The News From Babyland

The title of this post is what I say to Austen when he babbles at me while getting his diaper changed: "Are you giving me the news from Babyland? Well, what's the scoop? Give me the dish!" Here's what's been going on:

Austen with crazy scientist hairA sign that perhaps I should dial back the junk food consumption
Al, while changing Austen's diaper: "There's a little spot of poop on Austen's onesie. Do you think I should change it?
Me: "Nah, not if it's just a spot."
<LATER>
Me: "Yeah, good call on not changing the onesie. That's not poop—it's chocolate."

Once a dad...
Last Friday night I was still awake (and working in the living room) when Al got home from hockey. I heard the garage door open, but I didn't notice if it shut or not. I know I didn't hear Al come in. Next thing I know, I hear Al shrieking. Thinking that he's being attacked in the back alley, I leap out of my chair and race down to the garage... where I find him struggling with the car seat base in the back seat of the car. The shriek was a shriek of frustration.

hands... yum!"Did I wake you up?" he asks. Me: "No, I was working. I thought you were being attacked... I... I need a moment." Because my emotions are very close to the surface these days (closer than usual, even), and I can't shake the image of my husband being hurt or killed, I start to cry. Al takes me in his arms... and starts to pat me rapidly on the back. I lift my head off his shoulder and start laughing. "That only works with the baby," I say.

And for dessert?
While I've been feasting on chocolate, Austen has been feasting on his hands. (Apparently I'm not the only one to whom they look tasty.) He has them as an appetizer before meals, for dessert after eating, and occasionally as a mid-meal palate cleanser. The drool is starting to puddle on the floor around him.

Austen camping out on the couchNo more slouching, but lots of tipping over
Austen's latest obsession, besides his hands, is with sitting up. The bouncy seat he used to love hanging out in is no longer in fashion, as it only allows him to recline at an angle. He either cries when we put him in it, or spends the entire time in it struggling to sit up. This week I was able to sit him up on the couch by himself a few times, although eventually he'd keel over to one side or the other, hands in mouth.

I want to be a part of it!
Yesterday we made the trip we'd planned to make last Saturday but cancelled after getting very little sleep the night before: We drove up to NYC to see Christo's gates. It was Austen's first trip to New York (and our car's), and it went pretty smoothly. As for the gates, they were more impressive than I'd imagined they would be. I'll be posting the photos we took over at ~ lori and al ~ later this week.

Posted by Lori in parenthood at 8:27 PM on February 27, 2005

Comments (4)

Heidi:

I am so envious that you were able to go see The Gates in NYC! I cannot wait to see all your photos of the gates and park.

Jean:

Ellen started hating her bouncy seat for the same reason as Austen - because it reclined her too far back. We started putting a throw pillow in the bouncy seat behind her head/back to prop her up higher. That worked pretty well for a while, but now that Ellen is almost 6 months & sitting up on her own its time to graduate to the high chair! Love the new photos of Austen, btw.
Love, Jean

Josie [TypeKey Profile Page]:

Our little boy is growing up so fast! Hey, make sure you keep that darling snuggled up tight during that storm. I don't want to hear from him that he's suckin' on hand popsicles!

Lori [TypeKey Profile Page]:

When you said "our little boy" it made me think how lucky Austen is to have so many people who care about him—and how it really does take a village to raise a child. Thanks for your support & love!

Re: the hand popsicles, luckily he has no such thing to report. He *has* threatened to report me to social services for letting him go more than 90 minutes without a feeding, however. I keep trying to call his bluff, but he screams loud enough to alert the neighbors, and I'm nervous they'll call on his behalf. =:o

Comments

I am so envious that you were able to go see The Gates in NYC! I cannot wait to see all your photos of the gates and park.

Posted by: Heidi at February 28, 2005 12:31 PM

Ellen started hating her bouncy seat for the same reason as Austen - because it reclined her too far back. We started putting a throw pillow in the bouncy seat behind her head/back to prop her up higher. That worked pretty well for a while, but now that Ellen is almost 6 months & sitting up on her own its time to graduate to the high chair! Love the new photos of Austen, btw.
Love, Jean

Posted by: Jean at March 1, 2005 3:25 PM

Our little boy is growing up so fast! Hey, make sure you keep that darling snuggled up tight during that storm. I don't want to hear from him that he's suckin' on hand popsicles!

Posted by: Josie [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 1, 2005 7:03 PM

When you said "our little boy" it made me think how lucky Austen is to have so many people who care about him—and how it really does take a village to raise a child. Thanks for your support & love!

Re: the hand popsicles, luckily he has no such thing to report. He *has* threatened to report me to social services for letting him go more than 90 minutes without a feeding, however. I keep trying to call his bluff, but he screams loud enough to alert the neighbors, and I'm nervous they'll call on his behalf. =:o

Posted by: Lori [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 2, 2005 2:12 PM

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