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.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Whirlwind Holidays

I had to work last weekend and put in 12-hour days for about two weeks straight. I was looking forward to a weekend of rest, but the holidays are upon us! Friday night after work I took the train up to Stamford to meet up with the girls and ended up spending the night there. The next day we drove up to South Salem for a Christmas Party with friends and then drove back to Queens to meet up with my parents and little sister who spent the night. Why? The next morning, we were due to show up at FAO Schwarz at 8AM to attend this event where people with little little kids can go through the store before it opens and shop, eat, do activities, and oddly enough, dissuade Gilbert Gottfried's daughter from stealing your daughter's shoes. When the floodgates at FAO opened at 10AM our next stop on this relaxing weekend? MACY'S to see Santa. This was our 3rd year in a row doing this, so I guess it's officially a tradition. Then that ended. Going home? NOPE. We're off to Connecticut for my mother-in-law's Christmas Party, so she can show off her grandchildren. We drive back to Queens and spend the night fiercely cleaning. Why? Because for the next few days we're going to have house guests that consist of a Mom, a 2-year old and an 8-month old. So that makes, wait for it, FOUR kids under the age of 3 in our apartment (all girls) for a few days. I woke up this morning and couldn't speak. Between not sleeping, inhaling a bevy of chemicals, and being around so many people at once I seem to have come down with some kind of laryngitis. My mother-in-law got it the day before me, but if you ask her, SHE didn't give it to me. Just an amazing coincidence, I suppose. But, I came to work anyway so I don't get anyone ill. Maybe I'll sleep under my desk.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

E is for Empathy

Alina has started taking sides and empathizing with the other parent. If anyone raises their voice, even if it's just to tell a joke, Alina will assume that an argument has broken out and automatically assume the one who is louder is in the wrong. Most of the time that could be true, I suppose. She'll start waving her arms in the air and say, "No no no no. No, Daddy, no," then turn to the other person with a sympathetic face and say, "It's okay, Mommy. It's okay." Or vice versa, depending on who she has judged as being wrong.

To go along with with this new emotion, she also has started fawning at adorable things like babies, animals, or baby animals. "Awwwwww, look Daddy, that's so beautiful," she'll say, or "so cute!"