Day Care For You

Well the moment I've been dreading has arrived...Day Care. Gregg is back to work in the office on Monday. I'm on vacation this week. So we decided since we're both still home, this would be the week to wean all three of us on to Day Care. We're at Kindercare; Gregg has done the research and the visits and decided this was the best place for us to go. Everyone's nice; the building is secure, the other kids seem happy--I just hate dropping her off there. Unfortunately, right now is not the time to go to a single earner household. There are still a few thousand dollars of adoption fees left to pay (court and lawyer costs, social worker visits, etc.) and we just can't do the stay at home dad scenario--yet. We'll get there some day soon. So this week we've been taking her for a few hours each day. Starting Monday, I'll be dropping her off in the morning around 7:30, and Papa will pick her up at about 3:30 in the afternoon. Sabrina seems fine with it. We're the ones who aren't happy (especially me). I know it has to be, but well...are you sure none of you guys don't want to drop everything and just come over and watch her?

Scream, Too

Calm before the storm

Oh I broke down and got a Facebook account. I'm already bored with it. I'm reading notes from friends telling me their Starbucks order and their happy hour plans and finding myself not really caring. No wonder I waited so long. Also, if I hear once more about Twitter or Tweeting I think I'll open a vein. But that's just me. On to the post

...

Fate has intertwined two or three events into a stormy weekend. They are, in order of appearance, Sabrina learning she can scream (shriek) at the top of her lungs but not knowing when it's appropriate, 3 month vaccinations, and the potential beginnings of teething (yes at just a tad over three months old!).

So the little darling is a chatterbox lately, talking up a storm of coos and ahhs and ohhs and--I never quite got the understanding of the phrase "blood curdling scream" until now. Insert it after a particularly sweet series of cooing sounds. Your hair will stand on end and your fingernails begin falling out. The first time she did it, time stopped, and we all stared at each other. She was as surprised as we were. Did I just make that sound? Of course I ran over to see what was wrong--nothing, she's back to cooing. My aunt is visiting from NY and Sabrina was in her Bumbo seat (a cool invention on it's own) playing with her "boyfriend", a creepy blanket with a teddy bear head in the middle of it. She's talking to it, lovingly, then SCREAM, then talking, another SCREAM and well you get the idea. It's kind of unnerving! Who are we raising, Sybil?

On Friday we went for the three month checkup. She received a series of shots, which she was very good for, but the doctor told us crankiness was possible for the next few days. Well she was fine Friday and most of Saturday. We went to my sister's for a barbecue and she was a little fussy. She cried most of the hour drive home, and most of the night until we put her to bed about an hour earlier then usual (about 8:30) She went right to sleep.

Today, fussing and crying most of the day inserting the newly minted SCREAM as required. Children's Tylenol didn't do much, but Gregg had some luck with a spot of Oragel. We've been finding that teething pain can start at about this time, and since she's growing so fast (almost 15 pounds and 24 inches long--not fat, but a big girl!) it could be it. After her bath (which she loves) the screaming began but sleep came fast after the bottle. She seems to be content right now. I hope this is vaccination related and ends tomorrow, which also happens to be the start of...Day Care. I'm not looking forward to it...I'll tell you how it goes!

Interview With the Labrador

"Chase, it's great to have you here today. I'm a big fan. I loved you in Stealing Daddy's Chicken Off the Counter and Chewing Papa's Cell Phone. Oh and don't even get me started on Don't Eat the Q-Tips! Comedy gold."

"Stick with me kid. We'll have a blast. I'll share my tennis balls with you, and give you some of the best pickin's when they leave the lid of the trash can open."

"This could be the beginning of a beautiful partnership. One thing though kid--don't tell Ripley; he'll run right to Those Two Daddies and ruin all of the fun. He's such a killjoy."

"Labrador please! One smile from me and they won't care what we do!"

"For Pete's sake. I eat a remote with 187 channels on it and this is all that's on?"

3rd Month's a Charm

Rocking the Disco PJ's

Today is Sabrina's 3 month birthday. She's a quarter of a year old...yikes! It seems like just yesterday we found her in that bottle on the beach--Oh wait that was I Dream of Jeannie.

What a ride so far...the planning, meetings, waiting, hoping, dreaming--waiting! Worth every minute. Bringing home that cute but mostly unresponsive little bundle from the hospital, and looking at her now--laughing, smiling, kicking, interacting with us, our family and friends, even toys. Private unintelligible conversations with stuffed animals or blankets. Waking up every morning--every one--with a big smile on her face. Falling asleep in our arms, or while laying on our chest in bed. I'm not sure what I thought it would be like, but it's better. I love her, I love my wonderful Gregg, our family with The Boys...Happy 3 Month Chipmunk!

Happy Birthday Mema

I love and miss you...

The Dirty Dozen

1997...Ah love!

Well late again! I meant to post on Monday, the 13th about how it was our 12 year anniversary. Sabrina is now 0-2 for gifts having blown us off on Fathers's Day and now this. We'll just add it to her tab...

I wasn't going to do this, but because some have asked, here's the scoop on how we met. (Skip this if you're allergic to dairy, specifically cheese...) In 1996 I was working for PETCO as a store manager in Phoenix. Each year they host a manager's meeting for all the managers in the company, and that year it was in Long Beach, CA. It was kind of fun, kind of boring, all at the same time. We were staying at the Sheraton across from the Queen Mary, and I remember coming across the lobby one night on my way to dinner. Standing at the foot of the stairs was this rather cute guy with a really dopey grin on his face, dressed in a suit, obviously waiting for someone. I remember thinking Hmm that guy's cute and walking on. Fast forward to 1997, and I had the opportunity to move out to LA and open a new store. Since I wasn't doing much here and had been single for a few years, I decided to go for it. I really hadn't been to LA at all except for one weekend when I went with my parents to visit some friends and happened to go shopping in West Hollywood. (That is an entirely different story, standing on Santa Monica Blvd in front of the Rainbow flags with my not-yet-out-to parents. Never having been to a gay ghetto before I was in awe and so pissed that I wouldn't have a chance to get back there to party later that night! Like dangling chicken (no pun intended) in front of a hungry dog! I don't recommend walking into Drake's with your mother...)

So following the directions of the District Manager (just drive to LA, you'll find me...yeah right) I packed my stuff, jumped in the car with my dog Mojo, and off we went. I was pleasantly surprised to find my store would be on Robertson and Pico, just a few miles from WeHo. Jackpot! I can be a little shy, and have a hard time meeting people, so I mostly hung out by myself. (I'm not counting the idiot I went on a few dates with. He was pretty, but other then that should have had an "L" tattooed on his forehead.) Anyway each April PETCO has a booth at the Fairgrounds in Pomona at the Pet Fair and all the managers had to go help set up. I had not met any of the other managers in my new district, and was happy to walk in there and see that guy from the year before was already there! We all went to lunch and that's when I found out he lived in WeHo as well. We became fast friends, going out all the time, and by July we were officially dating.

This is of course my rosy recollection. Ask Gregg and he'll tell a tale of being stalked by a mysterious weirdo with highlights. But that's just him...

Xanadu Baby!

My butch husband just received his copy of Xanadu in the mail last week. He claims it was for me, but I don't think so. This is what happens if you let your baby watch it too many times. Enjoy!

116? Really? *Sigh*...

I got that "Boom Boom Pow"

First, the gratuitous picture of Sabrina doing cute stuff...got it? OK. On to the post.

Right now it's 8:45 AM on a cloudless day. The temperature? Just a mere 93 degrees. Yes, 93 and it's not even 9 o' clock yet! We're used to that here, after all it is the desert. We're expected to hit 108 today, followed by 110 tomorrow and up to 116 on Saturday and Sunday. That's brutal hot. I think we'll be staying in! Actually, I doubt there will be much activity in the Valley of the Sun at all this weekend. We pack the malls, movie theatres, and bowling alleys looking for cool relief. When the water in the pool is 90 degrees, is it really that refreshing? My aunt is coming for a visit in two weeks to meet the baby. She lives on Long Island, where I'm from. On Saturday, the forcasted temperature is 76 degrees. That's 40 degrees cooler then here. 40! Gregg's right...what was I thinking? "Oh please can we leave California and go back to Arizona?" I guess the winter weather makes up for it.

OK guys, let's get a feel for your summers. Leave me a comment with the forcasted temperature for your city on Saturday. Lowest temperature wins. No you don't get a prize. Just my envy.

Happy 6th of July!

Big Smiles!

In the Bunny Slippers

In her 4th of July dress with her friend Kaitlyn

OK I know I haven't exactly been keeping up to date with my blogging. I guess I've been a little (?) lazy. I think I'm just so absorbed in my life as a Daddy that things I had time and energy for before are getting pushed back in favor of "baby" stuff. If it wasn't for DVR, I'd never see a complete TV show. I've been reading the same chapter of a book for like two weeks now. The poor Boys are ready to stage a K9 revolt as we have only been to the park for swimming once in the last three weeks. (In my defense on that last one, it's been anywhere from 105 to 110 around here lately, and my idea of fun is not standing in the shadeless dog park for an hour watching them swim in the pond while I burn to a crisp in the sun. You can't even sit on the benches unless you tie oven mitts to your legs!)

On the other hand, Sabrina continues to be a source of love and amazement to both of us. After a few minutes of focused struggling, she is able to roll over on to her tummy now. She's starting to coo and have little conversations with objects in her immediate view. At 2 1\2 months, she has already outgrown more clothes then I own. And that smile...seems it almost never goes away! She'll wake up in the morning, see you looking at her, and out it comes. She loves to smile and is starting to slowly giggle now, and don't stick out your tongue or she'll do it right back. Of course there are tyrannical moments; she turns on a dime when she suddenly realizes--Hey, I'm hungry--bring me a bottle! But that goes without saying.

On the 4th we went to a BBQ given by a couple of dads that we met through IAC. Their baby was born about a month before Sabrina, and we like to think they'll become good friends with a somewhat common history. We had a great time, and she slept the whole way home. Nice.