May 01, 2006

Month Four

Dear Ruby,

I am writing this from the Salt Lake City airport as I am about to fly off to San Francisco for a couple of days. I will be visiting your uncle Erik who is has been pretty sick for the last three weeks or so. Grandma GG has been going nuts as she is so far away and can’t come to the aid of her baby boy. Being the good son/brother that I am, I offered to fly out and help any way possible. We are all worried for him and pray for a quick recovery.

The reason I mention this is that this is the first time I have been away from you for an extended period of time. Last night as I drove home from my gig I got really sad as I knew how much I’d miss you and your mom. Even as I write this I am looking at a rotund grandfather-type holding a baby about your age. My thoughts are of you and imagine in my mind your little grin that you give me when I see you for the first time in the morning. I am sad to leave you, but am happy to help my brother and family any way that I can.

Last week I finished another semester of school. This has been the most busy time of my life and certainly the most consuming. I feel as though I have been standing in the middle of fourteen intersections and that everyone wants a piece of me and my time. My typical week has gone something like this:

Sunday morning I have Bishopric meeting at 7am. At 8:30am I run home to help your mom get you ready. Usually I get to dress you as your mother, in typical Hurst-type fashion is running a tad late. We attend church at 9am where I get to take you into Primary where a few of the kids maul you with affection. You love the songs and sing along with your little sounds that you make. In fact, you love singing along any old time when you’re in the mood. I’m not sure if this is a sign of things to come, but one could hope that you may someday be a virtuoso Soprano or an angst-ridden singer/songwriter type.

Your mother watches you during Sacrament Meeting as I have to sit up on the stand. Often she sits in an area where I can see you, but usually there is someone else who swoops you up and holds you during the meeting. Our new Relief Society President Danene is quite fond of you and we practically have to wrestle you out of her arms when its time to leave.

After church we come home and take a small nap, after which we get up and your mother makes dinner while I do homework. On some Sundays we go up to my parents house when I’m not too swamped with school.

On Monday morning I get up at 5:30am to go to the gym with my friend Aaron. I was really diligent about exercise until you were born, but now if I go two days a week we’re doing pretty good as I am just so tired. I get home and head up to school for class at 8:30am. When class ends at 11:30am I head over to the library where I study until my next class at 4:10pm. That class goes until 7pm and then I usually get home about 7:20 or so. When I get home you are about to go to bed. We eat dinner and then put you in the bathtub, dry you off, lotion you up, put on a fresh onesie and pj’s, swaddle you, read you stories, feed you, and then rock you to sleep with your favorite songs. Once you are down I get back to homework or head off to my SLAJO rehearsal. I’m lucky if I get to bed before 1am or so.

On Tuesday I try to hit the gym and be to class by 9:10am. I get done around 10:30am and then drive off to work and get there about 11am. I work straight through until 4pm and then drive home where I can’t wait to see you while your mom cooks up the food. We eat dinner and then I’m off to Bishopric meeting at 6pm where I stay until about 8pm. When I get home you are usually in bed and then I kiss your mother and tell her how much I love her and then hit the homework again until midnight or so.

Wednesday is a lot like Monday, except that when I get home I get to chill out for a bit, unless I have something due the next day. Over the last three months this has been one of my favorite times of the week as my stress is lightened tremendously and I get to feel normal for a bit.

Thursday is a lot like Tuesday, except that I stay at work a bit longer and instead of going to Bishopric meeting, I do homework. Well, I say that I do homework, but really I try to take my mind off of my projects so as not to obsess. But that really doesn't work and then I usually end of doing homework. Make sense?

On Friday I go to work at 8am and work a typical day until about 5pm. I get home around 5:30pm, eat dinner and then go play a gig. When I’m not playing a gig, your mother and I usually get a movie or just veg out in front of the TV.

Saturday is my favorite day of the week as it’s daddy-daughter day. Your mom is off to see patients while you and I make up for lost time. Your mother has been pumping milk so I get to feed you from a bottle, which you take very well. Now that it has been getting warmer you and I have been taking walks around the park and the neighborhood. When you sleep I try to squeeze in some homework or laundry or something else domestic to make your mom happy when she comes home. Then in the late afternoon/early evening your mom and I see a couple of minutes of each other and then I load the truck again to go play another gig.

Now I’m on the plane and the Captain has just announced that we’re cruising at 38,000 feet. I just downed a bag of disgusting Cheese Nips. I am starving, but needed something to tide me over until I get to partake of the most heavenly food ever created. I’m speaking of course of the vegetarian burrito from Can Cun Taqueria in the Mission. Uncle Erik only lives a couple of blocks away and often he taunts me with that little caveat. You see Ruby, for the seven years I lived in San Francisco I probably consumed about three of four burritos a week. I miss them tremendously to say the least. From my calculations, I’ll be ordering me up one of those bad-boys in about two hours....heaven.

So Ruby, enough about me and my crazy schedule.

This month you have made tremendous progress in your development. Last week we took you to see really really nice Dr. Peterson where Nurse Judy weighed you in at 16lbs 8oz and you are now 27” tall. Your head is growing and checks in somewhere in the 90th percentile. Really really nice Dr. Peterson announced that you are just about as perfect and as proportional as can be. The only wrinkle so far is that you haven’t rolled over yet, but we’re not worried as milestones such as that don’t mean much as every baby develops at their own pace.

While at the doctor you had to have three more immunization shots. Your mom and I cast our lots and I lost, having the good fortune of comforting you during the procedure. You laid on your back and I held onto your little hands. I’ll never forget the look in your eyes as the needles went in your chubby little thighs. You were in some kind of shock and gave me this “what have you done to me” look. You cried for a bit and then made a strong recovery as I held you tight. By the time we left you were back to your mellow self. The staff was impressed to say the least as they rarely experience non-crying babies leave the building.

We’re impressed with your muscle mass as you are able to lift up your head all by yourself when you are on your tummy and are able to bear your own weight with your legs. I like to sit you up and see how long you can go until you topple over. You used to look like a bobble head as you tried to balance yourself, but now you are becoming more graceful with each passing day.

It’s also been fun to watch you gaining more control of your hands. You love to play with your toys while sitting on your buzzy chair and sticking your hands in your mouth whenever possible. Lately you have become fond of your first three fingers on your right hand. Sometimes you even prefer them over your pacifier. We’re not sure if we like that or not as on the one hand you are more self-reliant, but on the other it may be more difficult to break you of this habit later.

Your mother loves to take long walks with you through the park. One thing we love about where we live is how many young parents there are. Soon you will be joining friends from our ward that have a play group every day. Liberty Park is filled with all kinds of good stuff that will most likely bring you hours and hours of fun.

Now I am sitting here in Uncle Erik’s pad having just downed one of those tasty burritos. He seems to be doing well, though he physically looks weak. It’s getting late and I am ready to get some shuteye. I miss you so much and can’t wait to hold you and give you oodles and oodles of kisses.

Love,
Daddy

Posted by patatomic at May 1, 2006 01:34 AM

Comments

Okay, now I want a burrito. And it's only 10:40am.

That's not good, is it?

Posted by: erat at May 1, 2006 10:38 AM

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May 01, 2006

Month Four

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