folks. We had wanted to get an early start and Logan accomodated us, waking up at 4:30 a.m., so we got all packed up and were on the road by 6:00 a.m. He slept for the first two hours, looked out the window for 45 minutes or so, and then fell asleep for the rest of the trip. It was good traveling. He hasn't napped here, but we just got him down so hopefully he sleeps well.

I spend the day here making Logan a Christmas present. I'll blog about my cool present later.

Baby Bruise

Poor Logan has a bruise in a sensitive area. We think that he fell on his butt, landing on a toy or something. Anyway, the bruise looks like a contusion sort of...it was raised a bit like a mosquito bite. The location: well...the scientific term is the perineum. Carly and I were a bit worried initially, but he seems fine so I don't think we should be worried. Can't believe I'm blogging about this.

We hung out with some friends today and it was a good time. I'll try to add some pictures later.

Peek-a-Boo, Clicking, and Waving While Doing the Naked Dance

Ok. So Logan hasn't done all of these things simultaneously, but he has done each of the titled activities on their own. The most recent new thing is Logan playing peek-a-boo. It wasn't witnessed by me, but this morning Logan supposedly grabbed a blanket and began to hide from Mommy, only to pull the blanket away from his face moments later to surprise her. I don't know where he gets these things.

Yesterday at my sister's Logan developed the ability to wave. For many weeks now he has thrust his fist out when happy, but Momma finally taught him to relax his fingers and open and close them. His first waves were pretty special. It's like he has baby superpowers or something.

In the past week or so, Logan has also learned to click or rather cluck with his tongue. Carly and I had been showing him the tongue gymnastic move and Logan seemed to pick it up quickly. Now he's clucking away contentedly every so often.

Logan's final parlor trick is the naked dance. We've noticed this hilarious trait for many weeks now, perhaps even months, but I've failed to mention it in the blog. Anyway, when Logan is naked he proceeds to flail out his little legs as if he is on a stationary bicycle. His legs turn over in cute little kicks and he gets a wonderfully free look on his face. His eyes light up and he seems to very much enjoy his nakedness.

When will the day come when Logan does all of the above things at the same time? Maybe never, but it would be cool if he did.

Baker's Square Angel

I forgot to blog yesterday. Sorry. Carly had a snow day and I just lost track of the time. Anyway, we had a nice dinner at Baker's Square last night and Logan was an angel. He was entertained in his high chair the whole time...eating little pieces of fruit and playing with his toy, albeit dropping it on the floor numerous times. We even got pie, so Logan was sitting for a long time. The first place we took Logan when he was only 10 days old was Baker's Square. He was great then too. I remember Carly and I freakin' out that he was going to scream or something.

Well, we're off to Wisconsin for the day to visit my sister and her new hubbie, John. Hope the roads are clear and that Logan is as good on the car ride as he was for our dinner last night.

Logan Speaks!

Minutes ago, Logan clearly and distinctly was saying Mmm, Ma, Mama, and Mom. I was searching for Josh and Leah's present, and I think I said out loud, "where did Mom put it?" Logan must have heard me because he began to make the M sound. It was exciting and I'm proud of my little guy. I kept encouraging him to say it, and after a few times I realized my cell phone was in my pocket. Of course, when I attempted to record his voice for Carly, he got shy and wouldn't say Mom. However, I did manage to capture a bit of it so Mommy will be happy when she gets home.

More Food

Carly gave Logan a McDonald fry! How dare she! It was pretty funny because he didn't seem to like it all that much.

Logan's Interest in What I'm Eating

Logan is really interested in my food, to the point of being annoying actually. During breakfast it was cute. I actually got him his own bowl of multi-grain cheerios and he had a wonderful time practicing his pincer grip. Most of the cheerios ended up on the floor, so he's got to work on his aim. It's ok, Logan. Food doesn't always make it into my mouth either. Since he was pestering me, I gave him tiny tastes of everything during lunch. I ate a variety of foods, and Logan tried nearly all of them. I ate some veggie hot dogs with cheese on whole grain italian bread and Logan got a taste of all three things. He seemed to like them. I washed that lunch down with some pomegranate juice. Sure enough, Logan was bugging me for a taste, so I gave him a drop or two. He liked that too. I managed to fight him off when I was eating some cool ranch doritoes so at least I haven't exposed him to junk food. Am I somehow befouling my baby with these little tastes?

Naughty and Nice

Logan's been a bit naughty today and got himself into a little bit of trouble. Nothing serious or anything, but just a tad humourous (why the British spelling of humourous? I dunno.) I was eating delicious chips and salsa from Eduardo's and Logan decides to grab the chip bag and flail it around his head, thereby emptying the plastic bag of its contents. Chips were all over the ground and couch. It's not a big deal or anything, but a bit Dennis the Menace-y. Moments later, I was parched from the spicy salsa so I got a big glass of water. Sure enough Logan managed to nab the glass and it went tumbling over spilling water all over the counter, the floor, and onto my socks. Again, no big deal except a bit naughty.

On the nice side of the day, Logan and I went Christmas shopping and he was an excellent boy at Target. He is napping well and has been in a good mood. I put a teething biscuit into that contraption that prevents choking (it's a small mesh bag thingie with a handle) and Logan gnawed on the biscuit for quite a while. Soon it was nothing but a mush of particles. It kept him occupied though while I wrapped presents. Well, I think I'll attempt to shovel the driveway before Carly gets home. Logan's asleep so he won't be braving the elements this time. I don't know about you, but it's annoying when car marks get compacted into the driveway. I guess it's an OCD tendency of mine. Gotta shovel before she pulls in.

Mom Vs. Mother Nature

Like most working folk, Carly had to brave the elements this morning. Poor Carly. I felt bad for her and was worried considering the treacherous, icy conditions. The least I could do was to help her get on her way, so I scraped off the car windows, started the car up (barely) and loaded the presents she was bringing to school for donations and Secret Santa stuff. Anyway, the weather was pretty brutal last night and into the morning (howling winds that kept knocking our antenna tower into the house) and it got me thinking about how thankful I am to have a warm place to inhabit.

With people losing homes and the tough economic times, I feel even luckier that I've had such a good, solid start in my life. I owe so much to my parents who gave me that safe and comfortable beginning. Because I've been so blessed, I want to give the same thing to my family. I don't feel pressure or anything...I just want what is best for them...and so far, I feel like we are doing well.

I'm pretty sure that's what everybody in the world wants...to be able to provide a decent life for his or her family. That is why the world is such a frustrating place. Because everybody deserves to live a lifestyle where one is warm at night, but not everybody has that. And a lot of times, it isn't the person's fault...it's not because they are lazy or anything to do with their actions. People's lives are greatly determined by the (economic, social, biological) circumstances they are born into. And one doesn't really choose these circumstances. I suppose if you believe in reincarnation and the like that you actually do choose your circumstances before birth so as to work on your karmic issues...well yeah, then you do "deserve" what you get. However, thinking this and being able to accept it are two different things.

I'm getting a bit off topic, I guess. It just seems unfair that everyone doesn't have the basic necessities for survival. Especially so on nights and days when Mother Nature is cruel and cold.

Speaking of Poop...

Logan and I got Mom good again today. She had just returned from a Christmas shopping extravaganza, and sure enough, Logan had a present waiting for her when she came in the door.

Honestly, I smelled Logan's bottom and didn't sense a poopie in there. Anyway, Carly was excited about changing him to say the least.

That's all for today folks.

Conspiracy?

Hello, everybody.

So this is my first guest blog, and it's a bit intimidating. After all, how does Eric think of something amusing to say about parenthood everyday? I always thought if I ever blogged, I would have something really interesting and reflective to say about my past 8 months of being a mom. I never thought the thing I'd want to write about would have anything to do with...well, poop. Who wants to read about poop, anyway? I know I've always wrinkled my nose in distaste when Eric has blogged about our son's deuces. But that's all I've got, kids. So, I apologize in advance to those of you who are as poop-intolerant as I am.

As some of you may know, I'm a fan of conspiracy theories, and I just wanted to let all of you in on one that I suspect has been going on right under my nose.

Dirty diapers. Why does it always happen on my watch? I come home from school, Eric leaves for class...Within five minutes, there is a poopy diaper for me to change. It's uncanny! So here's my theory: Eric has put Logan on a feeding schedule that is so intricately planned that it has allowed him to avoid changing dirty diapers for several months now. And let's face it--he has plenty of motivation. I mean, who wants to pin a twisting, thrashing 8-month-old to his changing table only to...well, let's not speak of it further. Yes, under daddy's tutelage, Logan's become a little WMD, Weapon of Mommy Destruction. I think I finally understand why Eric always chuckles sinisterly when he walks out the door.

Did I Say Best Sleep Ever?

I lied in my previous post. Last night was the best sleep ever!!! Logan went to sleep at 7:00 in the p.m. and woke up at 7:00 in the a.m. He slept through the night!!! 12 whole hours!!! HOLY MOLY! Whose child is this?

Maybe Logan learned something about sleep from his playdate yesterday. Evan and Nathan are good sleepers, so maybe they told Logan the secret to a successful night of sleep. Speaking of the playdate, it went well. Only Logan was a bit grabby with his hands. He's not a bully, but he was making Evan cry a lot. Logan just was so excited and slappy and grabby. Anyway, here's a few pictures of the visit.

Best Sleep Ever

Logan slept over eight whole hours last night...the longest he has ever slept in the past eight months. We got him down at 7:15 and he slept until 3:30. On top of that, he went back to sleep until 7:30 this morning...so therefore, I declare Logan had the best sleep ever!

We have a play date today at 11:00 with Evan and Nathan. Should be fun. I'll try to post some pictures later today.

Today is Wednesday, Right?

I've been losing track of the days this week. Maybe I have a brain tumor or something. This is not entirely a joke considering that I fainted last night. Really. Carly and I were sleeping and around midnight, Logan started crying. I guess I got up from the bed too quickly or something because by the time I got to the doorway, I was on the ground. It was a very surreal experience in the dark of our bedroom. Luckily I didn't really hurt myself, although I did scrap my left pectoralis majoris, i.e. (chest) pretty good. That pain was in fact the first thing that I was conscious of as I "woke up". I was literally down for a half a second I guess. Carly was a bit worried and I quote: "why don't I get the baby." So I warmed up his bottle, made sure I was sitting in the chair when I did take him, and fed the little guy while Carly went back to bed. She's been sick and took some NyQuil so it was amazing she was even conscious of his crying. And boy, he kind of had a crying night last night. We let him for the most part. Anyway, swooning is certainly an interesting thing. I think it's happened to me in my life about three times before this...each time is weird.

Well, I wanted to blog about how we shoveled the driveway together this morning, and how Logan likes to shop, but I guess I'll just post pictures of those things.

Logan Eats Dirt

Let me set up the scene: unattentive Dad is on the computer looking at his sister's wedding pictures. Logan is crawling around, playing with toys, and having a jolly good ol' time. Logan decides to crawl up into the big umbrella house plant (which is two feet away from the computer). Daddy is aware, yet unaware of what is happening. Logan proceeds to grab two big handfuls of potting soil and stick them in his mouth. MMMMmmmm. Dirt tastes good. Logan turns around, expecting parental interference and smiles at his Dad. His Dad looks at a smiling child with a black dirty mouth and picks Logan up and washes his hands off and his mouth out.

What's that ol' saying? A person will eat a peck of dirt in a lifetime? Logan is well on his way.

McGurk Effect

I learned about this last week in my Linguistics class. Since Logan is going dadadadadadadadada all the time, I thought it appropriate.

Here's a youtube video on the McGurk Effect. Funny name.

Logan Loves Wendy

I stopped by Wendy's after working out today because I felt like a frosty. I got a frosty along with a baked potato. Logan was very curious about my food so I let him have some and he loved it! Nothing like frosties and potatoes to make a baby strong and healthy!

In other news, Logan slept well last night. Thank you, thank you.

Logan and I were playing/wrestling on the floor just moments ago and I was making him giggle and laugh. How precious it was...such a wonderful moment that I really appreciated...a simple moment that made me feel content.

Baptism

Logan was baptized today at our church, The First Congregational United Church of Christ. The ceremony felt all warm and fuzzy and he was a good boy throughout, although during the sermon he was showing off his screechy singing voice. Truly, it was a nice family affair and we felt loved as we stood in front of the church. I feel blessed to have found such an open and affirming church here in DeKalb, and I feel comfortable with our decision to get Logan baptized in the first place.

My relationship to Spirit is an interesting one (and something I'm not going to blog about right now). All I know is that it feels nice to introduce Logan into the mysteries and wonders of religion. I hope he comes to some sort of faith in his life, whatever that may be.

I really appreciated having so much family at the service (especially those who had to travel so far) and it was fun entertaining everyone at our house afterwards even though it stressed Carly out quite a bit. I know Logan relished all the attention this weekend. My only hope is that he sleeps better than last night...the night from Hell. Hopefully the baptism exorcised whatever demon possessed him last night. Ok...enough writing...here's a pic of Logan in his fancy outfit.

Logan is 8 Months Old!

Logan's getting to be an ol' fart. Here's a cute picture from today. Think it's going in the monthly picture album.

Mid-day Meltdown

Logan just got over a 40 minute crying fit. It was a bit trying on Daddy's nerves. He doesn't normally get like this, but when he does, watch out! For some reason, on the way back from the YMCA he fell asleep in the car. According to Daddy's schedule, he wasn't due for a nap for at least another hour or two, so I thought it a bit strange. Anyway, I put him down in his crib, and he was quiet for five minutes and then started to cry. I picked him up figuring he wasn't tired. We played for a few minutes, I gave him a bottle, and he was still fussing and acting like he was tired. So I put him down. He cried for another 5-10 minutes and I cracked and went in to soothe him. He wasn't having it. Neither was I. I put him in his crib and decided to take a shower. 30 minutes later he was still crying vehemently. I went in and this time he fell asleep in my arms in minutes, every so often doing a huge gasp from crying so hard. I felt like I was abandoning him while I took my shower, but then again, I'm not one who enjoys the abuse Logan doles out when he's in one of these moods. I feel conflicted. On the one hand, I think Logan just needs to get over it and be able to deal with his emotions on his own. Let him "cry it out" no matter how long it takes. (And for him, it takes a long time). On the other hand, what am I teaching him by ditching him in his crib when he's fussy? Maybe in his lil' baby brain he had a justifiable reason for crying? Or maybe he just felt like crying for no reason? The fact is, he's a baby. He can cry. In fact, the world would probably be a better place if we all cried more often. But when we cry, do we want to be left alone? A comforting embrace or pat on the back makes crying and the act of crying better because we know we're not alone. No one wants to be abandoned in an emotional state. So let the balancing act begin. Do we coddle our children leaving them vulnerable to this harsh world? Do we toughen them up and stymie their emotional expression? Or do we try to find the middle path between the two?

Gated Community

It was time to put a damper on my baby's youthful exuberance. I s'pose one of a parent's jobs is to be a wet blanket. I have a new appreciation for my parents and what they had to put up with in regards to me.

As I've blogged about, Logan is really movin' around the house. His favorite place to go is the kitchen, something about the cat food bowls and water dish intrigues him. It's been a tiring two days because I can't put him down for more than two seconds before he attempts to make it into the kitchen...then I have to wrangle him...and the look he gives me is priceless.

Another worry in the kitchen was the basement steps. I always nabbed him before he even got close to those, but it was a worry. Now I can relax a bit.

I put up the baby gate at the stairs, and moved the cat food and water bowl into the little mud room on the other side of the gate. The cats are divided about these new arrangements. Earth has hopped over the gate in both directions no problem. She seems fine with this, even excited considering she now has a space to escape from Logan's grabby hands. It's been about 15 minutes since I put the gate up, and Moon is still sitting on the basement side of it, either too scared to attempt the jump, or just not feeling in a jumpy mood. It's silly because Moon is the cat that scales the garage walls in order to get up in the rafters and play in the attic.

Anyway, Logan now has free crawl in the kitchen. I just washed the floors yesterday, so no foreign food matter will go into his mouth. I put the outlet covers in the outlets, and feel like the kitchen is somewhat babyproof.

On Guard!

Don't much feel like writing today, so I'm posting some pictures! Enjoy!

2 a.m. Surprise

We had a new development occur last night. Logan went down at 7:30 and woke up crying for the first time at 2:00...a nice lil' stretch. I went into his room with a full, warm bottle and what do I see? Logan is standing up in his crib, just hanging out and wailing. It was a bit of a shock, even though we sort of expected it. About a week or two ago we dropped his crib to its lowest setting, fully aware that he would soon be able to stand in his crib. Anyway, we didn't expect it to happen so soon. It was awfully cute, but a little concerning. How soon will it be before he'll build the strength to pull himself completely out of the crib? That happens, right? I wonder if I could completely pad the floor?

And just to emphasize that this wasn't a fluke, when Logan woke up this morning at 6:45, yeah, he was standing. He smiled big at me when I came in to get him, looking proud of himself. "Daddy, see what I can do?" It's been cool around here lately.

Last night we put up the Christmas tree...Logan likes to eat the LED lights...go figure.

The Wandering Nomad that is Logan

Logan is crawling up a storm. His favorite place to go today seems to be the bathrooms. It makes me feel real guilty because we haven't washed the floors in a while. Got to get on that. Not that I let him crawl on the bathroom floor...I pick him up and put him back to his starting position in the living room. Sure enough, he heads to the, well, head again.

Logan has been extra sleepy today...most likely recovering from the long family weekend. It's been nice because I got a chance to catch up on grad school homework. Well...gotta go wrangle the boy again. Carly's cleaning out a dirty diaper.