Babies actually say “goo” – who knew?

Alexander is pretty well recovered from his visit with Dr. Pokeman (Get it? Shots? Pokey? Huuh?? Funny? Yes? No? Hello? Is this thing on?)

Alexander has been cooing for a while, but in the last week he has been getting much more insistent and is already learning to ramble on and on and on and on (like his mother). His favorite vowel is the letter “o” as in “ooooooooo” and “wooooo” and sometimes just “goo”. Yes, he lives up to baby stereotypes and actually says “goo”. I didn’t expect that. I mean, our cats don’t actually say “meow” and pigs don’t say “oink” and giraffes don’t say “welcome to Toys R Us”.

But babies actually do say “goo-goo”. And, yes, it is ridiculously adorable. I have found if I repeat what he says, the result is a very very amused baby. He gets excited, gives a huge smile and sometimes laughs. He’s just thrilled to be having a conversation (and, yeah, so is mom). While neither one of us knows what we are talking about, I have to say these are the most meaningful exchanges I’ve ever had.

Here’s a little snippet of Alexander ‘talking’ with grandma. I haven’t gotten very good video of him cooing yet because it is always too adorable to walk away from and get a camera. (You have to listen carefully to hear him cooing at the beginning of the video.)


We had a visit from Amy last weekend, and here is a picture of him talking with her. Yar.


And just for kicks, here is a picture of the boy being forced to wear a goofy hat.

Pediatrician or Sadist?

On Tuesday we had a doctor’s appointment. Alexander now weighs 14 lbs 1 oz – so we were a little off in our guesstimates of 75 lbs. Maybe if I had spent the last 9 months in the gym instead of on bedrest, I could lift a feather without popping a blood vessel. Well, if 3 am infomercials have taught me anything, it’s that it is never too late to go from a before picture to an after picture. Alexander is serving as my weight machine. Since he is needier than the average weight machine, he provides great motivation and I’m up to 2 million reps a day. Soon I can justify calling my biceps “guns”.

Anyhoo, the little guy hasn’t been feeling too great this week because the doctor gave him five (yes FIVE) vaccines. In fact, one vaccine was a 3-for-1 shot, so really he had seven vaccines. Four shots in his leg and one oral vaccine. That seems really excessive for a little guy of his size. That’d be the equivalent of an adult man getting 64 vaccines in one horrible doctor’s visit. Even though I knew the shots were better than, say, contracting polio, I have to admit it was really hard to watch. One minute he’s a happy baby and the next he is crying his eyes out. Stupid doctor with her stupid live-saving vaccines…

So this week we’ve been busy trying to convince Alexander that life really isn’t that bad. Fortunately we don’t have to go back to the doctor until his 4-month appointment in December. By Alexander’s timeline, two months is literally a lifetime away. Thank god.


Below is a reenactment of the incident.

Newest Automated Parenting Device

In an effort to be lazier as parents, we are willing to try out any automated parenting device that may keep the boy entertained long enough for us to wipe the drool off our shirts. (I’ll let you guess the source of the drool.)


Alexander got so excited watching his mobile, that he got the hiccups. Now when was the last time YOU were that thrilled about something? Being a baby is awesome.

A Love for Fine Literature

In the following video, please ignore my ultra embarrassing high coos. (Not to be confused with my shameless haikus.) Alexander has become a big fan of the book "Where's Baby's Belly Button?" I won't give away the ending, but I will tell you there is a big twist*.



*if you followed that story as it was read, you'll know the twist was that there was no twist. It was ridiculously predictable, even for a baby's book. Just wait until they make a movie out of it...

Would you mind holding the boy for a second?

I had to go take a shower so I asked if Tim would hold the boy. Here is the Tim holding the boy.



Alexander actually responded favorably to Tim's experiment in minimalist parenting.


Can't argue with results like that.