Early Skirmishing in the Battle of Wills

I concluded today that Nathan will one day run a marathon. Why such certainty? Because the only reason that I finished the Marine Corps Marathon was because I'm stubborn enough to push my fat butt over 26.2 miles, blisters and recovery vehicle be damned, and Nathan has inherited his fair share of my stubbornness. Combined with the strong proclivity to obstinance that he inherited from his mother, he may very well end up running triathalons or ultramarathons. (Interesting philosophical aside here--Cat argued with my assessment that she is obstinate; that would, ironically, make her obstinate.)

His unyielding nature reared its ugly head today during my trial run at a day of playing Mr. Mom. Cat returns to work part-time on September 9th, so every Tuesday is my day to handle our little steelheaded bundle of joy all by myself. Now that I'm continuing my studies by reading a library of infant sleep guides, I'm trying new methods in order to get Nathan to nap during the day. I tried no fewer than five times today to get him to take a nap in the crib, but each time, he balked and let me know in no uncertain terms that he was quite displeased with me. Due to the techniques I have learned from reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child, I am now known alternatively as "The Sleep Nazi" or "The Baby Whisperer." The former is used more often when the response to the nap is screaming, a state that was much more common today than the actual sleep part of the whole nap thing. I'm aiming for three or four hours of total nap time during the day, but today, Nathan only managed about an hour and a half altogether. My luck at bedtime, however, is gradually improving. Tonight's bedtime occurred at 8 PM and, so far, seems to be holding. That's already an improvement from last night's 7:30 PM bedtime attempt, which didn't finally stick until about 9 PM. We're working on sleep one step at a time.

With such ordeals, I have a feeling that "Tuesdays with Dad" will become a bruising battle of wills between Nathan and me. A day of butting heads like mountain goats will probably result in Nathan being hoarse from screaming and me dealing with a persistent ringing in my ears as the result. But I will prevail. That's right kid, you're going down...for a nap.

Raising a Third Breadwinner

Nathan is quickly becoming somewhat self-sufficient. During evening feedings, when we need him to focus on eating by giving him a bottle to help him settle down for the evening, he has started holding the bottle on his own, requiring very little intervention from me. Since his little hands are becoming quite nimble, I think he's probably about ready to hold on to a pickaxe and shovel and take a job working the mines to supplement our household income. After all, to live in this house, one must be a fully-contributing member of the family. Apparently, the thought of entering the working world so early was rather distressing to him. I can't imagine why...

Field Trip to the Farm

Nathan took a field trip today; Cat took him to meet Liz and Wesley at Homestead Farm in Poolesville. Poolesville is a small town west of Rockville near White's Ferry, a cable-driven ferry that is the last operational ferry on the Potomac. At Homestead Farms, Nathan met his first farm animals, doing his best to figure out the silly noises coming from the cows, goats, pigs, and chickens. It was a hot day today, so he and Wesley spent much of their time in the shade, but that didn't stop Cat from checking Nathan end-to-end this evening to make sure he wasn't sunburned. If my childhood is any indication, I'm afraid Nathan may be doomed to sunburn in the future.

Nathan has been rolling over from his back to his stomach fairly regularly now, though never when we are looking. We tend to find him face down in his crib, distraught after having awakened late in the evening and upset enough to flip himself over. After four months of steady back sleeping, it takes some adjusting for us to figure out what's going on. Cat did a double-take the other night when she saw on the baby monitor that he had rolled over; it just didn't register at first glance. We still haven't figured out how he does it, but we'll be watching him closely to figure out his tricks.

Hitting the Books

It's been a while since I've had reading homework, but it's starting to come back. Last week, I took a training class for ITIL Foundations certification (I passed!) along with two evening prep sessions the week before. Due to the volume of content in the ITIL class and the newness of it all, I had to do a bit of reading in the evenings after class. Admittedly, this is rather difficult to do when holding a four-month-old infant who enjoys exercising his voice by screeching, but it is possible.

Now, both Cat and I are having to do our homework to learn new ways to get Nathan to go to bed at a reasonable time and stay asleep. Though we've been somewhat successful at moving his bedtime up to an earlier time, it has recently taken two or three tries to get him to stay asleep. We now have several books with a variety of methods to try for helping him learn to get to sleep on his own, from Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, to Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems, to The Bacardi Limon Method of Infant Sleep Therapy (just kidding on the last one). He generally does fine getting back to sleep on his own when he wakes up in the middle of the night, but the first step is the hardest. Tonight was particularly bad; the three hour nap he took in the afternoon screwed up his schedule, so he didn't finally fall asleep until almost 10 PM.

Last night offered an unexpected opportunity to take a break from the Olympics and do some reading. For about the fourth time since we've lived in this house, Comcast cut our cable when their technicians were burying the cable for other townhouses in our section. The damage was especially painful for us, since it cut out our TV during the Olympics and cut off our internet access right after we discovered Facebook. It was a rough evening of withdrawal. Thanks to Montgomery county's strict regulation of the cable industry, we were able to file a complaint with the county and get a technician out here today to repair the damage, one day earlier than what Comcast told us was the earliest available service appointment. Sometimes it can be quite nice living in the People's Republic of Maryland.

A Busy Weekend

The past few days have been quite busy for Nathan. Early this morning at about 5 AM, in a fit of rage (why won't my parents wake up?!?), Nathan rolled over from back to front for the first time. This experience was apparently unnerving enough that he couldn't go back to sleep and started screaming to get our attention. He's also getting very close to sitting up on his own. When sitting on his back, he constantly strains to sit up, grunting in exertion the whole time. When not trying to sit up, he occupies himself with grabbing his toes and trying to stuff them in his mouth. This practice tends to make diaper changes more of a negotiation than it used to be, since we now have to convince him to release the death grip on his feet to dress him.

In addition to the obvious physical developments, we also noted a significant mental development--manipulation. While emptying the dishwasher, Cat noticed that Nathan would begin crying whenever he could see her through the porthole window between the living room and the kitchen. However, when she moved the left of the dishwasher, where his view of her would have been blocked, he immediately quieted down. If she looked through the porthole at him, he would start crying again. The little squirt can be quite scheming!

I've Got a Fever, and the Only Cure Is More Bubba

And I thought that Nathan's pose in his overalls with no shirt and a floppy hat was as "bubbalicious" as he could get. Oh, no, it gets better. Today, during a grocery run to Whole Foods and a trip to Buy Buy Baby, Nathan experienced a Hillsville-esque explosion, requiring two sets of hands, multiple feet of water-soaked paper towels, and a full outfit change to correct. The only problem was that there wasn't a second outfit. After the change, which must have taken a half-hour, we had to run the gauntlet from the back of Buy Buy Baby, where the family restroom with changing table was located, up to the exit in the front of the store, all while pushing a stroller with an intermittently-screaming baby clad only in a diaper. It could only have been better if I had been dressed in a wife-beater and denim cutoffs and used the stroller's cupholder to carry my Schlitz.

This experience surely helped wear him down to the point where he fell asleep at 8 PM, still a bit earlier than his usual bedtime, but it was by no means the high point of the day. Even higher on his list of accomplishments was the fact that he rolled over for the first time! Cat called me on the way home to announce that he had been showing off his new skill to her, rolling from his stomach to his back several times. When I got home, it took a while for him to assess my worthiness of viewing his new trick, but he finally showed me what he could do. With a quick turn of the head, he now flips himself over onto his back and revels in the new view. Looks like all the tummy time is paying off!

The downside of such progress is that we have now reached what we've read is the "Four Month Sleep Regression." You do not want to experience the Four Month Sleep Regression. The Four Month Sleep Regression will make you reach for the earplugs to prevent ruptured eardrums from the blistering screams of displeasure (seriously--earplugs). The Four Month Sleep Regression will make you long for the comparatively blissful paradise of Camp X-Ray. Apparently, when baby is working on a big new milestone, sleep takes a backseat to the physical and mental workout needed to reach the goal. Judging by the pitch and amplitude of his screams when he's fighting sleep, Nathan must be working on the Riemann hypothesis right about now. I hope he figures it out soon; I think my ears are bleeding.

It's That Special Time

There's a special time that arrives once every two years when the television viewing conditions are ripe for creating that deep, well-defined butt groove in the sofa. The Olympics are here, with near 24-hour coverage on three stations (four, if I could speak Spanish). To top it all off, there's also viewing competition from football, something that is even more compelling considering that the Redskins now have more wins than any other team in the NFL (2-0, baby, preseason my foot!). As much fun as the Olympics are to watch, the 'Skins/Bills game won out on Saturday. It's all about balance.

I had to borrow one of Nathan's burp cloths during the opening ceremony on Friday. I think my mouth may have been agape during the entire show, it was that amazing. That groups of 2,008 individuals could perform something in such perfect synchronization is completely mind-blowing. At one point, when the boxes representing Chinese moveable type took center stage and began creating mesmerizing patterns, I told Cat that the boxes had to be mechanized, considering the perfect timing of the motion. Not a moment later, I was proven wrong when the lids opened up and out popped the live performers. I should have known better, as amazed as we were after seeing the Peking Acrobats perform a few years ago. What a show.

Last Thursday, we finally obtained some solid information on Nathan's progress. At his doctor's appointment, he weighed in at an ounce shy of 20 pounds, putting him in the 95th percentile on the weight charts for babies his age. He's also at the 95th percentile in length, measuring 27.25 inches long. Curiously, though, he's only in the 20th percentile for head circumference. With one look at his dad's huge, sweater-neckhole-stretching noggin, it's obvious that he'll catch up before too long.

Halloween Costume Poll

Your assistance is requested, dear readers, in a very important endeavor. With the opening day of the 2008 candy season fast approaching, it is time to select Nathan's first Halloween costume. This is of utmost importance, Halloween being his mother's favorite holiday. Links to the costumes in the poll can be found below. Please make your pick and cast your vote at right.

1. Woopie Cushion
2. Smarties Candy
   
3. Black Skunk
4. Car Freshener
5. Ricky Bobby
   
6. Pumpkin

Happy voting!

Innovative Infant Soothing Techniques

Many infant care resources suggest using sounds from nature and the womb to soothe fussy babies. Some parents use recordings of their voices. Some parents use simulated womb sounds that mimic the muffled sound of the mother's heartbeat. Some use nature sounds such as falling rain and rolling waves. We, however, use the delightful banter of Al Michaels and John Madden on Sunday Night Football to ease Nathan into sleep. Tonight brings the glorious start of the NFL preseason, the Hall of Fame Game between the Redskins and the Colts. Though it was lacking two key elements of football on Sunday nights--the multi-hour long pre-game show with Bob Costas and crew and Faith Hill's performance of the Sunday Night Football song--it's still football and is a wonderful respite from the mind-numbing horrors of baseball season. Tonight's viewing has been rather choppy, though, since Cat keeps pausing on the shots of Jason Taylor with his sleeves rolled up. It certainly makes it hard to watch the game.

The timing of tonight's game and a review of the NFL preseason schedule made us ruminate on the incredible wisdom of our forebears from the cradle of Western civilization. The ancient Greeks were so wise that they knew to schedule the Olympic Games such that they would not interfere with the NFL's regular season. In fact, considering the events to come in the next few months, we have begun thinking that, if we do end up having a second child, we may have to time the arrival for August, 2012. That would mean that every late night feeding would also offer the opportunity to watch Olympic coverage, assuming NBC repeats its 24-hour coverage during the next Olympics. Once the Olympics ended, there would be recorded football games to fill the gap between spurts of sleep in the middle of the night. Alternatively, we could plan for February, 2010, and watch recorded NFL playoffs, the Super Bowl, and coverage of the winter Olympics. The possibilities are endless.

More Gettysburg & Pictures

One of the best things about Gettysburg is the fact that the park has several tall observation towers along the roadside. Since the terrain is relatively flat, the towers are a great way to take in the breadth of the battlefield. The walk up to the top is a leg-burning workout, but it's worth it. Here's a panoramic view of Seminary Ridge from the top of one of the towers:


If one were to turn around from the vantage point of this picture, one would overlook the Eisenhower farm, which is adjacent to the battlefield. We're already considering a repeat visit to Gettysburg in the fall, both to take in the fall colors and to see the visitor center's new cyclorama exhibit, which opens in September.

Be sure to check out the new photo gallery, Nathan's Fourth Month. Granted, his fourth month ends on Monday, but somehow, the month of July seems to have flown by. Better late than never, I suppose.

Rest and Recovery

Following a hectic five days with my parents, a.k.a., Nana and Grandpa, Nathan spent Wednesday recovering by taking a three-hour nap. Considering the long weekend's activities and the fact that he was hardly put down during their entire visit, it's not the least bit surprising that he was exhausted. It was probably fortuitous that I was still at work when my parents arrived on Friday; the superfluous niceties of having to greet both of us before lunging for their grandson might have been too much for the grandparents to handle.

On Sunday, Nathan endured his first experience in a construction zone. Dad and I took advantage of some down time to fire up the compressor and install the last piece of crown molding in the downstairs hallway, a project that had been looming over me for quite some time due to my apprehension over crown molding installation. Though certainly unable to sleep through the racket of the pneumatic crown stapler and the miter saw, Nathan handled the noise with aplomb. After all, power tools are rather tame compared to firearms. In spite of the fact that the same problems from the crown installation in the nursery presented themselves in the hallway, the crown is now up, albeit with a generous helping of caulk. After months of "temporary" storage of crown molding and baseboard, the floor of the downstairs hallway is once again clear.

I went to work on Monday, but I learned on my return that the foursome spent the day running around town, shopping at the toy store in downtown Rockville and eating lunch at Gordon Biersch (the second time Nathan and Cat have gone without me!). In a shocking change of pace, that restaurant meal was one of only three during their entire visit. In previous visits, much of our time would be spent selecting the next meal's restaurant. Now that Cat is a gourmet cook, though, the four of us enjoyed a delectable selection of home-cooked meals, including shrimp and grits; breakfast burritos with scrambled eggs and maple breakfast sausage; pecan-maple French toast on whole wheat French bread; pasta salad with mozzarella and arugula; and oven-fried chicken with fresh corn-on-the-cob and garden-grown green beans. The fine meals continued even after they left, with popcorn shrimp po-boys with cole slaw that were so good we had them again the next night.

Tuesday, my weekly flex day, was highlighted by a road trip to Gettysburg. Along the way, Cat was barely able to contain her disappointment at the fact that we skipped the Catoctin Furnace, a thrilling stop from our first visit to Gettysburg a few years ago. It should be noted that the Catoctin Furnace was the place where, having quickly had their fill of the place, the entire Brumbach clan began impatiently hunting me down as I leisurely explored the rest of the park. Gettysburg is a relatively short drive from Rockville; we arrived just in time for lunch and stopped at a previous favorite restaurant, The Pub & Restaurant in Lincoln Square in downtown Gettysburg. After lunch and a stop in the neighboring antique store, it was off to the park and the cemetery where Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. After a shopping stop at the park's gigantic new visitor center, we started a short drive through the battlefield. Since we didn't have the two- to three-hour audio tour on hand, the drive was only a short trip through some of the key areas (Pickett's Charge, Little Round Top, etc.). The intense heat of the day gave us an impression of the misery the soldiers must have suffered during the July battle. Because of the heat, Nathan spent much of the day in the air-conditioned car with Cat. Perhaps we can take him for a repeat visit when he is old enough to think of a battlefield tour (complete with the extended five-hour audio tour) as a cruel form of parental torture. What fun!

During the visit, Cat and I also did something that will surely help us in the future when encouraging Nathan to watch educationally enriching television. In order to immerse my parents in our lifestyle, we showed them our recording of the fourth quarter of the Espy Award-winning Super Bowl XLII. They were polite enough to pay at least fleeting attention to the game, though Nana was clearly more interested in her knitting than in watching Eli Manning and David Tyree execute the greatest reception in the greatest Super Bowl ever. The only way the experience could have been more realistic would be if they had watched the recording at 3 AM while feeding a baby.

Having left early in the morning after much hugging and kissing of Nathan, the grandparents started the final leg of their grand circle tour of the Mid-Atlantic on Wednesday. They traveled to Maryland from Kentucky by way of Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania, and returned by way of Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. It was an ambitious trip, but according to Nana, one well worth the drive.