Being Sick Sucks

Going on a week of being sick, URI, Bronchitis, the works.  Can someone bring me a pie from Joe's Pizza please??

Exhaustion and Parenthood

It's as if I've been training for these nights for the last several years.  People have remarked about how I'm able to function at a high level and be "chipper" when only getting the barest amount of sleep... before we had kids.  Now that conditioning is becoming a extremely valuable skill to have.  Both kids had fevers last night at around 1:00 AM, so after administering tylenol, loosening clothes, changing diapers and administering some TLC for the two little patients, I went and got baba's of water for them... Even Indiana Jones didn't want water more when he stopped the mine cart in the Temple of Doom compared to my two little ones last night.  They demolished those babas in seconds.  We then tried to get them to go back to sleep, but now they were up so we spent another hour or so getting them relaxed again.  My boy was immediately in play mode and ready to tackle.  He was laying down and then sitting up, repeating this and then my wife said something about music and he pops up and starts wiggling his little butt doing his patented dance move.  Looking at the two of us laughing hysterically.  Meanwhile, she was still mostly sleepy but now with her nasty cough couldn't get comfortable.  We had to laugh tho, she is a little tank of a trooper, she had this one coughing fit that looked like it physically hurt her, and it was violent enough that it shot her pacifier out of her mouth like a bullet, before she's even finished coughing she's battling through the cough to say "uh oh!" because her pacifier took off.  It was priceless! So after 15 minutes of struggling with them while they tossed and turned in our bed, I took him into his room and sat in the rocker with him till he passed out.... along with his dad.  Had he not been squirming in his sleep, I would not have even woken up at 2:10am.  After putting him back into his bed sound asleep, fever coming down I stumbled back to our room.  There I found my wife and daughter sound asleep, her fever coming down as well. So we finally all got to sleep at 2:30am....... and then the 5:00AM alarm sounded for us to all get up and get ready!  Saturday can not come soon enough!

The stark realization... (epilogue)

Since this is of public record now, let me add to my beautiful children, one whom I just put to bed and needed just a few extra hugs from daddy to settle down for the night (that's you sweetheart) and the other who earlier patted me on the back like a reassuring old friend (at the age of 15 months mind you, yup I'm talkin about you buddy ;) )... guys, if you ever get the chance to read this... I love you and these nights when you think the best "toy" in the living room is the human jungle gym you call "dadadada" will always be some of the most cherished moments of your dad's life.  Good night guys, sweet dreams. :)

The stark realization...

 So I recently found these cool photos online which were taken by Kristina Alexanderson* (stuff I need to start finding more time to do myself being I'm a toy collector)....

and it got me thinking about my own kids and then it hit me and hit me hard.  It's something that you can't appreciate unless you have children... Your children literally worship the ground you walk on.  You are their ultimate hero, the sun in their solar system.  It's something I revel in, hearing how... happy? hmm, happy doesn't give the emotion the justice it deserves, it's something so much bigger than happy that they are when I come home from work makes me feel awesome!  When they grow up, they'll always love us, but they'll start making their own relationships, their own connections and find new heroes.  It'll never be like it is when they're little like my two monkeys are now (and for a little while longer...).  I suddenly have a new found appreciation and sadness for parents everywhere, most of all my own.  You don't see it when you're growing up, because, and rightfully so, you are growing up, you're becoming your own man or woman and you're exploring the world around you.  There's no time in the day to run to your parents with excitement, you've got to change so you can head to the movies with your friends.  You've got maybe enough time for a "hi." "bye".  I'm sure I'll feel incredible pride for my children as they grow into their own, but I now can see that I'm also going to feel incredible sadness, sadness that I ultimately will have to reconcile and get past no doubt, so that I can enjoy my golden years with my wife, the woman who I created these lives with and enjoy the lives my kids make for themselves as well.  However, I'm sure there will always be a small part of me that fondly remembers and secretly longs for the time when my little ones ran to me with unbridled exuberance and joy at seeing my face and hearing my voice.  It's something that even reading my blog now, if you don't have kids, you can maybe envision what it would be like, but I don't think you can truly comprehend it and feel it's gravitas.  Wow, that really hit me hard.  So let me end this post by saying, while we can't go back to the way it was when we were little, I can honestly appreciate it now. I love you mom and dad.  Thank you for everything you've ever done for me (and us, your five kids) 

  

*Kristina Alexanderson work can be found here

What a sports weekend!

So Friday night the NY Rangers looked like a tired team after an exhausting stretch that culminated in an exciting Winter Classic victory over the hated Flyers and they STILL managed to beat the Penguins 3-1, this team is the real deal!  I love every facet of the team and it's cast of characters (all highlighted in HBO's fantastic docudrama 24/7: The Road to the Winter Classic) and June is looking really exciting right now. ;)  Even got to rub it in my cousin's face a little.  Sorry Steph. :P

Then on Sunday in the early edition, Eli and the Giants basically had their way with the Atlanta Falcons for a beat down to the tune of 24-2.  The Defense didn't give up a single point. Of course next week against team discount double check should be a little more of a challenge, but ELIte Eli should be able to hang with the perennial MVP.

Finally, the sports weekend was capped off with the Tebow Express making magic!  Double Pittsburgh pain this weekend... sorry Steph again. I'm sure I'll blog on the merits of Tim Tebow soon enough, but how can you not like this guy!?  Next weekend should be great, Giants / Packers and Broncos / Patriots!  Can't wait!

Santa thinks he's got a tight squeeze!

I am publishing this entry currently pressed against a wall with a sloped ceiling 12 inches from my face.  A girl who is about 1/10th my weight and a third my height has me in this ridiculous position as she sprawls out on my pillow  To her right is her brother, who is snuggled up against his mommy... my lovely wife.  We are squeezed into this shoe box of a double bed because our cherubs can't sleep.  It's Christmas Eve, I have a crick in my neck, a knot in my back and my foot keeps falling asleep... but laying next to my family, hearing their soft little breaths, I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be. Looking over at the two of them illumined in the dim glow of the laptop light, I already got the two best presents a person could ask for.  Just don't tell Santa. ;)

On the bright side, the only way I could get closer to hearing the jolly man's landing is if Donner's hoof comes through the roof and crushes my face.  Even then, I don't think either of my kids would stir in the slightest.

So I sign off wishing a Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!  :)

ps.  Dear Santa, some advil in my stocking would go a long way.  Thanks pal!

First real steps!

So the other night my two little ones were playing with each other in their playpen.  After being content playing with each other for a while they both grew bored with play time and opted to call "ma ma ma ma!!"  So mommy, who's been swamped with work, decided to take a little break and go over to them to say hi and play with them for a while.  While she's talking to them, playing peek-a-boo, which they found absolutely hysterical and having them try to put their binky in her mouth, our son goes and takes 2 un-assisted steps across the play pen to get to his mommy.  "He just took two steps!" my wife exclaimed!  I was watching the Ranger game and doing some work myself on the couch, "Really?! Alright buddy!!" I replied excitedly.  My wife set him back up on the far side of the playpen and called for him to come to mommy.  Sure enough he did it again, two big well balanced steps!  "YAY!!" we cheered as he beamed with pride!  So we did it again and again, each time him taking two to three solid steps towards mommy.  Each time our cheers and clapping getting louder and more exuberant!  Meanwhile, our daughter was sitting in the opposite corner of the pack-in-play watching this all play out, for the most part just playing with her block.  Well, one time our little rambler stumbled over his sister's leg on his transreceptacal  journey so mommy skooted her leg over and told her "schooch over a little honey, so your brother doesn't trip".  Well that was the last straw apparently!  The next time he crossed and we cheered like he scored the game winning touchdown... she had had enough!  Red faced and pouty, she started to tantrum that she wasn't getting any attention and her brother was getting the spotlight!  It took us everything we had not to start laughing out loud at the scene.  Here's my boy walking on his own, so proud of his accomplishment and beaming at his parents, and there's his sister, who's got a bevy of accomplishments of her own that mommy and daddy have cheered just as loudly and proudly for, like the fact that she's already saying "good girl" (well, she still needs to get the articulation down, but it's clearly "good girl" and she says it with a smile like she knows, she's the "good girl") freaking out because she's not getting the attention that he's getting at that particular moment!  A portent of things to come no doubt.... God help us! :)


Oh and Day 1 of the Advent Calendar!! The official countdown has begun!