Lessons from the Front Lines – Week Two

Little Dude's Little Feet

Little Dude's Little Feet

1. Crankiness does not take away from cuteness, but it sure does lead to long nights and tired days.  Little Dude has been a bit cranky this week; unable to stay comfortable for much longer than an hour stretch.  This crankiness leads to some long nights and tired days making the development of a routine pretty unlikely at this point.  It seems that the still developing intestines are the source of the Little Dude’s gaseousness and resulting crankiness…that’s our theory anyway.  Which leads me to point number two.

2. There are over-the-counter gas relief medicines specifically designed for infants.  Awesome!  We’re not a huge “medicine family,” but considering The Boy’s discomfort and our sleepless nights, we’re cool with making some exceptions.  When we heard this from a trusted source, Mrs. Dude made a straight-line to the nearest pharmacy and stocked up.  To our amazement, it worked…very well.  Little Dude started to show signs of his true calm and relaxed nature within an hour.  Our nights are still relatively sleepless, but at the least The Boy is more comfortable.

3. In the week one ruminations, the Dude couldn’t commit to the absolute necessity of a baby swing, but with an additional week of experience comes an additional commitment to the baby swing.  It’s a must.  No two ways about it.  A must.  This is a big step for the Dude considering that during pregnancy I questioned why we needed this large contraption cluttering our house, and after week one I liked it, but wasn’t sure of the necessity, and by week two the Dude has asked the Mrs. if we should have two, one for the bedroom and one for the living room!  Little Dude trumps all other priorities; so decluttering and saving money are pushed aside as soon as it’s clear that one of The Boys happiest spots is gliding back and forth in the swing.  If it brings Little Dude happiness, the Dude is all for it.

4. Adjusting back to work after a bambino enters your life is not easy.  The job is the same, and getting back in the groove is the same as returning from any other vacation, but the mind is on the family and the time being missed while locked inside the confines of another work week.  There’s got to be a better way.  Is this work-our-lives-away American Dream the best we can offer as a society?  Are our priorities properly aligned?  Shouldn’t our amazing technological advancements be pushing us towards a “Leisure Society” where family and quality of life trump hours in an office and the accumulation of money?  The economy sure does seem to be going through some growing pains these days; perhaps a shift of priorities is on the horizon…let’s hope.

Happy week two birthday Little Dude.