New Dad

This started out as a Dad's perspective on my wife Katrina's pregnancy and a way to keep the family updated. Alina arrived in February 2006 and now it's more about our parenting adventures. Now we've added Evelyn in July 2008.

Monday, December 31, 2007

New Year's Rockin' Eve


12/31/07 11:06 PM


As you may have deduced from this photo, things are a bit laid back this year. My mother-in-law even came down to watch Alina so we could go out and we didn't take her up on it. THAT'S how much we didn't feel like going out tonight. Katrina's weekend of retching probably didn't help the motivation factor. Maybe I should try and take on that bottle of Veuve just to balance out the party universe.

My one regret from 2007: That "L. Ron Hubtards" never took off as a catch phrase to describe those Dianetics people who give stress tests and Scientology books in subway stations around the city. It seemed promising.

Saturday, December 29, 2007

I mUsT BE sHROomming

Alina just grabbed the Cinderella DVD off the dining table, brought it over to the player, removed the movie that was in there, replaced it with her selection, and hit play (after a few unsuccessful attempts at hitting the pause button). Then, did a little dance and yelled out 'Rella 'Rella! when it started. I didn't really want her to watch TV at the time, but how could I say no to that??! It would be like getting nearly to the top of a hill and having me make you go back down before reaching the top. So, I decided to keep the carpet firmly under her feet tonight.

The prideful and horrified father in me is reminding the intrepid readers that she isn't even Two until mid-February.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Attention Shoppers - Everything Blows

Alina is still at that age where we can take her with us when we're Christmas shopping for her presents. Since she has five spoiling grandparents and we're saving for Baby #2, we personally felt going present crazy with her was ill-advised. We've seen other people's homes and how easily the kiddie fodder can pile up. Hey, Santa gets all the credit anyway. Justification, check! We went to KB Toys with her, which was like walking into a junkyard - mostly because the ransacking that had already taken place. Once you swept past the toys dipped in lead-based paint, Dora, Spongebob, Barbie, and Transformers, there isn't much left. They actually had child-size boxing gloves! Not the novelty inflatable kind, but actual boxing gloves. I want to meet the family that settles sibling disputes with these. "Tape up your wrists, Timmy. You and your brother are stepping into The Octagon." Then there were kids who seemed to be tasked to pick out their own Christmas presents and hand them to their parents to buy. Lets hope that trend doesn't catch on.

For this adventure, one of us would walk through the store, making mental notes of what we like, while the other monitors Alina as she wades through the vast piles and corridors of things that go bleep blop bloop.


We ended up buying a 7'x7' bouncy house. It inflates in 30 seconds and will fit rather nicely in our kitchen, when needed. I guess it could be used to tire out the kiddies while we cook dinner. Either that or cockfighting.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Phew! Just One Yolk

Oh thank you thank you thank you thank you. Okay, so there's only ONE baby cooking right now. The ultrasound was this afternoon. It's still looking like late July. They say Katrina is 8 weeks and 3 days pregnant. Apparently they can tell. I think it's more like 7 weeks. But what do I know? I'm just the person who put it there.

They saw the heartbeat and everything is looking good. They actually asked Katrina if she was going to have more than four kids! You ever have have one of those moments when your throat closes up for no reason and won't allow air in? That's about where I was when I heard this. But they ask because Alina was a C-Section and this one will most likely be one too. Ultimately, they can't keep doing it lest you be left with a uterus that resembles something from Freddy Krueger's Juggling School.

Alina was in attendance but slept through the whole process. In about two months, we're going to have to break the news to her that mommy isn't allowed to pick her up anymore. Doctor's orders. Toddlers also have a tendency to jump on their parents stomachs without provocation. I'll try my best to remember my defensive tackle moves from high school football. We also need to get her out of diapers soon. I'm off work from December 22nd to January 1st, so it's going to be Potty Boot Camp. Maybe I should roll up the carpets.

Friday, December 07, 2007

Pregnant Again!

Bet that title spiced up your RSS feeds this day.

Just when I thought I was running out of things to talk about in this place. I mean, how much can one read about my delightful and genius daughter? It's still very early, about six weeks. We've known since before Thanksgiving and our first ultrasound is on December 12th. I know we're supposed to wait to tell people, but I really couldn't bring myself to write about anything else. How could I?

So this time around, the PeePee Wand of Life Altering Delirium (pregnancy test) was handed to me by Alina. Her mom with the all-knowing grin in the background. She approached in what seemed to be in slow motion. I had a feeling it might be happening, but Katrina actually took the test without telling me. I was wondering why she had initiated that group hug. I mean, I didn't do the dishes or anything. Oddly enough, I was making fish and mushrooms that night. Two things that are now off her menu, of course. And, as a result, was one of the first things I uttered after looking at the little blue plus sign on said Wand. I smiled, said Ohmigod, and then asked why she let me make fish.

Was it planned? Not yet. The plan was to start trying again this summer. So, she or he is a little early. The downside here is that Katrina will be barfing through the holidays and in her third trimester in the summer. Ick. Katrina was born in late August and her mother regails us with tales of showering twice a day and being very hot. If everything goes smoothly, we're looking at a late July baby. And, just like last time, Katrina's symptoms started up about 36 hours later. With the first pregnancy, her morning (noon & evening) sickness lasted for the first 15 weeks. Now we make three dinners at night. Mine, Hers, and Little Hers.

Naturally, I'm excited and freaking out. Thus far, every parent who knows about the second baby has said the same thing: You just make it work, everyone does. Last time it was easy to save money, we had no daycare expenses. But we spend $1300 a month on daycare. Yes, really. Which brings me to the other reason why we were going to wait until the summer. By the time (or if) Katrina went back to work, Alina would be starting school and there wouldn't be two kids in daycare at once. So I guess the making it work part will have something to do with ditching traditional daycare and onto Au Pairs, Babysitters, etc. That's how my parents did it. That's why I can count to ten in Finnish.

I was walking by Alina's room last month, about a week before this news broke, and saw her there sitting on the carpet with her jammies on, reading a story. So cute and quiet, yet sad. I thought to myself, "She really needs a sibling." Be careful what you wish for, papa! But, she needs someone to chase around, have a pillow fight with, bunkbeds, etc. They'll be two-and-a-half years apart, about the same as my sister and I. So hopefully they'll be very close. I think Alina will make a great big sister. She already puts her toys to bed, rubs their head, and tells me Shhhhhhhhhh. It's a good start.

So keep your fingers crossed for our doctor's appointment next week - and don't even say the word Twins.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Please Stop Growing

These photos are almost exactly one year apart and taken in the same place.



November 2006


November 2007