Fatherhood Friday: Do you know how to respond?

Peanut gets excited about food. If she's really hungry (which seems to be quite often...I swear we feed her!), she is quick to shove food in her mouth before chewing. Combine that with drinking water too fast and we've got one choking-prone kid. Nothing serious, mind you...just a simple "hack hack hack" and she's right as rain.

A couple weeks ago, after playing for a bit in the living room, it was time for lunch. I set Peanut in her high chair and placed several pieces of cheese in front of her. As usual, she started shoveling the food in her mouth as fast as she could. Though this time her coughs were actual gags. She spit the cheese from her mouth and tried one piece at a time. Same thing happened. I was concerned...how could one small piece of food make her gag like that? So, as I'm standing there trying to figure out what is going on it happens. She wasn't gagging...and wasn't breathing. Peanut was full on choking.

I'm not sure what the time lapse was between realizing what was happening and having her facedown on my arm in the infant Heimlich position, but I can safely assume it was mere seconds. I only had to hit her back 2-3 times before the obstruction fell out of her mouth. She started coughing and crying (sweet, sweet music to my ears!).



This, my friends, is the safety seal off a bottle of lotion (folded in half). She must have shoved it in her mouth while we were playing on the floor (not sure how it got into the living room, it should have been in the trash). My guess is that every time she tried to swallow a piece of cheese, this would get caught at the back of her throat...until it finally lodged itself in place. I would have never guessed that something so small and innocent looking could be so dangerous.

Afterward, I cradled Peanut in my arms on the kitchen floor in a state of mild shock and relief. Once comforted (both of us), it was understandable that she didn't want to eat lunch anymore. It took a good 10 minutes for her to go back to being her happy-go-lucky (very hungry) self.

Why did I tell you this story? Awareness. I was a lifeguard for several years and was trained to respond to all types of situations. I never once thought that I'd have to use any of this on my own child.

So, please...if you are not CPR/first aid certified, do it. You owe it to yourself and your family. In the meantime, read this article. It gives you the basics on what to do if you are ever put in a situation where the Heimlich or CPR is necessary.

Fatherhood Friday: Remembering the Good Times

Visit Dad-Blogs to get more information on Fatherhood Friday. Great group of people - dads and moms alike!

I'm up way too late. I just spent a good deal of time power-cleaning our house for the arrival of my fosterdad tomorrow morning.

Normally, I just do the quick pick up before a guest arrives...but he has never seen our house nor met Peanut. This is a big deal.

And I just realized we are out of coffee. CRAP.

Anyway, to the point of the post. In honor of his visit, I would like for you to take a moment and think of the person (or people) that acted as a father figure in your life (hopefully you can find a good example and I'm not drudging up bad memories). Maybe it's a family friend, uncle, coach, adoptive parent, or foster parent.

Now...tell me what your favorite memory is with that person.

I will post my favorite memory on Monday.

Fatherhood Friday: Dads are the Best!

Visit Dad-Blogs to get more information on Fatherhood Friday. Great group of people - dads and moms alike!

I decided to take this Fatherhood Friday and focus on dads (wow! What an innovative concept, Isabella!).
Back story: I felt bad last night because I inadvertently made ShankRabbit feel "not good enough" in relation to parenting Peanut. It was certainly not my intent...and I want all the fathers, not just ShankRabbit, to know how important your role is in your child's life.

I don't want to bore you with my never-ending emotional babble (seriously, falling asleep at the keyboard is never recommended), so I'll just inundate you with photos...sound good? Here we go -

Why Dads Are The Best

No one can do nap time quite like a dad





And even when he's not sleeping, he's still great to fall asleep on





He doesn't just feed the child...he bonds, he connects



And he can multitask like a mo fo (dishes AND baby wearing)!









He is passionate about his interests and eager to share all he knows







even making sure the child has a "well-rounded" experience (e.g. cheesy cover band at State Fair)




He knows how to have fun (photo shoot, FTW!)












No matter the time or place, he'll get right in and play








even coordinate costumes on Halloween...'cause he's just that cool

Simply put...there is no one like you.

Fatherhood Friday: Can't Touch This

Visit Dad-Blogs to get more information on Fatherhood Friday. Great group of people - dads and moms alike!

I believe in equality in the household. ShankRabbit usually takes the garbage to the curb, but it's not "his job." I typically put Peanut down at night, but ShankRabbit would do it in a heartbeat.

However, there are certain things I'm just not allowed to do. As you will see by my list, I was put on "limited use" or completely banned from certain things because of my stupidity and/or lack of self-control. Observe:

1. Using the garbage disposal - more specifically, putting potato peels in the garbage disposal. ShankRabbit had to use a pipe snake (or whatever that thing is called) and disconnect the plumbing in an attempt to repair it. It eventually had to be replaced. Now, I throw away 99.9% of food items. I can't take that chance again.

2. Handling the food processor blade - I have managed to slice open my hand not once, but twice, on this evil device. I still haven't figured out how to separate the blade from the white plastic stand without cutting myself. Right now, it is either a) wait for ShankRabbit to do it or b) put on a pair of thick oven mitts and hope for the best. I had a minor panic attack when I found out that the pesto I made the other night required the use of the food processor. Maybe if I learned to chop stuff up like Yan Can Cook I could avoid this appliance.


(Side note: if you ever want to make cheapo-bulk-buy frozen chicken breast taste absolutely esquisite, stuff it with a Neufchatel cheese/basil pesto mixture and bake it. Oh. My. God.)

3. Rice Krispies Cereal - I'm not banned from eating it, just opening the package. Apparently, I have no finesse. I find pouring the cereal from a shredded bag and half-torn box to be a fun challenge - will it go in the bowl or all over the floor?! Oh, the suspense!

4. Making my own cup of coffee - I am fully capable of pouring the coffee and adding sugar and milk...it is the ratio of such items that I fail at every time. I cannot walk away with a decent cup of coffee until I've adjusted said ratio at least 4 times - and by that time, it's cold. As a trade for making me the perfect cup of coffee, I painstakingly prepare ShankRabbit's coffee (black, in a mug).

5. Going to Target with money - I think when Peanut was born, the crack dealers Target higher-ups implanted a microchip in me that prevents leaving the premises without walking through the entire store...and finding things that I NEED from the clearance rack in the baby section. Or the office supplies/stationary section. Or the dollar section.

6. Visiting WebMD - ShankRabbit suggested I add this one. I don't know why. WebMD is the only place that confirms my fears about the plethora of life-threatening illnesses I have. He should be thankful that I'm still alive and fighting the good fight.

Fatherhood Friday

I wish I could say I had a post all lined up for this week's Fatherhood Friday...but I don't.  You see, I inadvertantly posted what I was going to write about for today yesterday.  Ugh.  I know this probably breaks some obscure blogging rule somewhere, but I'm going to tell you to read yesterday's "You're right" post.

I know, I suck.

I'll be back to my regularly scheduled randomness on Monday.

Fatherhood Friday: An important holiday!

READER'S WARNING: I'm pretty sure I don't have a following of children reading my blog, but if you have nosy little ones peering over your shoulder while you catch up on blog reading, you may want to send them in the other room while you read this post.

I don't want to be responsible for having your child ask "what's a BJ?" (and I'm not talking about the yellow dinosaur on Barney and Friends)

* * * * *

STEAK AND BJ DAY

Here's the story...taken from an email I received several years back. You can read about the start of this holiday in the Urban Dictionary.

"You know the drill. Every 14th of February you get the chance to display your fondness for a significant other by showering her with gifts, flowers, dinner, shows and any other baubles that women find romantic. Every Valentines day you rack your brains for that one special, unique gift that will show your wife or girlfriend that you really do care for them more than any other. Now ladies, I'll let you in on a little secret; guys really don't enjoy this that much. Sure seeing that smile on your face when we get it right is priceless, but that smile is the result of weeks of blood, sweat and consideration. Another secret; guys feel left out. That's right, there's no special holiday for the ladies to show their appreciation for the men in their life. Men as a whole are either too proud or too embarrassed to admit it.

Which is why a new holiday has been created.

March 14th is now officially "Steak and BJ Day." Simple, effective and self-explanatory, this holiday has been created so you finally have a day to show your man how much you care for him.

No cards, no flowers, no special nights on the town; the name of the holiday explains it all, just a steak and a BJ. That's it. Finally, this twin pair of Valentine's Day and Steak and BJ Day will usher in a new age of love as men everywhere try THAT much harder in February to ensure a memorable March 14th!

The word is already beginning to spread, but as with any new idea, it needs a little push to start the ball rolling. So spread the word, and help bring love and peace to this crazy world. And, of course, steak and BJ's."

A body part by any other name...

Ah yes, another Fatherhood Friday. Today's topic: body part names

I'm not talking about your arms or feet...

I hope you know where I'm going with this.

In our household, the women-folk have a "hooha" and then some variation of ta-tas/boobies. I would like to clarify that our child will know the proper terminology for each part, but it won't be our 'go-to' word. This applies to any body part, really - how often do you call your collarbone a clavicle?

I know some mothers prefer not to use nicknames for these parts, going straight for the medical terms. They argue that if the child had to communicate something about these parts (lets say, to a doctor or police officer) they wouldn't understand.

I'm all for teaching your child the proper terminology, but the reason above is not a strong argument.

Children are pretty adamant about trying to make you understand what they are saying...so a little thing like a nickname for a part isn't going to stifle what they have to say - they'd probably just point and say "this thing!"

So, here's a question to you: What do you think? Do you have nicknames for these parts?

Random Friday #4

Welcome, Fatherhood Friday visitors! (Yes, I'm aware I'm not a dad...but the members of dad-blogs are very welcoming to the womenfolk, too).




Sorry about yesterday's text getting smaller and smaller. I have no idea what happened there - and I couldn't fix it, no matter how hard I tried.

* * * * *
What in the world would require the "rinse only" cycle in the dishwasher? Couldn't you just hand wash/rinse it? I'm thoroughly confused (and, obviously, have never used this option). Has anyone out there used this?

* * * * *
I use two spoons at mealtimes with Peanut. One for me to feed her; the other for her to play with (so she won't snatch the food one out of my hand...as she so frequently does). Recently, I had to upgrade to three spoons because she steals BOTH spoons - one for each hand. I'm all about being a kid and exploring and having fun, but when you use your spoons like this...



...and prevent me from getting food into your mouth, then we've got issues.

Consequently, I go through NINE spoons a day. Ugh. My hands are chapped from all of the spoon-washing I have to do each day.

* * * * *
We have dance parties in our household. The who, what, when, where and why doesn't matter - if someone calls out "dance party!" you drop everything and dance. Typically, this has been during dinner prep time (when ShankRabbit is home). I can't explain how proud I am to see Peanut sitting on the floor laughing and bouncing to the beat of the music. *tear*

In honor of this, I will be posting a "dance party song of the day." I think I'm going to do this on Mondays and Wednesdays - because, let's face it, Mondays and Wednesdays tend to drag along (at least for me). If you have a song that you'd like to recommend for our dance parties, please post a comment or drop me an email. I love discovering new music.

Buuut...since I'm thinking about it, I start one off for the weekend -

Artist/Band: Motion City Soundtrack
Song Title: The Future Freaks Me Out
Kid-friendly?: There is one f-bomb in there, but I typically sing "Ah, flip it!" really loud over that part.