Day 507 - And the Answer Is?

I like to think of myself as a creative person. Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. In all honesty, the actual truth is probably somewhere in the middle. 

I say this because despite my best efforts, I find myself unable to formulate any true hook today. I know, I know. I'm disappointed too. However, 256 blog posts (and counting) over 506 days (to date) have left me with a small case of writer's block. I guess I just have nothing interesting to say anymore.

Except for the fact that Bethany's pregnant! Ha, you should see the look on your face or at least the look that I envision is on your face. 

I admit that was a really cheesy and lame way to break news. I don't regret it though. For those wanting details, Bethany is currently at 20 weeks making the approximate due date February 10th.

Of course, a big part of being 20 weeks pregnant is that it's officially time to find out the sex of said baby. Taking that into account, Bethany and I could think of no better arena to make that news public information than #DaddyWrite. With that, we flashback to yesterday morning.

There's a bump...

It goes without saying that I wanted to be a part of finding out exactly what was growing inside my wife. For the record, we really didn't care if it was girl, boy, or monkey. On second thought, monkey probably wouldn't be ideal even though Ellie would love playing with it. Speaking of Ellie, it was important to us that she get to share in the moment of finding out whether she would be having a brother or sister. As a result, she got to tag along with us to Bethany's appointment.

Upon our arrival, Bethany headed inside the office to check in while Ellie and I made a quick detour to the restroom. Unfortunately for the two of us, the detour wasn't quick enough. By the time Ellie finished up and we made it inside, Bethany had already been called back for her doctor's checkup. With no alternative, we just made ourselves at home until time for the ultrasound. 

Now, I don't know if you've ever tried to entertain a toddler in a women's health clinic waiting room but it's not easy. For one thing, there aren't any toys or age appropriate magazines. Also, 'Good Morning, America' doesn't really hold Ellie's attention well. Lucky for us, I stumbled across an old copy of 'Country Living' full of photographs of cows, pigs, goats, dogs, cats, and several other animals that I have already forgotten about.

Soon enough, Bethany returned to the waiting room and we were called back for the ultrasound. Ellie and I promptly settled into a chair beside the table where Bethany lay, gazing up at the screen on the wall as we awaited answers. Actually, I gazed up at the screen on the wall. Ellie was enamored with the stack of new (to her) board books she had just been given by the ultrasound tech.

As the tech began her poking and prodding, the answer to our question was readily apparent. We really didn't even need the ultrasound tech to point out our son's "flagpole" as she called it. That's right, Ellie will be having a brother in February!

Supposedly, there is proof somewhere in these photos...

For Bethany and the tech, the rest of the ultrasound was spent getting various measurements and vitals. For me, it was full of trying to keep Ellie from crawling up onto the table with Bethany through any means necessary. That included reading, coloring, and looking at pictures on my phone. Finally, the appointment was over and it was time for us to leave. 

Of course, now that we have our answers regarding sex, we can now tackle the true test of figuring out what we're going to call this little man. In case you're wondering, Steve Holt is already out of the running. My wife doesn't think we should name our son after a character from 'Arrested Development'. 

For the record, I respectfully disagree but what are you going to do? #DaddyWrite

STEVE HOLT!

Day 506 - "Turn Green."

As I sat in front of my laptop this afternoon trying to formulate an introduction into this blog that wouldn't be a massive stretch, the song, 'Wake Me Up Before You Go Go' began running through my head. It goes without saying that it was accompanied by images of Derek Zoolander and his friends spraying each other with gasoline.

Don't try this at home. Or the gas station. Or anywhere.

From there, I began to think about just how many songs there are that include "Wake Me" in the title. Did you know there are at least 10 different versions of 'Wake Me Up'? Me neither. In addition, you have the aforementioned 'Go Go', that Evanescence song where they just keep saying "Wake me up inside", and Green Day's 'Wake Me Up When September Ends'. 

I'm sure there are plenty more songs that have "wake" in the title. However, for the sake of a blog opening, I don't want to spend any more time/energy researching.  Also, if you haven't caught on yet, this blog post is about waking up. Tada!

If you have any kind of personal relationship with Bethany or I, then you already know how much we value sleep. Bethany has a strict regimen of trying for at least eight hours of sleep each night. By comparison, I usually go for about six. However, I don't want those six hours of sleep to be interrupted by anything. And yes, anything includes Ellie.

Unfortunately for us, Ellie never received that memo. Instead, she chooses to wake and make an attempt to start her day during the 4:00 or 5:00 hour each morning. While Bethany and I have largely been "patient" with Ellie's sleep habits, we've finally reached the point where we feel it's time to turn Ellie's early wake-up time into a more manageable 6:00. Seemingly the only way to do so was to get Ellie her very own alarm clock.

After some research (courtesy of Bethany), we decided on the Mirari OK to Wake! alarm clock. While the bug-shaped clock does feature a working alarm, that's not the route we choose to take with it. Instead, we're using the color-changing light system. Once 6:00 hits, rather than sounding a harsh alarm, the bug's body will glow an otherworldly green until turned off.

On Ellie's first two of nights with the alarm, I ended up having to wander into her room over the 5:00 hour to calm her via rocking or by laying on the floor beside her bed and rubbing her hand. Once 6:00 hit and the bug illuminated, Ellie would take off sprinting to go see Mommy. Shortly thereafter, here would come Ellie bringing Bethany to look at the bright green bug until Bethany finally turned it off.

Last night though, Ellie wanted no part of me rocking her or rubbing her hand. Instead she asked (nay, demanded) that I leave. With nothing else to do since I was awake and not trusting her to stay put, I instead laid on the floor outside her closed door for a while, listening to the sound coming from within. While Ellie initially laid down in her bed, that did not last long before she got up and started scampering around her room.

Once she tired of jumping on the bed and furiously rocking in her chair, she then turned her attention to the alarm clock. Ellie's relatively smart so she realized that the only way to leave her room without getting in trouble was with the clock's permission. Therefore, she began to seek that out.

Ellie: Turn green. I want to see her.

Clock: **silence**

Ellie: Go, go, go!

Clock: **silence**

Ellie: I WANT TO SEE HER!!!

Clock: **silence**

As you can probably guess, this "conversation" didn't end there. Instead, Ellie kept on yelling at her clock to turn on until it finally decided to obey her demands at 6:00. All the while, Bethany and I lay in the next room experiencing a variety of emotions. Namely, silent laughter with a touch of pity for our daughter. In case you're wondering, I don't think we scarred Ellie for life or anything as she once again came sprinting into our bedroom as soon as the green light illuminated her otherwise dark quarters. 

I don't know if this will end up being a long-term success or not. However, I can guarantee that Ellie will learn what the color green looks like as a result of this little experiment. So, you know, good for her. #DaddyWrite

Day 503 - The One Where Ellie Bosses Mommy Around

Everyone knows the "best" part of having a child is the concept of having someone to boss around. Side note, I don't really believe that but hang with me for the sake of this opening. I promise it will all tie together.

The good thing about Ellie is that she's actually really good at allowing us to boss her around. Despite her wicked independent streak, she really does listen quite well when we ask her to do something. It doesn't matter if it's setting her place at the table, picking up her toys, or staying put in one place when told to.

One part of being a toddler though is having an unwavering belief in equality. By that, I mean that Ellie feels that since we boss her around, that means it's fair game for her to boss us around on occasions. While she really hasn't been brave enough to do so with me, she's more than willing to do so with Bethany.

How Ellie really views Bethany and I.

Ellie's bedtime routine is well-documented by this point in time. However, what's not well-documented is what exactly Bethany does once Ellie hits the hay. The normal answer is to go and grab a shower while I work on resetting the house so that Tornado Ellie can storm through it again the next day. At least that was the normal procedure until this week.

It goes without saying that the past couple of nights have been out of the ordinary. As soon as Bethany places Ellie into her bed and prays with her, Ellie will immediately throw off the covers and hop out of bed. Then, with sternness in her little voice, Ellie will demand Bethany go take a shower. I should note that this demand goes further than your typical toddler demand. Ellie will take Bethany by the hand and actually escort her to our bathroom. You would think that would end it, but there's more.

From this point on, I only know what I hear from the comfort of Ellie's rocking chair in her bedroom. Once they reach the bathroom, Ellie will immediately demand that Bethany undress and hop in the shower. Any hesitation on the part of my wife results in increasingly stern requests from Ellie. If Bethany continues to ignore Ellie's orders, then my daughter will eventually take it upon herself to solve the issue by undressing her mother (against Bethany's audible wishes).

Finally, I'll hear Bethany exclaim with pure exasperation, "Alright, fine. I'm in the shower. Go see Daddy." With that, Ellie will excitedly scamper back to her bedroom into my waiting arms with a big smile on her face. 

It feels like this isn't normal toddler behavior. As far as we can tell, this stems from one night at bedtime when Bethany left Ellie's room. After we had both been working together to put Ellie to bed, Bethany finally left me in charge of finishing the deed, telling Ellie that she was going to go take a shower. On that evening, that trip to the shower included a quick detour downstairs for a glass of water which Ellie heard. Now, we think Ellie believes Bethany won't actually take a shower unless she forces her to.

I guess we should just be happy that we have a daughter that values our personal hygiene so much. Now, let's just hope she still feels that way someday when Bethany and I are at such an advanced age that we can no longer care for ourselves. At that point though, she probably won't be so eager to help. #DaddyWrite

Day 500 - Toddlers Telling Tales

I'm a little impressed with myself. Take another look at that number and you will see why. 

If we're all being completely honest (including myself), none of us thought I'd keep going for this long. I'm not just talking about the blogging either. Speaking truthfully, did anyone see a guy who had only held a baby twice in his life successfully spending 500 days as the primary caregiver for what is now a very, very, very active toddler? 

I  reread that last statement and feel clarification is in order. I am not saying that I am incapable of caring for my daughter. Instead, I'm saying that it was more likely I got burnt out of taking care of a baby within six months than for me to still be doing so two years later. Shows how much I know about things. To the blog!

It struck me today just how grown up Ellie is getting. A long-standing tradition when Bethany gets home is for her to ask Ellie things about her day. For a long time, that question was met with a bewildered gaze and pure silence from Ellie as I eventually began to fill in the gaps. Today, for the first time, I actually realized I wasn't having to tell Bethany the stories of our day. Instead, Ellie did so all by herself.

Beginning with the morning, Ellie excitedly told Bethany the details of our day. First, Ellie told her mom how she and Daddy had gone on a walk through the neighborhood in the stroller, making certain to mention that we did not go to the park. Nothing super ground-breaking there as it was exactly what we did. What really surprised me though was how Ellie filled Bethany in on every last aspect of our walk, including our stop at Casey's where we shared a slice of breakfast pizza. **shaking fist** Curse you Ellie; that was supposed to be our little secret!

Tell me you wouldn't eat that right now...

Next, Ellie proudly told Bethany about getting to watch TV and how she ultimately fell asleep on the couch doing so. The next thing of note to Ellie was not her waking from her nap in her bed or eating lunch. The thing that Ellie was most excited to explain to Bethany was why her quilt was perfectly spread out on the floor in our family room. 

Not long after lunch, Ellie had retreated to her room and came back with her quilt in tow. She painstakingly spread it out across the carpet, taking great care that there was not a single wrinkle left in it. Then, she returned upstairs to our living room asking for me to follow her downstairs. Once downstairs, Ellie instructed me to sit down on the quilt as she handed me a ball. She then sat down across from me with her own ball in hand. When I asked her what we were doing, her reply was adorable in its simplicity, "Daddy and Ellie having picnic."

As if that was not enough stories from the day, Ellie finally told Bethany how we had done laundry together. When she was finally done talking, Bethany asked Ellie what her favorite part of the day was. Ellie's response? "Ellie and Daddy played together!" 

I just really wanted to include this picture b/c it shows just how grown up Ellie's getting.

It continually amazes me how simple Ellie's wants are. She doesn't care if we go on some grand adventure or spend a ton of money. She doesn't want the latest, greatest toy or fancy, imported foods. The thing she wants most is just for me to spend time with her and for us to play and have fun together. It's amazing how easy that little nugget of information is for me to forget at times. However, I have no excuse to forget it since it's now recorded on one of the blog's so-called milestone days.

One more thing to serve as a reminder to me. I should really teach Ellie the concept of secrecy. As in not to spill the beans to Mommy when Daddy and Ellie get breakfast pizza without her. #DaddyWrite

Not entirely applicable but I'd regret not using it on Day 500.

Day 498 - Basic Maternal Instincts 101

This may be somewhat of a random thought but isn't it cool how human beings are imbued with certain desires or knowledge from birth?

Humans are also imbued with a deep desire for pizza. It's true.

For example, one of the first things any child wants to do upon entering the world is to eat lunch...or breakfast...or dinner (I'm not really certain how a newborn labels meals). Shortly thereafter, sleep beckons for said newborn (as well as the new mom and dad). Then, for approximately the next six months, that process will repeat itself over and over again.

At some point, said child reaches the age where they are able to express themselves and their desires in a rational manner. By the way, by rational, I mean said child has the capability to express themselves through spoken manner but still chooses to scream, cry, and throw fits where applicable.

I would be remiss though if I didn't my newfound hypothesis that some of the knowledge seems to be relatively gender-specific. 

It goes without saying that Ellie spends the majority of her waking moments with me. It also goes without saying that I, as a father, am going to work really hard to find things that Ellie will like that I also like. Things that currently fall into that area include Legos, race cars, blocks, and playing farm. Of course, we also spend plenty of time running, roughhousing, and playing catch. 

I don't know if you noticed or not, but to me, none of those seem like the stereotypical activities that little girls participate in. For the record, the keyword there is stereotypical; I really don't have a large pool of knowledge to draw from. One thing is for certain, I really haven't spent a ton of time engaging with Ellie in quote-unquote girly activities. That's what makes some of her newest forms of play so surprising.

"Girly activities"

Ellie's always been super fond of her stuffed animals. She's always taken great strides to treat all of her "friends" equally. However, it now seems that she is going above and beyond the call of duty in loving her stuffed animals. The examples are aplenty.

First and foremost, Ellie has long had a fascination with strapping her "friends" into her high chair before pretending to feed them lunch...or breakfast...or dinner (Once again, I'm not sure which). She's even also been known to lovingly swaddle her stuffed animals on occasion. Today though, she found a new way to entertain herself while pulling her changing pad out of storage. 

Grabbing her floppy bunny, Ellie proceeded to lovingly place it on the changing pad, even buckling it in to boot. Then, she proceeded to lift the bunny's little skirt and pretend to change the bunny's diaper. Finally, she would bring the changing pad to me to unsnap the bunny only for the process to begin all over again. All told, this little process probably repeated itself 12 to 15 times (no lie). 

While I don't mind that Ellie plays in this manner, I'm more confused than anything. It's not like Bethany or I have ever shown her how to play in a maternal fashion. Maybe she put it together watching us babysit our friends' daughter, Cassie. Either way, it's a little confusing to adjust to. 

Sarcastic moral of the story? It's time for me to ramp up the amount of tomboy-esque activities Ellie takes part in. It's really the only way. #DaddyWrite