Baby Dumpling's Poppa

Baby Dumpling is 4 Months Old

Yesterday Baby Dumpling became 4 months old and had the 4 month check up at the doctor, plus 4 shots and one oral immunization.  We'll get into the shots later in this post.  Her stats are pretty good, she is now just over 15 pounds and 25 inches.  The doctor said that puts her in the 85+ percentile, I have no idea what that means or why it's important but apparently it's important to someone somewhere.  What I know is that she is more than double her birth weight, we thought that would happen around 8 months, and she's out grown all the 4-6 along with most of the 6-9 month.  I know the size of baby clothes vary but when a baby averages over 2 pounds and 1.5 inches a month it's really hard to judge what will or will not fit.  When we buy the clothes we try it out right away and everything fits, then about 1 week later it starts to get a little tight and within a month it's too small...Maybe it would be better to buy baby clothes on a daily basis from Wal-mart, that way she can wear it for a couple of days or a week then we can return it saying it's too small and I need to exchange for the larger size.  They'll believe me because I'm a guy, and everyone knows that men don't do well when it comes to sizes or shopping for clothes. 

The doctor said everything is going really well with Baby Dumpling.  She's growing very well and her strength is really good as well.  The doc recommended we start giving Vitamin D to her because we live in the Pacific Northwest and there's almost no sunshine until the month of summer which is August.  So today I went to the vitamin store and asked for infant vitamin D.  Apparently there isn't much demand for this because they don't sell just the vitamin D, they sell the multi-vitamin.  I'm not sure the baby needs a multi-vitamin because she seems to be growing quite well without it.  I'm a little nervous to give her a multi-vitamin, that might cause her to have a growth spurt.

Then came the shots, 4 of them.  The first was o.k., Baby Dumpling didn't even flinch.  The second one got her screaming like we were using her for a pin cushion.  The other 2 didn't seem to have any effect because she continued to scream from the second.  The screaming lasted until we left the office.  My wife said that wasn't a "pain" scream... that was a very "mad" scream.  By the time we started driving Baby Dumpling was fast asleep.  I know that if you have a screaming baby/child you just put them in the car seat and drive around the block for about 10 minutes and they'll be out like a light.  The problem is gas prices are really high so that may not be an option anymore. 

When we arrived home and I took her in the house she was sleeping really good, but you are not suppose to leave a baby in the car seat so I took her out.  The "MAD" scream returned right away, I think whoever said don't let the child sleep in the car seat should have been exact.  Say something like don't let the child sleep in the car seat after arriving home unless they got shots at the doctor, then you can leave them for up to 5 hours.  That would allow the parents to rest and get things set up, like dinner, and it would allow the baby to forget that she was mad to start with.  Because that was not in the car seat handbook, I took her out and the mad scream came.  I hoped I could get her back to sleep if I put her in the crib, and tried some of the things that my wife uses to get Baby Dumpling to sleep.  None of that worked.  So after what seemed to be hours I thought I could sing the baby to sleep, but I only know 1 lullaby and my singing is so bad I can't even do it in the shower, but I decided to try.  I sort of know, "Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ral" by Bing Crosby.  I really like Bing.  So I started singing it and right away Baby Dumpling became quiet, cry stopped, I felt encouragement by this so I kept singing.  Then she looked at me in the eyes and gave me a huge ear to ear smile that wasn't related to gas or any other bodily functions.  Again I was encouraged, so I continued.  Just after the big smile, the eyes started closing and then she was asleep.  I never sang to Baby Dumpling before, mainly because my singing is so bad I didn't want her to start screaming, but this time I had nothing to loose.  Any soon to be poppa's will learn what that feels like, and the ones that do know never forget.  I will never forget that on my baby's 4th month birthday I sang her to sleep.  It's truly an incredible feeling, better than holding her on my lap and reading to her when she falls asleep. 

Wife Returning to Work after Baby is Born

My wife decided that she wanted to return to work even though we really don't need the extra money right now and I am just not happy about it.  I could understand if we needed the money or if she got a job working a few hours a week but returning to a full time job is just plain insane, in my opinion. 

I know that taking care of a baby and a husband is like having 2 full time jobs and with my mother-in-law coming to stay with us I think it would work out better if both of them took turns watching after Baby Dumpling.  She can be a real handful sometimes so it works better if 2 people are doing it.   Sure we wouldn't need to pay for daycare or a babysitter so that works out if she returned to work.  I thought that she would miss the baby and not want to leave for many hours a day, but at this time she doesn't have the feeling of missing the baby.  I think it's in the best interest for my wife and Baby Dumpling to be with each other so my wife can continue teaching her sign language and all the other things that a young baby needs to learn.  Soon the baby will be sitting up on her own, then starting to crawl and start solid food.  I think it would be best if at least one parent was around to see to these things.  Then there's the interaction with others, this past month Baby Dumpling and my wife were going to a play group at the library and I think it would be very important for this to continue.  My mother-in-law won't be able to take the baby to these places.  I have been trying everything to convince my wife not to return to work and I admit that some of it hasn't been very nice.  I tried to explain, in not such a nice way, that she'll miss the baby and she won't get to see many "firsts" of the baby.  So far nothing I've said has changed her mind.  Maybe it's just one of those things that she's going to have to figure out for herself and no one will be able to tell her different.  Tonight was an example of why I want my wife to stay home.  Baby Dumpling had foamy poop and my wife thought something was wrong then the baby started crying for no apparent reason.  Not cold, not hungry possibly sleepy but she cried really loud for almost an hour then she fell asleep.  I went on the online and looked up foamy baby poop and found that this can be caused by the baby getting too much front end breast milk.  We are not sure how this can happen, nor are we sure why the baby cried so much, so loud for so long.  The good thing is Baby Dumpling will get her 4 month check up tomorrow so we'll be able to ask about it.  But this is one reason why I think my wife should become a full time mom.  She can watch for the changes with Baby Dumpling and that is useful information, not that my mother-in-law can't do it, but I would just feel better if my wife was in charge.  I have a few more days to try and convince my wife, but I'm running out of reasons.  If my wife want to feel like she's contributing to the household maybe I could teach her how to trade stocks, then she only works a few minutes a day because I'll do the research and she just has to put in the buy or sell orders.  In reality, my wife might need to return to work for more personal reasons that I don't understand yet.

Peta Protesting Animal Cruelty In Seattle

I find this really terrible and disturbing, but for reasons beyond my control I am not able to post my real thoughts on the subject even though I have written them.

If you are interested in the story click on the link below and when your done please feel free to leave a comment.  I reserve the right to edit any foul language from the comments, so please keep the language clean if you don't want me to find a better way of expressing yourself.

Kiro TV Boiled Monkey Report

Boys Love Mom and Girls Love Dad

A few days ago my wife started complaining that she does everything for Baby Dumpling, feeding, changing, rocking to sleep and try to get her to smile and laugh.  My wife wasn't complaining that I don't do anything, I don't know why because I think I don't do a whole lot, but she wasn't.  She was complaining about the fact that she does so much for Baby Dumpling and all I do is walk in the room do 1 little thing and Baby Dumpling gets this look like I'm her hero.  I haven't noticed any change, but my wife says there is.  I have been trying to explain that it just works out that way.  Girls tend to become daddy's little girl, it doesn't mean they don't love mommy less, they just love daddy more.  My wife doesn't think it's fair at all, but she recently was talking to a friend who was complaining about the very same thing.  I tried to explain that a father can teach his boy how to catch the football, run down the field to score the winning touchdown and when the camera's on him the first thing he says is, "Hi Mom!"  Mom didn't teach him how to catch, how to run, how to spin to avoid tackles but nevertheless he says hi mom.  Bill Cosby used this explanation to explain it.  He's much better at it than I am.

Today I noticed there is a little difference.  Baby Dumpling was fussing a lot.  I told my wife to let me hold Baby Dumpling so she can get a little break.  Almost right away Baby Dumpling stopped crying and fussing, I sat her on my knee facing me and said, "hi baby." That got an immediate big smile.  We sat for a while singing modified child safe Monty Python songs, smiling and laughing then we took a walk around the house.  Looked out the window to see if there was any wildlife outside then watched my wife doing what she was doing and everything was fine.  Baby Dumpling was not fussing, she was happy and enjoying herself.  I know my wife was happy that Baby Dumpling was not fussing, but at the same time she probably thinks it's so not fair that I can just put her on my knee sing, "I'm a lumberjack, Spam Spam Spam, Sit on my knee" and all is right in baby world.  I think it's pretty cool.

Parental Separation Anxiety

For some reason this week seemed to take a month to pass.  Starting on Monday when I was getting ready to leave for work.  I didn't want to go.  Baby Dumpling was looking really cute with her baby smile I wanted to stay home and hang out with her.  It's been that way every day this week.  Perhaps I'm starting to suffer from separation anxiety.  She had her first play day at the library yesterday and I didn't get to go.  My wife said Baby Dumpling was just observing everything and acting very nervous about the whole thing, while sucking the binkie really hard.  Then at the end she started to relax and do her baby talk really loud so everyone would know that she's there.  This weekend will be fairly busy just like last weekend so I won't get to spend as much time with her as I want.  For the past month or so when it appeared that Baby Dumpling was laughing she didn't have any sound come out, just showed it in her face.  This past week on 2 occasions my wife reported that Baby Dumpling made sound while laughing.  My Baby Dumpling is learning to laugh while I'm at work.  Baby Dumpling is also showing signs of really paying attention to things that are going on around her.  My wife is learning/practicing how to sign and Baby Dumpling is watching how the fingers move.  We are hoping that she picks it up at a young age, but the average is about 8 months.  We don't know if teaching her now will encourage her to start signing at a younger age, most people say that babies don't regardless if you start at 1 day old or 6 months old. 

More stuff that happened this week: 

Baby Dumpling is moving into stage 3 diapers and she's outgrown most of her 3-6 month old clothes.  So many things happen during the week with Baby Dumpling while I'm at work.  I'm glad my wife hasn't returned to work yet, at least 1 of us should be around to witness the beginning of her "firsts".  Soon I will need to take some vacation time so I can just hang out with Baby Dumpling, that might help ease some of this parental separation anxiety, and maybe I will get to see some firsts of my own.

A Baby's Smile

Over the past month Baby Dumpling has been smiling and making the face like she's trying to laugh but hasn't gotten the sound to come out yet.  It could be just my imagination but even when she's breast feeding and I walk in the room she'll stop, give me that look of recognition and smile.  I guess it's like that for all parents.  When your baby smiles at you it just makes your heart all mushy.  It's a good thing Baby Dumpling can't talk yet and ask for things, like a new sports car because I'd probably say, "sure, anything you want."  Sometimes I hear her making noise, not crying noise, more like talking and singing.  She really does give me the impression that she's talking and when we play the music from her toys it sounds like she's singing.  What makes me think that is because her facial expressions.  Like I said it could be just normal parent dreaming or wishing that these things are happening,  but I don't care what anyone says, I say she's doing it so she's doing it.  My wife and I hope soon she'll start to pick up the signing.  Right now we are only working on 4 words but that's enough for a 3 month old.  Our hope is by the time she's 5 months she'll be able so sign hi, milk, hungry and more.  After that we can teach her other things and hope that she enjoys the communication and our quick understanding of what she is saying.  Our hope is to give Baby Dumpling the ability to communicate with us and we can communicate with her long before words can be spoken so she won't get that feeling of frustration and we won't have that feeling of helplessness.  For now I'm happy to see my baby girl's smile, hear her talk baby talk and sing.  Just wish she would go to sleep and stay asleep when her parents are tired.  So far it's not too bad for me because my wife is quick to tend to her.  But I have put in my time when my wife just can't do it and that's usually when me and Baby Dumpling watch TV, which drives my wife crazy.  I don't really see what's wrong with watching Star Trek, John Wayne or James Stewart when we can't sleep.  Sometimes I read Dr. Seuss to her but that doesn't put her to sleep either and she's gets grumpy when she's tired and can't sleep, sort of like her dad.  So it's just a matter of waiting that hour or hour and a half until she falls asleep.