12 Weeks of Grace

I is a poet and I dun't even nose it!

It's been quite some time since I posted so I guess I'll throw this little poem into the mix. Didn't really want to, but whatever. Grace and I were just chillin' a couple of weeks before I was to return to work and I felt the urge to start writing. This is what came out. Here goes.

To stay at home and be with my baby.

Dani says yes, yet I say maybe.

To be rich and not worry of a thing,

That would cushion the painful sting.

The sting of work,

The sting of loneliness;

Why leave now and feel depressed?

She cries,

She eats,

While I just giggle;

I love to watch her sit, lay, and wiggle.

Such a treasure,

Such total bliss.

I cannot wait when she knows of a kiss.

To know of love,

Of family, and God.

She makes my world better,

Since she is my job.

Kauai or bust

6 months

Just to recapp our trip a few weeks ago to Kauai. It was great. All those concerns of the flight were put to rest. Grace was just amazing. If she wasn't sleeping she was completely adorable. The only issue was her sleep pattern, as well as ours. Up at 3am and alseep by 6pm made for interesting days. The sun was another rival with mommy lubing up the baby every spare moment... even in the shade! Better safe than sorry. What is cuter than a baby in a swimsuit?


A baby swimming in the said swimsuit. Hilarious. Little thunder thighs kicking around and small fingers and little toes grabbing at the water. Then, she began to fall asleep. The next time we went swimming was in the ocean and she was less than exited about the surf hitting her toes. Hilarious as well. With Kauai's abundance of water falls, mountains, and several other natural wonders I couldn't help but think of when we return so Gracie can really appreciate it. This time she was more amazed with mommies hair or that strap blowing in the breeze. Still a sight to behold.

At 5-6 months of learning, Grace has become quite stable sitting up on her own and even stops herself from tipping over... sometimes. Tummy time has been getting more exciting at this point due to her ability to lift herself up and even putting her butt up (once now). I keep expecting to see her crawling around and actually, as scary as it sounds, I am looking forward to it.

Huh, imagine that?

Well, I received word from LaForce that they expect me back a week prior to what was discussed, regardless of what was approved or not. Even after a year and a half of service they won't give me any leeway. Surprising because I really did try to make it work there. I would have thought that even after a minor discrepancy in time, they would attempt to work it out with me but they tell me if I do not return a week prior (on time in their eyes) I will officially have resigned from my position as production coordinator at LaForce. It just mind boggles me how they are willing to let all of it go and start over to prove a point. Maybe that is why this company is where it's at after all these years. It seems to me that loyalty no longer exists. I have yet to ever see it and even when I catch a glimpse of it I get totally screwed over. Even after asking for acceptance they refused to negotiate. I am convinced this scenario was preconceived and that they as well as I needed change. I hope they fail. They are not good people. They and there policies should burn and rot in hell. Not only did they doop me out of my CDL, but also out of an actual position that supervises a shop instead of being the shop. Liars. Cheats. Thieves. Bastards. I hope they fail... badly. I have never wished damage on anyone but this company cares only of numbers and not of people. Wrong. Just dead wrong. They deserve to fail. Karma some call it. Well, I hated my job there and now they (or someone else) gave me a reason to leave. I will most definitely not ditch my family vacation for that shit hole... pardon my french. Some people have priorities... mine... family, friends... not LaForce! Looks like I got what I wanted. Scary. So, long story short, it looks like I am a stay at home dad after all : ) Time for a walk Gracie.

It's The Final Countdown

Grace has gone down to nap and only for a half hour I'm sure, so we'll see how much gets accomplished here. We are at a tad over 5 months and she is growing and learning so fast. It seems she is starting to get a little personality and becoming more ticklish as well. How is it that something so cute become cuter and why does the house no longer smell of just dog but of baby pee? Even after cleaning. We had that caramel coffee that smelled of poo, so is there coffee which smells of pee somewhere? Did I misplace a diaper along the way?

Camping for the first time seemed easier than most had thought. I was looking forward to it since day one and I received so many bewildered looks when even speaking of the idea. Not bad at all... but then again... we have super baby. I was somewhat concerned of the smoke but it proved to not phase her; and mosquito's, not one in sight. I should try my hand at gabbling due to the simple fact that I struck gold with my awesome wife and again with a halfway decent puppy and yet again with Gracie. Huh? Maybe. Anyhoo, to watch Grace absorb the trees, the breeze, the leaves (I'll stop there cuz it's beginning to rhyme) is just hilarious. Left, right, left again, then up. She is all over just taking it in. Big eyes.

Watching her with toys is too funny. Staring then eating, at least attempting to. Scary when she gags. Whether it be her fist or her finger. Still hasn't figured that one out. And she got a little carried away with a teething toy earlier. Just scary. Hasn't figured out she can't eat the puppie's nose either. She almost got it a few times now. It seems that chewing on something tends to calm her but that may change when she does finally get a hold of Nyla's nose.

I have two weeks until I am to return to work and as I mentioned before (in so many words), I am kinda lost. This is by far the best job I have ever had... and quite possibly, ever will. Thankfully we will have a few days basking in the island sun as a family. Less Nyla of course. I am amped out to see how Grace will react to our upcoming Hawaiian vacation. How will she like the feel of sand in between her little toes and fingers? The sounds of waves splashing and birds calling? Sounds of palm fronds rustling? The warmth of the sun being cooled by an ocean breeze, with it's distinctive scent as it passes over her round nose? Waking to the sound of flying roosters? Damn those roosters. I hope the flights don't take a toll on her and pray her ears don't cause her pain. Just like camping, this too will be a learning experience. Well, it is that time as my little buddy is calling. Aloha!

There's No Place Like Home

Well crap, three weeks and counting. Where did the time go. It was most definitely worth it. Just thinking of going back to "work" has me doing job searches for something new and has me thinking of how we could make this stay home dad thing work for the long haul. I have tried making cash with stock photos, building corn hole games, selling my junk, doing side jobs, and hooking on the corner, but only selling my junk has paid off. Actual junk that is, not my personal "junk" (get it)? Anyhoo, I am beginning to get bummed and fear that during our upcoming vacation the week before my leave ends, will be drowned with thoughts of sorrow as I leave my sweet little baby to make money : (


I now wonder if I would hold up to a late night part time job after Dani gets home. I kinda doubt it as I just want to crawl into bed around 10pm anymore. Might be an idea though. What if I did my own gig and made my own hours? Kinda tried that this past 12 weeks and look where it got me. Huh? Think.?. I'm drawing blanks. Maybe stuffing envelopes? Riiiight. It's not that I hate working, I just don't want to miss all the things Grace will go through. Watching her now as we walk through the parks and preserves... so aware. Sitting up, throwing up, discovering toys, sleepy eyes, sleepy cries, being a lap baby, overflowing Target diapers, new food. Target diapers suck... for me.

Show Me The Money!

Forty count pack of diapers, $11. Five pack refill of wipes, $11 . Watching your newborn grow before your eyes, priceless.

So, is the American dream owning a home or spending time with your child. Maybe both? All I know is that I'm diggin' this little venture thus far. One problem. It doesn't pay that well... or anything. I have been attempting to find a way to make some "diaper cash" while tending to our little one and have yet to discover the best way.

I have tried a few things, but to no avail have yet to make any revenue. While cleaning out the garage one weekend I came across some items I new I should just part with and decided to take some pics and put 'em online. This is frustrating, especially for myself, because I tend to hate people. That's right. Truth be told. I can't stand getting a call from a foreigner, only to run in circles trying to figure out what is being said and what is being understood... I just have to hang up at a certain point. Then you have the jerks that call for the details on an item they saw an ad for. Huh! Read the ad and find those details. But, worse yet is the character who calls to set a time for a visit and never shows or even answers when called upon to see what is going on. It gets worse yet. It has only happened once, but this ass actually showed up, made an offer, which we agreed upon and said he would return the next day at this time with this person la la la. So, when that time came and he was AWOL, I called and got this long story and he rescheduled to the next day... and did the same exact thing. Sorry loser. Onto the next guy. People are ridiculous and have absolutely no consideration of others. The bright side is that sometimes the good person does follow through and it all works out. I just hate the B.S. along the way.


In the past month and a half I have found a few ways to make some cash and still have the ability to chill with Grace. With some of these ideas I am still waiting for results. I have seen magazines saying "make thousands working from home". If you look into that you'll be hard pressed to find any ideas of how to work from home with a little one strapped to you. These ideas will take that into account.

• Sell your junk or unneeded items, as mentioned above, whether it be a garage sale or classified ad or even a grocery store flier.



• Cash in all your loose pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. Sure you're not making money, but at least it's in a more spendable form. It adds up quick.



• Cash for cans. Scrap metal in general can be had for free. Some people will even pay to have it removed. Do you have beer drinking friends? Give 'em a pale for their cans. Look for junk ovens and other appliances in classifieds and take it away. Now, I'm not saying to be one of those dirtbags "stealing" peoples gutters and riffling through dumpsters but that's your call.

• Sell Avon. I have a friend who does it. I know nothing about it. Really... it's a friend!

• Do you have a camera? Sell stock photos. I could go in depth on this but there is so much material out there so just google it. I have been using istockphoto and it hasn't really paid off. Kinda a pain in the butt. I have learned a few things though. Give it a shot. Maybe it will pay off for you.

Crafts. From birdhouses to knitting. What's your hobby? Sell framed photos if you like playing with your camera. Make wind chimes. Knit scarves. Some crafts are fun to do with the kids given they are at that age. Enter a crafts show to show it off.

• Write. Build a book, write an article, or even blog. You never know what it may turn into.

• Turn your past occupation into a gig if it will fit. You may have to work after hours. If you did accounting you could do something I'm sure. If you did something not possible to do around a baby you could always do it when mama gets home or even on the weekends... if you have the time.

• Do you have a green thumb? If your garden is getting too large, if that's possible, divide your plants up and sell them at a fraction of the cost a garden center would.

• Try throwing a bake sale. Never done it. Except in church. May work though... and I'm sure the kids would have fun too considering thet're old enough.

Regardless how limited you are, there are still opportunities out there. Again... something is better than nothing.

On a slightly different note, today is/was the 7th anniversary of the attacks against the USA. My hats off to you... all of you. R.I.P.

What'd I Get Myself Into?

Just over 4 months old.

Well, I am about fed up with Comcast's internet service as well as their customer service. Grr!Besides that, all is well and I am really beginning to worry about what's to come. Our little munchkin has taken my glasses off, pinched me repeatedly, and is grabbing things at random. Sure she doesn't know, but that's what worries me. What happens when she realizes how to throw things?

So, now that things are progressing as they should, I can't help but think of the stairs, knives, table corners, tools laying around (all Dani's of course), and the dreaded skull and cross bones under the sink. Baby proofing, less naps, and way more activity (from the baby that is). Too much to watch out for, yet I honestly cannot wait. A little person wobbling around on her own, speaking crazy talk more than she does already, eating rocks (trying), more and more giggles, ticklish toes, food... the real thing... or one step closer. As messy as it will be I am really looking forward to "helicopters" and "airplanes" and the swatting them away as they're landing. Too funny. At least the first few times.

Grace had her 4 month checkup a few days ago and we got the news we were so excited to hear. Onto cereal and then baby foods. Cool. Too bad the doc said I must wait a bit lonfer for my pilot's liscence. Upon Dani's arrival home from getting the cereal, I found that my lovely wife was way more excited about baby food than I was as she had grabbed two of everything. Two sweet potatoes, two beans, two of this and two of that. We can't even give her that stuff for a month or so. Were the floods coming... Armageddon maybe? I thought she jumped the guns a little until the rains came for four days straight. Just nature tough.

The first feeding was very interesting. The look alone said a million. I don't believe that she was too impressed as the looks of wonder and confusion quickly turned to disgust and distaste. Then came the liquid vitamin. Woe! Not good at all. In goes the spoon at out comes the mixture. I'd say maybe 50% of what went in made it own the hatch. She took it well for the most part and actually began to figure it out the next time around.

One Month Down

Well, due to internet issues, we missed week three which was fun filled. I think we left off with tummy time and Grace attempting to find a boob in the covers somewhere... huh... so I'm not the only one.

Anyhoo, Grace is rolling over, and has been for what seems like forever. She doesn't do it as much as I thought she would. Just sporatically. Again, it all seems to be going by so fast. Watching Grace trying to sit up reminds me of myself trying to pry myself off the couch only I make the old man grown... not good. To remedy this problem (the old man groan) we have continued to do our long walks around the area with Nyla. Danielley attends on occasion too and does she ever get concerned about the sun. If it's not the hat it's the hat, sunscreen, glasses, and spit rags... can't even see the poor baby. Better safe than sorry I suppose. The stroller was even converted into a beer cart once. Really, it was just once. It was her idea. Talk about multi-tasking!

Still no answer to the "pick me up cry". Two days of that tend to tire one out quicker than usual. Good thing nothing phases me. This curve ball gets thrown into the mix more often than you may think. A few days went like this...

• Day 1 - Grace slept most of the day and ate only once between. Kinda worried me but she seemed content and I actually got a ton of work done around the house. Actually, nothing got done, just progressed a bit.




• Day 2 - The morning was fun with tummy time and sit-ups (no, not me). Then came noon and heaven forbid a nap was in the mix. Needless to say, that didn't happen. Just a bunch of fussing. If she isn't in my arms she isn't diggin' it.




• Day 3 - Ditto Day 2




• Day 4 - Things are back to normal. Sleep a little, play a little, eat, sleep a little more, eat, play some some more, and sleep.

Grace has also gone from stuffing her entire hand in her mouth to choosing a thumb.

This Is Nothin'!

Week Two

Well, here we are in week two of the adventure and I seem to be inseperable from my lil' buddie Gracie. To anybody considering jumping into this scenario... do it! I am having a blast. I even find myself swaying the baby when I don't even have her...wierd. Luckily I haven't been caught yet. That'd be embarrassing. Grace is a few days over the 3 month mark now and she is getting more and more talkative. She is growing so fast it seems. Still waiting for her to roll over during tummy time though. When seated in the near upright position she tends to lean forward and topple over which is quite amusing yet worrying at the same time.

Here we go!

Week one



Dani left me with Grace on Saturday so she could get some things ready for her return the the work place. I don't think it went too well for me or Grace, as she seemed very fussy. Was it tiredness or sleepiness? I sure hope it isn't always like that. She would nap for maybe 20 minutes then get all pissy when she woke up. I dunno.?. This is gonna take some getting used to but I know I am up for it. I wasn't getting mad or grouchy about Grace's frustration, just felt bad she couldn't relax and that I couldn't help her.

Monday went better than the Saturday prior. No walks due to thunderstorms though. I attempted to load pictures and blog while Grace was napping, which was very sporadic and quite short. I have realized that she loves to be held whether sleeping or awake and she gets a tad heavy... even for a guy with arms as large as mine : ) I strapped up the baby backpack thingy (hangs on the front) and carried her with me. Worked out well but gets tiring too, and warm in steamy weather.

A new finding is that Grace really gets comfy in this donut feeding pillow dealy. It's nice because she tends to sleep much longer in it than anything else. She has woken up a few times this past nap and I just cuddle her right back to sleep. It's not that I don't want her to wake up, but she gets a bit grouchy when she doesn't get enough sleep... like mommy. It's funny how she gets so upset trying to stay awake. All she needs at that point is some snuggles to convince her. She really just does what she wants right now... no schedule. How does one go about setting a sleep schedule for a newborn and when should it begin? Huh? I have a lot to come and I can't wait.

Already In Vacation Mode

The countdown has begun and I can wait no longer. The air in this shop couldn't be cut with a knife. Thick stagnant air that even the three fans and a window air conditioiner propped on a nearby table are unable to combat. I've had a one track mind lately, as I have for quite some time now, besides the thoughts of how certain parts of my body are constanly sticking to others. Thoughts of diapers and naps, of tummy time and bottle feedings, of giggles and cries. Oh, what's to come? Whatever it is, it will be here soon enough and I can't stand the anticipation. Having put in for my FMLA (family medical leave), due to my " baby mama's" returning to work, has been kind of a change lately. Only in that I have been planning things to do with three month old Grace which focus on getting out of the house and into the world.

Having recently snagged a jogging stroller and bike trailer from the classifieds I am ready to get on a roll, literally. How will Gracie take to this idea I wonder. When I discussed these same plans with her she gave me this crazy look like I was out of my mind. Funny, it's the same look mommy makes when workouts are mentioned. Well, only time will tell. To see the trees in the park and clouds in the sky (if she can even see that far) and to feel the breeze and to hear the birds. The list could go on. Then again, I think she is more concerned with eating, sleeping, and pooping. Well, I went so far to get these things all cleaned up only to realize that helments aren't made for tiny people... and the warning on the trailer and bike seat confirmed that. Maybe that explains the look she gave me. Bummer! There's always next year. At least we have the jogging stroller I'm sure I will only walk with. Somehow I ended up with some of the baby weight, and now I'm thinking I got the bulk of it. It's true that it's only cute on babies. Bummer again.

Handing Over Gracie

Before my amazing husband - aka 'Metal God' - takes over watching Gracie all day, I'd like to share how my experience has been staying home with her. I - aka 'Mrs. Metal God' - have been blessed enough to be able to take my 12 weeks off of my senior accounting position to stay home with our new daughter Grace. It has been absolutely wonderful and has gone WAY too quickly! I LOVED being pregnant but I absolutely LOVE being a mommy! I have just enjoyed every minute of Grace - from the special bonding times when we nurse to the poopy explosions that happen afterwards! Our days are pretty simple, we eat, poop, and sleep...and then repeat! I usually try to set at least one goal for myself everyday - whether it's to vacuum, check my email, or pluck both eyebrows! That way I don't feel like the day has completely gotten away from me. Since Grace is our first baby, we both had no idea what to expect. In a way John has it a little easier with his 12 weeks because now we're both pretty familiar with her hungry cry versus her tired cry and so on. I had to figure these out the hard way - although I enjoyed it! Also Gracie is much more alert now and is smiling and cooing at us - John is going to have so much fun playing with her! I know I've been a little paranoid and overly protective with Grace going outside, etc (afraid she'll get bit by mosquitoes, afraid she'll get sunburned...) - but John has helped me not to worry so much (it really must be a girl thing!). I really haven't gotten Grace into any sort of a schedule yet. She is still very much on demand for when she's hungry or tired - I think we'll worry about setting more of a set schedule when we get her ready for daycare (which we haven't figured out yet and I don't want to!).