Peek-a-Boo

Rather than laying off 15 percent of the staff, my company announced a company-wide pay cut last month. In exchange for a smaller paycheck, I now work "summer hours" (read: half-day Fridays) from now until the end of September. Today was my first Friday afternoon at home with Paul.

It was a chilly, but sunny day in Chicago. After a long walk to our neighborhood fish monger to buy dinner (eating fish on a Lenten Friday - Mom and Dad, aren't you proud?), I placed Paul in his Pack 'n Play while I removed his jacket. As a distraction, I started a game of peek-a-boo. Paul is quite fickle these days and I know that by tomorrow, he will no longer find this game so amusing. But as I soothed him to sleep tonight, he was still giggling with his eyes closed and his thumb in his mouth.

Moving Right Along

I am reading abook about time management called The Power of Less. It's all about limiting unnecessary tasks to make more time for the essential people and things. Second to actually spending time with Joe and Paul, I enjoy writing about them, so I am commiting to updating this blog at least once a week. Between work and home, family and friends, the days fly by. A wise man once said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't slow down once in a while, you might miss it."

So much has changed since our last update. Paul is working on his fourth tooth, however, he still prefers milk (straight from the tap) over rice cereal. He goes to bed consistently at 7 p.m., and sleeps through the night. And as captured by Joe on this video, it's only a matter of days before Paul starts crawling. God help us.

The Bumbo

Paul was getting bored with his toys, so we bought a few new ones, including the Bumbo, which is supposed to help develop his neck and back muscles. Maybe he would enjoy this chair more if we parked it in front of the TV, turned on some football and let him eat a bowl of chips.

The Big Yeti

What a difference a month and a half makes! Check out this photo, then look at the photo of Paul posted on December 15. He is busting out of his Yeti suit!

Belly Laugh

This was a week of milestones for little Paul. He rolled over for the first time on Thursday night, and shown below is his first belly laugh. Enjoy, we keep watching this one over and over. Shout out to Grandpa Paul - happy 60th birthday!

Back to Work

I returned to work on Monday. While I still enjoy the cerebral challenges of work and adult interaction, nothing could have prepared me for how difficult leaving Paul would be.

I don't think this week was nearly as hard for Paul as it was for me, and for that, I owe a huge thanks to my parents. Not only did I return to work, but I returned to the week of my company's annual meeting, which meant commuting to the suburbs, nightly business dinners - in short, very long days. Knowing that Paul was safe and sound at home with Grandma and Grandpa eased the transition. My parents 35+ years together was apparent in how they make taking care of an infant and maintaining a house look so easy. Every night, Joe and I returned from work to a happy baby, spotless floors, an empty laundry basket, and a home-cooked meal. With dessert.

As I promised my son, this weekend has been a non-stop cuddle-a-thon. A big snowstorm hit Chicago, so Joe and I have been hibernating: playing with our son, taking naps and watching the NFL Playoffs.

For Christmas, my parents gave Paul one of my favorite books, Where the Sidwalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. Shel was a barefoot, peace-loving, guitar-playing hippie who wrote great children's poetry. I've been reading his poems to Paul all day and found that I enjoy them more now than I did as a child. Returning to the work this week (I sell recruitment advertising), I was reminded that times are tough for a lot of people in a lot of ways now. Before I return to work tomorrow, here are a couple of my favorites. I hope someday we all live in the world that Shel Silverstein and Barack Obama imagine.

LISTEN TO THE MUSTN'TS

Listen to the MUSTN'TS, child,
Listen to the DON'TS
Listen to the SHOULDN'TS
The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON'TS
Listen to the NEVER HAVES
Then listen close to me -
Anything can happen, child,
ANYTHING can be.

HUG O' WAR

I will not play at tug o' war.
I'd rather play at hug o' war.
Where everyone hugs
Instead of tugs,
Where everyone giggles
And rolls on the rug,
Where everyone kisses,
And everyone grins,
And everyone cuddles,
And everyone wins.


One more thing before I sign off - my brother- and sister-in-law gave Paul a Gloworm for Christmas, which is by far, his favorite toy. The video speaks to how much Paul loves his worm. He looks at it like he has been reunited with a long-lost friend from a distant galaxy every time we press play.