Two Months, a Weigh-in, and a Birthday

Hello to everyone on this happy February day, the first weekend in a long time when football is not an option (don't go saying the Pro Bowl counts as a game, because it doesn't; who wants to watch a bunch of millionaires on vacation in Hawaii while we're freezing our tails off in Ohio?) We've been happy and well. Ashley started back to work, half-time this past week, three-quarter time next week, and then the dreaded full time starting in two weeks. Bode has been going to day-care, and he's had no ill-effects. He's still his happy self that smiles and likes to play peekaboo and pull on his toy lion. He had his two month check-up on Tuesday. Bode weighed in at 10 pounds, 8 ounces, and is 22 inches long. For you math whizzes, this means every two months, Bode gains 40% of his body weight (he was 7 lbs, 8 oz when born). At this rate, he'll be 425 pounds by the time he's 2 years old. I didn't realize babies got that big by their second birthday...


At the doctor's office, Bode received his first set of vaccinations. As expected, he was not too fond of the needle, as he let out a silent scream for a couple seconds right after receiving the injection followed by a blood-curdling cry for a few minutes. Mama was able to calm him down and afterwards, he seemed none the worse for wear. He's been sleeping through the night consistently, for which we are extremely grateful, and we've started reading to him. I tried to read Fury by Aaron Allston, which (as I'm sure everyone knows) is book 7 in the Legacy of the Force series. He seemed uninterested, which makes me wonder if the hospital gave us the wrong baby, because how could my son be disinterested in anything related to Star Wars??? Bode does like the Frog and Toad stories, and he also loves it when I sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Yes, you read that right; he loves the sound of my singing voice. Auburn, on the other hand, howls horrifically during the song, and I can only guess her howling is her way of expressing dissatisfaction...


Quick sidebar: If anyone is looking for some good books to read, you might want to give The Good Guy by Dean Koontz, Odd Thomas, also by Dean Koontz, or The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Folliet a try. All were very good. I started listening to books during the drive to and from work (there is no time to read at home). I've found this much more interesting than listening to the election coverage, and the sports radio shows are boring until football season starts again. Anyways, sorry about this commercial, but I figured with the writer's strike, you might be getting bored with TV reruns and looking for other entertainment outlets. If books are not your thing, we just finished season 1 of the HBO series, Rome. It was awesome and we highly recommend it. Another good watch was Fast Food Nation, but if you don't really want to know where steaks, ground beef, and sirloin comes from, this flick is not for you (nor is it suitable for those under 15). Ashley and I want to watch The King of Kong which is a documentary about two guys trying to set the high score in Donkey Kong. It sounds stupid, but the reviews have been top marks.


Here are some pictures. First, we have Bode playing on the dining room table. He's looking at his toy elephant, which he's able to reach for, grab, and pull. Hours of entertainment right there.Next, we have Daddy and Bode going for a walk with Auburn. Bode is strapped into his Baby-Bjorn device, which serves as a great simulator for Daddy who now understands what Ashley went through during the last trimester of her pregnancy. Daddy was really puffing on the walk especially on those hills (yes, he's old and out of shape). In the future, we plan on getting a saddle and letting Auburn haul Bode around. Here's a cute shot of Bode and Mommy. Hard to say who the kid looks like, but we do think he got my wonderful widow's peak hairline along with a nice array of cowlicks. Sorry about that, little guy.
Finally, here's a shot of Auburn and Bode after a full day of playing. Evidently each was exhausted.

We have birthday this week. Auburn, our little puppy, turns 8 years old on 10 February. They grow up so fast, don't they?

Pleasant Day to all.