get baby!
Sometime in March or early April, a new member of the get donkey! family will be arriving. We are very excited. Right now, with an early assist from my folks, I am wrapping up the process of preparing his chambers. Can I just say that I hate wallpaper? Mrs. gd! and I have made some initial voyages to Babies R Us to look at baby gear and have come a away with headaches. There is so much baby stuff out there! Anybody have any advice on what is necessary and what is not?
Buddy the spazzhound is already getting into adjustment mode. He and Bailey (who could care less) have been banished from sleeping with us in the bedroom since August. He is being trained to sit in his “house” on command and stay there, until we tell him he can leave. I think he’s starting to get it. On the advice of a veterinary behaviorist, he also is being trained to wear a basket muzzle (which, for some stupid reason, I call his “treat hat”) for about 30 minutes a day just in case he doesn’t accept the baby as one of the pack (he has been strange around kids in the past). He isn’t crazy about it, but it doesn’t really seem to bother him after a few minutes. We bought some treats that we can slide into the slots in the muzzle and he actually figured out how to drink with it on his head.
I hope that I will have more to write about as it gets closer to his arrival (did I mention the baby is a boy?). I also want to start writing more about the local area here in the mid-Hudson valley. To be honest, I get my fill of national politics on kos and atrios, so I don’t feel a pressing need to cover that here anymore. There is an excellent blog about the town I live in, but it is the site of the monthly town paper and is only monthly. I have been unable to find any other websites or blogs up here that cover the culture of the area, the politics, and, especially, the adjustments of moving from a large city (aside from here, there are many transplants from NYC) to a small city. It’s an interesting situation as there is some palpable tension between people who have lived here for their entire lives and the people moving in. This town used to be solid “red country”. That changed on election day, however when the city council went from a 4-2 GOP majority to a 6-0 Democratic majority. The only Republican left on the council is the mayor. Things should be getting interesting.
Anyway, it’s Thanksgiving time in these parts, so, if you celebrate it, have a happy Turkey Day. If you are interested, here is a link to my Thanksgiving Prayer from last year. I still like it.
Testing to see if comments function
Comment by Rob | 11/23/2005
Another Test
Comment by Rob | 11/23/2005
Congratulations!! I’m so happy for you two. Speaking from experience, parenthood is an excellent experience. Mazel tov, and be sure to post pictures.
Comment by Charles Kuffner | 11/23/2005
that’s great. Even after surviving the perilous three-to-four corridor, I agree with Chuck.
Your most essential piece of equipment is one of those sling chairs with a motor on it to make it vibrate (this. is a good basic example, but they come with all sorts of bells and whistles). Keeps them occupied and soothes upset tummies. Just make sure the motor is off when you feed him.
Your second most essential piece of equipment is, of course, the Skwish
For the sake of your own sanity, you might want to get a copy of this book, so when some helpful soul (and you have no idea how Helpful people are about to become) or the What to Expect book tells you that something you’re doing/not doing is “hurting the baby” instead of panicking you can look it up and find out that it’s, almost always, nonsense (or not, in which case you want to know, right?).
Oh, and about Helpful People - an awful lot of people are about to look you straight in the eye and tell you stuff you Have To Do in a very convincing way. Many of these people will be parents with more experience than you have. Many of them will also be ignorant assholes (the giving of unsolicited child-related advice seems to be a special province of our ignorant asshole brethren and sistren). Pleasantly repeating “Thank you for your concern” in an affectless voice will generally make them go away. I guess it’s no fun if you don’t panic. Then ask someone you know with kids what they think about it. Chances are you’ll get to have a lovely time together abusing people who say things like that to you when you’re a new parent/pregnant.
Also: what with all the bustle and the worries and the lack of sleep and the adjustments, sometimes you forget to enjoy it.
Enjoy it.
Comment by julia | 11/24/2005