Fatherhood

Jen and I have asked ourselves few questions along the way ... I'm sure there will be more, but here are some of the answers we have found: What if he drinks the bath water? He might feel queasy or get diarrhea if the water is soapy, but he will not have a problem with germs unless he bathes with someone else, says Philip Tierno, Ph.D., director of clinical microbiology at New York University Medical Center, in New York City, and author of The Secret Life of Germs. Wash children one at a time, and try not to let them drink the water. What if he sticks his finger into a socket? Standard household current would give a child a mild shock, similar to that from static electricity, says Liza DeWitt, M.D., a pediatrician at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, in Milwaukee. The child would be startled and probably pull his hand away, but electrical skin burns can still occur. What can be more serious is not pulling away immediately, which can put him at risk of internal o...

Last night was cool. Patrick was in a playful mood ... dumping food and drinks all over the place, sneaking toys over the back of the couch (then getting upset when I passed them back to him), and climbing over everything. He also got a family game going ... with everyone ready for bed, he had us put his shoes on, then Papa and Mama had to put on their boots. It was all very funny and exciting ... mostly watching his intensity. Then, we had to follow him ... around and around we went. Through the kitchen, into the dining room, through the family room, past the front door and into the kitchen again ... over and over, around and around ... stomping our feet in some sort of family train! Every now and then, Jen or I would fall behind and invariably, Patrick would stop to make sure that we caught back up. We played other games, as well ... but we always seemed to head back to the train ... oh, and don't forget the shoes ...

Jennifer and I woke about twenty minutes ago to Patrick crying ... nothing unusual. I asked her to get him since I have to start getting ready for work in about three hours (yes, I have to work on a Saturday). Where things became unusual was the loud, sustained crash, and Patrick's cries rising to a hefty scream. Being the concerned parent that I am ... with visions of his changing table collapsed on top of him, I rushed to their aid. "What was that?" I cried. Jennifer, weakly replied, "I fell down the stairs." With Patrick screaming at the top of his lungs, I think I actually asked her to repeat what she said. I found my wife sitting, with her legs out and my son in her arms, at the bottom of the stairs. Asking if she and Patrick were OK was mixed into confused questioning about what happened. Somehow, her feet went out from under her (we suspect a couple of the leaves that Patrick likes to play with were on the steps). While my real concern was i...

You would think that the creaking floor (loud all over the house, but particularly in front of the crib), the hound dog next door, and the constant lights and sirens at night would be major issues for a child at sixteen months old. Oh, and do not forget the church bells from down the road ... every hour. Apparently not. Sleeping in a different bed, a different brand of diaper, a change in food and drink ... maybe a thunderstorm or two ... Not even close. Now, family that he has not seen in a few days ... that will keep him up and throw off the rhythm. And, the more time he gets around them, the further off the rhythm gets. And, it's all for love ... even at his age, he knows who loves him and returns it with his whole heart. The love of a small child ... what more do we need?

Patrick enjoys water ... in a glass, in a bottle, in a sports bottle, frozen (ice pops), in a bathtub, in a toilet, in a sink, in a plastic pool, from the hose, in a regular pool, in a lake, and in the ocean. Someday, the sound of water will drive other urges, but for now it's goo enough that he simply enjoys water. Amazingly, after only four days of walking ... he had already gotten his sea legs.  Walking on the rocking deck of a boat was no issue at all. Water in a glass ... using his tongue to reach down in, with half of it down his front ... can't forget cleaning his hands in the water glass before he tries to get a drink (quite an event). Water in a bottle ... drawing from it until the nipple caves in (oh yeah, and only one type of bottle will do, we know the difference). Water in a sports bottle ... just like grandma's (he'll take hers if his is not nearby, even though it's lemonade). Frozen as an Ice Pop ... great for irritated teeth, getting us a...