The Adventures of the Tader Tot's

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Business Trips…

“I've been everywhere, man, I've been everywhere, man”

-Johnny Cash

I love to travel. I love being in a car and just driving. I thought that my new promotion would be a good chance to get out and see different places on the company dime. Then the twins came along and I don’t want to leave for any extended amount of time.
M was so upset when I had to leave and it made me upset as well. I didn’t want her to feel lonely. I also was paranoid that something would happen to her and I wouldn’t be there to do anything about it. In fact I wouldn’t let her post it in her blog that I was out traveling. Probably because there was the story about the woman getting her throat slashed and the lady who had her baby cut from her. It’s probably completely off the charts irrational but it felt like a real worry and I wanted to be safe anyway.

I know this is only going to get worse once the kids come along. The good thing is her family has been so helpful and would continue to do so after the kids come along. Her mom’s been helping out and we are glad to have the help. I know I was slow to come around, being that I am stubborn and independent and would rather do everything on my own. I know we are going to need all the help we can get and I have to remember to let people help me. I know these traits are going to really come back to haunt me when the tots arrive.

Good news I am making more of an effort to get a new blog in each day. I am trying to work on them at lunch and post them when I get second to think and relax. We'll see IF I can keep the streak going...16 days until we see the tots
again.

Monday, September 25, 2006

Appointment Number 2...

Teach your children well
Their father's hell
Will slowly go by

-CSNY


Appointments number two for the tots and I am able to go. So I missed the first appointment due to work and the fact M said it was all talking and going over things not relevant to me. So I felt ok skipping it. Plus we got some interesting stories from the fact that her Papaw was her escort. The best one being that he dropped her off and when he came in to find the office, he stopped at the reception desk. He asked for the doctor and where her office was and they gave him a look that I am sure was priceless. Imagine an 80 year old man asking for an OB/GYN. They asked if he was sure he had the name right and he had to explain it was for his granddaughter. It still makes me chuckle thinking about it.

I didn’t have any expectations this time. I was really excited and hoped we got to see the tots again. Did we ever! They looked like they came right out of a Discovery Channel show. You could see their little heads, arms and feet. When she focused on one, the little arm came up and made a waving motion as to say hello. That’s going to be the smart one that takes after M. The Dr. zoomed in on the other tot and the little one is just dancing around and moving its arms all around. I have a feeling this one will be the ADD/Oppositional defiant one like his dad. I think if that’s the case we should just name it Karma. I am trying not to call them he or she yet, I don't want get attached to calling them boys when girls end up popping out.

Shortly after the appointment, I had to leave on my trip to NJ for work/training. M’s wasn’t too happy about it but my fear about anything happening to her was why I didn’t post about it before.

Thursday, September 14, 2006

It Cost How Much?

" ’cause I don’t care too much for money
For money can’t buy me love"
Beatles


So with everyone having an opinion how much it’s going to cost to raise children (and everything else regaridng babies), I went looking for myself. I found this nice little tid bit of information.

“For 2004, the newest data available, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that families making $70,200 a year or more will spend a whopping $269,520 to raise a child from birth through age 17. That breaks down to nearly $15,000 a year from birth to age 2 for families in the $65,800 -plus income bracket. As your child ages, he or she gets even more expensive, topping out at $15,810 from ages 15 to 17.” And “Food
Cost through age 17: $26,490 to $39,470.”

This can’t be right, can it? How in the world can anyone have more than one kid? Can two kids eat $80,000 in food before they get to college? I know two tader tots that will be getting themselves a part time job…at age 3. I think it’s time to start looking into how the Olsen twins did it.

Enough of that, M’s got the first real appointment with the OB tomorrow and I am going. Not because I am forced to and have to, but because I want to. It should be fun, and hopefully the doctor can provide us with some good resources for twins. I know M’s gets lots of stuff to read because she’s the women. I got the Expectant Father book that everyone references but I don’t think it’s really going to prepare me for twins.

I still have moments where I am just sitting on the couch, spaced out while watching TV and it hits me that we are having twins. I feel like we have so much to do and the time is going to here before we realize.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

What difference does a week or two makes...right?

““Who built the ball that is this earth?
Gave me life, and water for my thirst.
Home for a heart till death from birth
And we’re only love, at it’s best or worst"



So what does two weeks between updates mean. I thought it was because nothing was going on but I got caught up on some Dad reading and it appears I was the one who was wrong. Two weeks ago the Tader Tots were “Now almost half an inch long — roughly the size of a raspberry — he has elbow joints and distinct, slightly webbed fingers and toes. In his oversized head, both hemispheres of his brain are developing. His teeth and the inside of his mouth are forming, and his ears continue to develop. Eyelid folds partially cover his tiny peepers, which already have some color, and the tip of that nose you'll be tweaking someday is emerging. His skin is paper-thin and his veins are clearly visible.”

And now we got “his upper lip is fully formed, too, and his mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The tips of his fingers are slightly enlarged where his touch pads are developing. All major joints — his shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles — are working, enabling your baby to move his limbs. As for his heart, it has divided into four chambers now, and the valves have started to develop. External sex organs are there, but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks.” Our little ones are growing up so fast and I feel like I am sitting by waiting for it to be my “turn.” Whatever that is supposed to mean. Will someone tap me on the shoulder and say, “Hey Buddy, pay attention here.” Did I miss something important? Where the hell did those last two weeks go?

Did you ever notice this whole thing geared toward the women? I know she's the one pregnant. And I know I am probably breaking some unwritten man code somewhere, but, I want to be included. So freaking about money, more to come later, I decided to see what I could do to help. So I try order some coupons for formula and get these tots some free stuff. I sign up on this website of a very popular formula company, not to name names, but it wasn’t Similac. So they make me answer a survey to complete the registration for a free diaper bag, some samples and coupons. My favorite question was, “Do you plan to breast feed?” I hadn’t thought about it but I think in my personal case I would have to go with no. My wife is going to do what is best for her, I am not breast feeding anything unless someone buys me the contraption from Meet the Fockers.

I have picked up on the housework to help out. Not so bad once I get into the routine of doing it over and over. Don’t really mind hand washing dishes with the iPOD going. Plus I am learning to start the wash and then do the dishes to maximize my time I could spend laying on the couch. Plus the wife is folding the clothes once dried, which I have never been a big fan of doing. If you ever saw the two piles, sometimes three, system I ran in college. You know the clean pile, the dirty pile (hidden behind the chair) and the “iffy” pile. The iffy pile being, “I know I could wear you if I just threw you back in the dryer with a dryer sheet and some Febreeze.” Then I have cat box duty for the next 7-8 months. Stupid Toxoplasmosis or whatever they call it. Was that invented by a woman? I think the only positive that can be said for having 4 cats is that by the time the tots are here I won’t fear a diaper because I will have scooped my fair share of…

Please don’t tell me any stories involving a child who just ate chili. I like chili and I would like to keep enjoying it. Skyline Chili will lose all its greatness if I have the wrong mental image when bellying up to my next 5 way. That’s enough for now, lunch is over.