275. Family Art

Diana took a nap Friday night, while Paquita and Magali had William. I read. William came home after a day in the city, pretty happy. Paquita and Magali are doing to be taking care of him tomorrow afternoon too.

Diana's mother does much too. She was talking on the phone and he put his finger to his mouth and she swears he told her to be quiet.

He woke 3 times in the night again Friday, the second night in a row. Is it teething? Is it because we spoil him? Is it the right thing to do? I think it is, but it's very difficult on us. He's worth it though. Everyone says he's happy

Saturday was an excellent day because we went to a museum of Himalayan art (http://www.rmanyc.org/). They have a kids program, and while William was too young, and we were late, they allowed us to participate. We made our first family piece of art we did. I want to take Natasia and Robyn and AJ and Venus and Joseph and Brain and Nicole. And Braxton. And baby Wode, I forget Morris' baby's name.

That's our first nuclear family trip into Manhattan to a museum. We need to do that more. He walked around the museum, a lot, but I think he got something out of it. I'm not sure if I want to aspire to the Alpha Mom type parents in the article in New York Magazine I read recently, but I think we can do more activities.

William took a whopping fall in the kitchen at Gigi's. He slipped on water he spread out. What on the head, too. Then later down in the basement he went into the coffee table with his lip. A couple of howlers right close together.

William likes to hump off the stairs into Diana's arms. He woke up at 7 on Sunday, and then went back to sleep. Unfortunately I didn't.

William just bit Diana in the belly.

274. Doctor's Appointment

William cut another tooth, this time on the bottom, right. Now he has 7.

The doctor says we have to wean him off the bottle, only sippy cups, and only 3 bottles of milk a day, he needs to be eating more hard food. Too much milk and he can become anemic. William is 28 lbs. He got three shots (polio, tuberculosis and measles).

We baby sat Steven, the upstairs neighbor's kid, Aminta and Don Smith. Aminta is from El Salvador. She gave us a garbage bag of clothes (Steven is 6) and a bag of toys.

Monday William gave me the gift of crying when I left him. I like it that he's attached to me. Monday night he gave us the gift of pitching a fit. We let him play a little in the bathroom, but it was enough, and he cried and cried. He sucked down some milk, and fell asleep quickly.

I found my father's day gift in the fridge. William bought me a watch, she had lost.

273. Teeth brushing

Saturday William woke at 5. I stayed up and meditated after I gave him some milk. I think I heard Diana get up once in the night. I'm not so much into getting up in the night, I sort of want him to sort it out, but Diana likes to get up. And I want to try and make life easier for Diana.

On top of Diana's courageous effort, of course is Abuela, Virginia, Aida. They are all hard working committed women with their courageous efforts.

Saturday we went out to NJ. Diana et al went shopping, and I watched Garden State, a good movie, and took a nap. I woke up to William being put next to me, and I was instructed to hold the bottle. I got up and we watched Spanglish. William walks around and is as cute as ever. He likes to play peek-a-boo. He got a little cranky and Diana to me I could go to bed.

Sunday morning Deuce, who I've taken to calling "Manu", kicked Diana a few times to wish me a happy father's day. Raise the roof. Manu means law giver in Hindi, and second child in another language. And I like the improvisational play of Manu Ginobili. I was watching an Argentinean movie called Life According to Murial, and her brother's name is Manu. So henceforth Deuce is name Manu, for me.

Andrew Wyatt sounds too much like Andrew Wyeth, the guy who did Christina's World, the woman in the field looking up at her farm house.

I read William is the 8th most popular name in American history of male names. Andrew is #6. I'm not going to name my son #1: Jacob, though I do like it.

I woke up early, so I took care of William for a while, until everyone woke up. They took me for breakfast at the diner they took me to last year. I made them say what was good about me as a father.

I called Rich and Zane, but neither were in, but I did get my grandfather. He seemed to be doing well. He and Grandma are looking forward to see William and number two at Thanksgiving.

272. Diana's Courageous Effort

Friday night we celebrated KayLa's birthday by waiting forever (7:10-8:50) for a table at Cabana in Forest Hills. I got so tired and annoyed, I got into a bad mood, because of my expectations. William however had no expectations along these lines, and enjoyed walking around and charming the people who were sitting at tables outside. He charmed two Asian woman, some couples. Men can show their willingness to be a father on a date, by admiring William.

That half a block in Forest Hills is a little like Broadway in the Columbia area, with it's outside seating. William kept going into this children's clothing shop, that has insane prices. One hundred dollars for a little outfit, I don't think so. Even at 50% off it was too expensive. But William was drawn to it, and when I took him away and put him down, he walked straight back there.

Thanks to Aida for dinner. Thanks to KayLa for her efforts with William. I tease her a lot and can be kind of cruel to her at times, but I think she's a good teenager. I wish her well. Poor lamb has a complicated family to deal with, that doesn't really support her, outside of Aida.

So William enjoyed the meal, even though I felt stress out by his wrangling every where around the table. I struggled to change his diaper without taking his shoes and jeans off. Somehow we made it home, and I was done. That is where Diana's courageous effort kicks in. She puts in so much effort, she is always there, she has so much energy. It's really quite wonderful and amazing.

271. Growth!

I still can't believe I have William as a son. I'm still gob-smacked by it.

KayLa took care of William till 1pm today, when Diana's mother came over. KayLa slept over. Diana was hoping to get the big AC in but it didn't come off. She was going to take him to the grocery when I came home. He cried, so I played with him instead, and then he wanted to come home. He's been very clingy toward me, which is the best father's day present.

He's got a layer of fur on his body. On his back there's a center to the swirl, on his spin, a little above where his arms come out.

He's not been napping and sleeping through most the night. I thought the one night he slept 13 hours he might be going through a growth spurt. He seems so huge to me know.

Last night when Natasia left, he cried and cried. He's attached to his mother, his father, his abuela, his Gigi, but he enjoys the company of Natasia. She entertains him.

270. Wonderful World

William likes to hold something in each hand, and will doggedly hold onto them when he's picked up or when he's climbing the stairs at Virginia's house.

We took William to the pool yesterday. He was clingy, he did not like to get into the flotation device we had for him.

He's getting closer and closer to running. He walks very fast trying to catch up to Robyn and Natasia.

William ate a lot this weekend from us, he seems to be drinking less and less milk. He also has this thing for drinking out of cups and water bottles. Or rather drinking some and then putting it all down his shirt.

Another night were Virginia gave us the gift of sleep. Aida helps out a lot too. I quite enjoyed this weekend. Poor Diana began to feel under the weather towards the end of it. Poor lamb. I think it's a migraine head ache.

269. Sleep

William slept in the car on the long gridlock ride over to New Jersey yesterday evening.

He's very attached to Diana these days. I held them the other night while he wailed for her just out of reach in the shower. I could not console him.

I think it's appropriate for him to be primarily attached to her, but I am a little jealous of Diana.

Virginia had William sleep with her last night. She gave us the gift of uninterrupted sleep, and sleeping in.

Diana to William to this big thing at South Street Seaport for children. I slept for 4 hours and watched Blade Runner. A very impressionistic movie, I'm sure the book is better. Now I am lonely for William, I wish they would come home. But I am caught up on sleep, though I don't really feel that way.

268. Shea and Liberty

Monday night William slept little, he woke up clingy and stayed that way all day. He went to bed early and was asleep before I got home on Tuesday. Wednesday he went to his first game at Shea. I had a ticket to go with the adult home. Diana had a ticket to go with her work friends at IS 93. Unfortunately I was not with him, but Diana reports he had a good time.

William spent the day going to the Statue of Liberty with Diana, Abuela, Magali, Jorge, Brian and Joseph.

267. Alexandra

I took William to the park. This week there were smaller kids, only one possibly over zealous mother, not any pathologically competitive and aggressive fathers.

He pointed out of the park, so I put him in the stroller, and we walked around. A guy was washing his car and we watched. He had a 15 month old girl with long eye lashes, named Kayla.

Diana has the flu. I'm coming down with it. William is doing better. It's Alex's birthday, and since Diana and I are under the weather, Alex wanted William. She called up. She took him to a street fair. She said he was a flirt on the subway, charming everyone, including her. He was throwing himself at everyone.

She said he drank half her lemonade, ate her corn, shish kebab, ate everything.

She gave him a bath when he came home, and now he's asleep.

266. 6th Tooth

I haven't seen it, he confounds all my attempts to see or photograph his new tooth, but Diana reports he cut the top left one, after the front two. He already has the right one.

Thanks to Diego for letting William play with his cars.

Looks like we're going out for our second movie since William has been born. Hopefully Aida will come over and baby sit.

I read an intersting word: blogorrhea. Hopefully I don't have too much blogorrhea.

265. Alba's

We're at Alba's. Abuela brought William along to Veronica's graduation. Natasia is here too.

William has been throwing little tantrums. He walks towards his bedroom, fussing and wiggling his head, like it's heavy. Then when you don't chase him, and he realizes this, then sometimes he gets mad.

Abuela says his mother is there, when he's throwing a tantrum, and he looks for his mom. It's a distraction.

He's got another cold. Poor nose is running a lot. His tantrums come more frequently when he's under the weather.

Poor Diana has had some terrible pains, sciatica, she just read in the book.