light that never goes out

Okay, I've already done this (musing on Jalen) but I'm going to do it again...THANK YOU! To friends and family and to those that we have yet to meet, I've received some extraordinarily kind words from you. Incredibly, 'dear jalen' has been received quite auspiciously and a comment from 'skparsons', in particular, has moved me to express my appreciation. This blog is proof that I spend a lot of time contemplating on Jalen. And time goes by so quickly that what I thought happened yesterday actually happened a month ago. So, if it weren't for Jalen, I would not have this blog. And if it weren't for this blog, I would not remember how Jalen became Jalen. Come back often, the pleasure and privilege is mine.

Michelangelo's new David

"The sense of moral power and tense energy is conveyed not only through the anatomy but through the concentrated gaze..."

table talk

This week, Jalen's been eating carrots. Anytime he tries a new fruit or vegetable, he'll be on it solely for a week to make sure that he doesn't develop any allergies to it. He loves eating from a spoon now and it's a lot of fun for all of us. The only downside is his much more smelly and nastier poop. One evening, I was feeding Jalen some baby food, chewing some fat and having a good ole time, when it struck me...There is a little dude sitting in front of me who recognizes me as someone who belongs in his life! It was a whopping realization that this is all real. Jalen as a boy is now a sensible reality. The fact that he can identify us, coupled with a desire for interaction, makes him seem more like a person. The first few months of his life, he was more like a new gadget, lots of fun to play with and look at, with no reciprocation. Nowadays, spending time with Jalen feels more like an assembling relationship. This type of bond has changed somewhat the way I see and relate to him. He's also mature beyond his months which makes him a great dinner date. Anyone for pureed carrots and breast milk?

career night

We're taking votes here...professor, beatnik, fashion designer, comedian?

sick of it

It started with a simple, albeit painful, case of food poisoning. All hell broke loose after that. I don't have too many nice things to say about these last couple of weeks, so I'll tell it with a list in order:
1. Ben-food poisoning (vomiting, diarrhea, chills, fever, body aches)
2. Eumi-tooth extraction and gum graft (pain)
3. Jalen-fever (high temperature, puffy eyes)
4. Jalen-cold (fever, nasal/throat mucus, loss of appetite)
5. Jalen-conjunctivitis (redness, swelling, tearing, discharge, sticking eyelids, irritation)
6. Jalen-ear infection (pain)
7. Ben-fever (high temperature, body aches)
8. Ben-conjunctivitis (redness, tearing, irritation)
9. Eumi-conjunctivitis (redness, tearing, irritation)
10. Eumi-fever (high temperature, body aches)
11. Eumi-cold (tired body, severe coughing)
If I've learned nothing at all, at least I know now that conjunctivitis (also known as pinkeye) is highly contagious and annoying. Actually, when your kid is sick, there's a good chance that he's taking at least one of you down with him/her. But, really, I'm just so happy that Jalen (much more so than me) is back to being healthy and sleeping soundly. The whole time he was sick, he was sleeping in our bed and waking up constantly at night. Now, it's back to the dungeon (his crib) to continue his sleep training. (He probably prefers being sick.) Hopefully, in a few days, Eumi will be better and we'll be a happy family again. It sucks when you're sick yourself, doubly worse when it's your partner and downright heartbreaking when it's your baby. I'm already dreading the next time.

with sugar

I got ill a few days ago. During the downside of my misery, I kept wondering how awful it is for a baby to deal with maladies. On my last day of healing, Eumi had to get a tooth extracted, as well as a bone graft in her gums. This made me think about a baby's tooth as it breaks the surface of their gums. I think most would agree that dental problems rank pretty high on the pain scale. How do babies deal with this sort of stuff so often in their early years and still manage to smile? I guess it's up to us parents to serve up that double-shot of TLC.
When I was sick, Jalen served me some TLC that made me better instantly. At about 4:30AM, Eumi placed Jalen in bed between us, on his back. I groggily and unhappily looked at him, wondering why he needed to be lying right next to me at that moment. He sleepily turned his little head and body toward me and looked me in the eyes. He held out both hands and caressed my face for a few seconds, then returned to his back and went to sleep. Ahem.
In this photo, Jalen is sick with a fever. He was quite spiritless today but still mustered up a little strength to sit up, share some laughs and pose for the camera.