Diary of a Third Time Dad

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WEEK NINE - APRIL 2002

Apr. 18 - Getting better.

The little guy is much better. He is breathing easier and only needs one breathing treatment each day. The nights are better too. Now we can all breath easier.

Apr. 19 - Trying to exit the car.

The kids had the day off school today, so we opted for the family trip to Sea World. Usually when we arrive at an amusement park, we all jump out of the car and eagerly head for the entrance. I guess we'd forgotten what a big ordeal this can be with a baby along. It literally took us 20 minutes to get out of the car. First, Joshua needed to be changed. Then, we consolidated all our essential belongings into the diaper bag and backpack. Then we made sure everyone had their hats on. Then we had to search through the car for the baby's missing hat. Then we had to decide how many spit up rags would be required for the day. Then we doubled this number (you never know). Finally, after all our equipment was properly stashed away, off we went.

Hey, I only had to run back to the car twice.

Apr. 20 - Smiling at last.

Babies typically start smiling between one and two months of age. Well, Joshua missed this stage. He hasn't had anything to smile about over the past two weeks. But now that he is feeling better, he is definitely making up for it. There's nothing like that first smile to brighten up our day. One of my favorite little smiles is when he's just fallen asleep. His face relaxes, and his lips curl up in that little grin. Wonder what he's dreaming about.

Apr. 21 - Evening bonding.

One of the best times I have found to connect with Joshua is after dinner. When I first get home from work I like to catch up with the two older kids and find out about their day. I love coming in the door to cries of "Daddy's home!" Then I like to hang out with Cheryl and find out about her day. We usually juggle the baby back and forth during dinner. We flip a coin to see who gets to eat their dinner hot each night (not really). After dinner is when I like to throw the baby into the sling and just walk around the house with him. I still get to relate with the rest of the family, but I get my snuggle time in with Joshua too.

Apr. 22 - Here, take the baby!

Today I came home from work and before I could even take my shoes off, I had the baby thrust into my arms. Seems that Cheryl had "one of those days" - too many kids, too much noise, and too little time. We've all had those kinds of days. I asked her how her day was (like it wasn't completely obvious), to which she replied, "You try holding him all day, and have him suck the life out of you!" Cheryl's a real trooper though. All moms are.

Apr. 23 - the Weekly diaper change.

I picked today to do this week's diaper change. And actually, it was kind of fun. Joshua was in a good mood, and he coo'd and gurgled his way through it. I got to rub his tummy, gurgle and coo back at him, and enjoy a few smiles. Diaper changing can be quite a nice bonding time. Maybe I'll step it up to twice a week. This will give me double points with Cheryl too.

Apr. 24 - Finally all better.

Joshua is officially over his RSV. No more wheezing, no more coughing, no more breathing treatments. We have our happy baby back again.

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