Daddy Dan

Here’s what’s been going on in the Daddy Dan household:

Potty Training = Complete Success

Babito started his potty training a week ago yesterday, and it has been a complete success!

Our daycare provider indicated last Monday that she thought he was ready to start, so we agreed that we’d begin the process last Tuesday.  My wife went out and potty him some potty training underwear.  He’s been telling us when he has to go potty ever since!  He’s only had one accident, and it was during the night when he had a pull-up on, so I don’t even count that as an accident.

He’s very funny.  When he has to go he says “Uh oh, pee pee (or poo poo)!” and we hurry him over to the bathroom.  He can pull his own pants down and get up on the potty all by himself.  We bought him an Elmo toilet seat, but he prefers to just sit on the regular seat.

The other night he was in bed and I was in our bedroom when I heard his bathroom toilet flush.  By the time I went over there he had already pulled his pants up and he was up on his stepper washing his hands!  We’re very proud of how well he’s doing and we’re surprised how easy it was.  I’d been dreading the whole potty training experience, but it’s turned out to be very easy.  He’s making a habit of this.  His conversion to the big boy bed was just as easy.

Surgery Recovery = Slow and Steady

First, let me say that hernia surgery (especially double hernia) is NOT fun in the least.  I was extremely sore for the first 4-5 days, and the pain has subsided a little bit every day.  I’m now taking 30 minute walks around the park every day and have been more and more active.  I still can’t pick up anything more than 10 pounds for another 3-4 weeks, so I still haven’t been able to pick up Babito, which sucks.

I had the staples removed from my incisions last week, which was relatively painless except for one that was kind of burrowed into my skin.  The nurse had to wiggle and yank that one for a bit before it finally came out.  It reminded me of when you’re removing a staple from a thick stack of paper and only one side comes out and then you have to really yank the staple to get the other side out.  That one hurt!

Celebrity Deaths

I can’t believe all the celebrity deaths we’ve had the past few weeks.  It’s too bad that Michael Jackson’s death (and the ensuing circus-like atmosphere) has stolen the spotlight from Farrah Fawcett, who was courageously sharing her story of her cancer fight.  Also, who’s going to fill Billy Mays’ big shoes on late night infomercials?

Babito made me a Father’s Day card at his daycare which included his picture, his handprint, and this poem:

Some times you’ll get discouraged
Because I am so small
And always leave my fingerprints
On furniture and walls

But every day I’m growing
And I’ll be grown someday
And all those tiny handprints
Will surely fade away

So here’s a little handprint
Just so you can recall
Exactly how my fingers looked
When I was very small

Happy Father’s Day!
I Love You Daddy!

Happy Father’s Day to all my Daddy Blogger Friends!

This is my 3rd Father’s Day (4th if you count when Babito was in utero).

I know it’s clichè, but I never in my wildest dreams knew what a wondrous thing fatherhood would be before it happened to me.

It’s even more clear this year, since I can’t play and interact with Babito as much while I’m recuperating from surgery.

Thank you Babito for being such a great little boy. I’m so proud to call you my son. I Love You!

I think it’s about time that I recapped my surgery day. Thanks for all your words of support. They meant a lot to me.

Last Friday morning I underwent surgery for a double hernia. I wasn’t really nervous about it until that morning, but I tried to act calm. My wife and mother in law took me in. My parents also met us there. Having all those people there kind of made me more nervous, but I did appreciate them being there.

Shortly after arriving, they took me back into pre-op, where I stripped down and put on a hospital gown. They covered me in warm blankets and a nurse put in my first-ever IV. I usually get antsy around needles, but I was surpringly ok with it. Of course, I didn’t look!

I laid around for a while until the surgeon came and spoke briefly with me. I really don’t remember too much of what she said. Then the anesthesiologist came over and introduced himself. He said he was going to give me something in my IV that would “make me feel a little drunk” and I said “Good!”.

That was the last thing I really remembered until I woke up in bed at home! I have fuzzy memories of drinking Sprite in post-op and my wife helping me get dressed.

I have no memory at all of (but my wife told me all about) gushing about how much I liked the nurses, demanding my wife stop at Taco Bell on the way home (I don’t even LIKE Taco Bell), and insisting that I could walk up the stairs alone (I couldn’t).

I slept most of Friday. Saturday and Sunday were bad. I was in some major pain. Getting out of bed hurt. It felt like I was getting stabbed every time I got up. Luckily, I have my friend Vicadin to ease the pain.

The pain has lessened a little bit every day. I’ve been walking around the house and up and down the stairs as much as I can, but I’ll have to build my stamina up a little more. My wife has been taking wonderful care of me.

The Babito doesn’t completely understand what’s going on, but he’s been great too. He asked me if the doctor used a screwdriver to fix my tummy. Every morning, before he leaves for the day, he says I hope your tummy gets better soon.

I would highly recommend avoiding a hernia! It’s not nearly as glamorous as it’s made out to be.

In less than 48 hours I will be undergoing surgery for a double hernia. The surgeon has informed me that it’s a common, simple, straightforward surgery, with few risks of any complications. With that said, as the surgery date draws near, I’m beginning to feel a little apprehension. I’ve only been “put under” one other time, when I had some teeth removed prior to getting braces.

That occurrence didn’t go so well. I had strange nightmares while out and I woke up crying. My mom told me that I cried all the way home in the car and continued tossing and turning and crying in my sleep once I got home.

I’ve been told that I’ll be out of work for three weeks, and I am forbidden to lift anything over 10 pounds for six weeks. I’ve also been told that on the second day after surgery I will be cursing my surgeon and asking myself why I decided to get the surgery.  At least I’ll have the pain medication to look forward to!

Now that I’ve provided you what I have to look forward to over the next several weeks, I’d like to apologize in advance to several people:

To My Wife:  I apologize if I’m a crying, blubbery mess after the surgery.  It’s just the anesthesia talking.  I know you’ll be your normal patient self with me, so thank you in advance.  I apologize that I won’t be able to help you around the house for a while.  I apologize for you having to take out the garbage and cleaning up after the dogs.  That second one is especially not fun at all.  Lastly, I apologize for being cranky, just in case I am.  I’ll do my best to be as cheerful as possible.  Thank you, in advance, for taking such great care of me.  I Love You!

To Babito:  I apologize that I won’t be able to pick you up, play with you, or get you ready for bed for a while.  I know you really enjoy your daily routine, and I apologize that I’ll be messing that up.  I know you won’t understand why Daddy can’t do all of these things.  I’m sorry that I won’t be able to take you to Disneyland, play trains or cars or catch with you, or chase you around the house.  I’m sure Mommy will fill all of these roles as best she can.  I’ll make it up to you when I’m all healed up.  I Love You!

To My Co-Workers:  I’m sorry that my absence will create more work for you.  Thanks for filling in for me.  I apologize that I won’t be thinking about you or work much while I’m out. 

To My Readers:  I apologize that you’ll probably be inundated with Daddy Dan blog posts.  I’ll have plenty of free time over the next few weeks, cooped up in my house and bored.  Leave me comments so I’ll have something to do.  I’m sure I’ll have the time to respond too.

For months, my wife and I had discussed getting Babito a twin bed. The crib seemed to be getting smaller and smaller. Luckily for us, we had time since Babito had never once tried to climb out of his crib (which is amazing considering he climbs up everything else!).

Finally, we found a nice twin bed with both drawers and a trundle bed. It looks like the one below, just without the garish solar system bedspread. Babito has a garish Thomas the Train bedspread.

While we waited for the bed to be delivered, we began talking up the “big boy bed.” We had Babito to the point of utter excitement about it, although you could tell he was slightly nervous. I’d be putting him in his crib at night, telling him that soon he would be sleeping in a big boy bed. He would always ask me, “Will you pick me up and get me out of it?” I tried to explain to him that he would be able to get in and out of the bed all by himself. I didn’t think he really grasped the concept.

Finally, last Sunday, his bed was delivered. He was excited to see his bed with the cool Thomas the Train sheets, blankets, pillow cases, and bedspread.

That night, after our many bedtime rituals, he climbed up on his bed and I joined him for some book reading. When I finished the two books we had selected he asked me to read them again, so I did. After the second reading he asked me to read them yet again. Normally, when he pulls this kind of stunt, I put my foot down and tell him no, but since it was going to be his first night in his new bed I indulged him.

After the third readings, I told him good night, kissed him, blessed him, told him I loved him, and said “See ya later, Alligator.” He said “After while, Crocodile.” (This is all another part of the bedtime ritual that must be strictly followed, or else.) As I walked out of the room he said “Daddy, I like my new bed. It’s nice.”

I looked back and my little boy, who looked so big in his little crib, looked so tiny in his new big boy bed. I could tell he was a little nervous, but he didn’t say anything else. He was going to be a brave little boy, and I couldn’t be prouder of him.

The next morning, after I had left for work, my wife went in to check on him. He was lying in bed. He was already awake. She said “Want me to get you out of bed?” Babito said, “No, this is a big boy bed, Mommy. I can get out ALL by MYSELF!” And he did. And he is. Way too fast.

Every morning, without fail, as my Metrolink train pulls into the station where I disembark, a lone elderly man stands on the platform with an empty umbrella stroller.

Among the passengers exiting the train is a young lady with a cute little girl, no more than two, in her arms. She hands the little girl over to the elderly man, who I assume is the grandpa, and gets back on the train.

The little girl and the elderly man are always happy to see each other. Every day the little girl has a huge smile on her face and always gives the man a big hug. He places her in the stroller and slowly walks off the platform.

Every evening he and the little girl are there waiting for the train to come. He holds her and they wave to the train’s engineer as the train pulls into the station. The mommy exits the train, and the little girl gives her grandpa a kiss just before she’s handed back over.

These simple acts, and the sight of such pure, obvious love between a grandpa and his granddaughter, put a smile on my face every day.