Family

First Tooth

Posted by ngreene on May 2, 2012 in Family

After 10 months, Hudson’s first tooth has started to poke through! We found it this morning while playing and, boy, is it ever sharp!

It’s at the front of his mouth on the bottom. I can’t really get a good look at it because he sticks his tongue out as soon as I open his mouth, but it might even be two teeth side-by-side.

We’re most definitely more excited about it than he is, but I’m sure he’ll come around when he realized all the delicious things that he can eat with teeth!

Weird Day Yesterday

Posted by ngreene on Apr 12, 2012 in Family

Yesterday was a weird day.

It didn’t have to do with Hudson, he was actually about as normal as he’s ever been.

We got out of the house and we got a few things done in the morning, which was great. Later in the morning, we drove our friends to the airport. That’s when it seemed to go downhill for me.

Traffic on the way back downtown was heavy, I was hungry, Hudson was miserable having been in the car for 45 minutes or so. I was just trying to keep Hudson quiet and drive home but nothing seemed to satisfy him so he just wailed and wailed. I grab some drive-through to satisfy my hunger and they gave Hudson a few french fries to play with. He wasn’t really able to eat them but to have something to hold was enough to quiet him for more for part of the time.

The whole rest of the day I was in a sort of funk. I was exhausted, I was lethargic, I spent most of the day lying on Hudson’s play mat’s and playing with him.

I had absolutely no motivation to tidy up, or gets all the housework I’ve been procrastinating with done. Nothing.

I just played on a mat like a suck who hadn’t gotten his way.

When Susie came home she could tell that I just wasn’t feeling it that day. She asked me what was wrong and, of course, I said nothing.

She proceeded to explain to me how she felt on some of the days that she was stuck at home while on maternity leave. At the time, I found even that to be annoying but, in retrospect, she pretty much summed up exactly how I was feeling that afternoon.

She made a number of suggestions to get up, out of the house, go outside, walk around, and just be somewhere that wasn’t in the living room and I simply wouldn’t have it.

I realize now that she was probably right. I need to give her more credit for the experience that she’s had to date. After all, she does have a ton more experience at this than I do.

Our boy, the Model

Posted by ngreene on Apr 11, 2012 in Family, Featured

I’m not exactly sure how this whole process started. Susie came to me one day and just said “he’s in … our son is going to be a model!”.

She showed me the portfolio of pictures that had been chosen and sent in with her preliminary application and the email that indicated Hudson had been selected for an in person information session.

We were told that the information session would be held with a number of the candidates they were considering bringing on as young talent and that some, if not many, of the kids would be sent home without a contract based on who they thought to get the most work.

Since Susie is back at work and has full days Monday to Friday 9 to 5, it was up to me to take Hudson to this session. It was a little surreal. We walked into a room with about 30 people representing about 20 kids andl take our seats around the outside edges of the room. First, our formal information kits were collected which included our signed application as well as a short photo portfolio of pictures for our children.

Next those information kits were taken to another room by other agents to be reviewed while we attended the information session. At the end of the session, which lasted 45 minutes, the main agent once again came into the room with two piles. She told us the first pile would be the children that, for whatever reason, they would not be offering modeling contracts to.

This announcement stirred up quite a bit of commotion in the room as parents prepared to hear the destiny of their children. As we waited to see who made it and who didn’t make it, some the parents began to chitchat. The mother on my right mentioned how this experience was so exciting, while the father on my left explained how he felt this felt just like being in gym class and hoping to be picked on the cool team.

Unfortunately, both the mother and the father were handed back the application kits for their children. In fact, I would guess that about half of the second-round picks all got cut that day.

At the end of the meeting, Hudson was offered a contract to be represented as a model by Kamera Kids, a division of Sutherland Models.

Here is the shot that they kept for his file:

What’s in the Box?

Posted by ngreene on Apr 10, 2012 in Family

Being home with a little boy means that you’re constantly in each others companionship. For the few times during the day that we must be separated out of necessity there has to be a strategy for coping with that separation.

I mostly lean on distraction to keep him happy while I run off to do simple tasks, such as go to the washroom.

He is usually happy enough for about 3 to 5 minutes and then I need to brush off whatever I was doing and hurry back to him.

Today, however, was a different story I dropped him in his crib as I usually would. Then I busy myself with the tasks that were at hand and he didn’t become upset for a full 15 minutes.

This time, instead of handing him a toy or two as a distraction I picked up the entire box of toys and put the whole box in his crib. This is the scene that I came back to:

By the time I had returned he had managed to take every single toy out of that box and throw 80% of them on the floor. It was giggling like a maniac what I wanted to check on him because he’d himself climbed into the box.

First Blood

Posted by ngreene on Apr 9, 2012 in Family

The first year of a young man’s life is all about firsts, most of which are things to celebrate, such as: first step, first word, first wave.

Last night, unfortunately, Hudson had to experience one of the firsts that really suck. He experienced first blood.

I never really thought about what that could mean or how that could make him or me feel, but I think I was more traumatized from it than he was.

Hudson was very early wanting to stand on his own. The adjuncts
to that was a sort of shimmying that would see him making his way around the living room fairly quickly while holding onto the couches and coffee table. He’s fallen on his butt a number of times but always managed to land relatively soft.

Last night, was not unlike any other, But somehow he managed to smack his chin or upper gums on the coffee table. Our coffee table is wrapped in a nice soft cushioning leather, but it was enough to open a small cut on his gums.

Seeing my little boy with a mouthful of blood just broke my heart. Susie and I consoled him and held him and soon enough he stopped crying but was still bleeding in his mouth. Once the bleeding stopped, we gave him a popsicle and he went about having a great night.

At least first blood is out of the way.

Warm Weather Makes all the Difference

Posted by ngreene on Apr 4, 2012 in Family

Today is 11° and sunny. I never thought I would describe 11° and sunny as a perfect day, but today, I’m considering it.

We got up and went through our usual morning routine. It’s been so crappy out lately that it hasn’t really been an option for us to go outside of the house just to walk around, but today all of that changed.

I forgot how easily Hudson falls asleep when out on a long walk. The walk didn’t even need to be that long today. He fell asleep within the first kilometer. Usually, I need to keep moving in order for him to stay asleep, but today I had the luxury of sitting in the sun to write this while he slept.

Once he does wake up, it’ll be time to play for little while, then I’ll take him back outside and go for a run in the running stroller.

Tuesday Routine

Posted by ngreene on Apr 3, 2012 in Family

When I first went on leave, we started a new routine on Tuesdays.

Every week, We Drive Susie to her office and Hudson and I go to McEwan grocery store while she has a weekly meeting.

I love this place, and I think now Hudson is really starting to love it too. He’s usually asleep when we get there, but he’s always awake in time to see the same cashier every time we leave. He’s all smiles for her each and every week.

New Play Zone

Posted by ngreene on Mar 30, 2012 in Family

Since we have all hardwood floors, we decided to invest in some foam interlocking bricks for our living room in order for Hudson to have a proper play area.

At first, I thought it would be a good idea to move all the furniture and have the play area in the middle. Instead, it seems that the better structure is to weave the foam blocks around our furniture so that Hudson has areas that he can stand up and shimmy between.

This week we found another type of block that is significantly larger and thicker for the play area. Now, we have almost a full 100 ft.².

The other adjustment that we’ve made is to place a toy box right at the edge of the play area. By leaving the box open Hudson can root through and find all of his toys. This really tends to make a huge mess every day, but we’re having fun cleaning it up anyway.

Stupid Spring

Posted by ngreene on Mar 28, 2012 in Family

The weather turned on this this week. Since late winter we had been enjoying a beautiful warm season. Now it’s full on back to late winter / early spring.

For a little boy, whose job it is at such a young age to explore and see as much as he can see, this colder weather absolutely sucks.

On warm days, we’ve been able to get out and travel around town. We’ve been to the park, we’ve been out for runs, we’ve been out hiking, and we’ve had plenty of opportunities to sit in the grass and sit on rocks.

We’ve had plenty of opportunities to field new things and see new things and it’s been really easy to keep Hudson’s mind active.

Unfortunately, this colder weather has had a stuck indoors. We tried going out to malls but there’s only so much one can buy.

We need to figure out some sort of system for keeping ourselves entertained indoors.

Blue Steel