My son is only five months old, yet he has consistently amazed me since minute one.
I’m amazed by how quickly he changes and how much he learns every day. I’m amazed at how cute he is and how he keeps me constantly moving and adjusting my lifestyle. I’m amazed by how much power his smile wields over me and how one little smirk can melt me instantly. I’m amazed by the overwhelming love I feel for this child.
However, one of the most amazing things about him is the near chemical-weapons-grade gas that he shoots out of his butt. I never thought someone so little, so innocent looking, so cute, could be so rank and nasty, but he is. He hasn’t even started solids yet, but his ability to clear a room in mere seconds is remarkable. A small puff would cause most to pass out. A larger dose can strip paint from most surfaces. We may try and use him to refinish a few antique chairs.
The worst part is his timing. He does not always dole out his gaseous punishment in our own home, but rather waits for a public venue. While holding him in a grocery or department store, he will let loose. Some people turn and look due to the impressive volume of his farts. They see a 200 pound man and a 20 pound baby, and by the judging looks I get, I know they think that an expulsion of such volume could only come from the adult. After their eyes begin to water and their respiratory system shut down, they quickly flee the area. I am unable to run from the scene, as his Grover diapers trap some of the toxins and continue a time-released wafting. I have no option but to stand there with my stinky child.
I have begun to think that this is an early attempt to assert his dominance over his parents. It’s his form of payback for bath towel creatures.
Via A Child Chosen, Florida is launching its “Explore Adoption” campaign to find permanent homes for the 3,000 plus children who become available for adoption in that state each year. Of those kids, 80% find ‘forever’ homes in the form of permanent adoption by family members or foster parents, but 20% are not so lucky. The hundreds of remaining kids are bounced around a foster care system that never gives them a true chance at having a normal childhood.
I think adopting a child is a fantastic way of opening up your life and heart to someone who otherwise may not have had an opportunity to experience a loving family. Hats off to Florida for implementing a progressive social program.
I doubt the feasibility of creating a much cuter combination in this world than that of a baby and a dog. (Especially my baby and my dog!) They are two creatures of such good nature that you can’t help but smile in their individual presences. Put the two together and you just want to hug the crap out them. Watch them interact fondly with each other and your head may explode.
Our dog is an 8 year old Siberian Husky, and she’s an incredible animal and as much a part of the family as any human could ever hope to be. Since my son’s birth a few months ago, she’s only cemented that position as part of the family. She is protective and loving and slathers him with kisses to show it.
He smiles and laughs when she passes by, and reaches out to hug her face when she’s near enough. The dog sits as close to the baby as possible, always keeps an eye on him and licks him within an inch of his life as if she were preening a pup of her own. The two of them share a genuine fondness for one another and exude a Disney-like cuteness. When the boy reaches out and hugs her, as mentioned before, there is real danger of your head and heart exploding spontaneously.
I found the video below on YouTube, and I think it demonstrates a little bit of how huskies have a love for and excitement about kids.
I’ll just come out with it and say that, frankly, I think my baby is a genius. His spit bubbles are very advanced and his jibberish is the most eloquent I’ve ever heard. In all seriousness, my wife and I have noticed how intently he absorbs his environment, how his eyes trace over new objects and how quickly he seems to grasp new concepts and situations, as simple as they may seem to adults.
He’s a sharp kid and I know that it takes extra effort to keep a child like that from getting bored and restless. I wish to foster his natural abilities, so I started looking around for brain-centric activities for babies. In my search I came across Child Genius Magazine online from the International Parenting Association. While digging through their site I found exactly what I was looking for: flash cards for babies.
I downloaded and printed the math diamond flash cards for my son, as I think developing mathematical inclinations at an early age is particularly important. Kids are surrounded by speech constantly and urged to talk as soon as possible, but math tends to be of secondary importance. The cards consist simply of a quantity of diamonds on a page and are flipped through as the parent says the corresponding numeral. They help the child understand the concept of numbers before they learn the numeral or words associated with them.
When I first opened the PDF, I was reminded of Rick Moranis’ character in the movie Parenthood, who had his two year old daughter finding the square root of some large number from a mess of dots on a page. I am against pushing a child to ‘achieve’ at an early age, as was the case in the movie, but I hoped this would be an activity in which he demonstrated his own interest. I was genuinely surprised by his level of intrigue.
With each card I held up, both my wife and I clearly noticed his little eyes scanning the contents of the otherwise empty pages. I only did numbers one through ten, (the cards go up to 50) but he was clearly acknowledging the shapes on the page. Even more, he would look to the stack of remaining cards to see which card was next as soon as I set down the previous. While that may not seem significant, I think it’s a great step towards developing his cognitive abilities.
Will it make him a numerical genius? Who knows. Will it keep his mind active in his formative years? I certainly hope so.
To check out the math flash cards, as well as word and phonogram cards, check out the Early Learning Library section of the Child Genius Magazine page.
I would like to wish all the mothers out there a very Happy Mother’s Day.
In particular, I would like to thank my wife for being such a fantastic mother who can be classified as nothing less than fantastic. She is a great woman, stellar mother and makes me want to be a better father. Make sure you make the worthy mothers in your life know how important they were in your development and in your children’s lives as well.
You can find some very interesting things on YouTube. This very talented cake maker takes you through the process of making a sculpted, 3-d cake in the shape of a baby. It’s quite a complicated and very well-executed… which says nothing for how creepy it would be to eat a cake in the shape of a baby! Oooh, save me the face! It’d dessert for Hannibal Lecter.
Our little one is currently undergoing the discomfort of teething. As much as he wants to smile and be happy, his little gums are driving him a little batty. He drools so much he could easily pass for a classical landscaping fountain and looks for anything to chew on.
While we would like to get him a teething ring, we have been unable to find ones that list from what kind of plastics they are manufactured and whether or not they contain BPA. (You of course remember the BPA baby bottle problems.) We instead decided to use an older method using a baby’s washcloth, and below are the instructions on how to make your own homemade teething aid.
1. Find a color-safe baby’s wash cloth. Make sure that the washcloth was not washed in harsh detergents or perfumes.
2. Rinse it thoroughly to remove any residue present on the cloth from its last washing. Remember, if the cloth isn’t free of residue, you’re basically feeding your kid soap.
3. When you’re done rinsing, tie the wash cloth in a knot. Make the knot large enough to ensure that the child will not be able to fit it entirely in their mouth or ingest it. Baby washcloths tend to be small, but make a double knot if required. Also make sure that the corners are not sufficiently long to fit down the child’s throat, making them gag or choke.
4. When you have your super-duper, safe knot tied in the washcloth, put it in the freezer.
5. Wait about 20 minutes or until sufficiently stiff, and hold it for your baby to chew on. The cold will help numb their gums and sooth them while they chew.
* Use common sense and try this at your own risk. I assume no responsibility for use or misuse of this advice. As with anything, only give your kids something to put in their mouth if you’re supervising them.
Today, May 8, is the South Korean celebration of Parent’s day. While there is a Parents’ Day in the U.S., the South Korean Parents’ day is more an equivalent to a combination of Mother’s and Father’s day.
“Usually, one gives a carnation with presents to his/her parents and/or sing the Parents’ Day song.”
Playing chicken in the mirror with my son makes him like crazy. As I’ve said, I act like a total idiot to make him giggle. This guy found the simple act of tearing paper has the same effect with his son.
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