Like Father, Like Son

It is no secret that I love my son and feel privileged to be his father. When his face lights up, something inside of me does too. The bond between us hasn’t existed for that long, yet it seems merely the continuation of a great intergenerational legacy.

During the baby shower that my family threw for us at the reunion last summer, I opened a gift from my mother. The non-descript cardboard box held a onesie. The garment was sky blue with a subtle white grid pattern, and yellow rocking horse in the middle. It brought a tear to my eye.

We’ve received many gifts of baby clothing from many people, but this one was different: it was an outfit that I had worn as an infant, and which she had saved for over 25 years to give to me when I had a son.

More than a simple outfit, that fabric represented a link in history: a passage from one generation to the next. It was a tangible reminder that my parents knew me as a little baby, and a symbol of the enduring bond that we have. On the face, it was a gift for Xavier, but more meaningfully, it was a gift for me.

On a recent trip out to see my parents, we got some photos of Xavier wearing the outfit. Looking at my boy in my arms, I imagined how the same scene played out a quarter century ago, as I sat in my father’s arms and smiled up at him.

Spencer at 6 weeks.	Xavier at 4 months.

Daddy once was a little child...	...a little child like me.

Joy

Father and Son	Daddy's Boy

Snow Day!

It snowed several inches today... our first real snow of the year since we managed to be out of town last month for the blizzard of the decade.

We got Xavier dressed up in his snowsuit for the first time, although he wasn't super excited about it. Notwithstanding, we got some decent pictures of him out, if not particularly playing in the snow. Someday he'll discover how fun it can be. Given the rate he's discovering things these days, it may not be that far off!

A Whole New Phase of Parenting

Beginning yesterday, Spencer and I entered a whole new phase of parenting.

You may remember our cute little guy rolling from front to back at 8 weeks old. Well, since his two rolls that day he only rolled one other time until yesterday. Yesterday Xavier remembered how to roll--and roll he did! You rolled from back to front and front to back and right off of the couch. Luckily he had a soft landing.

So what does this mean for parenting?

Well, this little roller can no longer be put down on the couch or bed while I leave quickly to get something.

We now need to make extra certain that there is nothing in his co-sleeper with which he could hurt himself. We may have to cut back on the blankets.

I also have to now keep a closer I on him while he is napping. Today I caught him at the end of a nap rolled over, but with one arm pinned behind him. He was stuck!

Changing diapers is a different game now, too. He used to be a placid crier when I changed his diaper, but now he fights the change with his whole body; he rolls every which way. This proves extra difficult for the mom struggling to snap on a cloth diaper.

It has been a busy day already. ...but on the bright side, I think it tires him out. He is on his thrid nap today!

sigh... and I am off to take a rest.

It's Definate. He is a TV watcher.

Spencer nor I are TV watchers. In fact, we don't even own a TV. So you can imagine how surprised we are at our little boy's fascination with TV and computer screens. We first discovered this at my parents house over Christmas. Little Xavier would strain his eyes from all parts of the room to see the TV.

Today, I needed to get somethings done so that we could leave the house to do some errands. To keep Xavier entertained I propped him up on some pillows on the couch and sat him in front of the computer which was playing Chinese music and visualizations.

Thank you Windows Media Player!

Baby On Tour

Living at the intersection of three jurisdictions, it's easy to start racking up one's state count at a young age. By day one, Xavier had been born in Maryland and returned home to the District. Various appointments and activities in the first several weeks led to numerous trips back and forth between and around the two. At two weeks of age he went apple picking in the country, and a few weeks later joined us on a 250-mile tour of the Eastern Shore. Soon enough he'd also been across the river to Virginia to see cousins and up to Baltimore for Thanksgiving.

Since then, however, Mid-Atlantic Baby has become Intermountain West Baby, having spent a third of his 4-month life out there, with most of that in Idaho. We've been fortunate to see all of his aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents, 3 of 4 great-grandparents, and a huge number of other relatives in our recent travels. He's been greatly adored all along the way.

And what a way it's been!

By four months of age Xavier will have crossed the country six times, logging 12 flight segments, over 3,000 miles on the road, and around 75 miles on subway and commuter trains. He's been through 9 states and the District (though Texas and Kentucky are weak claims from layovers). He's passed through 9 airports (including all three in the DC area) as well as Union Station. He's crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and the Hoover Dam. He's seen snow and freezing winds as well as warm sunny days and cacti all in the same month. He's been to a funeral and he's seen babies younger than him.

And through it all, he's been remarkably well-mannered and adaptable.

The pace of travel will no doubt slow very soon, and he'll have to get reacquainted with DC, but it's been a remarkable time together as a family. We have so much enjoyed seeing our relatives and giving them the opportunity to meet our son. We've enjoyed seeing the country.

The only sad thing is that years down the road, Xavier won't remember any of this, except through the photos and stories we've recorded. But hopefully our travels and his good temperament will continue in the future as we build many more adventures together.

The Best Day!

It's not even noon and I have deep cleaned the bathroom, orginized under the stairs (thank you mom for the plastic bag holder), made lunch, nearly finished making supper and drunken 6.5 glasses of water.

How?

Well, my beautiful baby boy slept for 8.5 hours straight last night! and in his own bed! and after he woke up, he nursed and went right back to sleep for another 2 hours. Wow!

I will likely remember this day forever!

...and made a post to the blog

Just for Me

January 4, 1:39am, Washington, DC

Spencer and Xavier are sleeping and I am up trying to unwind. My grandmother died on the first of January. She saw 2010 and shut her eyes for the last time.

It wasn’t unexpected. Yet, surprising. I mean, my mom has told me many times before that she thought my grandma would go soon. She has been old ever since I can remember. But this time she really didn’t pull through. This time her mortal body gave out.

My grandmother was a good grandma. She loved her grandkids. She had been married to my grandpa for 60 or 70 ish years and had over 150 descendents. Wow! She really loved us all.

I saw her this Christmas time for the last time. I brought Xavier to meet her. He beamed at her and she smiled back. She was getting too weak to really hold him so she just held on to his little baby foot and waved it around lovingly. It was really sweet.

I just can’t believe she is really gone.

I grew up about a mile away from her. I used to ride my bike there during the summer. She baby-sat me when I was little and when I was home sick from school. She used to read books and let me play dress-up in her square dancing dresses and old prom dresses (though thinking about it, I am not sure who the prom dresses belonged to).

I will miss her peanut brittle and Christmas candy. I will miss her.

Sigh… I can’t believe she is really gone.