Fridays with MJ

So mom and dad decided to provide me with a new wardrobe... apparently there were some clothing items mommy has really wanted to see me in, but until recently I was to small too wear them. As you can tell I have been working out a lot. My "saucer" can hardly contain my Jedi and ninja moves.

After daddy gave me a bath the other night a mystery drawer was opened and a Pandora's box was unleashed upon my nursery. I used to have free reign of my legs and feet, but alas, they have reintroduced me to "sleepers." I, at one time, wore these blasted things, and now they are back in my life.

Curse you Carter's!

So, this weekend is supposed to be a little more laid back than that of weekends past. Mom and dad have decided to stay put a little more and enjoy the last week of summer down-time.

I, myself, will enjoy the non-stop attention. I do enjoy my raspberry's and haven't been able to show them off in a couple of days... so hilarity will ensue. Dad always laughs with me... or is it at me? I am not quite sure, but I like to make him happy. Of course, I will also get to spend quality time with momma... although this rolling over thing she likes to see me do... I don't like it, but I know in the long run it is important, so I will play along!

So, everyone enjoy your weekend... I will be here, with a big smile on wearing alligators or are they crocodiles? That I don't know, but I know they are on my belly!

Nonetheless, have a nice weekend!

Bon Appétit

So our baby, our little boy, has graduated from his primary food source, breast milk, well not totally graduated, but lets just say we've added more options.

Rice cereal is now part of his diet.

The white, grainy stuff that looks like mushy slop they feed the contestants on Big Brother is now something we are giving our son to ingest to make him "big strong boy!" LOL!


Laura, my wife, will next try bananas and I feel I may barf while trying this because I detest bananas.

Here are a couple of pictures from our endeavors.

Bon appetit!

Lucky S.O.B.

What is going on?

Tonight I actually sat down on our couch and watched the television after I got home. My beautiful wife, Laura, was in the kitchen cooking up a storm, a new recipe I might add... click here to see it.

My wife has always been an amazing cook. I remember the first time I stepped into her apartment when she lived in Buford, GA. As soon as I walked in I smelled a fragrance that skipped through my nasal cavity like the VanTrapp family in the "Sound of Music." I couldn't believe a casserole could smell so delicious... I won't get into the story of me going into a sneezing fit from her demon-cat Jackson... but maybe my reaction could of been that she was cooking up a powerful love potion, like the one in the Half-blood Prince, and that is why I had an allergic reaction. Until tonight I had no idea benadryl counteracts love potions. Why do I say this? We had to... okay I said I wouldn't go into it, well I won't, a lot, just a little. We had to go to the nearest convienent store to get me some allergy medicine because her three cats, yes I said three... made me have an allergic fit. But, maybe the cat was just a cover up and it was the fumes from the cass... okay I'm totally kiddin'! Well, either that or I have been under her control ever since... needless to say, if she had it has worn off and I am still around so, screw that theory. I look at it this way... cats are evil. Moving on...

What was my point? Oh, yes, I sat down on my couch and actually was able to view television without bouncing a four-month old. Yep, I said it, a four-month old. My son is freaking four months old. I had put our little MJ down for bed and he actually stayed asleep. In fact, he is actually still asleep while I am writing this blog, go figure, my luck he will wake up just as I... wait.. was that... no, he is still asleep, he does that sometimes. He likes to turn his head, whimper a little and drift back into nod-land. It also could be like in one of those old Disney cartoons whenever Goofy tries to wake up and a goofy look-a-like, "Mr. Sandman," always comes back and hits him on the head with a large mallet of some kind, some how lulling him back to bed. I figured after a while that would be a little painful and possibly cause some brain damage, but what am I talking about, this is Goofy!

I digress, as I sat on my couch, the king of my castle, with a glass of Pinot Grigio in my right hand and my legs stretched out all I could do was look into the kitchen to see my wife hard at work trying to have dinner ready before our child awoke and we would have to take turns cutting each other's food so that we could eat. The dogs playfully walked beneath her dainty feet as she skirted around cutting, chopping and well, cooking her hands to the bone. Okay, it didn't seem like she was working that hard, but she is an awesome cook so I have to give her some mad props.

All I could do was sit and smile and know that I have a great life. It doesn't matter if something bad or shitty, there I said it, during the day happens because I know that I am one lucky S.O.B. and if my mom and MIL did not read my blog I'd write that out. I am not afraid to say what a wonderful situation I have... My wife is perfect and I am so lucky she picked me to share her life. There are so many blogs out there and I hope, no I pray, that people come to my blog to read about what is going on in my life because maybe, just maybe, I can put a smile on their face so that they can know there is true happiness out there.... and you know what? I am one of those people.

Respect my authority!

The breeze was oddly cool tonight as I stepped out of our Honda Pilot on my way out to the play ground, at our subdivison, where my two-year old niece, Annagrace, was frolicking joyfully amongst the swings, sand and other children.

"Comon! Lets go slide" said Annagrace ever-so enthusiastically. "What's Mauldin doing?"

Annagrace is at the age where she has to ask a question about almost anything. Everything around her she is curious about...

"what is that?"

"It's a napkin.."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm drinking my drink."

"Where is Lala?"

"Who is that?"

"Why?"

"Who?"

"When?"

"He is enjoying his hands." I replied.

My son, Mauldin, or MJ as I like to call him, has started teething and really enjoys sucking on not just his thumb, as most 3-month olds like to do, but he hastens to put his whole fist in his mouth as if he were trying to imitate Karen from the movie Mean Girls.

While I was having a discussion ,with my niece, I could see my wife, out of the corner of my eye, pointing in the distance at something and mouthing "OMG."

"What are you and Paul talking about over there?" I asked.

"There is a little boy over there" replied Paul, "and he is about to break his neck"

"or another important body part" said Laura, chiming into the discussion.

"Where?" I said.

"He is on the other side of the slide," exclaimed Jenn. "you can't see him from here."

Jenn was being pulled to the slide on the other side of the sandy playground. Annagrace really likes it when her mommy plays with her.

Sure enough, as we rounded the corner of all the playground equipment I spotted a young boy, not much older than six or seven years old, on top of the part of the top slide, but what is so bad about this you ask? He was on the outside of the slide, about three stories up!

"Should we do something?" I asked.

"I dunno..." said Paul.

"Laura, say something, you are a teacher," I started at her. "use your authoritative voice."

"You do it!" Laura replied.

I looked around and saw no parents, I didn't want his mom to be just walking by and I start getting onto her son. He had brown hair, and looked as if he had been playing for atleast a couple of hours. I assume this because he probably got bored sliding over and over while his parents played in a volleyball tournament across from said playground. I found that out while talking to this little boy... named Darren. The conversation went like this...

"Hey!" I hollared up at the little kid, "what are you doing up there?"

"Just hanging out!" said Darren.

"Well, we can see that!" I said. "It really isn't safe for you to be up there... where are your parents?"

"They are playing volleyball!" said Darren.

"Well, I think you need to get down from there..." I said sternly, "you are going to fall and hurt yourself."

"Yes, and you shouldn't be climbing on the outside of the slide like that with socks on!" Laura said in accordance of my request.

I figured the little boy would shrug me off and continue on as he was before I came along to interrupt his playtime. However, to my immense surprise the little guy started to climb down... I thought to myself, "please, please don't fall now!"

Darren thankfully made his way back inside the playground platform and was safe now that he was not three stories high on the outside of a plastic blue slide.

So, wow, it made me think... maybe I can do this dad thing! Maybe I can sound like an authority figure and have a kid mind me.

As we were all about to head home, and Paul and I were standing around waiting for the girls to put their shoes back on, I noticed the little boy, Darren, sitting a-top of another slide, this one was a bit lower, but yet still dangerous if he were to fall off of it.

I simply looked in his direction, raised both my arms up in the air and shouted...

"Darren! What did we JUST talk about?"

I said this as a joke and assumed the little boy would not hear me, and if he did he would pay me no mind. However, to shock me yet again, he began his decent and had his feet firmly on the ground before we were off the sand.

So, somone respects my authority... there is hope for me after all!

Fajitas cause gas

Okay, so last night mexican was on the menu for dinner... we: Mauldin, Laura, my sister-in-law, Jenn, brother-in-law, Paul and niece Annagrace all went to a local mexican hotspot called La Parrilla. (I honestly do not know if I spelled that corretly.)

"Hola! Welcome to La Parrilla! Two and a 1/2 for dinner?" said the nice lady behind the podium as we walked in the door.

I stood in the restarant lobby with Mauldin in his car seat on one arm and his diaper bag on the other. I looked the epitome of a daddy. Of course, I am sure I looked the part because my purple polo shirt was wrinkled as can be and I am sure I had some dark circles under my eyes. We decided to head to dinner after a short nap, but can I just say that short doesn't emcompass how short it truly was.

I took the chance to have myself a margarita and Laura and I shared a double order of chicken fajitas. This, at the time, we thought it was a good idea. "We are being so economical!" We thought. However, if I knew what would transpier after said mexican outing I would of chosen something different from their ever-so stickey and glossy menu.

I know this might be TMI, but I feel I need to let you know so you do not make the same mistake. If you feel the need for fajitas and your wife is breastfeeding be sure to take plenty of gas ex, beano or some sort of gas suppression.

After dinner we were so uncomfortable! Mauldin did not have a good night, so that means our sleep was severly disrupted. He was up at 11PM, 1 AM, 3 AM and 5 AM and each time it took a good 15 to 20 minutes to put him back to sleep. Let me just add that I had to go to work the next day and I had a hard time keeping my eyes open the first few hours of the morning.

Moral of story... watch your onion and pepper intake when eating fajitas!

My 100th blog post

So, this blog entry is quite a special one. Why you ask?

This marks my 100^th blog entry. I know, crazy huh? It isn’t groundbreaking news or anything, but it is an accomplishment in my book. What book is that? Not sure, but, it’s mine! It’s all mine, muwhahahahaha!

I was thinking to myself, this morning, on my way into work… "what should be my topic for my Centenarian post?"

Should I make this a thank you entry? Picture myself standing behind a podium; in front of all the blogging world… The spotlight on me as I wipe the sweat from my brow. “I’d like to thank blogger.com…. my wife, my son…! Hi mom!”

Should it be something profound and insightful or something funny and lighthearted? Honestly, I still have no idea. I figured that I would just write as I usually do… about whatever is in my cranium at that time. That is usually how it goes… if you were wondering how my mind works. I am ADD, I have never been diagnosed, but I am pretty sure I am. I am surprised I can ever stay on topic!

My blog was created for so many reasons. One reason was so that our out-of-town family could reap the joys of our experiences. My wife, Laura, and I wanted to make sure they knew what was going on with our pregnancy and beyond. OMG I’m A Daddy is mainly about my experiences with fatherhood and striving to be good dad. My experiences with my family and my son, MJ. My son was the true inspiration for this online journal. It was to document my wife’s pregnancy and how it affected me. I wanted to make sure I was able to give an account of my side of the story. My crazy stories… I cannot believe I have people who visit my blog and read the rubbish that I write. A blog is such a great outlet, though. I mean I could talk about Jellyfish, post-it notes (I invented post-its) or how I don’t like the color mauve. Why? Because this is MY blog and it gives me the freedom to discuss whatever I want to discuss. I can vent to my blog… I can put my thoughts out there and it is sort of liberating to tell the story of my life and have people from all walks of life read about it. It is mind blowing to me that people visit my blog, and for that I am thankful.

I have learned so much from when I started. It is amazing to me to think that I could find friends through this medium, but I have. I first was so jealous of all the other “daddy-bloggers” out there. I never thought I could write anything worth reading. All the other bloggers seemed so good at it… would I be worth conversing with? But, many of the dad-bloggers accepted me. “Why me?” I wondered. “What kind of insight would I ever have to offer?” I said to myself. I was a soon-to-be dad… I didn’t know jack! Well, I have an uncle Jack, but that is beside the point.

The friendships I have made through blogging staggers my mind. The guys (and gals,) are spread out all over the world… I have never met them, but I feel like I know ‘em. They are my online fam. They make me feel like I am not losing my mind!

So, I am patting myself on the back for once. I am proud of myself. I started something a year ago and am still going strong. Let’s hope that writers block doesn’t creep up on me because I still have a lot to say!

Cheers!