The Age When It's Getting Fun!

I think I've adjusted very well to husbanding and fatherhood from my former life well over two years ago!!! I've loved Henry since the day he was born and didn't have any issues with identities and roles as other dads I may have heard of. I don't ignore Stef and Henry, I don't look for excuses to get away other than my weekly soccer game, and I hurry home every day after work so I have as much time to play with the fam before Henry's bed time. What is so cool now is that being around the corner from Henry's first birthday, as a dad, the little dude becomes more and more fun by the day. ( Except restaurants, they are miserable and no longer fun for anyone unless we are going with Grandma and Grandpa and they can deal with Hurricane Restaurant Henry, very closely related to Demon Baby )
Now that Henry is mobile, talkative, knows how to play hide and seek, and loves to chase, play time is no longer trying to get him to pay attention to a creepy toy. We wrestled for the first time the other day and it was a blast!
A buddy of mine from school who began his journey with fatherhood a year or so before me keyed me in on the fact that a baby spends the first several months of his life bonding with mommy, but when they become playful there is a chance for dad to join in the fun!
So, I relish in it and love it. He is a blast and I can't wait for Captain Henry's Pirate Birthday Party!

Demon Baby

Sometimes Hen takes on an alter ego Stef and I refer to only as Demon Baby, and we say it only in whispers in hopes that saying his name will keep his spirit at bay. In previous posts I have mentioned how I am sleeping well but every now and then this alternate being takes over our almost 5 month old son's body and makes our life suck big time.

The last two full days and nights were a good example. It usually starts with a day where he is crabby and refuses to eat well, or stay calm for more than a few minutes. Following that, that evening putting him to bed is nearly impossible, he wakes up every three hours, and regardless of lack of sleep is up ready to take on the world at 5 am. The next day mirrors the first but with less sleeping and that night usually culminates with him going down for the count around 7. This process usually resets his system for a week but you just never know when Demon Baby will rear his cute but super annoying head.

One of the respites we used to have for our wacky but semi predictable infant cycle was putting him in his car seat and either going shopping or running errands while he crashed. Well that doesn't work any more which a major bummer. Stef and I were getting bagels this morning and were waiting out a crabby fest reminiscing over his former ways when all of a sudden he became quiet. We smiled thinking he went to sleep and we could proceed with our Saturday morning routine in peace. I cautiously snuck over to see and I snatched this picture thinking would be in baby sleepy land....Demon Baby wasn't going anywhere....