Poopy-pants!

Ya know, I don't have a problem changing a poopy diaper.

I do, however have a problem changing the onesie, the swing seat, the changing table mat and everything else our little stinker has come into contact with after one of his epic blow-outs.

It has bee a real trial and error finding the right brand and size that perfectly fits his squirmy little legs.

He actually stayed in the same outfit the other day for more than 8 hours.

A miracle!

Oh, Sweet, Sweet Coffee Bean...

How I adore you!

I was never much of a coffee drinker.

Until now.

I suddenly feel so grown up, enjoying my cup of coffee just like every other adult in the world.

Of course, having a baby sleep on your chest makes you feel pretty grown up too!

Ah, so THIS is what they were talking about!

So, three days after the baby was born, we had our first real good sleep since labor and felt good as new. "This is manageable!" I thought. All those suckers giving me warnings of doom- "You won't know what hit you!" Rob said. "This is what they do to TORTURE people!" Caroline warned. None of you people have ever seen the other side of midnight, I've spent over half my life there. I can handle this, it's just like being on the tour bus. Unfortunately, the children that spend all night screaming and fussing on a tour bus are normally drunk and not your responsibility. Remarkably different when it's your child and you can't figure out WHY they are fussing and there's nothing you can do to help them. Check list. Hmm. Diaper is clean. Been fed. Swaddled. Ocean machine is on. Sh-shing in his ear. Bounced him on my knee. Put him in the swing. Walked him around the apartment. Burped him. Cuddled him. I said, "Come on man, you're KILLING me, my bag of tricks only has so much room in it!"

Of course (and I'm sure this won't be the last time!) the wisdom of mothers comes to the rescue.

"Sometimes babies just cry." Christine said.

What, there's no solution, no answer to the problem? That makes no sense to the male brain. I must fix this somehow.

Nope, babies just fuss sometimes. Their tiny bodies are doing all kinds of freaky things they don't understand and it probably doesn't feel too good. I mean, this little guy still doesn't know those things flying around hitting him in the face are HIS hands, they belong to him and he has (or soon will) some level of control over him.

How would you feel if you kept on hitting yourself in the face and your bottom was wet and your belly was in knots trying to figure out how to digest the simplest food? You'd cry too!

Thank goodness my belly can digest just about anything. I finally celebrated Easter by buying a discount chocolate bunny, going out to a local pub and having a beer and some chicken fingers. Man time. One hour can do wonders!

Pot of coffee is on and I'm ready for the loooong night ahead.

First Day Back at Work

What a drag, man.

Very happy to be a freelancer though, I don't have to do a 9 to 5 every day.

We are very lucky and blessed to have both of us home for the most part over the next 3 months.

I was speaking to Grandma Joanne last night and she said that my father went right back to work an hour or two after I was born. He didn't get any time off.

They also knocked her out just as I was being delivered and robbed her of the experience of being conscious as she gave birth.

Thank God our medical establishment has changed since then but there are still miles to go before things are right concerning giving birth in this country.

Enough of my soapbox, this is supposed to be Toren's page!

With the wonders of modern technology, I was able to have a video call to my wife and baby and have lunch with them.

Pretty cool!

P

HaPPy Easter!

We had a great day playing with Tor and taking pictures. We even made an attempt to go to the park but the breeze was COLD so we headed home after 2 blocks.

I found an amazing song to go with our Easter picture and you can find out more about the composer at this address:

http://captaingravy.com/

P

One Week Birthday!

Toren is one week old today.

Things have been going really well, lots of adjustments and tweaking to our sleep and feeding schedule.

We all slept really well last night and feel refreshed and ready to tackle some of the house chores today.

Reorganizing spaces and decorating.

More pix and video on the way!

Zombie World

No Sleep! And we are already IN Brooklyn.

Wow, I think we are beginning to feel those "Altered States" moments.

We are under Dr.s instructions to have Christine try to follow Toren's sleep schedule. This means she is probably napping every 2-3 hours all day and night.

Please limit phone calls, email is best for now.

We promise to get back to each and every one of you!

Pix and other updates will be posted here daily if we can remember how to hold a camera.

P

First Real Poopy Diapers and My Cord Stump Fell Off!

Yes, not the most ground shaking news but I'm a baby and these two are pretty big milestones the first week! Haven't decided if I want to be an innie or an outie yet.

Birth

The story of Toren's birth is long and involved. I have kept a scattered journal detailing our experience and can't wait to share it with you.

Of course, as of today, Tor has only been home about 24 hours so we have plenty to do.

We had a fantastic first night at home and seem to be developing a system for overnights.

For now, enjoy the first few photos of our new addition and the tired parents!

P