Excuses?

My most sincere and humble apologies for those of you who were checking the blog in the past month. Being alone with baby while Melissa was at work was an eye-opening experience. I have learned that I am not the stay at home type. I have a new and profound respect for those individuals who stay home to raise their kids alone all year.

For the most part, my time with my 3 month daughter was fantastic. I'd make sure that I took her out every day for a walk. If weather was not permitting, she and I would pack up and hit the mall for a walk. It seemed that she liked being out in public as well as zooming around in the car. I got some exercise as well as a chance to leave the house. It wasn't until the end of the month of June that my experience had shifted from handful to harrowing.

Violet started teething at the end of June and the two weeks leading up to Melissa's exeunt from work were very, very hard on me. Most days she was a little fussy here and there, but other days she was nearly inconsolable and I could get nothing done. Screaming, crying, fussing, needing attention... it was then that I realized how difficult this parenting thing can actually be. I was always happy to see Melissa when she came home for work, now after a day of impossible behavior, I was ecstatic to see Melissa walk through the door because it meant that I could have a break from baby duty.

Now that I'm back to work and Melissa is at home with Violet, it's as if Melissa goes through the same kinds of thoughts I did when I was alone with her. When I come home from work most days I spend time with Violet to give Melissa a break , but most days I'm under the impression that I don't give Melissa enough of a break. I've been back for three weeks now and Melissa has had days that she admitted to losing her patience and getting upset.

Violet is really a joy and a blessing. I never considered ever using those words unless under the aegis of sarcasm, but I mean them. My time alone with Violet taught me a lot about my level of patience and my willingness to dig deep within myself to find more compassion and understanding than I thought I could ever muster.

Violet is still teething to this day. She has her good days and her bad days, but for the most part her good days outweigh and outnumber the bad. Even when she's a little fusstank (copyright Sean Conroy), all it takes is a smile from her to melt me into a sense of calm compassion.

Much has happened the past month, and if I were more on the ball (and less busy and exhausted at the end of the day), you'd have a better and more detailed account of her progress. During her 4th month checkup, she's off the chart for weight and height, and in the 95th percentile for head circumference. Doc Braverman also tested her absorbency by spilling a cup of water on the table and putting Violet in it. The end result only supports my suspicion that she would make an excellent sponge.

Violet is an incredibly fast learner. During the latter part of the 3rd month, we tried feeding her solid (more like mush) foods. The image that adorns the top of this post is the reaction we were presented with. Now in her 5th month (officially today), she's been eating a tablespoon of bananas. We're going to be introducing new foods in the upcoming weeks. Melissa is awesome with her during the feeding process. When I'm around, I join in on the fun by making yummy noises and applauding when V opens her rather large mouth that she inherited from me.

Violet is exploring everything with her hands and now plays with toys. One of her favorites is a small, plush Godzilla toy that vibrates when you pull its string. As it turns out, she started really liking this toy around the time of the advent of her teething. Melissa and I read later that babies often find the vibrations soothing on their aching gums. Regardless, she's the cutest thing since sliced bread when she grabs hold of the Godzilla toy, gets all wide-eyed and then jams it into her mouth. If Violet can fell Godzilla so easily: Next stop Tokyo.

Melissa and I are working well together as parents. We get frustrated with each other sometimes over downtime and how much time is spent with her, but we're looking to find a balance. I always tell Melissa that the more you take her out, the happier she'll be as Violet is a very social being and loves to look at new faces. More often than not we get a stranger sticking their face in the stroller to say hello to our little pudge stack.

All in all, life with baby is a constant source of challenges and rewards. The rewards are our favorite parts of the experience and do a wonderful job at overshadowing the bumps in the road.

On to the pics:


Round 2? Are you kidding?


No, really. Some food actually went down.


I remember reading in the manual that "the average capacity of your infant is
about 1 Tbsp of food. Never exceed, otherwise detonation will be
imminent". We were pushing the envelope here.


The look on her face says it all. "If you keep feeding me, I'm going to explode!"


She knows when the camera comes out it means trouble.


"Hey guys... have you seen my keys?"


She be hip-mo-tized. It was as if the pattern were an
ancient cipher that revealed the possibility of time travel...
or, it 's just a cool pattern to look at.


Who needs helping hands or flotation devices when
you have thighs like these?


With a look of stern concentration, Violet plunged
into the depths of the abyss to engage the monster
squid in mortal combat.


"Waaaaah! I'm naked and I have hands!"