Logan Wants a Cracker

I don't know if I wrote about this or not, but Logan knows how to say "cracker". He speaks it like when saying "uh-oh" which he says a lot now too. The language abilities are really starting to roll in for our lil' boy and I'm happy about it. He is starting to mimic the sounds of words now and I imagine he'll be chatting up a storm in a few months. I'm not looking forward to when he'll be able to talk back and be a snot, but we'll get over that hurdle when it's here. Anyway, we are back at home after a weekend in E. Alton and there is so much to keep me busy. The garden has turned into a jungle, school is looming ever closer on the horizon and so I need to get organized, and the basement bathroom still requires a lot of attention to become a bathroom. I'll be keeping busy but have no fear, I will be blogging so check in with me...just don't be surprised if there isn't a new post everyday like before.

Oh yeah...a few days ago we discovered Logan is sprouting a molar on his upper left side...his right...he doesn't seem bothered by it too much which is good.

Lookin' Spiffy

Logan and I got father and son haircuts today at Great Clips. We are both lookin' spiffy for our professional photographs tomorrow. We're getting Logan's one year pictures taken only 3 months after the fact. Again, I don't know why we need more pictures, but I understand Carly wants them so we're doing it. We're going to Cmax photography, the people who took our wedding photos, so they will be good pics. Anyway, we've been having a good time down here. Logan has been squirrely and energetic and has learned his "f"s and "v"s recently. He says "faf" now which happens to be the nickname of Adolfo.

Well, I think that's all for now. Oh wait...I invented diaper chaps this morning. Logan still has the diaper rash that won't quit and so I cut some holes in the butt part of his diapers and put some clear packing tap on the ends so the stuffing absorbent stuff doesn't come out. That way, his butt can air out while still wearing a diaper that will absorb pee. Brilliant! Perhaps I will post a picture of the posterior showing diaper in the future.

Logan and the Dogs

We're here in East Alton for the week and Logan is having a great time with Bart & Ginger, the dogs. He's crazy about the puppies even though they aren't that fond of him.

Last night was the first time that both Carly and I were not with Logan overnight. We booked a room at Tara Point (great hotel on the bluffs looking over the Mississippi) for our anniversery and Rene watched Logan for the night. It wasn't a big deal, but a memorable first. He was good and Carly and I got to relax and reconnect. We spent our first night as a married couple in that hotel so it was nice to reminisce. Anyway, we're having a nice time down here. Later.

Home Sweet Home

We've been home since Wednesday night and it has felt nice. Vacations are fun and all but I sure appreciate being at home in my own bed.

We had a wonderful time visiting my sister, Jesse, and Eddie and showing Logan the grand ol' western landscape. What an adventure! Some of the highlights included Logan having some mysterious illness on the night that we were camping on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It was freezing that night (around 38 degrees) and we were in our tent when around 1:30 Logan started to dry heave. He spit up spit and scared the crap out of Carly and myself. We didn't know what was happening and what we should do about it. He had about 4-5 episodes of waking up and dry heaving. I didn't know if it was the altitude or what. Carly eventually ended up in the car with him where she managed to get an hour or so of shuteye. In the morning, we decided to get the heck out of dodge after Logan projectile vomited his apple juice, milk, and gatorade. The milk and gatorade vomiting episode all took place in the car ride to my sisters mind you. So we got to pull over on the side of the road and clean up vast amounts of baby puke. It was everywhere and our car seat straps are still stinky. We managed to make it to my sisters a day early and surprised Jesse and Eddie, poor guys.

Anyway, we think Logan had the stomach flu or something. A few days later, in Vegas, I too came down with the stomach flu which was a real treat (perhaps it was food poisoning). As far as Vegas and gambling went I was the big winner, pocketing a cool 675 dollars over the course of my two days gambling. The blackjack and poker tables were kind to me.

Logan was a lot of work on the trip, but actually he did extremely well. On the plane ride there he was quiet but squirrely (falling asleep the last minutes of the four hour flight) and on the way back he was an angel. Mike Ditka was on our flight home and Logan charmed him with a smile in the waiting lobby and while boarding. Da Coach said hi to us which was nice. It seemed that Logan charmed everybody everywhere we went. He seemingly can make anyone smile. He is such an affable little boy and flirts to no end. We were so popular and attracted so much attention because of Logan. It was great.

Well...I have a bit more to blog about and more pictures but for now I will stop. Until tomorrow, I think.

Vacation Photos

Hey, everybody. Long time no blog. We've been having some adventures here in Nevada/Utah/Arizona. I have all sorts of Logan stories to share. Perhaps later. For now, I will tide the eager Daddy is Home masses with some carefully selected pictures. Enjoy!

And Away We Go

Today marks the last "official" day of stay-at-home daddyhood. As I briefly mentioned yesterday, it has been an adventure. I am so grateful that I got the chance to be at home and I highly recommend it to any and all fathers and mothers. I was getting nostalgic last night and paged through my first father's day present (an awesome home-made picture book that Carly & Logan made for me). I cherish that little gift and it always makes me emotional because it is quite obvious how much Logan has grown and changed over the past 14 months. He is a little boy already. Ah. Sigh.

Briefly we'll be leaving on a jet plane out west and I hope our little boy is good on the plane ride and subsequent car rides. It takes a long time to drive places out west since everything is so spread out. I'm excited to see my sister and I know Logan is ready to get spoiled by his godmother. I know Christine is chomping at the bit to have some quality time with Logan too. We'll be in Vegas tonight and that feels very surreal. I hope Logan is a good luck charm in terms of gambling...not that I'm going to be carrying him around at the tables or anything, but if it worked...no seriously. I hope Poker goes well tonight for me. It would be nice to recoup the cost of checking our luggage.

Luggage is annoying. We had a really huge bag packed full to the brim only to realize after checking the AA website that it would cost 150 dollars to check. So we had to unpack the monster bag and put the same stuff in two separate bags. In two duffel bags the same stuff now costs 30 dollars to check. Maddening.

Anyway, wish us luck on our trip. Like most things with Logan, I know it will be an adventure. I'm excited and hope the Hill family has a wonderful, relaxing, and fun time.

Here and Gone

Logan woke up without a fever this morning. Hoorah! To appease the misses I took him to the pediatrician and everything checked out ok except icky tonsils. Perhaps Logan has some sort of sore throat virus that's been going around.

Logan is getting to be an even bigger handful now because he's able to crawl up on stuff. Moments ago he climbed up onto the ikea poang chair...something he has never done. Now I have to be diligent in watching him else he falls off and konks his head. He can also get up on the couch on occasion which is also fun and dangerous for the same reasons. I like to see Logan progressing, but with advancement comes risk.

However, I am almost off the hook so to speak. My stint as stay-at-home father is nearly complete. Carly is finished with school tomorrow and that means she'll be home all summer to help watch the little rugrat. This makes me both happy and a little sad after thinking about it. The grand experiment of Daddy is Home, like all good things, is coming to a close. It has been a joyous time and I've learned much about myself and my boy. I don't know if I will ever get a chance like this again and I'm appreciative of all the good, scary, stinky, worrisome, happy, and funny times.

Well, Logan is continuing to climb on the furniture so I should pay him more attention. Posts might be a bit scarce in the next week or so due to travel.

Mystery Fever

Logan has a nice lil' temperature today of around 100-101 degrees. We don't know why. He also just had a nice loose poopie. All sorts of anxiety is clouding my feeble brain. Did he pick up some horrible disease at the hospital the other day? I am such a terrible father for bringing him there. What if it's the swine flu. Oh no.

Why does he always get sick on Sundays?

And on top of this we are headed out on vacation soon. Will he be ok? I am probably overreacting and he's probably just teething. Hopefully we take it easy the next few days and everything will be ok.

Whistle

Logan can whistle. He mimics me and has become a pretty good copycat. It's adorable when he blows in and out and his little whistles form. He seems proud of the fact that he can make whistles and cracks himself up with them. He can't yet do the Andy Griffith theme, but he's getting better each day.

Logan also can "hock a loogie" pretty well too. It's one of the less endearing copycat traits that he has picked up. In the morning I have a tendency to clear the ol' throat and Logan mimics the sound. It hammers home the point that children pick up and learn from their parents. You have to be careful about what you do and say around kids. They are always watching and listening!

Nice Visit

We visited Stanley yesterday in the hospital...he fell and knocked his head really good...that's why he was there. It was the first time Logan had met Stanley. They seemed to hit it off well and we all enjoyed the visit. I was a bit worried about having Logan in the hospital and he wasn't allowed to go into the rooms, but luckily Stanley was in the t.v. lounge so we could visit, although in the elevator there was a sign that said no kids under 4 allowed above the 1st floor. Oops.

Anyway, I feel bad for Stashu...he needs someone to look after him more. Aging can be a difficult thing. There comes a point where you can't be independent anymore and have to have support.

Logan did really well in the car rides yesterday. We were in the car practically all day. I hope he's as good on our vacation as he was yesterday.

Well, I think I'll post again today later.

You Remind Me of the Babe

What Babe? The babe with the poopoo. Poopoo? The babe with the poopoo in his diaper when it't time to nap, you remind me of the babe.

Sorry...went off on a Labryinth tangent.

I put Logan down for his afternoon nap and he was quiet for about 15 minutes and then began to cry. I was napping too and so ignored him for a good while. He didn't stop crying because he had a full diaper and I should have known it right away. I changed him and now he is napping contentedly. That's been the most exciting bit of my day. Exciting, I know.

Salami & Turkey

Went to Inboden's Meat Market to get some more Copper River Salmon. Good stuff. I also got some salami and roasted turkey slices for Logan to try. He seemed to enjoy the deli slices and ate a piece of salami on the ride home. He also munched on the turkey during lunch although after a few mouthfuls he began to spit it out. Don't know why, but at least he ate some. I know salami isn't the most healthy of meats but it's another option for protein and I'm pleased about that.

We just got back from a long walk in the borrowed backpack carrier. I'm starting to get into good shape with that and so is Logan so our hikes in Zion and Grand Canyon National Park should be pleasant. Well, enough for now. I feel like I need to be constantly apologizing for my crappy blog posts. I don't like doing a subpar job.

Camping with Baby

Last night we (I mean I) attempted to camp in the backyard with Logan. We put him down in his pack and play in the tent around 7:00 and he fell asleep after some crying. I read a book in the backyard while watching/guarding the tent, and then I turned in around 9:45. Around 10:30 Carly popped her head in the tent to say goodnight. A few minutes before that Logan woke up and started to cry so I picked him up and cuddled with him on the air mattress. When Carly came to check on us I thought it was time to end the experiment since sleeping in our own beds sounded much more comfortable. I am so glad we moved back inside because it really stormed and rained last night. I think it might have traumatized Logan it being his first camping experience. Anyway, he did fine and so I think he'll be ok on our trip out to Arizona.