Dad vs. Baby - Round 1

Round 1

As you probably read in an earlier post, Cole is supposed to be sleeping more. This weekend, after he woke up from his whopping 15 minute nap, I tried to make him sleep more. The doctor said to let him cry, so I did. I decided to let Cole have at it for at least 10 minutes. I made it 4!

It only took 4 minutes for Cole to convince me that something horrible would happen if I didn't pick him up out of his crib ASAP. Chalk one up for Cole...we'll meet again.

Cole = 1

Dad = 0

Holy Holy Holy

Cole was baptized on Sunday. He looked like a beautiful little girl in his white gown. Sadly I can’t make fun of him as I wore the same gown about 30 years ago.

Cole was well behaved throughout the mass and baptism, even when Father Mike poured water directly in his eyes. He also did not make a peep when oil was rubbed on his head and neck (or second chin – hard to tell). He did have one little throw up while we were front and center in front of the entire church; all over his pretty dress. 

In the end, everything went well. Kristin and I both just wished we would have done this sooner…when Cole was a little lighter. Our arms were quite tired by the end of it all.


We would like to give a special thanks to Jeremy and Ben for agreeing to be Cole’s godparents. They did a great job.  Since Ben was the maid of honor in our wedding, Jer agreed to be the godmother in this arrangement. Post baptism they decided they should have dressed alike.

After church we headed home to an awesome brunch prepared by Grandma C, Grandma D and Pick n' Save.  Delicious! Also delicious was Kristin’s accidental twist on the mimosas by adding Pomegranate and Strawberry Italian soda. I recommend 1/3 each.

Sunday was also Cousin Walt's 3rd Birthday so some birthday fun followed bruch. Everyone was too full (sick) for cake and we forgot candles...but Walt rolled with it like a champ.



Chilly walk home from church



Big birthday boy



Yum

I thought that when it was time to start Cole on solids there would be a very specific protocol we were to follow and that charts and graphs would be involved; really the only instruction we got from Cole's doctor was to "have fun with it." She obviously did not realize that Kristin does not have fun with anything that makes a mess. Other things not necessary when starting solids; teeth or "solid" food. The stuff we mixed up for Cole was more like runny formula with lumps-nothing solid about it. I think our 1st attempt went pretty well...if you don't mind nasty, liquidity rice goo all over the place. I would let you know how it tastes, but I have not been able to work up the courage to try it. Kristin has been urging me to give it a taste and I do tend to give into peer pressure...so she might be in luck. Stay tuned for my review.


Cole decides he wants that bowl



 



Looks like he is still hungry





DONE!



Favorite Things #1

We recently purchased two items for Cole that are super awesome. One we love, the other Cole loves dearly. In order of appearance:

Baby Legs: This is the item we love. Leg warmers for babies...brilliant! These are the best for midnight diaper changes. As you can imagine, Cole just LOVES getting naked in the middle of the night for a diaper change when all he wants to do is eat. Oh the screams! Baby Legs make this process a bit quicker, no pants to take off or zippers to undo. Just unsnap the onesie and immediate access to the dirty diaper while still keeping his chubby legs toasty warm.

On a recent visit to Grandpa John's house Cole sported his Baby Legs; when Cole got a bit fussy Grandpa J declared the Baby Legs were the reason (he later admitted he thinks they are "girly"). Those of you who know and love Grandpa J also know he is a bit of an over reactor...we did not take his advice and have since purchased additional pairs of Baby Legs. I envision them being great for cool summer nights and also to help protect his knees when he starts to crawl.

Hanging Birds: This is the item Cole loves. I have always wanted to hang something over Cole's changing table but have taken my sweet time finding the right item. Until recently he hasn't shown much interest in objects overhead.  He seemed to like the mobile I made for him until he met these guys. Now the mobile is old news and he will crane his neck to gaze at these across the room. He will happily lay on his changing table smiling and laughing and kicking his baby legs. He gets so excited about them that it is hard not to get swept up in the fun and laugh along with him.

4 Months

The day before we left for Florida Cole had his 4 month check up. He seems to be getting bigger every day and on the way to the doctor’s office, Nick and I placed bets on how much he would weigh. At his last appointment he weighed 13 pounds. I guessed 18 pounds + and Nick took the under. Nick was the lucky winner. Cole weighed in at 17 pounds 6 ounces. Big boy!

Overall, his visit went well. He is a strong and long boy. Really, Cole’s only issue is his sleeping. The doctor said he should be getting 5 more hours of sleep per day…wouldn’t that be great! Currently, he does fairly well at night but refuses to nap for more than 20 minutes during the day. The doctor suggested we try to let him cry himself to sleep so he learns to self soothe. I think Nick will do well with this task, but Grandma Chris and I will likely struggle.

We should note that the shots at the end of the visit went as expected. It’s not easy witnessing the horror of your smiling chubby baby getting his shots (see wounds below). The surprise on Cole’s face when the shots go in is just heartbreaking. Consider it from the baby’s perspective: you have someone leaning over you, making funny faces and laughing. You're laughing and it seems everyone is having fun. Then all of a sudden someone shoves a needle in your leg…4 times! I know I would be pissed.

Family Favorite

Finally warm spring weather is here, which always calls for a visit to our favorite hotspot. In summers past, Kristin and I visited Hooligans often enough to be able to sit down and instantly have a High Life and Bud Light brought to us. After a hiatus last summer we are happy to be back!

Last night was Cole's maiden voyage, he was perfect. Enjoyed looking around at all the action, slammed a cold one and fell fast asleep. We will most definitely be visiting again soon.

Mornings

I leave for work before Cole and Nick are even awake. This means, 4 days a week, Nick is responsible for getting himself ready and Cole fed, dressed and out the door. While I do not love getting up and to work before everyone is out of their snuggly beds, I do not envy this task! Nick does it better and more efficiently then I ever could. I would waste time trying to quick unload the dishwasher or by doing a load of laundry. I would always be late to work and asking Nick's Mom to come pick Cole up at my office because I didn't allot for enough time to drop him off first.

Nick is also the best at this because he sends me pictures of Cole getting ready in the morning (as detailed above, I would never have time to do this). He started this the day I went back to work as a "cheer-me-up" and continued when he was home with Cole on Mondays. Now it has evolved into an almost daily email. Opening them each morning is one of the best parts of my day. Nick also sends quick messages with the pictures, detailing their morning.  Below are some of my favorites with the accompanying message.



"Hi Mom"



Mr. Crazy Eyes



Monday Pic



Time for a bath...



Hope his little face makes you feel better (referencing my giant hangover headache)



Running late so Cole is feeding himself



One more pic for the day



I have him in his baby blue sack, blue baby legs, and baby blue socks - looks like a total girl now.



Dad Dodges Urine, Baby Gets Eyeful

I know I have mentioned it before, but it has happened enough now that I feel I have to dedicate an entire blog post to it. Numerous times I have taken off Cole’s diaper while he was in mid-pee. There are, of course, no warning signs. He doesn’t give you a look or waive you off with his hand. Nothing. Well, the jokes on him. He still hasn’t figured out how quick I am (and mainly that I am terrified of getting hit with pee). I now usually remember to do a quick diaper "lift and peak" before fully removing the diaper to make sure nothing is going on, but sometimes I forget. Typically in that situation, Cole lets loose, I duck to the floor and he winds up getting himself right in the face...and almost always right in the eye. Pee sprays everywhere and Kristin gets mad that I didn't contain the mess, like I'm CRAZY for getting out of the way. I'm not sure how Moms do it. From day 1 Kristin was blocking pee and puke bare handed, inserting (and re-inserting) suppositories, and dealing with anything else gross without the proper equipment (i.e. gloves, mask, etc.).

I do prefer the above scenario compared to the Number Two option. With poop, there is not as much humor and you have to just stand there and wait for him to finish. This can be quite awkward.

Where's My Drink?

Watching March Madness with Uncle Ben and Grandpa Gregg. All that is missing is a big, fat, full bottle to match Grandpa's Miller Lite (not pictured but we all know it is there...is it ever NOT there?).

"Firsts"

Cole's first vacation was a success and happened to include many first time experiences for the little guy. Below are a few.

1. First Roll Over - The Grandma's claim, while Kristin and I were sleeping, Cole rolled over. I would not, however, be surprised if someone gave him a little push. Although, later in the week we did find him on his tummy in his crib. We're hoping to get some footage with our camcorder that we can post later. FYI - Rolling over is now his new favorite thing. He does it everywhere, all the time, with the same result...rolls over and then screams, because he can't figure out how to flip back over.

2. First Airplane Ride - Kristin and I were extremely nervous about this "first." We both imagined two hours, stuck in the air, with a screaming baby. We made sure we were prepared with toys, bottles, his blanket...anything we could think of we brought. Overall, we were happily surprised. The first flight went well until the last 15 minutes. Then it turned into the worst flight. Cole was pretty much inconsolable and did a lot of crying and screaming. Our seatmate was very nice and tried to help us console the little guy. Nothing seemed to work. Thank goodness it didn't last for long. Once we landed Cole was his smiley, happy self again. On the flights home Cole was either in a good mood and kept himself busy charming the ladies sitting next to us, or slept. This Baby Einstein music toy was great to have and was a big player in Cole's stellar behavior. Even though all went smoothly, we were on such a level of high alert and so nervous, I recommend checking your babies with the rest of your luggage.

3. First Swim - Getting Cole saturated in sunscreen and in his swimming outfit was the most difficult part. As you can see below he is not very happy. Admittedly, maybe the baby shades were a little much. Once in the water he seemed to enjoy himself. I think he even kicked his feet a little.

4. First Boat Ride - For this first, we had to go buy a $50+ infant PFD (Personal Floatation Device), which did not make me very happy. Lucky for Cole, I would have bought a ten dollar PFD if they had one. Good news is that he was fine wearing it and we can also use it in Wisconsin at the lake cottage and on the pontoon. Bad news is that the little porker may out grow it before this summer. Then the search for that $10 PDF begins...

We took the boat across the Gulf to a BBQ at my uncle's house in Fort Meyers. After a quick photo shoot Cole fell fast asleep. Grandpa John also did a nice job driving smoothly and not too bumpy.

5. First Easter - We ate Easter dinner at my Aunt Betty Ann (BA) and Al's house. Dinner was great and my Aunt BA (doesn't stand for badass but it should) had a lot of toys set out for Cole (and even more Easter decorations). There Cole met my Uncle Danny and Aunt Debbie. The following day he met my Aunt Janet. Many Fuchs family relatives live in Florida and for most it was their first time meeting Cole.

He also got to wear his Easter PJ's, which everyone else enjoyed much more than he did. A winter hat and jammies with feet are definitely not necessary in Florida.

Kristin and I enjoyed our trip a ton. The Grandmas were more than happy to get up with Cole in the morning so we got to hand him off around 6:30 and go back to bed. We also got a nice break from washing bottles and making formula. They did our laundry, prepared our meals and waited on us. Grandmas are awesome. Grandpas - take 'em or leave 'em. I'm not sure what they did besides eat and drink.

For more vacation photos click here. Also, feel free to comment if you think Cole looks like a girl, as everyone we talked to at the airport or on the airplane said we have a beautiful daughter. Sorry Cole. I'll try not to make fun of you to much in the future.

Gingers in the Sun

We are leaving for FL in a few days and the sunscreen conversation has started. Cole obviously does not yet talk so these conversations are with Nick. He refuses to wear sunscreen, forgets it or thinks his hat and tee shirt do the trick. It just isn't a priority in his book. I am the one who is punished later because his shoulders hurt, or his "back is itchy!" Cole has inherited his father's "gingery" coloring so we will have to be extra careful on this trip. The Grandmas and I will be watching Cole very closely...Nick will be on his own. I promise a full report and pictures of his stupidity upon our return!

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