Never Gain Weight From a Doughnut Hole

For the past week or so, I've been listening to my Pod on Shuffle. This fantastic little lime green machine has been in my possession for over two years, and somehow I have avoided using the Shuffle feature.

Boy, I was a doofus. Now I am totally hooked. It's like having my own personal radio station-a station that plays a Tori Amos tune almost every other song. Sweet. Here's a sampling of one of my recent sessions:

The Cure-The Edge of the Deep Green Sea
Scissor Sisters-Filthy Gorgeous
Johnny Cash-Ring of Cash
Modest Mouse-Float On
Ben Folds Five-Regrets
Steve Miller-Jungle Love
Curve-Bleeding Heart
Tori-Mother
Led Zeppelin-Immigrant Song
Chris Isaak-5:15
Tori-Cooling
Madonna-Papa Don't Preach
Tori-Purple People
Prodigy-Narayan
Tori-Witness
The Cure-The Perfect Girl
R.E.M.-Orange Crush
Jane's Addiction-Of Course
Ben Folds-Annie Waits
Tori-Talula
Crystal Method-American Way
Gorillaz-Clint Eastwood

Little Alastair tried some rice cereal on Sunday. That was a freaking hoot. Most of what went into his mouth oozed all over his chin. I think he got a few swallows down. These early eating sessions are for practice anyway. Alastair seemed to get into this new fun stuff that goes into his mouth, craning his neck towards every spoonful. Such a cutie is my kid.

On the flip side of Little A's cuteness is his recent refusal to go to bed at night. We lay him down in the crib and he pitches a big ole fat fit. Come to find out, we've been making a huge mistake in immediately coming into his room and picking him up when these cries begin. Now he's learned the stimulus/response equation. He cries...He gets picked up and rocked. Little manipulative fart.

Adrian is spearheading the resistance. He has begun using "The Ferber Method" (sounds ominous, huh?), in which we allow him to cry for short periods of about five minutes before coming into his room, soothing him with some words and a rub, and then leaving. But we do NOT pick him up. He stays in his crib. Gradually we stretch the time between soothings until he tires of crying and drifts to sleep.

Last night this process took almost two hours before sleep was achieved. Thankfully I was out of the house for most of the night because Little A's cries just tear me apart. I have to keep reminding myself that he needs to learn when bedtime is and how to relax independently. I've heard that using this approach can take anywhere from one week to one month before your baby is falling asleep peacefully and on his own. Our 4th of July plans might be thrown off by this recent develpmental snafu. Ah, the joys of parenthood.

Last week, I gave notice here at Corporate Hell. July 14 will be my last official day of toiling in the Ninth Level of Hell. Viva la Revolution!