daddy logic:: baby gate nightmare

Our house has 4 sets of stairs.  We had to get 4 baby gates which Dale and I both agreed were not going to be new.  I just cant justify spending $40/gate for a simple piece of wood and latches.  Alas, the hunt began and I started scavenging Craigslist and used baby stores for these gates.

Last week we found 2.  One was too short for our stairwell, the other fit just right....of course, while I love my husband and how hard he works, Dale failed to think about the project logically, and we ended up with 3 sets of screw holes in our wall. 

Saturday I found a matching gate....this time it was too tall and our banister got in the way.  We still found a home for it at the top of our stairs but that left us with an opening in the kitchen.  So we sucked it up, went to Fred Meyer and bought a new gate for $34. 

It fits.  But our the screws keep coming out of the wall....Dale couldn't find a stud, so we will be adding a few more screw holes to our wall.

Long story short, baby proofing has been more than a nightmare.  Always measure, take notes, and take your time installing gates and latches.  Unless of course you want 9 holes in your wall.  But, the gates are up and Kannon isn't going anywhere near those stairs.

daddy logic:: daddy burned the baby

I tried to sleep in this morning after a late night of rolling dryer balls only to be awakened by our little man screaming bloody murder.  I thought about jumping out of bed and racing downstairs but I heard Dale downstairs and figured things were under control (and they were) so I gave it a few minutes and came down to see what the commotion was about.

Kannon was in his high chair with Dale feeding him breakfast.

Me:: "What happened?"
Dale:: "I burned Kannon"
Me::"*$@*$  How?"
Dale:: "His food was too hot"
Me:: "Didn't you check it"
Dale:: "Yeah, the spoon didn't change colors" (we have the spoons that change color when they are too hot...ALWAYS do a finger test first!!!)
Me:: "Were you using that spoon?" (pointing to a non-color changing spoon)
Dale:: (lightbulb going off) "Ahhh.....oops"
Kannon:: "blahshghahdbdhaf"

Kannon was fine.  The food really wasn't that hot but note to all Daddy's out there....ALWAYS test baby food, bottles, etc yourself.  Color changing spoon or not, they are not accurate, and babies sometimes do get burned :( 

Daddy Logic

Kannon has been sick the past few days--nothing really serious, just a mild cold, cough, and stuffy nose. Nonetheless, it has kept us waking up on the hour, every hour, to comfort Kannon while he experience his "first cold".

It is hell. My heart breaks at every cough and I am struggling every moment between calling the doctor and "letting it pass".

He is getting better but now that his nose is looking somewhat like Niagara Falls and our bulb syringe disappeared (thanks Sascha) we have no way to get those cruddy boogers out. How do you tell a 4-month old to blow?

Dale's answer: Just suck them out.

!#&(*&$!(#*$&!(#*$& Whhhhaaat???

Of course, he didn't say he would suck them out.....he was asking me.

So that's right, I sucked my son's boogers out. With my mouth. It was a bit salty, really not all that different from own.

Not only am I a poop juggling, diaper changing, burping, spit up covered mom---I am a snot sucker. Do I get the supermom award of the year for this?

Daddy Logic

Parenting comes very easy to Dale and me. Perhaps it is our open mind, flexibility, and patience. When life gives us poop, we wash it out and start over again (referring to diapers of course). There are some moments, however, that I find myself struggling deep within myself to contain that urge to run out the door screaming. Those are the moments when I let Dale take over, in whatever fashion he desires.

During those days, I like to sit idly by watching my husband as he coos, giggles, and makes silly faces at our little one. Some times, I am surprised at his gentleness and candor. Other times, I am laughing my a$$ off wondering how I married such a fool. Dale should win "Dad of the Year" for all of his golden achievements, however, I am not willing to let some his actions slip by unnoticed in a clear moment of what I like to call "Daddy Logic".

1.) A few weeks ago, I came home to find Kannon in a diaper stuffed with washcloths. I asked Dale what happened and he said we ran out prefolds so he just stuffed a washcloth in his diaper cover. It worked as Kannon was dry and washcloth was wet, but I was praying god that we never run out of diapers as I might find Kannon wrapped in paper towels!

2.) We got his adorable little bathrobe for Christmas and Dale insisted on using it last night. So after Kannon was bathed, Dale put him in the robe to go lounge around....a few moments later he noticed he was wet, that's when he realized he forgot to put a diaper on. Duh!

3.) Kannon has been rejecting bottles, so we have been trying to get him to take a bottle at almost every feeding--of course we usually fail as this little boy will not be fooled! However, we thought we had success when Dale called me in to show me that half the bottle was gone. Then I looked at Kannon's shirt, which was completely soaked. He was drinking all right, but he wasn't swallowing....and Dale didn't even notice!! Maybe its for the best that Kannon has been rejecting the bottle all these weeks!

4.) I think Dale thinks he has more than two hands because he is always trying to do too much. For instance, he grabbed the carseat, the bookbag, and groceries all in one hand. When he reached the door, he put the carseat down and said "look honey, its a door stop!" and went inside to drop his bags off, leaving Kannon and his carseat holding the door open for me. Thank god it wasn't snowing! I appreciate the help but babies aren't doorstops.

5.) Dale shouted excitedly from the kitchen, "look, he is tracking!!" (a skill Kannon has possessed for weeks now) and I walked in to see Dale holding his beer bottle in front of Kannon. Kannon was indeed tracking the beer bottle and Dale suggested we make a beer-bottle mobile. Ummmm????



Dale is a wonderful father. I couldn't have asked for a stronger more supportive partner. He never complains about dirty diapers, 2 am feedings, or bringing home groceries. He always remembers to feed the dog and does the laundry on his days off. He has made parenting equally fun and challenging as we both learn more about our needs as a family. Even when I am upset, running out the door away from our screaming child, he finds a way to make me laugh...be it seeing Kannon in a ladies headband or soaring through the air to land his mommy a kiss. I cant wait to see the many more "Daddy Logic" moments that send me to tears in laughter as our son grows older. For now, I am hiding the washcloths and buying a real doorstop tomorrow.