Christmas Morn'

OK, so they don't look particularly Christmas-y, but these photos were taken on Christmas morning. We awoke rather late - the last time that is likely to happen for a few years!!! With Matt in attendance, we proceeded to have a nice, relaxed Christmas morning. Dylan grew weary after awhile, and so we had to pick up the pace on his gifts; after he went down for a nap, we all continued with our EZ-going Christmas morning. Next year, when Dylan will be 15 months old, it is sure to be much crazier and less forgiving, but certainly even more magical and wondrous!

Dylan and Mommy opening a Christmas gift, December 25, 2007

Lots and lots of books for the Dylan boy!

He is going to be one well-read little guy.

Moccasins for the Boy

My sister, Anne-Marie, went on a long and exhausting search for a pair of moccasins for her new nephew. She finally found a pair. As is often the case, the items were a bit too big for the boy when they came. But on Christmas Day we tried them on once again, and, viola!, they fit! So now they are the footwear for Dylan! What is sort of strange is that it takes two people to get these things on his little feet. As my sister says, "Four hands to dress two feet..."

They look awfully darn cute, don't you agree? Of course, Dylan makes anything look cute!

Note: The warning is well advised - we've had our fair share of blowouts! Oh, mama!

Dylan, with moccasins on, December 25, 2007

Mommy and Dylan Read the Paper

In the morning, Mommy often reads the Sacramento Bee with Dylan. I got up one morning a bit later, and saw the two of them sprawled on the floor, reading The Ladies, as she calls them: Ann Landers, Miss Manners and Dear Carolyn. Along with the In The News section, which covers all the going-ons of the celebs, and the daily horoscope, it makes for an interesting bit of oral language for the boy, which he enjoys immensely.

Dylan reads his horoscope for the day with Mommy, December 2007

The Eyes and Hands Have It!

Here's Dylan playing in one of his most favorite places, his gym. It has been both fun and amazing to watch his eye-hand coordination improve over the weeks, and this gym, which has some toys that hang down from cross bars, has seemed to really help. He has worked really hard at getting his hands under control and making them go where he wants and get what he is going after. A wiser person than myself has said that for children, play is their work, and watching this little guy makes me believe it! You can see how hard he is concentrating.

A Belated Thanksgiving Greeting!

Well, life got busy right around the start of the holiday season, Thanksgiving, so I have not had time to update the blog. So without further ado, let me get these photos posted. These were taken on Thanksgiving, which we celebrated at the home of Suzy, Jim and Jake. We all had a good time, and Matt was able to join us as well.

So here are the photos. Enjoy!

Four Generations: Grandpa Lou, Great-Grandma Veronica, Mommy and of course, Dylan Joseph

A Rose Between Two Thorns: Cousins Evan, Maya and Dylan

Great-Grandma Veronica and Dylan get some face-to-face time!

Happy Holidays and Cheers for 2008!

Just a quick note to say we hope you all had a terrific Holiday, a Merry Christmas and we wish everyone a happy, healthy and wonderful 2008!

(above) Dylan with Mommy and Poppy, December 2007

(above) Dylan IS Santa Clause! December, 2007

(above) Dylan's official Christmas portrait, December 2007

The Shots Heard 'Round the World!

Dylan had his two month check-up this past Thursday. His is a growing boy, and his stats are as follows: Weight: 12 lbs, 6 oz; Height: 23.75 inches. In other words, he is growing like a weed! All his measurements are on-target and moving forward, and his check-up went smoothly.

Of course, the two-month check-up is also the first real bout of inoculations. There were the HiB, the DTAP and a couple others. Three shots and one potion he had to drink. The nurse at the injection clinic was good - i.e., quick. She got those things in one, two, three, before you could say Jack be nimble! Dylan's reaction: scream! But then it was over and so was his distress. We had given him a dose of Tylenol prior to his shots and he didn't have any overt reactions and seems well past those now. Big sigh of relief. I got my flu shot at the same time, and Dylan was kind enough to hold on to me while I endured that! (Mommy had her flu shot earlier.)

So the little guy is good on his shots until January. Then it's another bout of four or so injections. Oy, vey!

Mommy and I have read a lot about the concerns of injections the last few weeks. One of our neighbors has a son with autism and she swears he 'got' the autism from an injection. And she is not alone in those feelings. So of course we, like many parents these days, have concerns. But after our research and a good long talk with Dylan's doctor, we went ahead with the planned shots.

He is talking up a storm these days, lots of 'ooohs' and 'gaahhs' and 'brraaahs' and the like. And you may notice the attire he has in the photos this week. We were loaned a DVD by our sister-in-law, "The Happiest Baby on the Block." The video talks about some techinques, used forever, to calm babies when they are fussy. We were already using many of them, but not as a cohesive unit as the video suggests. The techniques work, and we have all found them to be most useful. They involve swaddling (tightly wrapping the baby); sucking (the pacifier; later, the thumb or fingers); swinging (in a baby swing, and on a FAST setting!); side/stomach position (this includes gently wobbling the baby's head while he is on his side); and shushing (using white noise to create a calming sound similar to what he heard in the womb). But Dylan looks so darn cute in his swaddling wrap, our little Baby Burrito, with his watermelon cap (courtesy of his Aunt Patty - it's so adorable!) and his little blue pacifier, even if it didn't work, we might keep him in it!

OK, long enough for this entry. Hope you enjoy the photos!

Photos (top to bottom)

1. Bath time; Mommy and Dylan share a lovely moment
2 through 4. Dylan in his Baby Burrito outfit, swaddled nice and tight!

Dylan Pah-tays in Elk Grove!

Last week, we were invited to a party at Aunt Suzy's home in Elk Grove. Another chance to show off the boy, and a good opportunity to get some photos with his relatives. So, we loaded up the Scion and drove all the way down to Elk Grove. Despite the boy's expressions in some of the photos, Dylan had a good time. There was a lot for him to see, and many people there - perhaps a bit too much and too many, hence the look of being slightly overwhelmed. Things don't get that exciting back at home! Maybe we ought to spice things up here, kick it up a level or two! Nah, we like our little quiet home.

Well, everyone shows photos of their baby smiling (and Dylan does have a beautiful smile!), but these photos show another aspect of being a baby! Sometimes it's tough being a baby, especially one as popular as this little guy. Actually, he really does like going to other people's homes. Mommy and I went to see James Taylor this past Thursday, and Dylan stayed with Grandma Pat, and the two of them had a really good time. And so did Mommy and I!!

He has another big celebration coming up - Thanksgiving! More photos with relatives then!

List of Photos (top to bottom):
1) Aunt Amy holds Dylan
2) Uncle Koyo holds the little boy
3) Aunt Amy has a bundle of joy in her arms
4) Grandma Pat, cousin Aya and Dylan sit for a portrait
5) Uncle Koyo holds Dylan, Uncle Lou holds his son, Evan, while the cousins get some face time
6) Grandpa Lou, Grandma Pat and Dylan relax on the couch

One Sweet Honey (Bee)

Such drama! Such pathos! Such pressure!

Who'd a-thunk that outfitting a baby out for his first Halloween would be so intense! The competition: 1) banana; 2) pirate; 3) bumble bee. Each was charming and would work, but in the end, there could be only one winner. It was a real crisis, trying to figure whether to buy the banana costume on-line, find a pirate costume (or some other one) in a store, or make the bumble bee one! The date was drawing near, and the question just could not be easily resolved! Finally, at the last minute, Mommy made an executive decision, and got all the elements together, creating this Mommy-made bee outfit for the little guy. Could he BEE any cuter?!? We don't think so!

And to think the costume is just a onesie, some electrical tape, some aluminum foil on cardboard and black pipe cleaners (and those anntenae just crack me up!), along with sweat pants (heaven forbid!) and a bat hat converted to a bee cap... Very creative! Mommy is so darn creative and inventive!

Now that we have his first major life event (OK, second - after being born) taken care of, we now must turn our attention to the next big obligatory crisis: The Christmas Card! Oh my!

Recent News and Photos

Here are some recent photos (taken in the last 2 weeks or so) of Dylan. He's doing really well - up to over 10 and a half pounds in just six weeks, when we had him weighed this past Wednesday! Mommy's milk is just what the boy needs and wants. He is starting to 'converse' with coos and goos, smiling in response to smiles. Yesterday we met some friends for breakfast, and we ended up being out for about five hours! Mommy got to eat her entire meal, without interruption, and Dylan was content to just hang out in his Baby Bjorn.

Sleeping has seemed to settled down now, so that he seems to have more restful sleep. Poor Mommy has had to cut out dairy from her diet. Being vegetarian, that is a major source of protein - not to mention yummy things she loves! She'll start experimenting with bringing things back in and see how that goes. Hopefully, she'll be able to eat some things, if not all. But the hopes are that something will help lessen the gas distress he has had on and off and help him sleep. Of course, that means a more restful sleep for his mommy as well! (Poppy does OK on the sleep - thanks so much to Mommy's help!)

But he is growing and we are just amazed at how fast everything is changing! Mommy mentioned today that Dylan "usually does" one thing or another, and then re-thought that statement. He does not 'usually' do anything! It's all new and different, every day! Keeps us on our toes!

We just love him so!


Photos from top to bottom:

• Cousin Jake and Aunt Suzy during a visit with Dylan
• Poppy and Dylan hanging out, just chillin'
• Mommy and Dylan catching a few Zs on the couch (notice the similar hand position - like Mother like Son!)
• Mommy and Dylan having a conversation on the whole cloth v. plastic diaper thing - with Dylan saying "Just talk to the hand!" at some shocking thing Mommy just said.

Hangin' Out

Here is the Baby Boy hangin' out on his Boppy. He's been filling out. Last time we went to the doctor, he weighed in at 9 lbs 3 oz. His head is getting so big (I think it's from being the object of so much admiration) that he has grown into that bump and you can barely see it anymore!

Visitors for the King

As I am sure with most new babies, people everywhere are just delighted by Dylan's mere presence. When we've taken him out for his appointment, even the most dour person will smile at seeing his little face, his tiny hands and feet, and the perfection that is a newborn. There must be some sort of hardwired reaction we all have to this little affirmation we call a baby - that this baby, even if completely unknown by us, is a little bit of immortality for us as a species.

Or maybe not.

But a lot of people have been by to see the little guy. His gradparents, uncles, aunts, great aunts and uncles, cousins, family friends and more. Regrettably, I have not been as dutiful about taking photos of all these visitors and I feel a bit badly about that. Hopefully, they will give me another chance! The couple that I did get I felt compelled to as they (my brother and my mother) are rarely in town. But that is no excuse for not getting photos with those loving relatives who have close proximity.

Anyway, while all the visiting and smiling may be true with most babies - who cares about the other ones?!? They can't hold a candle to this little one! We just love him, and hope that you will get a chance to stop by and see him too. He'll put a smile on your face!

Photos (top to bottom)
1) Grandma Pilulaw gets a good look from the newest grandson
2) Big brother Matt, Uncle Patrick, Mommy, Dylan and Poppy all get together for a quick photo

All My Doctors!

Dylan had a lot of doctors, from before his birth to after. There were a couple of midwifes, a resident, and a couple of OB/GYNs in attendance at different points of the birthing of this little guy, along with me, Grandma Pat, and two of her sisters, Patty and Suzy. That room seemed awfully crowded at times! I guess the way Dylan was trying to come out heightened interest in how things were going - they were all very interested in how things were going!

But he came out, and all was well.

Or so we thought...!

On the day we were being discharged (by our request, not the doctor's... she wanted Mommy to stay in another day at least, but none of us could stand being in the hospital any more!), the pediatrician came along and examined Dylan. Turned out the little guy had jaundice!

Now, jaundice in a newborn is not unusual, they say. The baby while in the womb creates a lot of red blood cells to make up for the inefficient oxygen supply given by the placenta. When the baby is born, he or she needs to get rid of these 'extra' blood cells and so destroys them. Then the body needs to get rid of them, usually by peeing or defecating. But newborn's systems are not always up to the task of getting rid of these cells in a timely manner and then you end up with jaundice.

There is a blood test (the old heel prick) where the lab people do a bilirubin count (or as I like to call it, the Billy Bob Thorton test). The higher the count the greater level of jaundice. If the Billy Bob count is high enough, the baby may have to be admitted to the hospital and given special light treatment. It can be a serious condition, so the pediatrician scheduled a lab visit and appointment the next day to check his level.

Let's just say that visit was a nightmare: Mommy, just a few days after major abdominal surgery had to sit in a hard chair for nearly two hours, while we waited for someone to see us. I got pissed at the nurse practioner for making her wait so long (and no one ever came in to check on her - I had to track someone down just to find out what was going on) and then being a complete moron in handling Mommy's new mom anxieties... Well, Dylan's Billy Bob count was down but not enough, so we were told to come back in two days for the same thing.

That visit was not as long (only one hour sitting on the chair, but at least someone came in and told us what was going on), and while Dylan's Billy Bob count was the same, because he had put on weight, his relative level was down to a safe level.

Last week was his two week check up, and that went really well. We liked the peditrician, and the visit was done and over in under an hour! Dylan checked in at the 30th percentile for weight and the 80th percentile for height - long and skinny. But we got the thumbs up on his health, and that was what we wanted to hear.

He continues to grow leaps and bounds, changing nearly every day!

Bless His Pointed Little Head!

When Dylan was trying to come out, he got stuck. He was coming out sunny-side up. Now, if you've been pregnant, that is enough said. But for those who might need a little more 411, he was coming out face up, looking at Mommy's tummy and not her back. This is often called back labor - not a good thing. The back of the head is hard, even on a baby, and the baby's head pushing against the mom's backbone can create a lot of discomfort.

Now in addition to this, Dylan also was trying to come out at a weird angle, and his little head got stuck, jammed against Mommy's pelvic opening. Push as she might (and I have NEVER seen anyone work as hard as she did pushing!), he just was not budging. After a long time and a lot of pushing, the doctor advised that she could keep pushing, but it didn't look like things were changing, so she might want to consider a C-section. After some thought (and hours of hard work), Mommy went with the procedure.

When Dylan was born, he had a rather large lump on the top right side of his head. The doctor said the lump, a cephlahematoma, was the place where he was stuck trying to come out. A bit disconcerting at first, his lump has gone down considerably, like the doctors said it would. It may be some time before it completely goes away, maybe years. But we have grown rather fond of his little lump. Matthew actually expressed some disappointment that it was going away!

But that's what that lump is on the top of his head. Just in case you were wondering...

The Beginning: An Introduction

Dylan Joseph was born on Wednesday, September 12, 2007, 4:37 in the PM, at Kaiser South Sacramento Hospital. His mother went into labor the previous day, and was admitted to the hospital around 11:30PM on Tuesday night. After many hours of labor, and a Herculean effort on her part, it was decided that Dylan was not going to come out the 'regular' way, and a C-section was performed. Mother and Baby did well with the operation, and both are doing well nearly two weeks later.

Dylan weighed 7lbs 4oz and was 20 inches in length. He presented to the world a good covering of brown hair and the deepest of blue eyes, along with all fingers and toes, the appropriate number of ears and nose. Everything just right.

Mother and Baby were discharged on the evening of Friday, September 14, and all three of us headed home into this new uncharted territory. The two dogs, Peaches and Lucy, were allowed to be in the house, but the three cats (Ernest, Felix and Oscar) were banned to the garage - where they have stayed since. The cats have a tendency to get on everything with their dirty little paws, and we have not come to terms with how to get past that.

So our lives have been turned upside down, in every which way you can imagine. Our little family is perfect, and they are:

1) Mommy - this is her first baby and she has taken to being Mom like a duck to water! You'd never know this is her first. Dylan is a lucky little guy to have her taking care of him! She is breastfeeding Dylan and though it was a rocky start, things seem to have gotten a bit easier lately. Mommy is healing well from the operation, and there have been no known complications. But she just glows when she is with her son - ah, the beauty of the maternal instinct!

2) Poppy - this is my third baby, all boys. The two other ones are grown and capable. It has been so long since I've had a baby, though, this is very much like my first. What a thrill it is to have the chance to do this again! I am just pleased and excited about it, though a number of people have looked at me like I was crazy. Once Mommy and I decided to join lives, I asked her if she wanted to have kids, and she said "Yes." I told her I would do the parenthood thing again, no question about it. And so here we are!

3) Matthew (aka Dylan's oldest brother) - Matthew is my oldest son, 23 years (turns 24 in January). He is just out of the Navy and right now is living here with us. Matthew is working two jobs and that keeps him busy beyond belief. But he seems to be enchanted with his new baby brother and tolerant of the hectic schedule a newborn creates.

4) Jack (aka Dylan's younger older brother - now the middle child!) - Jack is not living with us; he is living in Louisville, KY, with his girlfriend. He's been back there nearly a year now, and is adjusting to life away from California. He's found a good job at Whole Foods and enjoys the work, as well as his co-workers. Jack turns 21 in a couple weeks here (10.09), and I will miss celebrating that birthday with him. While very proud of the life he is making for himself, and pleased with how well he is handling the huge move on his own, I miss him very much.

5) Peaches and Lucy - the dogs. Peaches is the Protector/Worrier. She spends her time worrying about and looking after Mommy, and now has the added duty of guarding Dylan. It is bound to wear her out! Lucy, well, she's just crazy! A chihuahua mix, she is high energy and cute. She is an obedient dog, and that keeps her (mostly) out of trouble.

6) Ernest, Felix and Oscar - the cats. Banned as I said earlier. Ernest is the best behaved out of the lot. I think his position in the household is pretty well assured. The other two - that remains to be seen. The black boys (Felix and Oscar) are brothers - bright, inquisitive and trouble-making - and are a pair that need to stay together. It will be hard to part with them if it comes to that - but it may.

7) Dylan - last but not least! He is showing his personality and character more and more, and we are falling even more and more in love with him! You wouldn't think it is possible, but it is. I know from my two older sons that that love just continues to grow and grow, and it is true with this new one too. He is darling and precious and a miracle. Parenthood is not a job - it is a life, and it now seems impossible that we lived any kind of life without little Dylan in it. I am very excited thinking about all the adventures and learning and life yet to be with this little guy!

All of us, save Jack, are living in what we call our baby house: 760 sq. ft, two bedrooms, one bath. We just remodeled the kitchen in preparation of Dylan's arrival, top to bottom, and that has made a huge difference living here. Jennifer and I talk of living someplace with more space for all of us. We shall see.