Observe And Report

Just got back from a wedding in lovely Mendocino, CA. I got to reconnect with a couple of my good high school friends. Much has changed in our lives but basically we are the same people we were then and still laugh hysterically at the drop of hat.The wedding was notable because it was our first overnight outing with Gus. We packed like we were never coming back. In the future, I hope to streamline the process a bit because really, does Gus need 5 changes of clothes for a 36 hour trip? Overall, the experience was fine and he only had a small fit near bedtime. Maybe he's still too young to be tied to a schedule.Adoption news: We got a package in the mail from Adoption Connection telling us the birthparent rights have officially been terminated and filed. Whee! In July, we should be done with the post-placement period. A couple months after that, we will have our court date in front of a judge for the finalization hearing. This process is long and labored, but when I'm playing with Gus it doesn't really matter how much work we have to do. It will all be worth it in the end (unless he hates us).On an unrelated note, as the primary caretaker of our baby, I've noticed I'm getting a fair amount of unsolicited advice from strangers. Meaning, I will be standing in line at a store and an older lady will say, "your baby looks cold, do you have long-sleeved clothes for him?" Or, "When was the last time you fed him? He's hungry." Or, "Unlock the bathroom door! You need my help! I'm calling social services!" (one of these is a joke) My guess is this happens because I'm a man. Do women get this kind of treatment? I may not be Super Nanny, but I think I know what Gus needs by now. Oh well, all part of the experience I guess.

Twitter

In an effort to keep myself busy/waste time while taking care of Gus, I've joined Twitter and added my updates to the sidebar on the right--->

For those who don't know what Twitter is, it's basically a social networking program that lets you say what you're doing at any given time. Kind of like the status update in Facebook. Great for mobile phones, horrible for productivity. In baby news, I started going to physical therapy for my wrist pain. Apparently, it's a common ailment for new mothers (is that sexist?) called De Quervain's Tendonitis. Now in addition to diapers, feeding, laundry, and dishes; I have stretches, icing, and ibuprofin to look forward to every day.

ATTACK OF THE 500 FOOT BABY!

That's a full-sized bottle of Tabasco sauce he's holding! After this picture was taken, he kicked down our front door and rampaged through the streets of San Francisco.The point is, he's growing fast.

What Makes A Family?

Today will be the oral arguments for overturning Prop 8 in front of the California supreme court. It's scheduled from 9:00am to 12:00pm. Watch it live here or after it's over in their archives.I remember being so sad when the majority voted to restrict marriage to opposite sex people. This was before we got Gus and back then I wanted equal rights because of basic fairness. Now I feel like it's about much more than that and so important for our family to have the same legal protections as everyone else.

Babies Suck

At least ours does. If it's not the pacifier, he's sucking on his fingers, toys, or blankets. WTF? Too bad they don't have a "change your own diaper" reflex. I kid. One of the surprising joys of fatherhood is getting to change a messy diaper because that means he won't be constipated for a while which means Happy Baby.Yesterday we had our second social worker visit. This time it went smoothly and Gus was a model baby. We fed him while Amy was at our house to cut down on the potential crying time. Thankfullly he was very happy and calm during the whole visit. Whew!Amy asked us the usual questions about his height, weight, eating habits, dailiy activities, etc. She commented on how Gus is about to enter a really fun phase soon. He is 3 months old and starting to grab at things, smile voluntarily, and stare at us as we walk across his line of sight. What else could there possibly be?!! Whatever it is, we are as prepared as we can be and are just holding on for the ride. He's already changed so much in 3 months. Please to compare:

THEN

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NOW

Another thing Amy mentioned was the finalization process. Apparently, we are still far from over! There are reports to be written, lawyers to consult, judges to see, and months for Gus to reach (6). More on all that as it happens.

One final thing is, I've developed a bit of carpal tunnel in my wrists from carrying/feeding the baby. Any parents have advice on this?

Droolia Roberts

On the day of our first social worker visit it was raining. I should have known something was going to go awry. I had fed him prior to our scheduled meeting to make sure he would be happy but as soon as Amy arrived, Gus started screaming. He's usually quite calm and content but at that moment, he was crying and crying. Turns out I had to change his diaper because it was "Ethnic Food Night" down there if you know what I mean.
Even after he was changed and clean, he continued to cry inconsolably. We decided to just start the interview despite the wails. Amy was very nice but seemed a little distracted because it was so loud. To her credit, she didn't make me feel like a horrible parent. In fact, she offered a few suggestions to help calm Gus down. Eventually he stopped and the rest of the visit went smoothly. Of all the days!

For those curious, she asked about:

- his height and weight
- how he was eating
- where he sleeps and his schedule
- how we were doing (both individually and as a couple)
- doctor visits

All in all not too bad. David said it's probably good that Gus was crying when she was visiting because it showed her how I handle the baby when he's upset. I'm on the fence about that theory but hey, only 3 more visits to go!

Speaking of being a bad parent, here's a photo series I call, "Things On My Baby's Head"

Rattle

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Onesie
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Burp Cloth-----

Pacifier
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Wiimote
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Pocahontas Ballpoint Pen

Please don't call Child Protection Services.

Ya'll got Ya'll's Work Cut Out For Ya'll

Let the indoctrination begin!
OK, it's been a few weeks since an update but that's because we've been busy with Gus and his numerous needs. They are not kidding when they say being a stay-at-home mom is a full time job. He is now 8 weeks old and doing great! I have to say, despite sleepless nights and diaper changes, I thoroughly love being a dad. He gets cuter with each passing day and is beginning to give back a little with semi-smiles and not-so-blank stares. From total newborn infant dependency he's slowly but surely leaving the fog of nothingness and emerging into the bright light of consciousness... I hope he's not a bully.On the adoption front, we are going to have 4 visits from our social worker before the adoption can be finalized. I know it's necessary and for the good of the baby, but it still makes me a little nervous. The good news is, we've managed to keep Gus alive for 8 weeks so we're doing something right. Tomorrow is her first visit so I will talk more about that later. Wish us luck!

here are some more pics of Gus' antics: