#SummerofDad 13: Coming in Loud and Clear

Rrrraaaaaaawwwwwwrrrr! (Photo credit: Julie Miesionczek)

Week 13 finds us in Seattle, staying amongst family and long-time friends, at the tail end of our summer-long trek. We’re here for another couple of days, enjoying the Pacific Northwest’s amazing sunny, cool summer. For touring, we’ve been to Discovery Park, Pike Place Market, the Chihuly Art Museum and the Central branch of the Seattle Public Library—all of which are great (except that Pike Place Market, which was a bit infested with tourists at the moment, but is probably great on a grey October day).

In the world of Gabe, you don’t have to be his primary parent to know that this is the week that he discovered his voice. And that he can be loud. And soft. But mostly loud. Fun!

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What’s She Doing Wednesday: Greetings from Sunny CA!

Lined up duckies: Jia duck, Daddy Duck, and Mommy Duck

Sorry for the delay, we just got internet up and running today.

We have packed up our cozy 4000+ sq foot home in Maryland, traveled 3000+ miles to California, unpacked, re-organized, and gotten “comfortable” in a short 6 days! It seems like it should’ve felt like a whirlwind, but really it feels like it has been a steady pace of chaos. I don’t even know where to begin this post, but basically we are living in Torrance, CA with a 1 mile trek to the beach (plus about 5 blocks of walking to the beach access) and have found ourselves in a really great apartment complex that is smack dab in what I feel is the best spot in the neighborhood. I’m sure there are plenty of neighborhoods in Torrance, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Hermosa Beach that feel similarly, but I’m really pretty happy with where we ended up. One block away is a big playground and even bigger park with a public library right next to it, a grocery store, pharmacy, and even about a half mile walk away are a bunch of restaurants and quick food spots. There’s some healthy hippie salad/smoothie joint I am eager to check out eventually. Why Torrance? The school district. And prices are reasonable considering it is in a great school district. Continue reading “What’s She Doing Wednesday: Greetings from Sunny CA!” »

#SummerofDad Week 12: A Week of Many Surprises

Gabe manages to spread his food everywhere. Notice the lack of rice on his face.

Greetings from Leavenworth, WA, for those of you keeping track of our whereabouts on your Rand McNally US Atlas and/or Google Map. It’s a quaint, German-themed touristy town about two-ish hours East of Seattle, nestled in a small valley in the Cascades. It’s gorgeous and warm (highs in the 90s-100s). We’re at another theater-based retreat, on the grounds of the lovely Icicle Creek Center for the Arts. Unfortunately, I have little or no babysitting help out here, so I am the de facto parent all day. And this week Gabe has made some spectacular developmental leaps—mostly in the psychological sphere.

And by “psychological sphere,” I mean he’s either been deliberately sabotaging my efforts to keep things somewhat clean/orderly or he’s really hitting his stride as a toddler. I think, based on the smirk and twinkle in his eyes and the cackling laugh, it’s the former and not the ladder. Also, I’m basing this on the fact that he’s now got some opinions and is being “difficult” at times, generally about what he wants to eat and when. The answer to this week’s question What does Gabe want to eat? is: berries. Of only the blue-, straw-, or rasp- varieties. And everything else might as well be poison or a toy. In any case, these two facts point to what I’m fairly sure is a growing craftiness of the practical joke variety—which I would normally wholeheartedly endorse. But it’s been a long week and it’s only Friday. How long of a week?

Here’s an incomplete list of Gabe’s exploits in the last 24-hours, complete with attempted silver linings:

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#SummerofDad Week 11: Small Moments and Part 2 of an Interview with Ben Bui, SAHD

Gabe enjoying some fresh-picked, Maine raspberries.

We wrapped up a week at the Jenny’s parent’s house, sadly departing our lovely lakeside retreat in Maine. Which is all to say, we’re on the road again, this time to NYC and then Seattle for almost two weeks. But the time in Maine was relaxing, as Gabe’s schedule was split between three adults (a great ratio for childcare), and I reflected a bit on my time being the primary parent.

One of the best parts about being the primary parent is that you get to witness, and sometime be the agent of, the small changes in your child’s behaviors and actions. They might start using a spoon as a tool (like, to eat) instead a toy (like, a yogurt catapult). Or maybe they learn to close a door or can identify their head (shoulders, knees, and/or toes).

And for some reason, I really love these small moments. I find them precious. And I mean “precious” in the literal meaning, “of great value,” not like how some creepy adults say it, He’s just so precious!, with its Gollem-like undertone of I’m-going-to-steal-your-baby-now. In any case, these small moments are the most special to me because they’re all around and constantly happening with young kids, if you keep your eyes open. The problem is that they’re so fleeting and near impossible to grasp and hold on to in any meaningful way.

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#SummerofDad Week 10: Double-feature: Why I’ve Grown to Love Primary Parenting, and Part 1 of An Interview with Ben Bui, SAHD

Today’s installment of #SoD is, as the title says, a double-feature: a quick post from me and then the first part of a very long, but honest and in-depth interview with a friend who, just this summer, went from being a successful lawyer at a bank in Austin, TX to a full-time Stay-at-Home-Dad (SAHD) in Dublin, Ireland. I hope you enjoy both posts! Continue reading “#SummerofDad Week 10: Double-feature: Why I’ve Grown to Love Primary Parenting, and Part 1 of An Interview with Ben Bui, SAHD” »

What’s She Doing Wednesday: Knocked Over

Sheesh. I’m pooped. After moderating the comments from my last post and my Facebook Page, I think I’m taking a break on intense controversial topics! I had no idea that the topic of circumcision was going to ignite such a fierce and aggressive crowd, I went into it thinking I was writing a lighthearted informative post. The positive is that it resulted in higher traffic to the blog, but geez, I’m mentally worn out. Next topic will be my look into VBAC’s (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean).

I was considering writing about Placentophagy (the practice of eating the placenta after delivery, for the claims of aiding in postpartum healing, mood, and energy levels), but realizing that that too, is a controversial topic for me to deal with right now, I will save that for another (much later) time.

So right now we are less than 2 weeks away from the big move. I’m stressed. Like really stressed. There’s no way around it. Jeff thinks I shouldn’t be stressed but I think he’s not being realistic. He got mad at me earlier in this process saying that we shouldn’t be moving if I’m going to be stressed out about it. HA! I mean, what move ISN’T stressful? Our in-town move last year, 20 miles from our condo with a 5 month old was stressful! How would a 3000+ mile move cross country manage to be not stressful? Men. They always find a way to be so casual about things. Grrrrr, hate that! haha…

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The Circumcision Decision

Disclaimer: in light of the unexpected and intense public response, I want to clarify that I am not an expert on the subject of circumcision, and this post is not intended to cover every aspect (FGM, sexual functions of the foreskin, psychological impacts on circumcised vs intact males, etc) of such a complex issue. This post is focused strictly on the medical perspective. I’m happy to be learning a great deal about the social, political, cultural and ethical aspects, from anyone and everyone who can share their thoughts respectfully. I do, however, intend to maintain this site as a safe place for my readers. If you’d like to post graphic photos or use disrespectful language, feel free to create your own site. Anyone violating this community standard will be deleted and permanently blocked.

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