Identity switch

Last entry I was trying to swap places with Bear. This time Mommy was in on it, she bought a big doggie towel for my after-bath drying. It has big floppy ears, a black nose, paws on the corners and even a small nub for a tail. A much better disguise if you ask me. I wonder if Zadie will think I am a new dog friend. Maybe Papa will think we went to the animal rescue shelter and adopted another dog. Do you think he'd wonder where his son went?

Life is passing so quickly these days, each one is slightly different than the last. I am not sure how much the World is changing, but I certainly am. I may not be experiencing the large weight gains like when I was really small, but developmentally there are always little things. Like rolling over back-to-front, and maybe even front-to-back. Singing little songs to let my parents know that I am trying to formulate language. Being able to grab my feet and stick them in my mouth. All of these events are new (to me) and bring joy to my parents no matter how small a feat they may seem.

p.s. Happy birthday to my uncle Misha and uncle Billy. They both share the 16th of March as their birthday, how auspicious.

Hardware problems

[Papa] For all of you that have been checking in regularly, I apologize for not keeping the Zeke blog updated recently. I see that it has been almost a whole month since the last post. I have been taking photographs, but my (fruity!) laptop has ceased to work. I hope to have it repaired and back online soon so that I may resume the regular weekly (or better) posting schedule.

In the meantime, Zeke is growing quickly. Definitely too fast for his parents. He is eating solid food - mostly carrots, pear and apple puree as well as the rice cereal. He seems to enjoy going to day care in the morning. I know all of the caregivers over there are enamored of his free smile and chubby cheeks.

This is a link (Niz Lopi) to an incredibly cute cartoon about a boy and his dad. It is a massive download (15 MB), but worth it in my mind. Apparently JCB is a European brand for construction equipment, sort of like Caterpillar or John Deere stateside. Now that I am a parent, the video has so much more meaning than before. Hopefully, Zeke will be able to figuratively ride along in my JCB someday.

Bear comouflage

I thought to myself, "If I dress up like bear in a nice white suit, would my parents still recognize who was who?" I could be a bear for a little while, he could be the baby. I guess we got found out; must've been bacause my suit has a ducky, a monkey and a froggy on it. Silly bear.

That's ok. As much as I like bear and bear likes me, we are different from each other. Maybe that's why we're such good friends. I am also different from the other babies at day care, and my canine sister, Zadie. I am surely different than either Mama or Papa. But again, that's OK. I am Zeke. I am baby and I am happy.

It has been a hard week, being sick for most of it, but I think I can feel the beginning of the end. I am holding down my food, unlike while I was at daycare on Friday, and my appetite has returned. I should eat extra to make up for lost time. Mama is currently weaning me off breastmilk. It has been almost six months. Commendable and recommended as a minimum for building a strong immune system. I will miss it when I am totally weaned, but I know Mama still loves me. Maybe Mama will miss it too.

Jumping and rolling

Although I've been playing in this bouncy chair for a few months, it was not until recently that I got the hang of it. I modified it myself, so that the plastic chain hangs down to the floor. If I jump up and down it makes noise - lots of it. The more I jump, the more noise. Yeeeha. It's a much better bouncy chair now. We boys like noises, especially bangy-bangy ones.

Today is also notable because I showed my parents that I am capable of rolling over on my own. They were concerned that I wasn't going to be able to do it by six months. Apparently if I hadn't done it by then I'd be questioned about my development. Ha, I just didn't want to get ahead of myself. I am enjoying being a baby and have my own timelines.

Because of the recent illness, I have slowed down with solid food training. Having said that, eating food is progressing. I ate all of my rice cereal for dinner tonight. I'm not sure if I like it, but I know if I cooperate I get a bottle of warm milk afterward. Milk is, by far, still my favorite.

Sick day with Papa

Today I got to stay home with Papa. I went to the Coastside Medical Foundation yesterday for yet another unanticipated visit. I've been sick a couple of times this month, but last Saturday night was pretty hard on my small body. I had croup, with a characteristic loud barking cough and labored breathing. It was very scary for my first-time parents. I scared myself too. Oh, and my grandparents as well. They were visiting from Los Angeles for the long weekend. It was a good thing because they've been through this before and knew what to do. Mama spent about 15 minutes with me in the bathroom with a hot shower running to generate a lot of steam. It seemed to help my breathing, but she couldn't sleep and comforted me on her chest for the rest of the night.

After the weigh-in (18 lbs, 10 oz), the doctor confirmed my chest congestion but didn't think steroids or antibiotics were warranted. He wants my parents to monitor my temperature, use a humidifier in my room, and elevate my head while sleeping. He also thought I'd be too contagious to attend daycare on Tuesday. Hence Papa and I got to stay home today.

I haven't put an entry on the blog in so long, but that doesn't mean lots of things haven't happened. The biggest event was Anna and Edward's wedding over the weekend. Congratulations to them! My parents had a great time attending the activities. It was great to see all of the girlfriends too. Thank you to GrannyM and Pop-Pop Bob as well; they took care of me and Zadie while my parents were out on the town.

Daytime playtime

Hi, I'm Zeke. I'm five months old. My parents have been doing a good job at keeping me entertained while I am at home. During the week I am in daycare and I don't get to see them much anymore. Why is that? I guess they have things to do too. On the weekends I get to stay home with Mama and Papa. They are really glad to see me so I make sure they keep busy tending to my needs.

For example this is a picture of me in my play chair. It is a combination child's booster seat and learning center. In front of me are various buttons and knobs which play music or respond when I hit them. Mama has been putting me in here to get me used to sitting up while I eat (with the hidden agenda of introducing solid food). I play along, but really don't care for rice cereal. It's a good thing the play chair has a washable feeding tray because most of the food winds up there or on my bib. Bleah, blah.

Solid food

Today was the first time that I tried to eat something other than breastmilk or Similac^®. It has been about 5 months straight that I have subsisted solely on the white stuff. Actually today's meal was white too; it was one teaspoon of rice cereal mixed into about four parts breastmilk - mmmm texture. I think most of it wound up on my bib, but that's ok, it was my first attempt at solid food.

Introducing solid foods is a stepwise process. In the beginning, my parents will introduce foods slowly and independently to determine if I am allergic. As I get used to swallowing, I'll be allowed to eat other items. Initially it'll be just rice cereal, then purees of fruits or vegetables. Papa bought some carrots and sweet potatoes at the store, but he hasn't cooked them yet. Pear puree has been frozen away in ice cube trays. Be aware there are a few foods that I have to avoid for a while because I'm not ready yet; honey, citrus, peanut butter, wheat, shellfish, egg whites, and cow's milk. Someday soon though, I can almost taste them.

Sense of self

Who's that handsome fellow in the mirror? He looks like me, but I am here on this side of the glass. Whoever is in the mirror seems friendly and just about my size. Maybe I'll just smile at him. Ha, he smiled back. He must be friendly. Do you have any milk that I could borrow? I promise to return the favor sometime. What? You want milk too? This is going to be more difficult than I thought. Maybe we'll just play "Simon Says." The milk co-operative will have to wait for another day.

I was sick this week. Papa stayed home from work with me on Monday. Mama stayed with me all day on Tuesday. Wednesday I went back to school with a congested head. Candace said it was OK as long as I didn't have a fever. I am feeling much better now. Mama too. It was scary for them because this was the first time I have ever been sick. My parents worry a lot about me, but it's nice to feel loved. We babies need that. It's how we learn to be compassionate ourselves.

p.s. Happy Chinese New Year! Woof-woof.

I see you

I am watching you. I can see things, lots of things. Being four and a half months old, the World is a limitless curiosity. My manual dexterity is coming along too; I like to grab my toys and put them in my mouth. Seeing, grabbing, tasting. Mmmmm.

Some more milestones in my life. Now that I am attending daycare, I am comfortable sleeping without being swaddled. I have also become very accustomed to sucking my thumbs, although it is not clear whether I prefer the right or left one. I do find it comforting that my thumb is always there. When I was swaddled, my thumbs were not accessible in the nighttime. That was a bad thing, but Mama and Papa have given up on the swaddle since I started escaping from it. Now, I get bundled up like I am going out in the cold with as many as three layers of clothing - blankets are simply not allowed. Just as long as I can get to my thumbs I'll be fine. See you in the morning.

Squeaky clean

Every evening I get to take a bath. I always have, and hopefully always will. Initially I was unsure about the procedure, but now I can declare that it is a joy. I like splashing around in the warm water, getting my hair and body washed, and generally acting cute. Whoever is on bath duty (Mama and Papa alternate evenings) enrobes me immediately in a soft blanket. They pat my skin and hair dry and I usually get a cuddle before being dressed in my pajamas. My thumbs come in really handy when I am waiting for the after bath snack. Thumbs are another one of my true life joys. Baths and thumbs, I'll take both.