She's Got Legs

When Baby J was first born, she was all scrunched up. Then, as the months went by, she slowly unfolded into a glob of pudge. She had rolls on her arms and legs. Later, after she started walking, the pudge start to melt away. Now that she's walking pretty much nonstop, Baby J has normal, proportionate legs. No more rolls. No more thunder thighs. She's got legs and she knows how to use them.

Keys?

Baby J loves keys. I would say no less than 20 times a day she'll waddle up to me, push her little hand into my pocket, and ask, "keys?" Over and over. "Keys? Keys? Keys?" I usually hand them over but ever since she learned how to set off my car alarm I've ben a bit more hesitant.

But still she insists on playing with them. "Keys? Keys? Keys?"

So I took the battery out of my keyless entry clicker thingamajiggy. Now she can play with the keys and thumb the little lock and unlock buttons without setting off the "panic" feature. The only downside is now I have no keyless entry thingamajiggy and have to go back to the ol' school way of unlocking my doors manually.

It feels strange to take a step back technologically, to go from electronic, remote controls to actually hands-on mechanics. Very strange. You don't even think about the technology in your life until your daughter renders it untenable with her busy little fists.

iPoo'd

Baby J has never been particularly vocal when letting us know she's filled up a diaper. But recently, unless my ears doth deceive me, she's been saying "poop" when she needs to be changed.

She also mutters snatches of song lyrics and can do the hand motions associated with them.

This whole language development thing is awesome!

FIRSTS: Dance

I'm proud to report that Baby J started dancing today. This is a very momentous occasion because baby dancing is freaking hilarious. It involves the stomping of little feet, the wiggle of tiny hips, and the flapping of teeny hands.

She just sort of busted onto the scene today doing a bounce type move to the sound of her toy keyboard. It was quite unexpected and totally adorable.

Using a Tissue

Baby J has had a long standing love affair with tissues( see exhibit A and B). But only recently did she learn how to use them properly. Now, if you hold one up to her nose, she'll exhale sharply and deliver a nice glob of snot for you.

I realize this is may be a topic to make the squeamish blog reader squirm, but, when you think about it, using tissues properly is a pretty importatn life skill. Also, it is further evidence of Baby J incomperable genius.

Jeans

Since I've started my stint as a stay-at-home dad, I've found that I need to buy new jeans every three to four months. The knees develop these small, sideways splits which quickly grow into gaping holes. After that, it's a downhill slide into a shredded denim oblivion.

Though I understand this is a fashionable look these days, it's not quite the look I'm going for.

I think it's because I spend so much time crawling around on the floor now with Baby J, so much time bending down to interact with her, stretching the fabric taught across my knees. Since being a stay-at-home dad is now my full-time occupation, I wonder if I could write off the purchase of new jeans as a business expense on my taxes.

Listening To: Call Me Dragon by These Monsters...

Kitty Corner

We keep Baby J away from the cat food and the litter boxes with a baby gate. We put this baby gate about 10 inches off the ground so the cats can slink underneath and do their thing.

But Baby J has figured out how to squeeze under the gate too. Today, we found her in the little "kitty corner" happily munching cat food pellets with one of our friendly felines. Usually, mortal enemies, the two put their differences aside to share a light repast.

I'm just glad she didn't decide to share the litter boxes too. That would just be gross.

K?

Baby J has lots of words now and uses them pretty regularly. Up, cracker, bubbles are in heavy rotation these days. Another that I'm pretty sure she picked up from her mom is "k," as in "okay."

She'll babble by herself and then say "k" as if asking if what she's babbled is sufficient. It's far from the verbal tic of Mr. Mackie but it is used with the same regularity.

Or perhaps she is saying "que" meaning "what" in Spanish. Wouldn't that be interesting?

Listening To: Flyover by The Workhouse

Research

I've been working on a research study recently that's brought me back into the classroom for a while. Since I have no childcare options, Baby J has to come with me when I make observations and collect data. So I get all dressed up and go into schools and bring my daughter with me. She runs around while I try to gather scientific measurements. It's been a surreal collision of my professional life and my work life.

Tomorrow there's a meeting I have to attend. I've already got the okay to bring Baby J with me. I'm going to bring a ton of toys and crackers and let her go nuts while we try to conduct business.

For a stay-at-home dad, I spend a lot of my time at work.

Glad

I'm very happy to have taken this year off from working to be a stay-at-home dad. It's been a great experience watching Baby J grow and learn and run around being cute as all get out. I'm very glad that my chosen profession has allowed me to devote a big chunk of time to family and to my daughter.

I think it is a shame that other people don't have the same opportunities as I have had to take time off from work. But it's an even bigger shame if they do have the same opportunities but have chosen not to utilize them.

There are a few things that I can look back on in my life and say that they really redefined me as a person, changed my overall, general worldview. Being a stay-at-home dad has been one of them.

It's been a good 245 days on/off the job.