A Tree in Brooklyn

We got our Christmas tree this past weekend from Home Depot. (Go early in the morning if you haven't gotten yourself one yet.) They start at $25 for a 5-6 footer, and prices go up to $45. They also had some they sold by the foot, but since Baby would only be looking up at it from the floor, he wouldn't care if the tree was shorter than Mommy or taller than Daddy.

As I lugged the tree up to my floor, coating the door knobs in tree sap and leaving a trail of pine needles, I realized that this will have to be another item in the home to babyproof.

Luckily, Baby is maybe another couple of weeks from crawling, so we don't worry too much about him getting into holiday mischief. But he can still roll and reach, so we still have to be careful of where we put him down and where he ends up. So I've observed the following essentials to make sure Baby won't pull down or eat the tree, and the tree doesn't fall on or give indigestion to Baby.

• Get a tree skirt: Decorative and functional, a snug tree skirt will keep the water in the tree stand out-of-reach, and act as a visible no-roam zone for baby. Once the baby gets too close to that skirt, snap your Baby-Be-Good whip and pull him away.
• Keep a charged Dustbusternearby: Those pine needles are going to fall like snow around that tree. You're going to walk around that tree and track pine needles all over the house. Baby will find pine needles and want to taste them. The next day, you will find pine needles in his diaper. Don't let your baby poop pine - vacuum any needles up as soon as you see them, especially the ones that fall out of range of the tree skirt.
• Watch those lights: for some reason, babies love stringy things, like electrical cords. After you untangle that jumble of Christmas lights, mind where you plug them in. Choose an outlet that's higher off the ground, or block off a circuit breaker to make it inaccessible to anyone under two feet tall.

I'm sure the rules will be re-written when he starts crawling, and definitely by next Christmas, when he's trying to eat the ornaments.

We all have fond memories of our holidays and Christmas mornings growing up. What we do with our young 'uns now will become their own holiday traditions and memories. Tree or no tree, make the best of what you got, start your own traditions for them, and make these holidays something they'll remember when they get as old as you or me.

Making Cents of Diapers

I was setting this up for my baby bargains sidebar, but as I was writing it, I realized that this is probably good info to keep on here permanently, so I'm adding it as a post. This one is strictly informational for the new parents out there; if you're looking for pictures of Baby, please move along.

As a parent, the one thing you'll constantly be buying are diapers (unless you're one of those rare few who are conscious and brave enough to use washable diapers). You'll quickly learn the value of a good diaper, both in its ability to hold stuff in, and how much it costs in bulk. We just began purchasing diapers in bulk from Costco, and it breaks down to this (using size 4 as an example; different sizes will vary in price, but should fluctuate at about the same rate):

• At Costco: Kirkland (Costco exclusive brand) box of 186 diapers: $50.00 = 26.8 cents a diaper
  
• At Costco: Huggies box of 200 diapers: $51.99 = 25.6 cents a diaper
• At Babies R Us: Huggies box of 126 diapers, $33.99 = 27 cents a diaper
• At Babies R Us: Pampers box of 176 diapers, $40.69 = 23 cents a diaper

And finally, the offer that prompted me to put all this info in writing:

• Amazon.com: Pampers box of 126 diapers, $35.29 + limited time 30% off = 19.6 cents a diaper

The link above will take you to the page with the coupon code PMPRSDO8 to get 15% off, and just sign up for the subscription link in the right hand sidebar for another 15% off. (But remember to cancel the subscription, unless you want diapers being sent to your house with free shipping every month. And if you do, realize you're paying for the full price as stated above, and you'll have to adjust the diaper sizes as necessary, since your baby, just like his parents, can't stay the same size forever.) This offer is only good through December 7th.

And I did say no pics of Baby for this post, but I would like to acknowledge a few other new babes out there, who can now sleep soundly knowing their parents are saving even more money on their diapers:

11/15/08: L. E. C. in Key West, weighing in at 6 lbs and 8 oz.

11/16/08: N. Y. in Boston, weighing in at 7 pounds

11/30: J. S. W. in NY, weighing in at 6 lbs, 10 oz.

Veggie Delight

Now that we're in the season of eating, I'm frequently asked, "What do you feed your baby to achieve his rotundly oblique physique?" Since I last reported, our little porker has graduated from baby cereal...
...to a variety of vegetables Daddy never learned to appreciate:

• Butternut squash
• Peas
• Carrots
• Broccoli

Baby can't resist the delicately steamed, rapidly pureed orange and green mush, which he now quickly gulps down by the spoonful. And if you're wondering why would we feed him things that Daddy wouldn't eat since he learned how to use a fork, it's because we doubt Baby'll resist eating things in the fruit or sugar category, so we're saving the good stuff for when he gets through everything that sits low on Daddy's tasteometer.

Daddy, who ever said you had bad taste?

Introducing new foods to a baby is a lengthy process. Because you have no idea what a baby's body may react to, every food needs to be introduced and then the baby observed for a few days to make sure there isn't an adverse reaction. This is unfortunate, as the holiday season is like lying with your mouth open under a waterfall of carbohydrates and meat, and Baby can only enjoy it one taste at a time.

I can't wait to generously share all the peas, tofu, and green things on my plate with Baby. Hopefully by the next holiday!

Happy Thanksgiving

This year, we're thankful for a 19 pound turkey with giant drumsticks.

I'm thankful for not having to wear pants.

First Haircut

If there's one thing Daddy can do without researching, it's cutting Baby's hair. I get my haircut at least every couple of weeks, and when I do, I watch my barbers very carefully to further hone my skills. One of my barbers, Vlad, can be found in the world famous 34th street Subway station. Vlad can make your hair look much shorter than before like no other barber can. He can also repair your shoes and cut keys.

By applying Vlad's exotic hair cutting techniques to Baby, Daddy knows the results can only be fantabulous. The only differences are tiny blunt-tipped scissors, and a smaller head that doesn't really stay still. No problem.

Wait, what are those? Scissors? You're gonna cut what?

With blunt-tipped blades in hand, and hair-repellent shawl in place, we gauge what Baby will lose and what he'll keep.

That's mine! Don't touch that!

Along with my hair assistant, Mommy, we snipped and nipped at Baby's locks to create a vision of simultaneous masculinity and beauty.

Back off! Back off you crazy people!

Ahhh... Fantabulous!

My hair! What did you do to my hair???

OK, maybe it didn't turn out like we expected... But it'll grow back.

Hey, I can see my forehead!

Had I done some research and saved Baby from weeks of embarrassment, I would have found a few specialized local shops in NY for cutting baby hair:

• Locks N Lads
• Kids Cuts

Or Daddy can keep practicing until he gets it right.

First Feeding

Baby finally had his first bite of food from a spoon.  For now, these baby bites of baby cereal are just practice for the real thing when he gets older. A baby's primary source of nutrition before a year of age should still be from formula/milk, and his spoon feedings shouldn't exceed more than once or twice a day. You would think it wouldn't take too long to get an ounce of food into a tiny tot's tummy, but the video below will show Baby biting off more than he can chew, by not really biting at all.  Leave ample time for clean up afterwards, and know that they may try to bite the hand that feeds them.

I can't say Baby enjoyed his first spoon of cereal, but I doubt he'll complain when I fill that spoon with some cookie dough ice cream. Maybe next week.

Happy Halloween!

"Candy? What's that?"

Time to Eat

Now that Baby's six months old, we have to ask ourselves, "What do we do now?" But first we have to know "What do we feed him now?" It's right around this time that babies should be introduced to the concept of food that isn't milk. Asides from how many months old Baby is, one can tell when a baby is ready for food by how they watch you eat as if you were watching the television remakes of 90210 and Knight Rider - it seems familiar, but different, but you have to try it just once to see if it's any good. So before I start up the grill for some baby-portioned Steak-Ums, I figure I'd better do a little research for what Baby can and can't eat.

The most common type of first-time food is cereal. And none of that count chocolatey, magically delicious, greeeeeat cereal, but organically grown soy or rice based cereal. No novelty shapes, marshmallows, or sugar in this cereal. You'll want to buy a little bit to sample at first, because it's very possible baby's tummy can't handle rice or soy just yet, which will lead to a gassy, cranky, and probably very smelly baby. So a 5 pound vat of cereal from Costco is not the way to go for the first time. (But the place is great for pickng up pounds of dry formula.) We opted for a small box of "Healthy Times' Brown Rice Creal for Baby" from Whole Foods. I chose this brand because it had the highest nutritinal content, and has animals wearing hats on the front label.

Picking the cereal was probably the hardest part. Next come the supplies. Baby cereal is more like oatmeal, so techncally you can just swipe some on your finger and stick it in Baby's mouth. But one of the major points of feeding is to get Baby used to eating from untensils. And grown-up cereal isn't really easy to eat with your hands anyway. You'll probably need:

• Bowls: Keep it simple with a set of these, or get fancier with the latest concave food storage: built-in spill catchers, customizable configurations, or advanced function and design (available in pink).
• Spoons: It's helpful when the spoon bowl is made out of silicone, like these must-haves. You can go ergonomic or forgot the bowl altogether, and get a spoon that dispenses food. Whatever you decide on, just make sure you get the round part into Baby's mouth.

• High/Booster Chair: Actually, you want to save this for later feedings, when Baby can sit on their own and handle utensils. The transition to spoon feeding shouldnt be too different from a normal feeding, so keep them on your lap, like you would a bottle feeding, at least for the first few times.

Remember that innocent looking baby cereal has a long way to go before it gets into Baby's mouth, so you need to be prepared for where it may wind up. Keep Baby and the floor clean with:

• Bibs: traditional cotton bibs are the most breathable, but vinyl bibs are waterproof and have convenient catch cups built in. Or you can wear the bowl, and go all the way with a scoop bib (but baby can gt hot because of the heavy material.) Bibs with side closures are also another nice feature, since they're easier to put on and remove.

• Spill mat: Sure, you can put a bib or a poncho over Baby to keep him clean, but what about your carpeted floor? Try a floor spill mat, in clear so you can see the mess, or "Safari" if you don't.

Wile you're prepping for Baby's first meal, I'm going to go make a sandwich. All this talk about eating is making me hungry.

Hair Today

Remember way back when, when Baby was born, and he had a wee tuft of air atop his little head?

OK, maybe his head wasn't so little.

Six months and ten pounds later, Baby's hair is long enough to advertise shampoo. It'll be time for a haircut soon, and since he can't decide for himself whether he wants a Mohawk or a mullet, Daddy will have to decide for him.

Oh, the possibilities...

Ladies love the Au Naturale

Sportin' the classic Wet Look


Leather Onesie and Tricycle optional for the Fonzie


Good looks plus intelligence equal the Professor


Still learning to roll, but born to rock: the Rock n' Roller


You must be a vegetarian, because you love the Alfalfa

Daddy's getting this baby Level 5 Holding Power hair gel for his 6-month birthday, for sure.

Something to Chew On

I received a rather disturbing email last week. Normally, I immediately categorize these types of emails (such as my personal fav, the Blush spider that lurks under public restroom toilet seats) as chain letters, made just to scare people into spreading the word to other gullible victims. This email was the usual forward from a forward from a forward, and was about a side effect of Baby Orajel. It went something like this:

Zane's been teething pretty badly for the past few days, and we decided to give him Baby Orajel on Sunday afternoon. We've given it to him a few times previously, when his first two teeth cut through, and never had a problem. Scott and I were both sitting with Zane on the floor in his room when I rubbed a dosage on his upper gum. Seconds after I gave it to him, he made a face as if he were crying but no noise came out. I picked Zane up and he immediately went limp in my arms and his face turned blueish. He was not panicking or gasping for air - he was lifeless. This lasted for approximately 15 seconds, but felt like an eternity... Ultimately, Zane "came to" and began to cry hysterically. Thank g-d!!!!!!!!

We spent the evening at the hospital, where Zane underwent numerous tests, all of which came back normal. We also spoke with Zane's pediatrician, who stated that she advises against the use of this product because its purpose is to numb and if it gets into an infant's throat, it may stop them from breathing... It's surprising then that no such warning is on the bottle and that more people do not discuss the negative and possible deadly implications of the use of this product.

Sounds like a pretty standard scare tactic one would use as a catalyst to do harm against a brand, as the recipient would then forward this off to others and people like me would start posting this in their blogs. After some more searching for "orajel dangers" and "orajel side effects," I came across only one other source to validate this email (that wasn't a review, forum post, or blog entry):

• Associated Content

Since this link was dated back in January, 2006, I would think:

• if it was it was really true, more people would know about it by now
• if it was really false, more people would have heard about the rumor by now
• it's a cover up and government conspiracy and Orajel was created by aliens to rule the human race starting with our babies

This email had already made it into snopes.com, but the status is "undetermined" at the time I wrote this.

Never one to believe something too readily without something to back it up, this does make a bit of sense to me, and would not be something I'd be willing to risk or experiment with. Baby in the meantime is biting anything he can get his hands on to soothe his emerging incisors:

Purple rings


Balls with holes

Defenseless purple kittens

Just this morning, he made a dive for my jugular before I was able to buckle him into his bouncer. If that does happen, look for a forwarded email in your inbox on how sucking on colored plastics turn babies into vampires.

Peekaboo

The term "Peekaboo" can apply to a:

• Style of boxing
• Type of lingerie/bikini (no link - this isn't that type of site)
• Game you can play with babies

Baby only knows about the last type of Peekaboo, at least until he learns to appreciate a stylish bikini. Ever since he was born, I've tried to play Peekaboo with him, but he would always laugh more when his eyes were covered than when he saw me. Either I'm not as handsome as my mom says I am, or Baby just doesn't get this game.

Well, Baby showed me what I was finally doing wrong: Daddy can't Peekaboo as well as when baby does it himself:

At least it's comforting to know that I'm handsome after all.

Roll Over

After five years of marriage, wifey still reminds me that I tend to get things only halfway done. This trait may be carrying on to Baby, in the latest that he's learned to do... but only half way.

It began when we put him to bed, and then we would find him in a totally different position a few hours later. It's like playing Baby Roulette, and betting on whether he's right side up, upside down, which side of his body or the crib he lands on, and what direction he's facing when he wakes up.

After a few days, we kind of expect him to no longer be lying in straight line, but we didn't expect to walk in to his room and have him staring right back at us:

Within the past week, Baby has now learned to totally flip over, but only from his back to his tummy. Now whenever we lay him down to sleep on his back, he'll automatically flip, bottoms up, so he's lying face down on the mat. And then he cries a muffled cry, until we put him back on his back, just to flip himself over again. Now this isn't too big of a deal, except when you find that he sleeps like this:

Last I checked, babies kind of need their faces to breathe, but he seems to prefer this position. So whenever he naps, we tiptoe into the room and just try to get roll his head over at a slight angle so he gets some oxygen while he sleeps.

Something else to be conscious of when a baby sleeps face down: their mouths become like dripping faucets, and a baby will likely wind up in a pool of their own drool by the time they wake up. To combat this, find some waterproof bedding for them to rest their cheeks on.

• Waterproof crib pad
  
• Sheet saver

These products will be good for when they're potty training too, when you've got more than drool to worry about. Also, here's another batch of coupons you can use at Babies R Us until 9/14. (Bedding, coincidentally, is on sale too: Buy One, Get One at 50% Off.)

Only 180 more degrees to go...

Time to Laugh

What's better than 30 seconds of a laughing baby?




10 seconds of a baby squealing.

False Teeth

Well, there's a disappointment. What we thought was the beginning of a new tooth, and the source of all that drooling, was actually an Epstein's Pearl, which are "whitish-yellow cysts that form on the gums and roof of the mouth in a newborn baby" and "can be seen in approximately 80% of newborns." (These tiny growths are harmless and will disappear on their own after a couple of weeks.) While the doctor was looking at Baby's wailing and wide open mouth, she pointed out that the Epstein's Pearl wasn't the only growth in there: Baby also had Deciduous teeth in the lower gum, also known as "baby teeth." This time it was unmistakable - faint white outlines of two bottom front teeth emerging through the gumline.

"It's okay - I don't bite."

There once was a lobster named Louie.
His life was as a toy that was chewy.

During boiled water sterilization
Louie wasn't really a crustacean

And ended up not boiled but gooey.

Short in the Tooth

Babies start teething most commonly between 4 and 7 months. Baby must be in a rush to be sharing some White Castle with Daddy, cause his first tooth is already coming in, at 4 months and a week.

Mommy first spotted it last week. I hadn't any idea, but the first clue should have been the buckets of drool suddenly dripping down his jowls. There has been some irritability as of late, but that could be associated with being over tired, as Baby doesn't like to sleep much. (When you have parents as fun as us, I don't blame him.) The most common signs, from BabyCenter.com:

• Drooling
• Gum swelling and sensitivity
• Biting behavior
• Refusing food
• Sleep problems

For easy ways to sooth the pain from tiny teeth growing through the gum line, give baby something to bite on, that's soft and firm. Teething rings, especially filled with gel or liquid, and chilled, are the most common remedies. For an even simpler method, just rub your finger gently over baby's gums. Our doctor recommended Baby Orajel, if the pain got bad. (Follow that link for the official Orajel site, and some good, general teething information.)

Here's Baby with what will probably be his best friend over the next few months:

"For what I'm going through, that Crave Case better be as good
as Daddy says it is..."

Olympic Feat

Like many Olympiads, certain individuals will spend a fraction of their waking lives training for a skill they're born with, sharpening it to razor perfection with the help of their coach.

Some say skills like these an individual is born with; some say they can only be taught. But at that precise moment when that skill is mastered (and successfully caught on tape), it is a momentous occasion for the coach and athlete.

Game Time

At around three or four months of age, babies begin to try to talk, learn their own name, and recognize people. At this crucial period of development, it's imperative to hold regular conversations with your baby, call them by their name whenever you speak to them, and expose them to lots of people. Like "Tummy Time, " there should be a daily ritual where you dedicate a slot of time to one aspect of development. For example, a dedicated "Story Time," where you expose your baby to colorful story books while you read to him, or a "Game Time" after an afternoon nap for something simple like Peek-A-Boo.

One activity Baby and I like to play is "Movie Time," where Baby re-enacts famous movie scenes, and I guess what movies they're from. Here are a few he tried out on me this past week; see if you can guess what movies he's acting out:

a) "Arrrrrrrgggghhhhhhh!!!"

b) "Adriaaaaaaan!"

c) "That's not a knife. That's a knife."

Answers below:

A) Alien

B) Rocky

C) Crocodile Dundee

He's getting pretty good at this game. I should probably be cutting back on his "Extended Cable TV Time."

Hands On

Baby turned four months old as of yesterday. He's been sleeping through the night for over a month now, but since he falls asleep between 6 and 7 pm, that means I don't see him when I get home after work. So my new sleep schedule is to get up an hour before I normally do so I can hang with Baby and also feed him, to eventually ween him onto the bottle.

So yesterday morning, like most mornings, I sit in the rocking chair and give him his bottle. I cradle his head in the crook of my left arm, and hold his bottle with my right. This time, he grabbed my pointer finger with his right hand, and the my pinky with his left hand. And then, my ear started to itch. Having both hands occupied, I twitched my head in an attempt to scratch my ear with my shoulder. That was only making it worse. I wiggled my right hand free from Baby's Kung Fu grip, balancing the bottle on my forearm, while contorting my neck to get my ear within reach of my fingers. To my surprise, his little hands squeezed the side of his bottle, and he was actually holding the bottle all by himself. I pulled my right arm entirely free, and yes, Baby was now an independent!

Immediately, I imagined all the things I could do with my free hand: I could scratch my other ear, and even my head, maybe my leg. I could eat a sandwich with my free hand, or snap my fingers, or press some buttons. At this point, Baby was kind of looking at me and my flailing right arm in a funny way, and was too distracted by my gesticulations to drink. So I resumed holding his bottle and decided to save my aspirations for another day.

This morning, I tried it again, just in case that self sufficient feeding was a fluke, and Baby again held his bottle on his own. I was smart this time and got my camera. But by the time I positioned it, he refused to hold the bottle again. So imagine what you see below without my hand, and you can imagine what new feat he had accomplished for his birthday.

" Hold on... why do I need to hold the bottle by myself again?"

Thinking A Head

We walked out of our last visit to the Pediatrician with Baby's latest measurements. It's funny how one's baby is always being compared to the rest of the babies in America. That's probably something we continue doing as adults, but our doctors stopped reminding us of how above or below average we were while we were too young to be psychologically scarred by this information. So according to the charts, our boy is a taller than average (25" long, 75th-90th percentile), average weighing (13.5 pounds, 50th percentile), with a below average head (40 cm, 25th percentile).

Speaking of his tiny head, our biggest concern so far is Baby's case of plagiocephaly, or more commonly known as flat head syndrome. Our boy was used to leaning to one side when he was born, and with the insistence of sleeping on his back to combat SIDS, there was little we could do to keep his soft baby skull from being indented by gravity.

The Pediatrician referred us to a "Noggin Nest,"which looks like a really soft hemorrhoid pillow for your head. Having the baby sleep on this velvet donut allows the pressure on the back of his head to be more evenly distributed, ensuring a round-headed baby once more!

Abnormal Output

There will be many a time when you panic as a parent. In most cases you distress over a very normal situation, which you probably never would have learned about unless you really had to, like opening a beer bottle without a bottle opener. Our first time for baby-related panic was on the second day Baby was born, when the doctor told us he lost weight and needed to be held for observation. What the doctor didn't tell us was that it was typical for all babies to lose weight, not just ours. (They're generally not getting the right nutrition over the first few days of birth, because mother is producing milk which is mostly water and non-fattening nutrients at this point.)

Our second day of baby-panic happened this past week, when Mommy called me and told me (stop reading now if you're eating, especially if you're eating chocolate) the baby had some blood in his poo. Such a symptom as an adult after years of Hot Pockets and crunchy fried Gorditas is never good, so you would expect it to be proportionately worse for a little person who is eating nothing but mommy-milk. After a call to the pediatrician and some research online, we found the most common cause to be simply an allergic reaction to dairy, from the mother ingesting milk, ice cream, grande caramel mocha Frappucinos, etc. We found another source that claimed multi-vitamins may also be the culprit, so we're currently experimenting with refraining from one or the other, since it seemed to start after he started taking those infernal multi-vitamins.

So far his poos have been as normal as baby poo can be, but we know this won't be the last of times we'll be panicking, calling the doctor, and eating Gorditas with Frappucinos. At least we can all sleep soundly knowing everything is normal, for now...

This has been a fun week for me as a parent, but I suppose pretty fun for Baby too. We heard him laugh out loud (that's "LOL" for all you young 'uns) for the first time this week. It's kind of like a cooing, gurgling laugh. He also started using his hands a lot more, to bat and grab at things around him:

"Having... too much... fun..."

Last week, if you put him on his stomach for what is known in the pediatric circles as "tummy time," he would just kind of suck on the mat, and eventually start to cry. This past week, he was able to pick his head up a bit, and can hold it up there for quite a while...

"I've finally got you, purple kitty..."

...before tiring out completely.

"Foiled again! Maybe I should start taking those extra vitamins..."

He also took up some light reading of "Good Night Gorilla:"

"This repetitive storyline is riveting!"

And made a few friends, big..."OK, big guy... you stay on your side and I stay on mine..."

...and small.

"There's only enough room in this crib for one of us..."

Everyone tells me it gets better as he gets older, and I can't disagree - that must mean it'll be a blast when he starts potty training.