So at almost five months, BB has decided what kind of baby he wants to be, he wants to be a monster. He already has three teeth and one more on the way. This has the added benefit of making a ton of water flow out of his gaping maw onto his shirt and mine. Additionally, his drool often like in the movie Alien leaves one of those drool trails when going from his mouth to whatever surface it hits. When put on his back on a blanket, he flips over and moves around in a matter of seconds. I leave him in one spot and turn around to find him five feet away kicking and screaming. But it would not be exactly fair to call BB a monster, it would be more accurate to refer to him as the Hulk since he spends most of his time as a sweet mellow baby but then he transforms into a beast. Oh, and did I mention he is incredibly strong. Well, he is. The other day when lying in-between The Mommy and LTD for a bedtime story, in a flash he hit both of them in the face repeatedly. True he was just trying to sit up, but still it was a monster move. Now that I think about how sweet he is I’m going to change my Hulk answer to a Jekyll and Hyde one.

BB takes a bottle film at 11. And then doesn’t. In preparation of The Mommy going back to work we started giving BB a practice bottle weeks before the big day. He was reluctant to say the least. He just would not suck but after awhile the situation did. Advice was that it just takes time. So when the day finally arrived I had to feed BB like a bird. He had no problem with the dropper when taking his Vitamin D so I used a dropper to feed him like a baby bird. One suggestion was to use a cup, but too much was spilling and this stuff is liquid gold and The Mommy works hard to make it. By the third day of drops even BB had had enough and took the bottle and drained in fast. I was back in business and all was right with the world. Then Monday arrived and BB having spent the weekend with the real thing rejected the fake. It was dropper time again. But this tale has a happy ending as I finally figured out that BB doesn’t like a cold lunch but wanted a warm meal all along. This boy won’t accept even room temperature, it has to be north of warm and then he goes to work like he gets paid by the ounce. Like a shark, BB is now a perfect eating machine as long as it ain’t Gazpacho.

Had a nice little crisis today while trying to do something good. I know that you never cut a newborn’s nail because they don’t stop bleeding if nicked. At four months though I figured it would be safe for me to takeover the nail trimming duties from The Mommy. BB would have preferred that I left it in her capable hands. Turns out that I took a little piece of skin off the top of one of BB cute little fingers and the blood she was a flowing. Not gonna lie that panic didn’t set in because it did and as I held the burp cloth against the tide I thought this isn’t good. I used the phone to google, how to stop bleeding in four month olds and every single comment began with “my husband was cutting my son’s nails when…” They basically said to apply pressure and it can take a very long time to stop. One post said to put flour on it. Finally, I spoke with a kind nurse in the pediatricians office and said. 1. do NOT use flour and 2. if it doesn’t stop in 10 more minutes come on in. It was no small feat getting him there by myself but upon arrival when I went to get him out of the car I saw that it had stopped. Of course it was still raw for the rest of the day and bleeds a little now and then, but I think the band aid is working and by band aid I mean the one The Mommy was able to put on that stayed on. I learned some lessons today but hopefully BB will learn a lesson in the future, chicks dig scars.

Today The Mommy went back to work and with LTD in preschool BB and I are home alone hanging out as bachelors so of course we are having a ball. Only one small problem. BB won’t take a bottle. Let the crying begin (for both of us).

Now that BB is 5 weeks old I have settled into a nice groove. I’m finally remembering how this baby thing works  after all these years. I have locked down the diaper situation and feel like it is under control and since The Mommy is feeding him I just have to make sure she has what she needs in that department. The one area I forgot about that I now remember I do not care for is the clothing. He screams pretty loud when I try and get one of his arms through the hole (probably because it is a leg hole). And at 4 am the thing that I really do not enjoy are all the buttons and snaps. I have a hard enough time getting them right on my own clothes but when the boy is screaming and wiggling around huge pockets of space are created in what is suppose to be a warm outfit. Bring on the zippers.

It may have been rumored to be the end of the world but for us it was the beginning of having our car’s back seat filled with well car seats. On 12/21/12 The Mommy once again showed how great she is by delivering LTD’s baby brother (BB) into the world. He was 7lbs and 11 oz and a little over 20 inches long and compared to when LTD was born he is a big boy (BB). We are three weeks in and while sleep has been a stranger we have discovered our new normal and BB is actually a pretty mellow baby. The Mommy and I are trying to remember baby stuff since it has been almost four years. I have the diaper thing down but the newborn clothes with all those snaps is not something I missed after all this time.

LTD alternates between benign neglect and wanting to help with BB and in terms of the situation being bad or scary between the two of them we are no where near that. I think his biggest challenge is that he wants to play with his little brother and is having a hard time accepting the fact that BB can’t hold his head up and so he won’t be helping with a puzzle anytime soon. As with my first post all those years ago please excuse this one if it doesn’t make sense getting up at 4am repeatedly does strange things to a man.

PS: BB also stand for the fact these boys will never get a BB gun so the name is as close as they will get.

1. Many parents purchase glow-in-the-dark jewelry and glow sticks to keep their children visible while trick-or-treating in the dark. Children may break open these glow sticks and get the liquid on their hands and in their mouths. The liquid can be mildly irritating to the skin or eyes but is not likely to cause harm if a small amount is ingested.

2. Tell children not to eat treats until they return home and all items have been inspected by an adult.

3. Limit the amount of candy ingested at one time. Too much candy can cause stomach discomfort, and sugars and other sweeteners can act as
laxatives when consumed in large amounts.

4. If your child brings home a brand of candy that you are unfamiliar with, throw it away. Some imported candies have high levels of lead that can be harmful.

5. Candy that is unwrapped should be discarded immediately.

6. Fruit treats should be washed and cut open before being eaten.

7. Homemade treats should be discarded unless you know and trust the individuals who prepared them.

8. Small pieces of candy are potential choking hazards for small children.

9. Torn, loose, or punctured wrapping may be a sign of tampering. If you suspect tampering, this should be reported to local police.

10. Commercially produced candy may sometimes have color variation, lumps, or powdered sugar residue – all normal effects of the manufacturing and shipping process. To see photos of candy with these normal effects, go to http://www.candyusa.com. This candy is generally safe to eat as long as the packaging does not show signs of tampering.