White Noise for my Wife

Its official, Avery is growing up. Duh, that’s what babies do, right? Sure, but as a first time parent, every single change is new. With her latest feat of rolling over both ways, she’s now sleeping on her stomach (like her mom) and no longer requires being swaddled.

Ahhh, the freedom to sleep however I want!!
Ahhh, the freedom to sleep however I want!!

We are proud of our girl, but as most parents know, it’s bittersweet. But still, I really want to play and do more with her, so I’m okay with a little more growing up!

Monday was nothing out of the ordinary, Going Mom went (to work) and Avery and I did the usual as of late. “The usual” is now her staying up longer and hanging out with me as I get my workout of the day in and then taking her morning nap. She used to be ready to go back to sleep after an hour and a half of being awake in the morning, but now it’s more like 3 hours.

Fine with me, she seems to enjoy watching Daddy work out, and really loves it when I have to get on the ground for pushups or bear crawl. She’ll just crack a big grin and let out a semi-laugh. Her laughs are still a work in progress.

The Manhattan Toy Company sent us one of their new toys, Skwish Stix, to review and we got right to it before bath time. Right out of the box and Avery was ready to grab at it and apparently eat it.

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I’d say she’s going to enjoy this toy better when she can sit up on her own. In the meantime, Mom and Dad can give her a hand. I’ll be posting a review on the Skwish Stix after Avery logs some good play time, so be on the look out. They are currently out of stock, so that must say something.

After our usual nightly routine, Kelley and I will sit in the living room where Kelley eventually falls asleep and I eat for almost 2 hours. It’s the only time where I actually sit down for a meal, so not like I’m going over my daily energy intake; if you cared.

Since it has been warmer lately, Avery has some heat rash around her body, so we decided to move the fan in our living room to her room. The problem is, that fan provided noise to help drown out the noise from me constantly getting up and down for more food while Kelley slept.

Solution? I used a white noise app on my iPad to help Kelley go and stay asleep as I frequented the kitchen. As a side note, we have the most expensive white noise machine in Avery’s nursery; Kelley’s iPad. Yep, that’s all it’s used for, but if it helps a baby sleep, isn’t it worth it?

Speaking of sleep, Avery is doing better in her own crib than when she’s in our bed. Usually, around 3 to 5 in the morning, I’ll bring her to our bed to feed and then she falls back asleep. Not so on Tuesday morning!

That girl was just kicking and rolling around between us. She found a good position with her feet kicking my stomach and hands slapping Kelley and kept attacking us both. Being one to make the best of situations, I simply turned around for a nice semi-massage on my back compliments of her kicking feet. Kelley, on the other hand, continued to get slapped.

Avery eventually started to get fussy and refused to fall back asleep, so I brought her to her room thinking I’d just have to sit up with her and roll around or maybe play peek-a-boo pushups.

First, I went to change her diaper and Oops!, she was a little dirty. Well crap (pun intended, I like those), I thought, I’d kick my parents too! After changing her, I set her in her crib to wash my hands and start a load of laundry as she rolled around and cooed to herself.

With the washer started, it seemed a little quiet in the nursery, and when I walked in, I found this…

And I just laid her down to start some laundry!
And I just laid her down to start some laundry!

Well okay then! And she slept for over an hour with no white noise or swaddle of any kind. What’s with this girl?! She even greeted us with smiles when we woke her up.

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All day Tuesday, Avery was rather pleasant and didn’t fuss as much as usual. It helps that she wasn’t actually bitten by a snake! She did, however, turn into a grump as the day was coming to an end. Teething, heat rash, tired? Maybe all of the above, but one thing’s for sure, baby.

Our girl is getting older, as we all are, and we are proud of every new thing she accomplishes. Next up, crawling!

How did you find out your baby is able to sleep easier on their own?

Babies growing up; exciting, sad, or in between?

Avery Got Bit by a Snake Because of Her Dad

I just had to stop and look, didn’t I? Avery was having a good day today being all hunky dory and even sleeping good in her crib.

snake, april fool's, dad, humor, funny

With the nice weather gracing us with its presence, I decided to take Avery out for a run in the B.O.B.

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Things were swell, a nice breeze, a little cloud cover, and a great view of the lake.

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But, the crazy Canadian goose made an appearance and showed his (hers?) disapproval of us by hissing just like before.

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Feeling unwelcomed, I continued through our regular neighborhood loop hoping not to see the goose again. I got my wish, but we saw something else instead.

snake, april fool's, dad, humor, funny

I’m a reptile fanatic and can’t seem to ever mind my own business. I’m very keen on snakes and turtles in particular, so I had to stop and say hi to this guy.

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The first snake of the season just basking in the sun on the warm road. How could I not stop and check it out? But, when I stopped, this kind apparently likes to jump and strike. Crap, I’m an idiot.

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What kind of dad brings their baby in a stroller so close to a snake? Yep, yours truly. It struck and reached the tip of her right foot! Crying ensued after a very brief pause of terror on her face. I raced back home as quickly as possible with a face red from guilty embarrassment. I practically threw my poor daughter in a snake pit! Once home, I checked to see how the now eerily quiet Avery was holding out.

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Ummmmm, not good. I strapped her in the car seat and sped to the nearest Urgent Care. The wait wasn’t too long, but felt like an eternity. Luckily, the nurses found no signs of poisoning and the bite didn’t even draw blood. Phew!!!

Guess I never even checked for blood because I was so frantic. Today, I am Bad Dad #1 and guilt weighs heavy on my conscience! With a pretty bandage on her foot and a grim look on her face, we went back home. I feared telling Kelley the news and how my stupid curiosity caused the whole ordeal.

Kelley took the news better than I expected, but still gave me an earful. I’m surprised she’s still letting me keep my stay-at-home dad job after this one! So, moral of the story, don’t stop for snakes; especially not with your baby in a stroller!

I posted a picture of Avery’s snake below for all who care to see….

 

 

 

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Going Dad’s Top Ten Pinterest Picks (1): That’s Punny

Pinterest is addicting! I try to not click on a picture, but it looks so interesting and/or funny! Eventually, I give in and click. Two hours later and I’m sitting in the same spot wondering what in the world just happened.

Pinterest happened. It’s addicting, it’s uncontrollable, and I like it! Because of Pinterest, I now have a plethora of things to do with Avery for now and when she’s older. Educational, fun, and active; yep, they all fit what I look for.

Since there are too many “Pins” to share in one post, I am going to start a series of my top ten Pinterest Picks across several topics of interest. Today will be all about puns because they make me smile and well, what other reason do you need?

I hope you enjoy these and please be on the lookout for the next top ten Pinterest picks on activities to do with your baby!

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Make sure you read this in “Yoda talk”

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