Observations

Out nephew Liam has been with us since Saturday night and it's been really great.  For the most part he's been really good.  He got a little cranky yesterday but we think that he's hit a growth spurt and he was just really tired all day.  Overall though, it's been really awesome having him stay with us.  We've enjoyed the heck out of him and it's going to be kind of lonely around the house when he goes back to his Momma this afternoon.

I've learned a lot the past three days.  I'm sure none of this comes as a surprise to anyone who has children but for me, it was an interesting crash course in child care.  DeAnne says I came through with flying colors though.  

So what have I learned?  Well, for starters: Never, ever underestimate the power of a number 2 diaper.  After two mornings of major accomplishments in that area by our little champ, I have learned that when you go to crack one of those suckers open, you best be prepared for anything.  The take-away: An investment in a has-mat suit may not be a bad idea for when we have children of our own.

Along those same lines is the fact that no matter how nasty you think bodily fluids are, a baby will have up to three of them coming out of them at any given time.  Some ooze and some erupt but either way, steel your nerves and guard your gag reflex because they. are. coming.

Not every thing I learned was about the nasty stuff though.  There's also the fact that a rocking chair of some sort is worth its weight in gold.  We don't have one and with DeAnne's back like it is, I've become the de-facto rocking chair in the house.  I don't mind.  Actually, I really enjoy putting him to sleep.  That's something else I've learned:  When a baby goes to sleep, their face is a picture of pure love and is one of the sweetest things I've seen this side of Heaven.  However, I feel like I started a work-out routine that's going to kill me if I keep it up.  This boy is a chunk and after three days of toting him around, I'm starting to feel it.

That's leads me to another good lesson:  In order to prepare for a baby, you should probably start a weight lifting regimen.  At nearly five months, Liam is a hoss of a baby.  What I've found though is that he's not so bad on his on.  It's the accessories that kill you.  The car seat, the diaper bag, the pack-and-play.  All this stuff adds up to an insane amount of weight that my fat tail is not ready for.  Push-ups, here we come.

I'm sure there are plenty of other things that I've picked up the past few days, but I think that's good enough for now.  As I said, we say goodbye to Liam this afternoon but hopefully his Mom will let us have another sleep over sometime soon.  

Have a good Tuesday.

--Paul