Sicky Sick Boy

The last couple of days have been pretty tough. Out of no where Dylan came down with a cold that has made it hard for him to breathe through his nose, causes him to sneeze every few minutes and makes him cough as if he's choking. Generally Dylan is all smiles but he's now extremely sensitive to things that don't normally bother him like falling over on a pillow. On a typical day Dylan will topple twenty-three thousand times and pick himself back up with no avail but because he's under the weather he starts crying with each fall. We went through multiple outfit changes in light of him pooping all over himself, spitting up all over both of us and spilling food everywhere. It's hard to see your baby struggle when there's very little you can do but stand on the sidelines and baby him. I know when I was sick as a child I wanted to be babied by my mom so I ended up at home with Dylan to make sure his needs were met, felt comfortable in his element and had all the breastmilk the world had to offer. I want my little big boy to feel better!

I Don't Care If You're Only 7 Months, You're Learning How to Read.

I had an amazing weekend with Dylan. His teething was an annoyance but we babied him into a happy state and luckily it didn't interfere with any of our outtings. Dylan tends to be well behaved when we're out in public and then completely needy when we're at home. My only theory on this flip flop behavior pattern (other than being a master manipulator) is that when in a foreign environment Dylan wants to observe everything and take it all in and when he's on his turf, he knows his limitations and finds himself easily bored. Decoding Dylan's behavior is funny because I make him out to be a very complex thinker but for all I know he's just "do do do do do do" in his head 90% of the time. 

I casually googled "how to teach a seven month old how to read" and quickly realized at seven months old people are teaching their babies grossly different things, like how to sleep through the night or how to grab objects with their hands. Is it absolutely crazy that I want to do more!? Perhaps I am naive but prior to the google search I didn't think there was anything strange about getting a head start and teaching a baby how to recognize words. I figure that it's never too early to learn things but I suppose I'll start with colors, shapes, numbers and work my way up to the abc's. Ultimately it isn't so much about what information Dylan retains at this age but the fact we're spending our time together interacting and having fun.

I am a grumpy cat this morning because my dogs have given me allergies for a solid week and I didn't get to see the sleeping prince Dylan before I left for work. Luckily I received this set of pictures that have made me happy, happy, happy.

Hypothetical Acrobatics

Yesterday night I gave Dylan avocado and it proved to be a real winner as he happily gobbled it all up. But even with yummy-yummy in his tummy, Dylan was grumpy. I like to think that he gets upset because he misses me and wanted to spend the day together at home but truth is I don't know what's bothering him. I only know it's super annoying and he is one mean baby. We spent part of the night rolling around in bed like lunatic freaks playing wildly and then he ate some more before going down for the night. I promised him that this weekend we would have some fun and I would take him out for a walk so he could enjoy the summer while it's still here. Once autumn and winter sets in our outdoor activities are going to be limited and I'm afraid my little big boy is going to get cabin fever and go cuckoo. 

Dylan's wild ways always have me worried these days. There have been a couple of times where I’ve caught him sitting upright in his crib trying to use the corners to lift himself up. I immediately see the future and it isn't pretty: Dylan towering over the bars as he stands in his crib only to fall over the guardrail after he attempts to break free from his prison. My weekend project will consist of lowering his crib mattress to prevent his hypothetical acrobatics and my worrisome mind from going places I never want to visit. 

I am so excited to have the next three days off to spend with my little guy and we better do something fun because a promise is a promise and it must be kept!

Feeding Dizbaby

Feeding Dylan is extremely messy and amusing, especially because he is a master bib remover who is constantly finding ways to wiggle out of the bib to dirty up the place. On top of that, he only wants to eat if and what I'm eating and though there are some baby foods that tickle my fancy, spinach and potatoes is not one of them. I pretend like I'm eating and make the "OH YEAH THIS IS GREAT" face but even so, he has yet to finish one jar and a lot of food is going to waste. I'm not sure how clever of a communicator Dylan truly is but he shakes his head as if he's saying "no" when I am feeding him and I debate with myself whether he is actually saying no or just shaking his head because he has learned how to shake his head. Regardless, I have decided that this weekend I am going to attempt to make Dylan's food  myself because it's healthier, it's fresher, it's portion controlled and in theory it sounds super fun. 

On a side note, here is a picture from last month when Dylan met his German great-grandpa, his "uhr opa" which translates to clock grandpa. I love this photo.

The Big Reveal - 2 Teeth

The Approval Process

Lately I've been catching Dylan looking for my reactions to things that he isn't sure about. When dad makes a crazy wild laugh and Dylan doesn't know whether to smile or cry, he looks at me to determine whether it's okay to be that loud. When Dylan is overly ambitious in his movements and then falls over he looks at me to figure out whether he's hurt or not. When I notice him doing this I immediately smile and tell him what a cutie he is and he moves on unscathed but secretly inside I think, uh-oh, I better be careful how I react toward you because you're learning from me.

On Monday I strapped Dylan in his super-seat, a small chair that has a tray of toys he can play with, while I did the dishes a few feet away from him (btw, why don't adults have a version of these?). Five minutes into my dish duty Dylan began crying and I ignored him. He continued to fuss without a cause and I turned around and sternly said, "No Dylan, stop." He did a little puppy dog face and I turned back around and continued my work. He  began fussing again so I did the same thing, "No Dylan." Round three of fussy pants was different because I didn't say no, I simply looked at him in the same stern way and Dylan knew it was time to stop fussying around because a small puppy dog face later, he actually stopped. That fat lower lip he gives me when he's about to cry is extremely hard to resist because it's so darn cute but third time is a charm and without giving him extra attention he learned really quick that it wasn't the time to be whiny. Once the dishes were done we partied. 

I love my little big boy and his quest for approval but I definitely need to be mindful of my own reactions because the last thing I want to do is inadvertently teach him something silly, like how to be scared of spiders and squeal like a baby when you see one.

This Ones A Fighter

 And by "fighter", I mean he is fighting his sleep.

Weekend Recap Featuring a Dizbaby Grill

Last week Dylan woke up screaming three nights in a row and each time I went to get him he was already sitting up in his crib. He was fussy and irritable, one day he even felt as if he had a fever only for it to go away within hours. I was very confused until Friday when Dylan woke up with two teeth in his mouth. Aw!!! Another sure sign he's getting older, my little big boy has two budding white teeth that are as sharp as you can imagine a megalodon's teeth would be. Since then his sleeping schedule has resumed uninterrupted and I am super relieved. 

On Saturday Dylan and I accompanied my husband to a work gathering at his boss' house in Newport Beach. The view at the house was all ocean and incredibly breathtaking. Dylan was a big hit amongst co-workers, everyone loved him and they kidnapped him for lengthy amounts of time, passing him around like a piece of meat which didn't bother Dylan one bit. At one point I looked to see who was holding him only to witness Dylan surrounded by a group of five girls who were taking pictures with him. I was cracking up, six months old and he's already a ladies man. Dylan must have known not to embarrass the family with a bad attitude because he was on his best behavior, tricking everyone into thinking he's simply the happiest and sweetest baby of all the lands. Way to represent the family kid!

But the fun didn't stop there. On Sunday we went to my parent's house where two of my sisters (I have four sisters, five of us total) and niece Sofia were gathering for homemade pizza and some good times. My dad made six different pizzas, including bacon BBQ and "zee unzpeakable combination." Lately Dylan has been extremely insistent that he samples the same foods we are enjoying and will stop at nothing to grab a piece for himself. My husband almost always gives in and the pizza was no exception. He let him have a lick which gave Dylan enough time to engulf a mouthful that freaked my mom out and had my husband fishing for cheese he could choke on in his mouth. 

Overall the weekend was busier than usual and still quite successful. Dylan makes being a parent feel fun and the work involved feels natural and not like much work at all.

Impersonation, Plagiarism and Watermarking

Lately I've been reading a lot about people stealing blog content and the content popping up on blogs that impersonate the original authors. One person in particular, Faith, figured out a way to get her impersonator shut down and listed the resources that might help if you find yourself so unlucky. Plagiarism is awfully scary when it involves your children's photos being taken by a stranger who intends to use it for their own freaky agenda but it's a risk you take by blogging. There are precautionary tools you can use to make it more difficult for someone to pass off your stuff as theirs so going forward I will be watermarking all images of Dylan. It isn't what I want to do but it is what I must do to protect Dizmommy. What a crazy world we live in! On a positive note, my husband has offered to share his high quality photos of Dylan with me for use on dizmommy.com and I figure that will make up for the annoying little branding.

My Baby Shark

Yesterday I did not want to put Dylan to bed because he was being way too cute. We were rolling around in bed chanting "no sleep, too much fun!" in protest of bedtime. It was definitely a sight to see and he was digging all the wild movements. Dylan is a crazy baby whose lack of fear freaks me out. Years ago I took a child psychology class that touched on the innate fears that babies are born with and now that I have Dylan I find myself expecting him to be scared of the drop at the edge of the bed or falling backwards like I was taught but Dylan has proven to be no textbook baby. I gasp in horror when he plunges toward the floor (by choice) and throws his body back to fall on the pillow behind him. What if there were no cushions around, buddy? 

Discovery Channel's Shark Week might be over but with Dylan, it's always shark week at our house. He particularly likes to attack our down feathered pillows by throwing his face into them and jerking his head from side to side. He does this 5-6 times before coming up for air and repeating. He then becomes delirious like sharks do after a hefty feeding frenzy and proceeds to attack anything within reach, not limited to my arms, leg or face. If Dylan had teeth I would be in trouble but I have yet to hear of anyone being gummed to death. Still, safety is best guaranteed with a cage.

So You Want to Grow Up? Fine.

At six months old it seems as if Dylan has hit a certain point in his development where everything is happening extremely quickly and all at once. He is showing a greater interest in the world around him and as enjoyable as it is for me to watch him grow I find myself wanting to put these precious moments on slowmo. Recently he has discovered sitting up, rolling over, using his bum to scoot around the floor, how to spot and grab objects, how to peer around the walls when mommy walks out of a room and much more. Yesterday night I was conducting our bedtime massage routine and as I took my hands off of his fatty thighs to pump a little more lotion, Dylan flipped over on his stomach and began scooting away within seconds. "Hey! I'm not done yet!" I said whilst turning him back around.

Not long ago I had a baby that struggled with tummy-time and would scream and pout until I put him on his back, now he flees as soon as the opportunity presents itself. I love my little big boy and I don't want to miss a beat or let these moments pass into the past without enjoying them. He might be ready to crawl, eat food, drink water and get a sippy-cup but for me it's debatable. Dizbaby wants to go from one level of baby onto the next and all I can really do is say: challenge accepted.

DYLAN DID IT!!

Dylan had a doctor appointment this morning where he received four jabs of vaccinations. YIKES! He didn't react as bad as I imagined he would but there were tears and anger then there was sleep in the car and throw up on me once we got home. At the present time he is playing directly across from me and being especially cute and fun. But nothing could be cuter and more fun than what he's been doing over the past weekend, which brings me to...DYLAN DID IT! 

Over the weekend I put Dylan in his crib for nap time only for him to explain loudly and persistently that he wasn't tired. After letting him cry it out a bit with no end in sight I decided Dylan might have a point. I peeked my head into his room to see the status of his sleep level and BAM! Dylan is sitting up in bed despite having been laid down. Sleep level zero. Dylan has officially learned to sit up on his own from a laying down position and I couldn't be more proud! Of course with this new found freedom comes more demands such as DON'T YOU DARE LAY ME DOWN but I figure he can resolve that one on his own. I'm not afraid to poke the bear, especially when the bear is toothless and will learn a lesson or two.

Happy six months to my little big boy! 

Quality vs Quantity: Take What You Can Get

He used to be such an itty bitty baby.

Despite the fact I get off of work at 3pm so that I can spend more time with Dylan, I feel as if I have very little time with him during the week. After picking him up from Oma's and getting home, working out and making dinner, there is approximately two hours of quality time together before he's put down for the night. It's simply not enough! Though I don’t want to spoil the baby I try to make the most of the situation by keeping him happy and engaged to make our time of quality.

Yesterday a troubled Oma texted me to tell me that she was feeling torn, as she has been shopping for Christmas gifts for Dylan but she wants him to play with them now. I told her that she brought the distress upon herself, seeing as she’s buying Christmas presents in August. Her reply was, “August? I started in July!” Oy vey. This little big boy of mine is going to be spoiled whether I like it or not! He won’t even be a year old when the holidays hit and he’ll already have more gifts than some people get in a lifetime!

Summer is dwindling away and I believe a trip to the beach is overdue. Last summer I was pregnant and it was the last place I wanted to go but this year I desperately want to take Dizbaby to the sandy shores of our local beaches. We’re really lucky to live in southern California and it is silly not to take advantage of our coastline. So if my honey is reading this, let’s go to the beach!

Food Food Food

There is nothing like a home cooked meal and tonight I am anxious to go home and cook dinner. For whatever reason we really slacked off on going to the grocery store the past week and we have been eating out a lot. Last night we finally stocked up on some much needed fresh foods and tonight we shall feast. It's hard to come home and find the motivation to cook when you work all day on top of caring for a baby but today I am highly motivated. I'm making my favorite dish which is a hybrid of my two favorite dishes, one my mom makes and one my husband makes. Somehow I've intertwined them into deliciousness worthy of the title: my signature dish. I cant wait for Dylan to be a big boy eater that has favorite foods of his own and I hope he isn't picky like his father and eats everything like I do. Who am I kidding? My son is 20lbs at 6 months old, he obviously loves food!

This Past Weekend: One for the Books

Now that I'm back at work I can’t stop thinking about what an amazing weekend I had with my boys. For the past month we have neglected taking walks around the lake and it's a shame because they are as fun as exercise gets. So we made it a point to walk to breakfast on Saturday while construction was taking place at the house. By the time we got home we had 5 miles under our belts and a happy baby. Dylan loves our walks, he goes from being the fussiest drama queen to the happiest little big boy that wants nothing more than to stay awake and observe the giant world he's moving through via stroller. He's come quite far from his days as a newborn snoozer that slept through adventure. 

Later in the day my sister-in-law Norma came over to babysit Dylan so that the husband and I could go see Bob Dylan in concert. I was worried that Dylan would be a brat and embarrass the family but Norma said they had a fun bonding experience and they're now best friends. WHAT A RELIEF! The show itself was good, I got a Dylan shirt as a souvenir because I don't know if I'm going to see him again and I always regret when I don't fork up the $35 bucks in the name of being overpriced (which it is). I changed into the shirt immediately and had a night full of Bob Dylan, people watching (there are some strange ones at these Dylan shows), nachos, pineapple vodkas and Nancy Sinatra! I was elated when she stepped out as a surprise guest and began singing Bang Bang. It's something I never thought I'd see in my life. Jackson Browne also came out as a surprise guest but he doesn't excite me very much. While at the show I kept hearing people talk about "Dylan" and for a brief second I thought they were talking about my son. I hope my little baby grows up a Dylan fan because quite frankly you don't get much of a choice when you're named after the guy.

Now it's time to buckle down for another work week...which reminds me, I need to buy a powerball lotto ticket!

Another Fantastic Friday

As a working mom I find myself elated on Friday mornings, feeling as though I can do anything in the world. This most likely stems from the belief that if I can leave Dylan for four days a week then surely I can handle whatever screw is thrown at me in the meantime. I'm a pretty excitable person but I am extra excited for this weekend because for months I have had tickets to see Bob Dylan in concert and I finally get to use them tomorrow night! Though I've seen Bob live three times already, it never gets old when you're a big fan. But it's not the show alone I'm looking forward to I am ready for the entire experience of kissing my baby bye-bye and having an adult night with my husband where we only have to worry about how many beers we're drinking on a hot summer night. My sister-in-law is babysitting Dylan at our house and I'm hoping she comes down with a serious case of baby fever because I could always use another niece or nephew.  

Here's to a great weekend that moves slowly in the name of taking it all in!

As Good As It Gets

Dizbaby Gettin' Old!

I resent Dylan's eczema. This morning Dylan had blood on his shirt from the recent flare up on his cheek that he must have scratched when he woke up. I'm very sensitive to the sight of another person's blood and seeing Dylan's made me feel woozy. Knowing that his cheeks itch him to the extent he draws blood from the scratching aches my heart. Stupid genetics. At least he's super cute! 

My little big boy has a doctor's appointment for his 6 month checkup pretty soon and like every doctor's visit, I am appalled that so much time has passed since welcoming him into the world. As Dylan becomes more aware of his surroundings I want to make sure his childhood is as memorable and magical as mine was. My parents did a great job with me and have inspired me to do a great job with my lovey dovey. And within a couple of years I'm hoping we'll have another addition to our family byway of adoption. The husband and I have an adoption orientation in the middle of this month and I am excited to get the party started and learn more about the lengthy process. What a fun part of my life being a parent is turning out to be!