Beep-Beep. Beep-Bug. Yeah!

I'm finally back to updating with my computer.  And just in time for an important development in the bug's world.  We got her her first car!

I call it a bumper car, but apparently it's official title is an "activity walker."

Bumper car.  That's what it does.  Chairs.  Cabinets.  Trashcans.  Refrigerator.  The Wonderbug.  Cats.  Ankles.  All with impressive speed, accuracy, and attitude of that one kid at the fair that always guns for T-boning unsuspecting prey.

As far as the activity portion...  Distracted driving at best.  She will pull over to smack Pooh down into his honey pot enough times to find some cruisin' music on the "radio."  Otherwise, the dashboard clutter is well on its way to becoming a pull-over-able offense.

The bug likes to make her own engine noise.  I can only spell it like: mpbaht; and explain that the sound is rather like striking a tennis ball.  She mpbahts all over the navigable areas of the house and has become rather adept at backing up when in a tight spot.  However, I have to add the backing-up beeps.  Afterall, she's not quite eleven months.  Beeps take time.

All in all, Wifey, bug, and Panda Cat have adapted well in the last week to this new life.  Woolly Rhino still hides under the bed for most of the day and anything with a shock value equal or greater than a rustling curtain makes him jump.  Wifey has come to know the major roads of our new burg faster than I did (I still tend to use my navigation system.  You never know...).

Improvements abound.  I may even get back to finishing the first draft of my novel.  Only about thirty more pages to go... for the last four months.

One more thing on the bug.  She's always enjoyed a good face plant into a pillow, bed, blanket, toy, or adult.  But now, she's taking it up a couple notches -- face plowing across the carpet.  By "face" I really mean forehead, not that it makes it much better.  How she avoids carpet burns I cannot say, but it looks like enough fun that I am taking notes.

On the teeth front, still holding out with just the two lowers.  The two upper incisors haven't poked through yet, but the two beside them (#5 and #6, I think) are starting to show.  I'm having concerns about goat-like first birthday pictures.  We'll see...

Verizon Should Do Hot Water Heaters

The first week of transition is behind us.  Whew.  For those of you keeping score at home:  Words - 3,993;  Diapers - 3,994.

3,993 words in my first week of solo parenting!  And I'm just talking novel here (not blogging, commenting, status updating, tweeting, texting, chatting, signing, googling, grocery listing, or Words With Friendsing).  As long as I don't compare to my previous production numbers, I can be very proud.  I did that while:

• feeding
• changing
• dressing (the bug and myself)
• cleaning (mostly the bug)
• some of the cooking
• laundry
• shaving and showering (twice!)
• chasing wifey a quarter mile down a dirt road in flip-flops, waving bags of veggies (miscommunication)
• having lunch with wifey everyday
• a few dinners at grandma's
• grocery shopping
• reading Skippyjon Jones (that crazy kitten), et al.
• scouring over dozens of stamps (don't ask... please)
• spending many quality hours with the fine Verizon tech folks
• dealing with a plumber (and the issues leading up to such a necessity)
• Some rather quick night work and not so quick weekend work
• catching up on sleep
• and gaining a few pounds

Can I get some validation?  Almost four thousand words.  This brings my new total for words in the novel to...  Are you ready for this?

52,659!!!

Hey, I'm getting there.  4K a week is not going to be fast enough to keep me happy forever.  Any suggestions out there for what to do this week to squeeze a few more words out?  (I've already planned on spending less time with Verizon and plumbers, but I do have a doctor's appointment.)

A Brand New Routine

My daughter is three months old now.  That means several things are changing.

• She sleeps longer at night.
• She tries to talk more.
• She's getting better at laughing.
• Tummy time can be fun.
• She's starting to grasp this whole hand thing.
• We get to break out a whole new wardrobe.

But, the biggest change is that wifey is going back to work.  We've worked it out so that she will work Tuesday through Saturday and I'll work Saturday through Monday and nights.  Grandma will watch the bug on Saturdays and, booyah!  No expensive childcare!  Mwahahahaha!

Oops.  That means wifey and I won't have a day off together.  And what about my writing?  All those hours of statuesque staring at a computer screen have to fit in somewhere.  I'm in the middle of writing a novel.  These things don't just write themselves (trust me on this, I've waited for it).

This blog will chronicle my newly acquired role of write-at-home dad and the struggle to keep up with word count in spite of diaper count.  I'm not the only one going through this.  Can I get some help?  Is it possible to be a responsible father, responsive husband, keep up with a job, and maintain some semblance of productivity with writing?