Possible?

Is it possible for a baby to grow physically, socially, emotionally, and in cuteness over the course of a weekend? Yes. When Carly and Logan walked through the door yesterday it was a wonderful reunion, full of hugs, kisses, and amazed looks from me. I couldn't believe how big my lil' monkey looked. I realize he is coming up on his first birthday and all, but he doesn't even seem like a baby anymore. He seems like a grown up little boy. Likewise, I don't remember him being so talkative, sensitive, perceptive, and all sorts of other qualities. Logan's absence this weekend has allowed me to rediscover him, I suppose. Seeing him with fresh eyes is fantastic and it lets me know how much I missed him. Absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder.

I'm excited about all the adventures we'll have this week. Carly is on Spring Break! I just hope this teething fussiness will go away so we can all enjoy it.

Missing My Family

It's been a long weekend, but I've survived it solo. Carly and Logan are coming home today so I know I'll have all sorts of blog fodder. I didn't write this weekend for a couple of reasons. First off, I was pretty busy painting. I got the whole basement done so we will be able to use that space for Logan's first year birthday extravaganza. That is good. I also didn't write because this blog is dedicated to my boy and without him around, well, I was sort of without my muse. Sure I could have written about how I missed him and how empty my life seemed without him, but who wants to read about my sappy so-called life. Anyway, as I said, Momma and the Monkey will be home in a few short hours so I'm excited. Until then, I'll be cleaning up the mess I made in the basement.

Weekend Road Trip Sans Dad

Carly and the babe are heading down south for a visit, and I'll be home alone. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I'm staying home because I want to finish and paint the basement before Logan's big party next week. I will be able to do that much easier without Logan around, although I imagine it will be a lot less fun. Plus, tonight's the monthly poker night with my grad school buddies so I couldn't miss that, right?

Logan and I had a really good day today and I miss him already. This will be only the second weekend in which I've ever spent more than a day away from him. The first time was when Adolfo and I ran the Milwaukee Marathon. Anyway, I think that's about all I want to write now. I'll check in tomorrow.

Rough Papa

Notice Logan's new haircut in this picture (even though it's messy). He was an angel yesterday at the salon and sat still for the whole cut. Also notice the nice looking scrape on his chin area. He didn't do that to himself. I did. And I feel awful about it. Two days ago the plumber was here checking out what it would cost to pipe a bathroom in the basement. I was holding Logan and talking with the guy, not paying attention. Somehow, Logan got a bottle of white-out in his hands and was chewing on it while I was talking. The white-out got on his face and hands and wouldn't come off. I scrubbed his chin with a rag and soap and it still wouldn't budge. Eventually it came off but in the process I rubbed his little face raw. Like I said, I feel terrible about it. First off, I don't know how he got the white-out. I should have been paying attention. And then I rub his face too hard. Bad Dad. I hope that it goes away by his first birthday party next weekend. I would feel really guilty if the pictures were all messed up because of my roughness.

Walking Vid

Finally...here it is.

Still Plan on Posting Video

Been busy. Sorry.

Here's a pic (thanks to Jen) of Logan and the Crowley child, Connor.

Walking Video

Video of Logan walking coming to a blog near you soon!

Nuttin' to Say on Sunday

I spent a large chunk of time in the basement today walling off the furnace and water heater. It was quite a bit of fun, but a big job. Anyway, Logan and I did spend some quality time together because Carly had a lot of papers to grade. We enjoyed the weather playing in the backyard; we practiced walking a bit; we went for a walk around the block in the stroller; we had fun in the bathtub. Basically, it was a low-key Sunday with not much to blog about.

One Giant Leap for Logan-kind

Logan was walking up a storm today at Jim & Shonda's house for our playdate. He was wired because we kept him up past his bedtime and he decided to show off and walk around like a drunken sailor. It was hugely entertaining and all the babies and Moms and Dads were impressed. I'm so proud of my little monkey. He took a huge step forward...he's understanding the whole balance thing. Ok. That's it. Daddy is sleepy from the wine he had.

Catch-22

I had so much fun playing catch yesterday that Logan and I decided to do it again. Only, Logan didn't seem to get the hang of it today. He was so excited about throwing the ball that he released it too early and each time it would go over his head and behind him. I could tell he wanted to be able to throw it to me, but he just plum forgot how to do it. Oh well. We'll keep practicin'.

Havin' a Ball

Logan and I played catch today...sort of. For a good five minutes we passed a ball back and forth. A few of those times Logan actually threw it towards me. Mostly he either rolled it towards me or made a funny gesture with his hand suggesting that he wanted to share with me. I took the ball from him and gave it back to him...hence, catch. Anyway, it was a lot of fun passing the ball around and he's not even a year old yet. I am looking forward to the time when he can really play catch.

Salmon Frenzy

Logan now likes Salmon! Carly and I are very excited. I grilled some Inboden's salmon up today and we are eating it as we write. Logan is going to town on this delicious fish...yeah, protein!

Boy of Many Moods

Logan is an interesting creature. I don't understand yet why he acts the way he does. For the past few days he has been especially moody. His emotions can swing from extremely happy to very disgruntled in two seconds flat. He's been getting tired at unusual times of the day and has been a bear on the changing table. I think some of this revolves around his many teeth coming in (he has 8 now), but I think more of the issue stems from his emerging ego. Logan understands himself more as a creature with a will. He wants things and wants them now! When the refrigerator is open and you close it before he can get his little hands on the eggs and butter container, well he let's us know about it. When the front door is open and you don't let him slap on the glass door (he's broken the latch off the frame, have to re-screw that) well Logan lets you know how unhappy that makes him. He is becoming independent and wants to assert his will, but he doesn't always know what he wants, so I guess that's frustrating for him. I think he's getting frustrated with falling down all the time too. He's getting close to walking and we're pulling for him to do it before his first birthday, but he sure falls down a lot. It's a tad damaging to his confidence, but he's resilient our little monkey. Oh...reminds me that we have to get a new gate that blocks the stairs. Logan's new habit is to climb the gate and precariously perch there tempting the fates nearly ready to do a flip forward.

Giraffes and Peacocks

No. I won't be telling you any allegory or fable. Rather, I wanted to share a cute little game that Logan and his mother invented and that I've encouraged. We have photos hung up in our hallway. We have three frames hung vertically with three pictures in each of them. In one of the frames we have pictures from the Auckland Zoo in New Zealand. Guess what's kind of pictures are in that frame? Yup. The bottom picture is a photo of Carly's hand feeding celery to a giraffe, its massive purple tongue curling around the green stalk. And the middle photo is a peacock confidently displaying all its iridescent feathers. When we carry Logan around, he's about eye level with these pictures and lately he's been using his pointer finger to point at the giraffe and peacock. We're trying to talk to him as much as we can so when he points we say "giraffe" and when he points we say "peacock." He loves this game and will switch from giraffe to peacock numerous times. It can get a little old sometimes and if we're feeling adventurous will lift him up higher so he can point to the top photo, an elephant, but this is tiring on the arms since Logan is getting heavier. Anyway, I'm amazed that Logan remembers to do this all the time and he really seems to enjoy it so that makes me happy.

Fear of the Crazies

Daddy is Home is a public blog. Should I be afraid? Yes, No, or Maybe So? I feel as though I am pretty cognizant of my "web presence." I try not to act like an idiot online and I don't do or say anything in web spaces that I wouldn't do or say in a public space. With that said, however, I have been sharing a lot of personal information and "family secrets" on this blog. If some wierdo, or some very savvy advertising dude wanted to target me, my family, and friends for whatever reason, I think they would have a lot to work with. On the one hand this makes me nervous and I'm a bit creeped out. Having a personal journal (web log) for all to see exposes me to some risk. And yet, I think the benefits outweigh the negatives, and here's why.

I am participating in one of the most fantastic social experiments ever designed. This whole "Internet" thing, it is really cool. I'm connected to anyone with a basic computer (and modem). Global collaboration is simply a click away. If someone in Turkey wants to comment about one of my posts, they can. If a bloke in England has strong opinions on circumcision, sure he can express his reasoning. It's quite the humbling thought to imagine my little blog being read by perhaps millions across the globe. But I'm getting a bit idealistic now. In reality, I think I have about 10 readers. But actually, those 10 readers mean the world to me and the same is true for them. I wouldn't be able to share my thoughts and feelings if not for this little public space. Sure I could keep it "private" and simply restrict viewing to those I approve first, but where's the fun in that. I wouldn't get entertaining dialogue like I did a few posts ago, and I wouldn't be able to connect with new people or make new friends.

So what I'm saying is that even though I'm sharing some intimate details of my life, so far I think it's ok. It's worth it. I'm living in the modern world and seizing the day electronically.

Simple Moments

I really felt like a Dad tonight when we returned from my parent's house. Logan was asleep in his car seat and we pulled into the quiet, dark driveway. I turned off the car, unbuckled him from his car seat, and carried him on my shoulder into the house. It was a simple moment, but it felt so right and powerful. The weather was mild, the air smelled sweet, and Logan's limp, sleepy body was warm. Once in the house, I eased off his jacket, put him in his crib, turned on the froggy humidifier and closed his door, wishing him a night full of wonderful dreams.

Carrying a sleepy child into the house is a powerful thing for me, I guess. It reminds me a lot of my Dad. I don't remember exactly if I remember him carrying me into the house, but I know I remember seeing him carry my little sisters, Jacqueline and Christine. Even as a young boy I remember thinking how sweet it was that my Dad was able to do that. Now I get to experience the sensation my self. I love the simple moments.

Window Wiper

Logan pulled out a classic trick this evening at dinner time. He refused to take his afternoon nap so he was crabby for din-din. Carly gave him all sorts of delicious food and he ate quite a bit of it, rice, carrots, chicken and sweet potatoes, and kiwi fruit. About the time he was finishing up, Carly and I were beginning to eat our stir fry dinner. Logan decided to do the window wiper with his arm on his high chair tray. Food went everywhere. He had this mischievious grin on his face as the food went all over our newly clean floor. We laughed at his cuteness, tossed a few graduates on the tray to keep him occupied, and managed to finish off our dinner before complete melt-down.

Big Ol' Blue Eyed Boy

Big Willy

In honor of the Sears Tower's name change to Willis Tower I decided to write about Mr. Logan's big willy. Carly and I decided to not get Logan circumcised when he was first born. It was mostly my concern. I'm sure either way things would have been fine, however, I just didn't like the idea of slicing off what nature originally endowed. I understand circumcision is a cultural, aesthetic, and possibly cleanliness thing, but none of those reasons seemed to justify the surgery...even if it was relatively painless like doctors say (although I'm sure it's not comfortable). Anyway, I hope that my decision is ok with Logan. I hope he doesn't hate me in the future for not doing it. Secretly, I hope he thanks me someday for letting him retain his foreskin, although I don't really know if foreskin lends a man any advantage because well, I'm a sliced frankfurter. Maybe that was too much information. Let's stick to the topic.

The facts of the matter are that circumcision is nearly a 50/50 thing in modern America, so I'm sure Logan will have company in the big willy department. The challenging part of raising an uncircumcised boy is that I don't really know how the whole foreskin thing works. My understanding is that the process of his peter poking out is a natural one and will happen without any help, but I don't know the time line of it, nor do I know too much about maintenance and the like when he gets older. I'm not that worried about any of this, but Logan's big willy is a topic that I still have questions about. What do you think about all this? I'm interested to know.

A real work-out

Reading Men's Health today I came across an interesting article about natural movement or movnat. There's a lot to it, but instead of me rambling about it check out the video or the website, www.movnat.com. This frenchie is really strong.

MovNat

"Carly"

Either we have a parrot in the house, or Logan said "Carly," his mother's name. He was in his high chair finishing up some jasmine rice and black lentil Indian food and I was cleaning up the counter top when all of a sudden, amongst the senseless baby babbling, I hear the word, "Carly." It was pretty cool and I tried to encourage him to say it again. Logan sort of murmured the sounds...but didn't repeat it. But I'm pretty sure I heard it, so yeah for baby.

As he matures, Logan is becoming more interactive. Today we were wrestling on the guest bed and he was really babbling and laughing and moving around. I can remember not that long ago when I would simply plop him on that same bed and he would barely move. I would tickle him and mimic rabid bear attacks with Mahi the Bear and Blue Bear. Logan liked that game and would giggle and laugh, maybe rolling over once or twice. Now, I have to be very careful that he doesn't crawl off and land on his head. And now he is more like the rabid bear, pawing everything and getting into all the things he shouldn't.

Danny Duck Takes a Dive

Didn't see too much of Logan today. I dropped Logan off at my Aunt Karen and Uncle Jim's house and went to visit my cousin in the hospital. John is doing better and will get to spend a week at home which he is very much excited about. He'll go for more chemotherapy in a week or so, and we're hoping that the fungal medicine keeps down the mucor during that treatment. He's been such a champ and I know he's going to get better.

I entitled this entry Danny Duck Takes a Dive because that is Logan's favorite book. He reaches for it on the shelf and is actually able to sit still when we read it to him (usually). He likes this particular books among the myriad choices he has because Danny Duck has fuzzy feathers that he can touch, along with Henry the Horse having a shaggy mane, and other sorts of animals with fuzzy parts. Tactile things. Logan is grabby so as long as he can grab, he's happy. Hence, Danny Duck is his favorite book. The story of Danny Duck is alright...lacking in a bit of character development, but you know, good for an 11 month old.

Much Gnashing of Teeth

Logan has been gnashing his teeth all day today. We just got back from a rare afternoon visit of the YMCA and all throughout the car ride home he was smacking his bottom teeth with his top teeth. The sound is one of those sounds--much worse than nails on a chalkboard. It's like he's a little rodent or something and has to wear down his teeth or else they'll grow into his face. I can't stand the sound! It took a lot of will power to not crash the car when he was doing it. I can't see how it doesn't hurt him. And the funky thing about it is that I think Logan likes to do it, and I think he knows that it annoys me. Ahhhh!

Discombabulated

Logan's schedule has been all mixed up today. I was putting a ceiling in the basement with the help of my Dad, Adam, and Josh (thanks, guys). Logan wasn't able to get much sleep. Carly also took him to Bowl for Kids' Sake tonight, so I'm sure he's awake now. Anyway, I hope he gets adjusted to the whole time change thing and sleeps well tonight.

Happy Grandbaby!

Logan's had a lot of fun today hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa Koprivica. He actually sat still to read a book!

Springin' 11 Month Old

Logan turned 11 months old today...for all you math whizzes out there that is one month shy of a year. He's getting so big! Wow.

Today we very much enjoyed the weather. Logan and I sat in the backyard on the grass for at least an hour, soaking up the sun, exploring branches and twigs, just having a great time overall. He didn't really put anything his mouth which was a nice change. We got a chance to daydream about the warm Spring to come and the hot Summer days where we'll be playing in the sprinkler and tending the garden. Logan'll be walking by then, I imagine, and I know he is going to love being outside. It felt perfect out there today. I know that the world is filled with all sorts of worry, anxiety, depression, hatred, and negativity, but I also know that my boy and I experienced profound moments of peace and tranquility simply sitting in the backyard grass in the sun.

Don't forget to move your clocks forward an hour tomorrow!

More Wrestlemania Metaphors

I enjoyed reminiscing about Wrestlemania yesterday that I decided to do it again today. Part of being Mr. Stay-at-home is loading and unloading the dishwasher. Logan always likes to help and recently he's been doing some dangerous stuff (besides grabbing for knives). See picture.
Logan steps up onto the dishwasher base, grabs hold of the top rung and attempts to pull himself up. It's as if he is climbing the ropes in the wrestling ring, preparing for a devastating leap off, elbows a-flyin'. It's hard to unload the dishwasher when the little bugger is constantly trying to climb up the dishwasher. Anyway, I managed to wrangle him long enough to get the unloading done, but decided to put him in his high chair for the loading part. It's not nice having a baby grab at dirty dishes, even if he's the kid who dirtied most of those dishes up. So the wrestling metaphor was pretty weak in this post, but it works, right?

Wrestlemania

Today on the changing table it felt like Logan and I were involved in Wrestlemania. I know all you Hulksters out there know what I'm talking about, brother! He was squirmy and kicky and twisty and shaky and all that jazz. All the while he had blueberry poop hanging off his butt. Here I am trying to change the kid and clean him up, and here he is rolling around like a baby alligator. It was a blast. He's normally squirmy during changing times, which seems often considering his fuzzi bunz leak a lot, but normally we give him either the nose plunger or the baby tylenol bottle or some other toy to distract him. Today, those distractions weren't working. I was Andre the Giant and he was Hulk Hogan...no...I was the Iron Sheik and he was the Ultimate Warrior...no...that's not it either. Needless to say, it was some intense wrestling. But I pinned him and won the match! Victory!

The Tempest

No, I am not blogging about a Shakespeare play. Rather, I'll be discussing the blustery storm that is the ups and downs of child rearing. We had such a great day yesterday; however, today has started off horrible, horrific, atrocious, insane. Today started last night at 3:00 in the morning. Carly was grading until 1:00 in the morning and so had gotten 2 hours of sleep when Logan woke up. I fed him and put him back down and he slept quietly for 10 minutes. Around 3:20 he began to shriek and cry and my plan was to ignore it, but Carly wasn't feeling that option. I tried to comfort him but it wasn't working. I tried bringing him into bed with us (why I don't know because it never works). He continued to scream bloody murder. It's a case of the teeth coming in, I think. Carly tried for a bit and came back unsuccessful too. She was upset and ready to lose it and I wasn't much better. I got out the earplugs, popped them in mine and Carly's ears, and we let Logan cry until what...4:45 or so, I think. Carly woke up at 5:15 and started her day...I think Logan began to whimper again or something. Anyway, I feel bad and wish I could have done something to help Carly out but Logan wasn't sleeping and I couldn't make him.

I expected him to wake up at his usual 7:00 this morning, but he actually slept in until 8:30. But from 8:30 to 10:30 he was a wreck...not eating, drooling, crying, shrieking, hardly consolable. I tried to get him to take a nap unsuccessfully around 9:30...and then was finally successful at 10:30. Hopefully he can sleep off whatever it was that made him so fussy.

Hey, Mr. Sunshine

What a Monday morning my lil' lad had. He certainly had an inner exuberance that made staying at home the most satisfying job I've ever had. Logan was plain ol' happy at being alive this morning and his giddiness was contagious. I couldn't help but be in a good mood either.

The morning for Logan and I started at 6:20 when Carly shut the door on her way out to work. Logan woke up and began to babble. In vain, I went in there like Speedy Gonzalez, giving him a bottle and hoping I could get him milk drunk enough so that he would sleep another hour. Alas, when I put him down he decided that he was going to chatter and babble, no doubt talking to all the magical gnomes, sprites, and fairies that inhabit his nursery in the wee morning hours. And so, I closed my eyes in bed listening to the quiet murmurs of the baby babble. Around 7:11 Logan decided he had had enough conversation and decided he wanted a new diaper and some breakfast. I complied. We shared a banana; I fried us up an egg, and he ate the yolk with toast; we simply enjoyed each other's company. Logan was smiley and talkative and gesturing via claps and hand gestures. We played with his walker, fed the goldfish, and relaxed as the sun streamed through the open shades. I just put him down for his nap after he let out a yawn or two, and he is now napping without so much as a whimper. What a great way to start off the week. I'm going to be with Logan pretty much all day today because Carly is taking a CPR class tonight (infant CPR). Hope the rest of the day goes as smoothly as the morning.

Plugged In With a Carrot Mustache

Here's a picture of Logan not 5 minutes old. He decided to eat the camera cord instead of finishing his carrot popsicle, evidence can be seen on upper lip. Had a nice Sunday...