St Paddy's 2015

We've done our St Patrick's already.  The parade was held on the Saturday past, fine times were had by all provided you didn't need the men's room.  We went home and had our corned beef and cabbie and it was good.  We wore our green and had our family time.  We then on Sunday had corned beef and cabbie again w'me fam.  It was good but I thought the rolls we had on Saturday were better.

Something of note, the wee new bae, Boo, took to the pipebands fine.  She held to her mommy but she didn't fuss.  The lad was much more interested in the parade this year, pointing at things I should take pictures of.  He pet unfamiliar wolfhounds, waved at the numerous pols that use the parade to... well, parade.  It was good.

I think I would probably feel different if we had something more to do this evening to celebrate.  I think I should make the time for something.  Art, perhaps.  I need more art.

The pros and cons of a snuggly child.

Our first child, The Boy, was not a particularly snuggly baby.  He was fine in a seat or a crib or whatever and though he did grump at times he was much more at home on his lonesome.  This may be due to the fact that at the time The Wife was going to school and driving 80 miles a day.  As such he was not held as much as we would've liked.  You wouldn't know it now though, he is a hug monster and full of crazy energy.

The Girl though, she is already showing signs of being as different from her brother as she can be.  She is a snugglebug of the highest caliber.  The wife and I have both held her for HOURS while we play our different console games.  Wife is working through Skyrim and I am going through Dragon Age Origins all the while holding this little bean in our arms that will certain let you know that she does not like being put down.

A bit of grand news to finish with.
The Girl had a blanket that we first swaddled her in, blue with stars on one side and sleeping animals in nightcaps on the other.  Unfortunately we only had it for three days.  We were heading to The Wife's family home to celebrate a birthday and Wife didn't tuck the blankie in with the baby or secure it in her purse.  We are both tired so don't notice that the blankie went AWOL until about two hours after we leave.  When we got back I scoured the parking at our apartment, I looked in the rubbish bins, I walk around the block to see if I can find this blankie.  It was gone.

So that evening I put up notes in our apartment's common areas with my phone number but no one responds and weeks go by with no word.  I noticed on Friday coming home that the note was missing from the board and I assumed that someone had taken it down to make room for another notice.  It happens, I sigh and move on.  That Saturday morning I get a call, someone found the blankie!  They have had it for a while and apparently just saw the notice.   We had hoped that whomever ended up with the blanket was happy with it but we had lost hope of it coming back.  Sometimes the Universe gives you a little back.

Music, who knew?

I've made a discovery about The Girl which has been successful in no less than three occasions now.  She apparently likes Electro Swing music.  For those not in the know, Electro Swing is a genre of music that combines modern electronic music and swing music.  Duh.  It is pretty enjoyable and some of the songs/bands that I've been turned onto have become staples in my playlists.

Anyhow, I was up late one night with The Girl who was fussing and crying.  I set her in her swing so I could do some dishes, it was 2 am, what else would I be doing?  Anyhow I know that music helps me calm down so I figured I would try with her.  Now, most of my saved playlists on Spotify have less than.... family friendly fare on rotation so I chose my Electroswing playlist.  It took her a moment to quiet down enough to actually hear the music but once she did her eyes opened and she went silent.  In less than ten minutes she was asleep.

It doesn't work every time, clearly more tests will need to be run but it seems like our wee Boo likes my music.  Good, goooooooood.

In which I am a glutton once again.

There is a podcast that I listen to, The Let's Go Eat Show.  It was started by on of the morning show hosts from Radio From Hell, Bill Allred.  Bill is an adamant supporter of local businesses and fond of good food and drink.  He also happens to be a great interviewer and quite knowledgeable, he does his homework and generally doesn't come off as a mook.  Anyhow, on The LGES's most recent show he talked to Froddy Volgger, the Sausage King.  As you may have guessed already I was interested in what this man had to say.

Two words.

Two words that made me drool.

Buffalo.  Pastrami.

I loves me a good pastrami and given the opportunity I usually don't shy away from taking a bite out of something new.  This sounds up my alley to be sure.  Unfortunately it seems it is a little difficult to get a hold of.  However in searching for this buttery sounding delicacy I've found jalapeno chedder buffalo brats, so not all is lost.

The Boy has been labouring under a cough for the last few days and it seems it has transferred to The Girl.  The wee thing does not like it when I suck her nose with the bulb but thankfully she calms quickly.  It didn't stop her from keeping me up quite a bit last night.  Burbling as babies are wont to do.

Oh yeah, I'd forgotten.

We've been parents to two children for two weeks now and I have something to share.
I had completely forgotten about how much wee babies like to be awake at horrid hours of the night.  I suppose it might've been an omen of sorts when on the night she came we did not sleep at all. The Boy had a marvelous time though, he was helping to do laundry and playing with his Aunt and Gramma.  He was only running off of maybe two hours sleep but it did not slow him down in the least.

Ah, youth.

While I am tired, I do have an entirely different perspective on the situation.  Between the two children I've gained more patience in some aspects of my life but I've found I'd lost it in others.  These last two weeks I did snap at my family and was depressed, still am a little but that is something that can be worked on.  What I am finding more patience with is with the crying.

You see, with the Boy I had never really handled babies, never changed a diaper, fed them or tried to calm one.  His was a steep learning curve and I can remember on more than one occasion getting angry enough with his crying to hit something.  Never him, but usually a wall or something else.  He was a loud baby and I can still remember getting sick to the gut with anger when there seemed to be nothing I could do to calm him.  Remembering it makes me more than a little sad.

I have found with the Girl, so far, that I don't get angry or concerned.  I just talk and eventually, so far, it has worked.  Fingers crossed.

I am trying hard not to get angry or sad with being tired.  I don't like being angry and over the last week I've been trying some different methods of countering that rising red sea.  My family doesn't need me angry and I feel awful when I do become so.  They don't deserve it and I don't need it.

And so.

3:14 am, 8/28/14.

My Boo.

Wherein there is endurance.

Monday we went to the place where we are supposed to have The Girl.  We were there till 3am and my little princess was a no show.  We still wait.

The Wife is holding together as well as she can but we are in a different gear than before.  She is resting, I am doing what I can to keep her and The Boy fed and taken care of.  I know how I feel, I cannot imagine how she feels right now.  

I know for a fact that we were spoiled before when The Boy was induced.  There was no waiting or false starts or month of contractions.  It was a relatively simple process that still managed to suck, no doubt it sucked, but it was over and done in a day.

I do look forward to the day she finally comes.  To a ceasing of hostilities on my wife's body. to the ability to hold her for a while while everyone else rests.  I look forward to introducing our Boy to The Girl, to teaching him how to play with her.  I look forward to a SLIGHTLY more restful night of sleep though I doubt that one will happen for a while yet.

Maybe tomorrow.

In which we continue to wait.

My birthday has come and gone and still no baby.  I was hoping that she would be born on that day but alas and alack, no go.  The Wife and I have started to resign ourselves to the fact that despite all of the fun practice contractions, The Girl will not be showing up any time soon.  The Wife and I have developed the stares that prisoners give each other.  We are resigned to a fate we cannot change.

The Birthday was good though.  I am now 31, but care very little about the number. I think it is slightly more significant that the light from 61 Ursae Majoris will be reaching us very soon.  According to wikipedia we are 31.1 ish lightyears from that star meaning that in something like 1.2 months light from it from when I was born will reach us.  Memory Alpha tells us that the NX-01 was sent to investigate the star close up and one of the planets in the system is named for Johnathan Archer, Archer IV.

I like measuring time in Light Travel time.  

Taking bets.

I've started a little pool.  I am asking friends and family when they think The Girl will be born.  She is due this month and I thought it would be nice to treat someone to a lunch for getting it right.

Interestingly enough most people are going for the 15th and after.  Something is telling me that it is going to happen sooner rather than later though.  She has dropped and is showing other signs of it being an IMMINENT EVENT.

All looming portends of terror aside, I am looking forward to ending this phase and moving on to the active Daddy phase.  I am hoping to get The Boy as involved as possible.  He already loves to help and I want to make sure that he is protective of his little sister.  Some people may not like the approach we are taking but I do want him to feel responsible for her.  I hope it will help him not feel envious of all the attention that she is going to get.

After she is born I am also going to take the time to spend some time one on one with him.  My biggest fear is that he starts to feel less important.  I never want him to feel that way and I am going to do what I can to play with him and show him lots of love.

No pressure.