I was picking up Grayson from the nanny/childcare person and had to leave a check for that week. I handed over the check and wondered if we pay too much for someone to watch Grayson. He was still in her arms sucking on his fist and smiling. She started making funny sounds talking to him and he got all excited. It was so nice to see the way they interacted. She genuinely cared for him and it was obvious in her face. Do we pay her too much? Not a chance. We pay her what we can being that I am out of work. The truth is I'd pay her 10 times as much to take care of Grayson. He's a very important part of my life and in her hands for a few hours a day. There isn't a price for that. Instead of worrying about how much you pay for childcare, spend a moment just being grateful that someone is watching over your treasure while you work or go about your day. The ideal situation would be that we were financially set and was able to take care of him ourselves but that's a long way off.

Grayson, you are 3 months old and about 2 feet tall. You can't exactly sit up on your own but you try. We have a good time putting you in your Bumbo Chair and watching you wiggle around. This week has been a rough one with mom having to go back to work and you going to to childcare. I got to see a lot of you during the weeks but now I feel like I am seeing less of you. Granted you had been out with your mom during maternity leave going to baby yoga classes and having a fun time with your baby friends, it just feel different with mom at work and you somewhere else while I talk to people on the phone and continue looking for a job. I wish I was domesticated enough to be an at home dad or financially abundant enough to let mom spend her days with you but that's not the reality we are in and we are making the best of it. by meg_meg_ Your morning routine is our favorite. When you first wake up you seem to be in the best mood ever. Unlike when you wake up from a nap when ...

Sorry readers. Well, the 20+ of you that have stuck around. I've been enjoying fatherhood. I lost my job a few weeks ago and have been able to spend a lot of time with Grayson that I would never have had if I worked. I should be writing more but I've been to caught up with the boy and with being unemployed. Grayson is just about 3 months old. My wife has been doing a very good job of documenting his growth with pictures. I know I am biased but I think I have the cutest baby ever. She started making little onesies for him with numbers so we can keep something more than photos to remember how small our little monkey is. I need to be better at writing about all of this suff. Everyday is something new with this guy.

Grayson, You're only 7 weeks old and watching you grow is truly amazing to me. Seeing you develop and begin interacting if even on a small level, has been a blessing. I want to make sure you have every opportunity to grow in a thriving environment. Truth is, I want you to have more than I ever did and I will do everything I can to make that a reality. Last week dad lost his job. The first thing I thought of after getting the call of doom was how to make sure this situation doesn't impact you in any way. You're too little to know about the economy or understand the meaning of a 10% state unemployment rate but as you grow up, you will know that it's not a good thing to be out of work in these times. Your mom and I were hoping that my job would be around and we could find a way to tighten things up so that you could have your mom home with you as you grew. But life has a way of throwing curve balls and this is one of them. Your mom and I had a moment of devastation when we found ...

Just over a month old the little man is growing before our eyes. It's odd looking at pictures from just a couple weeks ago and now seeing how much he has changed. He's getting bigger and his features are becoming more apparent. We can't decide if he looks more like one of us than the other but it's nice to see that there are pieces of him that take after each of us. So far he's got my blue eyes but his mom's eye shape. which is great because with big blue eyes he stands out more. I won't lie, the first few weeks were rough having to wake up every few hours for feeding or just to rock him back to sleep but recently, he's been going to sleep around 10PM and staying asleep until about 4AM when he wakes up and let's us know he's ready for food. By 'letting us now' I mean we hear his cries through the walls and in the Baby monitor as if in stereo. My wife takes on the brunt of the baby duty since I work at an office all day and at 4AM when he wakes up she takes care of ...

I admit. With all the family and friends I have with children, I know very little about raising a child. Even with all of their collective knowledge, I have a hard time retaining enough valuable information about newborns, toddlers and general baby maintenance. I got a message the other day from a friend that gave me a book recommendation and after doing a little research on it, I am making the purchase. The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two. 769 pages of information for new parents. From tips for a healthy birth, getting your baby to sleep and feeding him the "right fats," to information about early health concerns, the major steps in infant development and troublesome but typical toddler behaviors. I was told this is the only baby book I'll ever need and for $15.00 it's well worth giving it a shot. Do you have any other baby book suggestions?

When I was young, I am told I used to eat a lot of dirt. Gross, I know but my parents tell me, I used to put a handful of soil in my mouth and eat it like sloppy joes. It's amazing I didn't die of some dirt related sickness. I have outgrown my fascination with dirt confections and now worry that my bay will have the same taste for muck as I did. Turns out that letting your little one eat some dirt may be good for them. Yes...good for them. The New York Times published a story that suggests dirt and worms are helpful to your childs immune system. In studies of what is called the hygiene hypothesis, researchers are concluding that organisms like the millions of bacteria, viruses and especially worms that enter the body along with “dirt” spur the development of a healthy immune system. Several continuing studies suggest that worms may help to redirect an immune system that has gone awry and resulted in autoimmune disorders, allergies and asthma. “Children raised in an ultraclean environment,” he added, “are not being exposed to organisms that help them develop appropriate immune regulatory circuits.” Do you think that feeding your kid dirt ...

Pretty uneventful. Grayson sleeps a lot other than when it's time for feeding, bathing or some other activity. We have taken him out a few times to get some sun. I don't feel 100% comfortable bringing him everywhere since he's so tiny but I need to get over that. He had a Dr. appt. this week and he seems to be doing very good. His weight is up and the Dr. said he has a very strong neck. All in all, my baby is doing great. I'm getting about 6-7 hrs of sleep but not in one shot. There are still a couple times during the night that one of us needs to wake up, go bounce on the yoga ball for a few minutes to put the little man back to sleep. I think over time that will go away. When do babies start sleeping through the night?