Fatherhood

This is the second night in a row that we were able to spend time and Grandma and Papap's ... Patrick enjoys it so much! We even had a rousing rendition of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" with all five of us involved ... yes, Patrick is pitching in now. He runs from person to person, giving a bit to each one of us ... there is never a dull moment. Tonight, he repeated a new activity from last night. Last night, it was getting everyone involved in chasing him around the house ... tonight, we had this activity, but what we saw was that he wanted to play different games and wanted certain people involved. This is when he went to each person that needed to be involved and grabbed a finger, pulling them along. He even checked every now and then to make sure they were still following. Such an amazing child ... knows how to ensure that we sleep well.

Patrick's routine generally has him napping at just before noon each day. He gets some food in him and crashes. We decided to take advantage of that today. We got up and got ready for the day ... Jen took him for a walk around ten in the morning; anticipating him getting hungry around eleven. We were right ... The entire family piled into the car around noon ... a bit later than we expected, but still able to enjoy the day. Then, we drove ... twenty minutes later he was out. Jen and I explored our town ... for almost two hours we drove until he woke up. We found a store that Jen wanted to check out ... children's clothing. That's OK on a family day! Patrick enjoyed checking out all the clothing and got a chance to stretch his legs. For some reason, he liked the knit hat with three eyes ... although, we couldn't get him to wear it until I pulled it down so it covered his eyes; not too practical for winter. Then, it was time for food ... chicken, ketchup, an...

What a glorious afternoon ... It was a simple day, a Saturday, with nothing to do. Just me ... my son, and my wife. And, we did nothing ... OK, maybe a bit of television and a few diaper changes. Showers and a bath, but nothing more than that. Then, we got to the late afternoon and Patrick kind of went ballistic ... crying, no screaming ... We tried several things and I finally carried him to our bedroom where I started to bounce him ... the tears faded ... and bounce him, some more ... and he simply whimpered ... and bounced him, some more. Eventually, he fell asleep and, minus a quick shift to the center of the bed, he slept soundly for several hours. ... what a glorious afternoon.

Last night, Jen was in a class and I got Patrick for a few hours ... Papa time. We took some time and visited his grandparents; two of Patrick's cousins were also there, so it became a cool visit. Of course, we had to get in some Tractor time ... can't forget that. Then, we headed out ... Jen still had about thirty minutes left, so I decided to just drive around the area. I was comfortable in the car ... Patrick, different situation. As he started crying ... I tried singing (this has worked before) and to my amazement, it only took two rounds of "Row, Row, Row your boat" for him to quiet down. About a dozen rounds later, I stopped as my throat started getting strained. Then, the crying kicked in again. After about three of these sets and about twenty minutes later, I glanced over my shoulder to find him fast asleep. I kept singing ... slowly dropping the volume. Just as I stopped singing, Jen called to say she was on her way home. I turned the car arou...

Two days ago, I was getting Patrick dressed ... he was home sick and I stayed to take care of him for the day. After getting him dressed, we played. At one point, he looked like he was getting sleepy and I took him back to my bedroom and put him on the bed. What I didn't notice ... but he did ... was a clean diaper sitting in the middle of the bed. He got hold of it and started swatting at me. We both laughed. Jen loved the story as I told it to her the next morning ... what a cool way to start Mama's day! This morning, as I was getting ready for work, Patrick started playing Peek-a-Boo with me ... tilting his head in from the hall, "Peek," then back into the hall again. Over and over we played, smiles on everyone's faces. He has this incredible laugh that just reverberates ... anytime I can get him to laugh, I go for it ... There are so many things that little man does that make me smile ... the list could go on forever!

  Can you believe that I had no idea how to spell "croup" two days ago? Thank you Google. I arrived at my parents to find my wife and son in the bathroom with the shower running ... I am not sure what thoughts were running around in my head as I heard where they were, but croup was not one of them. Then, I heard it ... croup. And ... so aptly named. In anguish, I was trying to remember everything I knew about child-rearing and croup ... it didn't take but a second, or two. Again, thank you Google. After a quick refresher on what we were up against, I made a quick trip (with Jen ... my parents gave us a break from watching Patrick, knowing we were heading for a long night) ... to get a cool humidifier for his room. Everything together, we headed home. He did get to sleep, after two rough attempts where he coughed himself awake, having trouble breathing because of all the crying he was doing. He did get to sleep ... in between his parents, both watching him ...

Mama and I were trying to get ready for the day. Having a little boy in the mix certainly makes this a longer, more interesting process than it ever was when we were single (and I use to wonder what took Jen so long to get ready ... six hours today). I had him, playing on the bed, as we approached his nap time. He was diving on pillows, trying to give me a heart-attack as he tried repeatedly to topple off the bed. Eventually, he dropped over my legs and I bounced him for a bit (not too long ... need to work on those abs). I grabbed him and flipped him to the other side of the bed and began to pat him on the back. Within seconds he was asleep ... two hour nap! Then, the day began ...

Patrick woke crying in his crib. Since Jen is on a quarter break, she got up and tried to get him back to sleep. Unfortunately, this was turning out to be one of those nights where something is wrong ... and we have no clue what. She brought him to bed with us ... which usually works. Not tonight. I rolled over to the cries of my son. I suggested medication; Jen agreed and went to get them. That is when Patrick got livid. Something was wrong ... and now, it was worse; Mama was gone. As he leaned her direction ... arms out, I carried him down the stairs looking for Mama. When we reached the kitchen, Jen and I swapped Patrick for the medication ... I think Jen got the better deal. We quickly got the medication into him ... Patrick then leaned forward for his step-stool ... yes, I know ... kind of unusual. Once on the step stool, he was reaching for the fridge. I placed the magnetic teddy bear near him. Patrick gave me an odd look and pushed it toward the bottom of the...

Last night, we had a continuation of a previous game. Patrick joined me as I was getting ready for bed. I leave early for work, so I am often getting ready before my wife and son. It looked like he wanted to lay down with me ... what it became was a game of "bounce on Papa." In this game, he sits up (often helped up by Jen or myself) and he then slams his head back into my chest or stomach ... Jen is often concerned for my well being, but in reality I am generally not in pain, more surprised as my ongoing laughter does not give me time to prepare for the next hit. He did get one or two good hits on my sternum ... just knocking the wind from me ... making me laugh even more.

Last night was a long night ... Patrick is either sick or having a reaction to something. He has a temperature, is in obvious pain, and has a good rash covering most of his body. We have opted to wait and call his doctor ... rather than a hospital run. They will not do any more than we are with medication for the pain and temperature. But, that is not what I am writing about this morning. What I want to touch on is ... Happiness. Children know something about happiness ... the younger they are the more they show a true understanding of happiness. They are often happy for no reason ... their eyes are open and Mama and Papa are there. I think, in there is something to remember ... sometimes, we need to be happy for no reason. I keep thinking about how easy it is to take the reason that someone is happy. This all came about, not because of Patrick's issues last night, but because of a few blissful minutes when I got back to the bedroom to find my wife and son asleep on t...

The long hours are catching up ... "stir crazy," loss of focus, ... of memory. Having just survived THREE DAYS as a father by myself ... yes, I know, some kind of record or something, right? For some reason, the Christmas-tale, "Twas The Night Before Christmas" has been ringing through my mind. Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. What I would have given for that extra bit of sleep. I definitely appreciate everything Jen does for me and I certainly hope that I extend the same amount of effort to her. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hoped that St. Nicholas soon would be there. On top of caring for Patrick, I had a death at work to deal with ... a close, personal friend is now watching out for my son and his son (on the way). In the back of my mind has been a constant fear ... a clarion bell that I only managed to keep silent through herculean effort. This monologu...

At sixteen months old, Patrick has been introduced to baseball ... Reds versus Pirates, last night. Papap and I drove down with Patrick to Cincinnati to meet Mama and Grandma (they were at a conference). It was Patrick's first game, so he got a First Visit Certificate ... pretty cool. We had tickets in left-field ... good location, but they included free hotdogs, popcorn, peanuts, and drinks! With a son that loves hotdogs and popcorn, he was in heaven, even before we threw in all the other stuff ... It was 9/11, so there were a variety of military, law enforcement, and emergency services present ... very cool! There were parachutists from the US Army, 101st Airborne ... Patrick's head was pointing straight up for almost ten minutes. There were fireworks ... not a lot, just enough to make Patrick nervous ... yet able to enjoy the show. The game was great and having my whole family there enjoying it with me was even better. I have to tell the story about the food, b...

My to-do list has been magnified to previously unimaginable proportions ... it used to be "honey-do" list (honey, do this). It has become a to-do list of survival ... but thankfully, only for about twenty-four more hours. Jennifer had to go to a conference. I opted to take care of Patrick ... get him to school, get him from school, dinner, a bath, then put him down to sleep. Repeat. Repeat again ... done. Simple, right? Not so ... School entails getting up, hopefully without waking him up (there is no fall back if he wakes while I am in the shower). Get him ready for school ... not so bad, but try diapering a child that likes to sleep on his stomach. Plus, we have the added constraint that I have to get him to "my" father's because I have to be at work an hour before daycare opens. Picking him up from school ... not so bad, except for the activities after school ... we will avoid those in this article. Let's just say these are life events, n...

I have got my son by myself until Tuesday night ... not truly by myself, but it feels that way. Jen is at a conference from Sunday to Wednesday ... and I get to be a solo Papa! I do have to be at work at six in the morning and daycare opens at seven ... so Papap is pitching in to get Patrick to school. But, other than that, he is all mine. We had a fun time last night ... dinner with Papap, then he got hungry again once we got home (don't forget the pretzels he tried to get into ... all over the floor). We got a bath ... smiles and laughter all around. Toward nine in the evening, he was getting tired and obviously looking for Mama (who usually gets him to sleep). I tried all kinds of things and gave up after about thirty minutes and threw him  in the back of the car and drove around until he dropped off ... then, he slept all night! More fun to come ... one day down and two to go!

Last night was a marathon; playing with his cousins ... running around the house, chasing and getting chased. He was also carried on shoulders, riding the big-wheel, and being pushed or pulled in the plastic red wagon ... although, not necessarily all at once. At one point, Patrick came upon Sylas playing with a jet plane toy ... he was pulling it back and letting it run forward across the room. Patrick had the presence of mind to snatch the plane (Sylas missed by inches) and run away. He headed straight for Chris (the oldest cousin) and handed the plane off which then became a good game of keep-away. Toward the end, Chris dropped to the floor and got mobbed by Patrick and Sylas ... with laughter all around. Patrick slept well last night ... as I believe all of them did! Watching them play was so much more fun ... I believe more fun than any other children I have watched in the past ... mostly because my son was so involved.

Tonight was the second night of our "indoor tears" issue. Last night, not long after I got home, Patrick started to cry ... these were tears of pain, rubbing his eyes pretty hard. Since it was a Papa night (all he wanted was me), I propped him over my shoulder and started bouncing him. He settled in, as if sleep was all he wanted. Mind you, he was still crying and rubbing the eyes. Then, he rolled horizontal, letting my hold him in my arms ... still rubbing eyes and crying. This went on for about thirty minutes. I tried having Jen take him, but we had the same symptoms, but now he wanted me again. I settled in for a long night and started walking him around the house. The pain was pretty obvious so we got medication into him ... Another thirty minutes went by when I walked near the back door when he jumped up and stopped crying ... a switch got thrown. We even had a smile. Jen came down since he had stopped crying so abruptly and I started walking toward her. About ...

I got home last night to find a neighbor on the phone, rather irate. This would not have been a concern normally, if he had not been doing it right outside our garage ... where I was cutting down boxes at the time. Later on, he knocked on the door to let us know that the telephone pole behind our house had fallen and there were power lines on the ground. I followed him out and could clearly see the pole leaning on one of our trees ... and, yes there was smoke. About ten minutes later, after I told Jen what was going on, the transformer blew ... and the power went out. Thankfully, we had just finished cooking dinner. I had Jen pack up what she could and head to my parents. A hungry son was packed into the car and left. Not long after, the fire department showed up ... fire and all. They checked things out and taped off our back yard ... thankfully, not the whole house. About an hour later, the power company showed up ... I should say, one small truck and a single technician wh...

Patrick has a long and glorious future in front of him. That does not mean that I have a clue about my future as a parent. There were so many things that I was sure of before I had a child. I got an e-mail this morning from the  LEGO Learning Institute, Denmark. They want to use one of my images ( Adjusted Lego Heart ) in a video about "Systematic Creativity" ... actual academic research, to be used both internally and externally. I cannot even remember when I got to take a photograph that did not have Patrick in it ... and I love it! Now, I am sitting home ... Patrick is asleep in his crib ... on a Friday morning (my work schedule has aligned with the day-care in-service day ... I never knew they had such a thing; once a month and we have to arrange for one of us to be home). I've got an ear cocked for sounds from above ... praying that today will be a fun day. Maybe this afternoon, we will invite Papap for lunch at McDonald's and spend some time over ther...

We had a long weekend ... particulary Patrick at fifteen months old. Yesterday, Monday, he had a rough time getting up according to Jen. Coming home from daycare, everything seemed normal ... until we drove home from a trip to the store when he fell asleep in his seat. It was early in the day ... so a bit unusual. Then, he and Jen took a walk about an hour later and he came home sound asleep. This was about two hours earlier than he normally goes out for the night. He slept ... until about midnight when Jen and I heard him crying. Jen got up to check on him and get him back to sleep. About two in the morning, I awoke to see lights on. When I listened, I heard Patrick ... playing. I got up to find a very alert son in his highchair and a sleepy looking mommy feeding him. When I asked how Jen was doing, she said she was tired, but she would take care of Patrick. Night and days mixed up ... probably not the last time ...

Patrick's morning routine has evolved quickly ... as he, himself grows like a weed. The first few months were amazing; he loved to get up with us and explore a brand new world. His beginning of each new day has not become any less enthusiastic, just a bit more complicated. I generally get up before Jen and most mornings he's been asleep as well as I left for work. A few days ago, he's added a new dimension that Jen has confessed to loving. What has occurred is that Patrick has started waking just as I finish getting dressed, before I am completely ready to go. I generally allocate extra time to coast just before I leave. With him waking, I've gotten him from his crib ... generally crying gently (him, not me). The first time he did this I placed him sitting on the bed, unable to get his tears to stop. I decided to lay down to rest until Jen could take him. He stopped crying as my head hit the pillow. He gave me a curious look and moved to lay down facing me. A...