Just arrived...

Maggie Elizabeth Morris, 8 lbs. 10 oz., 21 inches, born at 1:27 pm on Mother's Day, May 9, 2010. Both mom and baby are doing well!

I wasn't as "play-by-play" active on the blog this time as I was with Grayson. So Maggie, I apologize if someday you feel slighted. I love you just as much!

This is not a drill... we are at DEFCON 2

I have started most of my latest posts the same way: "It's been a while since I've posted."

This time, it's true. It's been since January, to be exact, and I'm breaking my blog silence to make an announcement - we're having our baby!

Maggie Elizabeth Morris is on the way tonight. Mommy's water broke at Ada and Angie's house and we had to leave in a rush. Grayson is staying at Mana's and we're checked into the hospital.

Cool fact number one: Maggie will be born in the same room as Grayson.

Cool fact number two: Grayson was born on Emily's birthday, and Maggie will be born on Mother's Day. (Yes. I'm feeling left out.)

Since I've basically stopped blogging regularly, this will be mostly to document our new baby's birth for our family... but if you're still checking in now and then, feel free to read along.

525,600 minutes

In the span of what seemed like only three months, we've gone from this:


To this:

Happy First Birthday, Grayson Thomas Morris! Your dad is proud of you and loves you very much.

In a pretty rare event, Emily gave birth to Grayson on HER birthday... so both are celebrating today. Love you Emily, happy first 29th birthday!

Captionating

You have got to be shitting me.

If they're good enough for Ditka...

Is the bear worthy?

Yeah, OK. It's worthy.

Peach Face

Grayson has begun eating solid foods. (well, as solid as pureed bananas and sweet potatoes can be)

It appears he doesn't like peaches... or is it just me?

I feel safer in the water already

Bluish Gray

On the sixth day Gray created poop (a baby story)

When a baby is born, he generally poops quite frequently. In fact, it usually happens at every diaper change... many times directly after the change.

Then, within two or three months, something strange happens. The infant metabolism begins to change. The frequency of mango pudding pants (exactly what it looks like) slows down and sometimes even... stops.

Six days ago, Gray's Creation of Caca came to a screeching halt. It was as if someone had applied a cork.

Don't get me wrong, the diaper-changer in me rejoiced. We had looked forward to the slowing-of-the-flow for a long time, but for it to just stop? It's not something we anticipated.

The father in me freaked. Three days came and went. Four. FIVE days. (yesterday) Do you know what happens (other than hydroelectricity) when a dam is built?

And then came today, The Sixth Day.

It began like any other day. Grayson woke up between 6:00 and 7:00 am. He ate, he napped. Steady as she goes.

Do you know how dogs can sense impending natural disaster? Regis got the shakes and ran to the basement. I knew something evil was afoot.

As I was making coffee, Grayson's face turned a little red and he got a determined look on his face. A smell began permeating the air. I recognized the signs, grabbed the baby and ran for the shelter of the changing table. All the supplies we would need are there.

The natural disaster was apparently a volcano... and all we could do was sit tight and ride it out. After what felt like hours of eruption, belching of "smoke" and "ash," finally it was calm.

As I opened the diaper to survey the damage, the humid, acrid air enveloped my head and tears filled my eyes. The damage was widespread. The butt-lava flow had gotten into every crevice of his junk. Many trailer parks were destroyed.

I declared the diaper a disaster area and entered Rescue and Recovery mode. It required seven wet-wipes, a very strong gag reflex and all my National Guard-like skills.

Despite the widespread damage, no reinforcements would come. I was on my own, and that's okay. I do my best work in solitude. I had been preparing for this moment all my life. I dug in and did what I had to do... and before I knew it, the entire area had been rehabbed and life in Gray's pants was back to normal.

Yes, the Diaper Genie II paid for itself today.

Previous to Grayson's birth, I thought moms were the ones who changed the diapers. Today I discovered it takes a man to save the world.

On the sixth day, Gray created poop. And it was good.

Highest rollover rating in his class

Sometimes you just need your best friend to show you how it's done.



That's my boy! I'm very proud of him and yet I wish he'd slow down a little. No rush, Gray. Rolling over means crawling. Crawling means walking. Walking can take you out the door and far away.

So I have an idea... let's just lay here on our tummies and play. Forget about that silly rolling over thing, okay son? There's plenty of time for that.

Baby photos!

First, an announcement. Today, Grayson rolled over for the first time ever... like, three times! Front to back, in both directions. And while I'm waxing infant, he has gone TWO days without pooping. Yes, the child who pooped six to eight times a day for two months has now nearly ceased defecating.

I know, minutia of parenthood makes for boring reading... and yet I forge ahead.

It's hard to believe Grayson will be three months old tomorrow! Here are a few photos, arranged from oldest to newest.

A little nap for a little guy. He baby-snores too.

You wonder what he's thinking. Most likely "pflegimnowrp."

A nap is a nap, even if it's on Dad.

As I said, a nap is a nap.

He's starting to develop his facial features and personality - he's a little over a month old here.

Joe Cool, getting ready for a stroll in the neighborhood.

He looks like his Dad. And yet like his Mom. And to think this photo was taken before he could speak Portugese. Time flies.

Same baby? You decide.

Day One:


Day Eighty:

It's hard to believe how quickly their features develop! He's a cutie, for sure.

Wiling away the hours

One of the first "skills" my son has learned is to make his stuffed animals shake. The three of them hang above his bouncer - Zippy the zebra, Gary the gator and Edgar the elephant.



Witness the brilliance - and he learned this at about 5-6 weeks.

Don't we all believe our children are advanced?

Shhhhhh, the baby's sleeping

Monumental day. Huge.

We put the baby down for the night at around 9:00 pm. He woke up at 6:30 am.

This would qualify as his first time sleeping through the night. He is only 7 1/2 weeks old, which is pretty phenomenal! We'll see if it continues, but all things considered, it's very, very big.

We started doing something called a "dream feed" this week. We put him down at 8:30 or 9, go in and feed him while he sleeps at about 11, and that usually tides him over for 5 hours or so. Last night it lasted quite a bit longer.

He woke up bright-eyed and bushy tailed this morning - and so did his parents, for a change.

Be quiet I'll get you something nice...

The words to the nursery rhyme "Hush Little Baby" slay me:

Hush, little baby, don't say a word.

Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird
And if that mockingbird won't sing,

Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring.

If you'll just be quiet, I'll spend a lot of money on you. Diamond rings aside, have you priced mockingbirds these days? A high price to pay for a little silence.

I say let the little tyke cry a bit. It's cheaper and helps develop their lungs.

Talk about losing the thread...

For the past three weeks, I have completely and utterly ignored my blog. I have no excuses.

Well, I have one. He's almost 13 pounds now and we're down to one feeding per night. Talk about life changing! I have an 18 year old too, but it's amazing what you forget over the years. Things like how utterly dependent they are on you. How innocent and beautiful babies are. How fascinating it is that they are made of the same genetic code as you.

So it's 2:00 am on a Sunday morning and here I sit. Up for Grayson's midnight snack and (incorrectly) thinking it's a good time to blog.

"It takes a long time to grow young" - Pablo Picasso

It was a great day to turn 44!

Last night, Em's mom and grandmother came and brought dinner, along with a nice strawberry shortcake. Is there anything like fresh strawberries on angel food cake?

Neither Pauline nor Wilma (isn't that the greatest gramma name ever?) could decide on a card, so they both got me two, and between them they contained $150. Um... thanks for the cash, but did I really need FOUR paper reminders I'm 44?

No seriously, thanks for the cash, I'm going to use it toward a brush guard for my Hummer. I must find a way to keep all that brush off my grill. When Emily tells me I don't need a guard because I never take it off-road, I tell her I never take it off-road because I don't have a guard.

She accuses me of being a "West County" Hummer driver. That's not very nice.

Anyway, today I spent the day with my son, then the lovely Em and I snuck out to dinner while her mother watched Grayson. We went to Bristol's for seafood.

All in all, it was a nice birthday. I'm wrapping it up by catching up on Tivo'd shows while watching my son snooze in his bouncer. A great way to end the day...

A couple of shots of Mini-Me.

Sparky chillin' out on the dog Uncle Gary got him.
Snuggling with daddy in my office one day after work.

Zzzzzzzzz

Takin' a nap on the floor in the nursery. I actually never fully dozed off, I was enjoying the moment too much.


Mom doing the same thing.

Mousetrap

Putting a baby down to sleep is a little like setting a mousetrap.

You must gingerly "set" both... for the baby, it's a fresh diaper, swaddle, a little soothing and a pacifier. It's analogous to putting the crossbar of the trap into the little slot, releasing the tension and hoping it holds.

Then, you have to quietly, easily, set the baby down. Much like a moustrap, if you make the wrong move...

SNAP!!!!!!!!!

If you're a parent and have ever set a mousetrap, you will get this analogy. Sometimes, in either case, it's best for the faint of heart to leave the room and allow someone more brave to handle things. Which is why, at 4:45 am, I'm in the kitchen writing this.

One more picture (yeah, as if)

We are out of the hospital and back home. Good thing too, because that stupid fold-out ridiculous-excuse-for-a-bed chair was killing my back!


Yawning.