Happy Month-day!

Okay, I know that celebrating the first month may seem like another overzealous first-time parent and admittingly, it is, but there is also some validity in celebrating all the numerous first-times. Also, when is the next time I can really summarize ALL the events of one person's life.

It's been a month already. And quite a month it's been. Little Evann is getting bigger with each week (the paranoia of first time parents worrying if their baby is eating enough, etc, is over). Our family has seen not one, but two additions to the family (more on that later). He's had so many firsts and enjoyed some great sporting events, such as an improbable run by the Oilers to the Stanley Cup finals only to lose the final game (Evann actually cried when Carolina scored their empty net, one may believe it was coincidence, but I think he saw the high-stick in the Carolina zone), he's enjoyed almost every match of this year's World Cup (and was so strong when Korea was knocked out), he's watched the Blue Jays have a pretty good month of ball and he's even come watch me play in a few baseball games without complaint.

One non-sports related events, he's saved his best for his 30-day. He slept all night in his cradle (okay for 4.5 hours) only waking when I woke him up to feed him (just moments ago). This has been a big accomplishment because he's been sleeping with us in bed as of late. Like his father, he is a hard sucker and has moved to bottle feeding breast milk (I on the other hand, enjoy a nice cold bottle of beer occasionally). I watched in amazement as he (again like his father) polished off his meal faster than it took to heat it. Let's just hope that he doesn't have a soft spot for pizza and KFC like his dada.




His first hair style. The baby faux-hawk.





Yesterday, Evann saw his first theatre movie..."The Lake House." We enjoyed one of the "Stars and Strollers" movies. I think this is formerly known as "Movies for Mommies", but was changed to the less glamorous name due to the age of political correctness. For those of you who have young children, this is a great event held every two weeks (at selected movie theatres for only selected movies) in which there is a change table along with diapers provided by the theatre. The movies are said to be quieter and the theatre more lit though I didn't really notice a huge difference yesterday. For those of you who don't have kids, if you ever happen to accidentally go into one of these screenings, leave immediately unless you don't mind your movie being interrupted by crying, cooing and people swaying their babies. Evann did not cry during the entire movie, though Mommy L did. ;)

As for the other addition to our clan, my sister or rather my 8-year old niece decided that there was no better time for a puppy than now. We were happy to announce the addition of Kaya, a beautiful Chocolate Labrador. She is the split image of Evann (in puppy form) having big paws, a big head and just finding her way in this world. Kaya is a little more toilet trained though Evann has yet to pee on our kitchen floor. I'm sure that Kaya and Evann will be great friends throughout the years.



As from my stance, it's been a great month. I've enjoyed this time off from work (I return too soon) and have greatly appreciated the wealth of support from my family, friends and co-workers. Not a day has gone by without a visitor so it's been busy, but both Mommy L and I love to entertain guests. Having said that Mommy L has been incredible throughout this entire process. We've had our quarrels and spats, but nothing that isn't outshone by our love for one another and this incredible new love for little Evann. I've learned to not wash disposable diapers (see past posts), point "the pepper" down, don't be too vigilant & wait for the second poop before changing the diaper, and don't listen to too much Raffi.

I can't wait for the next stage of Evann's life. I'm sure it'll be as exciting as the first month, but hopefully with more rest. I'm not holding my breath though. I've got so much to learn and I'm sure that Evann will be a great tutor. Peace!

Happy (1st) Father's Day!

How exciting! My first father's day!

I've never really appreciated Father's Day before as I have today. It's not too bad; I could live with this "Father's Day" stuff. My day started with a card from the boy (interpreted and channelled through Mommy L) and some yummy cupcakes bedside. My father's day present is NO DIAPER CHANGES and I get to play hockey and watch World Cup Soccer tonight (Korea vs. France)...GO KOREA! It's really MY day! Yippee!!!

The concept of fatherhood is really starting to sink in and you know what? It feels good. We ventured out last night for our first baby-free outing, Mommy L's cousin's wedding reception. We left Evann with my parents and surprisingly, not only did I miss him, but also we left before the dinner was done. Mind you, it was a 10 course Chinese meal. I couldn't believe that after only a few hours how much I missed the little bugger.



I wrote little Evann a little letter.

My dear son Evann,

I'm sitting with you in my arms and I'm looking lovingly at your beautiful face. I hold you close and I kiss you gently upon your sleeping face as I look upon you with endless love.

I'm thinking about how you're going to turn out. I promise to be there cheering you on when you score your first goal in hockey, hit your first home run in baseball, make your first save in soccer (football) and sink your first basket in basketball. I will also be there cheering you on during your first penalty in hockey, your first strike out in baseball, the first goal you let in in soccer (football), and miss the winning shot in basketball. I will always love you in whatever you do.

In the next few years, you're going to be watching me play sports and you'll be cheering me on. I'll play my heart out for your cheers and to make you proud. And as I hold you in my arm, I feel tears as I think that one day, you will be holding me and kissing me gently on my face.

We'll be a great team son. I can't wait to watch you grow up. As my grandfather said to me, "You must be better than your father who was better than me." In my eyes, you are already better than me because you already make me feel so proud.

Love,
Dada

Okay, I know that the sappy factor is high, but that's really what I think and feel when I see this kid. I don't know how it's happened (again, I go back to the cuteness power or Jedi Cuteness Power which I referred to a few entries back).

Evann has been great lately. Pretty much on a schedule (I'm starting to realize that an hour or two variance is acceptable). Sleeps well through the night and not too much crying in general.

As you can see from the picture, against most books and advice, we have resorted to using the "dark one" aka "soo-soo" aka the pacifier or soother. It works like a charm especially when I'm waiting for a bottle of expressed milk to warm up (yes, we're bottle feeding him breast milk too). I'm not ashamed.

The kid is really growing up. He eats like a horse (my genes I'm sure). I can't believe it's only been 3 weeks since he's been born. I can't believe it's been 3 weeks since I've become a father. I'm loving every minute of it.

By the by, we won our first game of the playoffs today (1 goal and 2 assists for me), Korea tied France 1-1 putting them 1st in their division and my sister made the family a wonderful Father's Day BBQ dinner! Happy Father's Day to all you fathers out there! Like I said, I could get used to this Father's Day stuff!

Baby Brain

What is this power that babies have over the general population to turn them into mindless babbling fools. If I could only bottle up that cuteness, I could control the world. Unfortunately, my wife will not let me bottle any part of Evann.

This power also translates into the baby songs that we are always mindlessly singing to babies as well. Have you ever really examined any of these songs? Last night, I was rocking with the boy on the gliding chair and singing "Rock-a-bye-baby". I started to think about the lyrics of this disturbing song.

Just think about the lyrics for a moment:
Rock-a-bye baby, in the tree top
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall
And down will come baby, cradle and all

I wonder to myself, why is this baby and the cradle in a tree during a serious wind storm (obviously strong enough to break boughs)? And is this a song that really soothes and put a baby's mind at peace to sleep? I, too, would be on guard and would be resistant to sleep with tree-placing-cradle-caregivers like this.



Anyhow, the parenting continues to be fun and challenging. Baby E keeps us on our toes. Every day, I think that we've finally got a schedule and the boy just changes it. He's subtle though, only modifying times by an hour or sleeping when he should be awake or vice versa. I know it's intentional because I see the little smirk on his face. He's so tricky. I like his style though, but what he doesn't know is that his father is advanced too. I'm just going to trick him with reverse psychology. Yeah. So when he tries one of his little changes, I'll say I wanted him to do that. Yeah. I'm all over it.

By the way, the words and lyrics to the nursery rhyme "Rock-a-bye Baby" are reputed to reflect the observations of a young pilgrim boy in America who had seen Native Indian mothers suspend a birch bark cradle from the branches of a tree enabling the wind to rock the cradle and the child to sleep. The rhyme also hold a warning on the choice of bough! Still, I wouldn't recommend it.

Week 2 - The battle rages on...

I've been a father for two weeks now and I've learned a lot. I know there is still much to learn and time/experience is the only way to learn. I'm not on the honour roll yet, but I'm passing. Every sleepless night is like a night of cramming before the big exam the next day...unfortunately, the big exam always seems to be postponed to the following night so there's another night of cramming. An endless cycle.

Karma is a funny thing. I think that's why I enjoy watching "My Name is Earl" (which is all about rectifying or balancing Karma). Karma got me good a couple of mornings ago as I was teasing Mommy L about not being able to properly put on a diaper. It was early (6 am) and the boy woke up on cue. As I went to pick him up, I realized that his onesy was wet. I shook my head lovingly at my sleeping bride and thought, "Oh honey" with mock disapproval. Being Super Dad, I quickly changed the diaper and outfit and went to the rocking chair to put him back to sleep (as is our routine). I held the boy close to my chest and hugged him lovingly. I could feel the warmth of his body..."wow, he's really warm" I thought. That warmth spread down my chest and then not only did I feel warmth, but also wetness. It turns out that I, too, have some diaper changing lessons to learn. Is there fatherhood summer courses so I can upgrade my mark?

To make matters worse, in my haste, I didn't take the diaper out of his sleeper and it went into the wash. Now, I'm not sure if anyone has washed a disposable diaper before, but I recommend not doing it. Have you ever wondered what makes a baby's diaper so "absorbant"? Well, let me tell you, it's not just material in those diapers, but apparently there is an absorbant gel - some sort of absorbant material that just sucks up the moisture. And I'm not talking about a couple of gel beads - but a WHOLE LOT of them. Well, if you do ever wash a disposable diaper, here's what to do (apprently not many people do this because I couldn't even find help in the almighty Internet). First of all, shake all the clothes out and put them into the dryer and air only dry (oh yeah, remove the diaper and throw away). Run your washer(empty) for a full cycle. Rewash the clothes sans diaper. Last lesson, don't blame your wife for doing it. SHE has a system. Is there a remedial fatherhood class?



Fatherhood has not only taught me these valuable lessons, but has also taught me that babies really do cost a lot of money. It seems that we're always picking up something "baby" related whenever we're out from diapers to creams to washcloths to breast pads. There's always something.

Of course, financial cost is not the only cost. The loss of sleep still plagues me. Instead of writing my blog right now, I should be trying to catch a few winks, but I haven't entered anything lately so I feel compelled. The parallels between parenthood and war continues to draw closer. I feel like I'm living my life in a foxhole (the couch) catching some zzz's before the next barrage of gunfire (crying or worse, diaper change). Never is the sleep solid and I'm always on my guard. You work with other memebers of your unit (spouse) and cover each other when you can. It never feels like it's going to end and you don't feel like you're gaining any ground. But I'm waiting for the day that they tell me the war is over. Many parents of kids much older have informed me that the war is never over. I remain optimistic for at least a truce.

I continue to look at my dear Evann's face with everlasting love. He remains my pride and joy and my heart jumps at every smile (despite me knowing it's probably just gas). I love telling friends how "advanced" he is with his ability to turn his head and kick his legs. I truly love this boy. For him, I will continue to learn my lessons of parenthood and hopefully pass.

One Week Down - A Lifetime Left

As I sit here with little one week old Evann in my arms, I wonder. I wonder how I could have been so blessed with such a beautiful baby boy. I wonder how I can love this little guy so much and love him more every time I look into his eyes. I wonder how I can type this blog with the boy on my arm (I'm hoping my wife wakes up so she can take a picture). Finally, I wonder when I'm going to have a full night's sleep again.

The first week of parenthood has been a wonderful experience; full of excitement, elation and pure joy as well as full of challenges, frustration, and loss (of sleep). The boy is now the only world that I understand and remember. I can't remember what life was like prior to the baby despite it only being one week since his birth.

My own life and passions have taken a back seat to the boy. Of course, Mommy L is a primary concern and focus of mine as well. She is so strong and such a great mother already, I'm so impressed with her. Yesterday she had her first solo "adventure" of going out into the world baby-free. Admittingly, it wasn't a grand adventure - she went to London Drugs for 10 minutes to pick up a breast pump - but a solo adventure none-the-less.

Today, we had another "big" outing, we went to Superstore. Now this may seem mundane and uninteresting, but I had another realization while there which ties into this thought of loss of self. I used to love food shopping and cooking...today, I couldn't think of anything to cook...and nor did I want to. I just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.



Of course, I know this will not last forever; yet I wonder if things will ever be the same (pre-baby) again. I know that the answer is inevitably "no". I also know that once a parent - always a parent. I will always worry and protect my son as long as I live. I can't say that I mind either way. My life has definitely been blessed with the arrival of my dear boy.

A New Hope

There is a glimmer of hope, I feel like I just found out there was another Skywalker.

Amongst the plethora of advice (verbal and written) and online searching, we're starting to get it. Things that I now understand and things I'd like to pass along:
1. Get your sleep while you can.
2. Sleep when the baby sleep.
3. Establish routine.
4. Babies Cry...Eat...Sleep...And make poo/pee. That's it.
5. Respect your baby.
6. Don't just listen to one baby CD - get more than one (I'm still listening to the same Raffi CD).

Okay, I didn't promise any earth shattering advice. I'll add to the list as I learn more, after all, it's been less than a week. Feel free to let me know any pieces of advice you may have and I'll add them on too (pending review of course).

Last night, Mommy and I managed to sleep...together. Mommy painstakingly manually expressed some milk earlier in the day which I fed to the baby during the night. I also used "Ovol" drops (which are anti-gas drops) to help dear Evann with his gas problem. I don't believe he's "colicky", but I really dislike the way our society finds blanket terms for any problem; baby cries - "he/she's colicky", kid is active - "he/she has ADHD", daddy has a bottle of wine, case of beer and a mickey of scotch every night - "he's an alcoholic". Babies cry, that's the simple truth of the matter (refer to #4 on the list).

Anywho, Evann woke up only once last night before 7 am. It allowed us to finally get some much needed sleep. Today, I feel human again, not just some drone zombie under the mind control of some omniscient evil baby. I know it's only the first day of success, but every streak starts at one. This overly optimistic mentality could be the results of the non-stop Raffi-athon that goes on here. Visitors beware.

So onto week #2. I am feeling confident and happy. It's amazing what a little sleep can do for you. I no longer fear the night! Bring it on!