the giggler

The Deuce thought his Daddy's hiccups were funny.

oh, hello blog

Wow, it's been two weeks since I've posted. Time sure does fly. My hectic work schedule is my excuse, of course. It's true too. The work load has been insane. Meanwhile, it seems that life just keeps zooming by at the speed of light. I can't frickin' believe it's September already. Christmas is just around the corner. Even more surprising is that The Deuce turns one in November and it'll be here in a flash. I wish things would just slow down a bit. Perhaps a relaxing, slow-paced vacation is in order. But enough about that.

So what's going on in the iVegasFamily house? Well, Z-Dub is in school and is seems to be doing well. He fights me every morning when I drop him off, but embraces the whole thing once I leave. He's learning a lot, like the calendar, how to write, Spanish, etc. We bought him a dry-erase activity book that he works on at home as well. Our goal in the coming weeks is to get him writing his name without assistance. He's well on his way, although he still says his name is spelled "Eueeuue." I don't know where his obsession with "e" and "u" originated. It's a little peculiar.

As for The Deuce, he's now pointing and trying to talk and walk. He's a rambunctious little dude with a hot temper as well. I have a feeling he's going to be a handful when he becomes mobile. He and Z-Dub have been playing well together though. It's amazing to watch their interactions.

As for HotMomma, well tomorrow's her birthday. She's turning 29. We'll be celebrating this weekend. It should be a lot of fun.

That's a quick and dirty update. I'll leave you with a video of Z-Dub playing Wii Bowling for the very first time. He actually did very well for a newbie. He bowled a 74.

time to break out the barriers

It amazes me each day how fast our babies grow up before our eyes. It's kind of weird that things didn't seem to go as fast with Z-Dub. But with The Deuce, I feel like it's happening way, way too fast. On Monday, he turned nine months old. It seems like only yesterday we found out we were expecting him. I find it hard to swallow that he's approaching his first birthday.

There are also things that he's doing that almost give me a coronary. Like, for example, what he suddenly decided to do today. He's a brave, adventurous child:

coaxing his inner beckham

We did it. We signed up Z-Dub for the fall season of Soccer. The first team meeting is Sept. 12, with practices starting the following week. His first game will be Oct. 10. It'll be either an exciting or disappointing birthday weekend treat for me. He'll either refuse to play out of shyness or "bend it like Beckham." Of course, I'm hoping for the latter.

While Soccer isn't a huge sport in this country beyond the youth sports level, perhaps Z-Dub will embrace the sport and become a star player, raking in millions of dollars (or Euros) playing on a professional team either here in the states or abroad and through endorsement deals. He can be the token half-white, half-Filipino American sensation playing for Manchester United or some other big team. That would be super cool. And he can share his wealth with his parents who had the foresight to enroll him into youth soccer and encourage his brilliance.

Yes, I'm dreaming. Hopefully it comes true. If it doesn't work out, we'll try another sport. Perhaps Baseball, Tennis or competitive Swim. Of course, he's only three, so there's no pressure.

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Speaking of sport greatness. My sister, a star softball player at the University of Louisville and recently named Big East Player of the Year, just returned home from Maracay, Venezuela where she played in the 2009 PanAmerican Qualifer on the USA Softball team. Her team kicked some serious booty. They beat every team they played during the nearly two-week tournament, with the exception of their first game against Canada. It was their only loss and the only team that even scored against them. On Sunday, her team made it to the Championship game against Canada and won the Golf Medal!

My sister is an outstanding role model to her nephews!

a vegasdad rant

Why, oh, why does Z-Dub all of a sudden not want to sleep at night? I'm not kidding when I say he gets out of bed a minimum of 15 times a night for various reasons. This has been going on for about two weeks now and it's annoying the crap out of me. We've tried preventing him from napping during the day. We've even tried keeping him up later in the evening. All of our approaches to resolve this new bedtime ritual have failed miserably. It's frickin' annoying. It's interrupting "Daddy and Mommy time."

Now, changing the subject completely, why would Discovery Channel think it's smart to air "Shark Week" in the middle of summer when throngs of vacationers are visiting beaches across the country? Talk about scaring us out of the water. Luckily, we're in Las Vegas and the only real scary creatures at our beaches -- sand bottom hotel/resort pools -- are overweight, old and hairy Eurotourists who think it's fashionable to wear speedos. Having one of them bend over in front of you can cause severe illness and possibly death. That's why we prefer the more private pool cabanas. They also make us feel like rock stars.

Finally, I'm annoyed with myself for not finding more time to update this blog. A lot of it has to do with my hectic schedule lately. Also, the kids have been wacko lately. Now that The Deuce is mobile, it seems that all we do is try to prevent him from hurting himself. Speaking of The Deuce, he has one voracious appetite. I thought Z-Dub was going to eat us to the poor house, but we're quickly realizing that our more plump infant is even more of a pig. It's no wonder he's only 14 lbs. lighter than his three-year-old brother.

That's all.

daredevil

The Deuce started crawling just last week. This week he started pulling himself up to a standing position while carefully holding onto anything to keep his balance. And, just yesterday, without any assistance at all, this is what he decided to do:

HE'S ONLY EIGHT MONTHS OLD!!! Of course, I wasn't smiling like him. He's going to fall and break his head. And, as you might expect, its all he wants to do now.

ten excuses

Here are the ten excuses Z-Dub tried to not go to bed last night...

1. "I heard a noise...it was a dinosaur. I'm scared.

2. "The fan is to noisy."

3. "I have to poop."

4. "The itsy, bitsy spider went up the water spout."

5. "I have to pee."

6. "I want a granola bar."

7. "I want to sleep with you and mommy."

8. "I'm itchy."

9. "I'm cold."

10. "I don't want to go to school tomorrow, so I don't have to go to sleep yet."

Three-year-olds!!!!

it was just a leap

It all started with a leap. It wasn't from afar, but it was high and, with gravity in complete control, it was powerful.

I was sitting on the floor playing with The Deuce. He was smiling, laughing and playing with his toys. The Sudden impact on my head and neck sent shock waves through my body as I gasped in pain. Z-Dub, with a grin on his face, decided it would be funny to fly like Superman from the top of the sofa to my seemingly strong body. Only problem is he miscalculated his trajectory and landed where great damage can be done. And boy did he cause some damage.

For the first two days I could hardly move my neck left or right. The headache at the base, where my head connects to my spine, was excruciating. It lasted for days. Even during our vacation in San Diego my head was throbbing. Tylenol was my savior.

Then last week the flu emerged with a vengeance. One of the symptoms as I was bedridden was body aches. The kind that make any and all positions uncomfortable. I was in a miserable state of being. As the flu subsided I thought I was going to be okay. Then suddenly on Thursday a sharp pain started in the middle of my back. It was so bad that even the slightest movement sent me to the floor. Even if I took a deep breath in the pain was unbearable. I went to urgent care and was given a shot of Percocet, which did little to ease my extreme discomfort. The doctor gave me a prescription for Percocet pills and Valium and said to get some rest. His answer to what was going on was completely unsatifactory. I didn't want to mask the pain, I wanted to know what the hell was happening and how to fix it.

On Friday I waddled into a Chiropractor's office for the first time in my life. I've never had an issue with back pain, so there was never a need to see one. I was a bit scared to go.

I was thoroughly examined and X-rays were taken. And, alas, they found the problem. Apparently I now have a compression injury to two vertebrae. They said the injury was probably caused years ago and then Z-Dub's Superman stunt exacerbated it, causing the ligaments to slip out of whack in my back. They also found that I have a slight twist in the middle of my spine, which makes me more prone to injury. They also found a congenital defect where I'm actually missing on T-vertebra, but I have an extra lumbar vertebra. That's weird, but really isn't a problem.

And my neck - that's a whole other issue. Z-Dub clearly did some damage. Instead of a slight crescent curvature that a normal neck has, mine now resembles an "s." To put it simple, it's "effed" up.

Since Friday I've been receiving intense physiotherapy at the Chiropractor's office and it's done wonders to help moving me again. My pain has subsided greatly - probably about 85 percent. I can actually move without dropping to the floor in pain. I'm going to continue therapy a few days a week for the next month or two to mostly correct everything, but in the meantime, I suddenly feel much older than my 34 years. I'm also worried about injuring myself again. Will I be able to be active? Or will I be resigned to be "the guy on the sidelines?" I don't want to be that guy, but only time will tell.

creative discipline

We've learned quickly that the "Terrible Twos" were a cakewalk compared to the "Treacherous Threes." Not only is Z-Dub full of what appears to be super-human energy and spunk, he knows how to back talk like a true master artist. He also loves testing our parental authority.

Lately, we've been challenged when it comes to discipline. While "time outs" and threats of "if you don't stop, you're not getting any dessert" or "if you do that one more time the police are going to take away all of your toys" work most of the time, he's getting a little too savvy for them.

It's time to get creative and I think I have a great idea -- Boot Camp-style discipline. We're talking push-ups, laps, etc. I've taught Z-Dub how to do push-ups and he can pull off about three in a row. If he's acting up and fails to heed the complimentary warnings, I can just say "drop and give me three!" or "you have to do one lap to that house down the street and back. And don't let me catch you walking. I want to see some speed!" The beauty of this type of discipline is that it can be employed virtually anywhere. And as an added bonus, he'll be extra fit.

I don't think this type of discipline is cruel either. After all, it's just exercise. The only risk I would probably run into is Z-Dub growing up to hate exercise. He may associate it with a negative and never want to exercise when he gets older, becoming a resentful, lazy, fat slob. Hmmmm....I guess I have to think this through a little bit more.

What are your creative approaches to discipline? Have they worked?

when nature calls

Z-Dub is such a boy. To prove it, he has developed quite an interest in whipping out his pitoy (Filipino slang for penis) outdoors to pee in rocks and bushes. It doesn't matter where we're at -- the mall, park, front yard, etc. -- he rather water the plants than go inside and use the toilet.

Of course, being the good parents we are, we've quashed his new peeing desire, with exception to La Jolla Cove during our vacation last week. The restroom was simply too far and the Pacific ocean was just too cold, so the best place for him to relieve himself was a large bush at the top of the cliff. And that he did, twice. I'm just hoping he doesn't decide to do it in the playground at school next week. That would be embarrassing. Could you imagine the note sent home from his teacher?

Meanwhile...check out The Deuce's new thing.

something to be happy about

I haven't heard great news like this in quite a while. All of us in the blogosphere learned today that after more than two years of trying to concieve, with the help of modern medicine Xbox and his wife ET are finally expecting. 

Those two have been on an heartwrenching journey. They've experienced a rollercoaster of emotions that included hope, optimism, desperation, sadness and disappointment as each month's cycle came and went. Despite it all, they never gave up. It makes me happy to finally see them achieve what they've longed for. I can't wait to read their all-too-familiar pregnancy stories and, finally, the welcoming of a new life. It's an incredible thing.

Congratulations to Xbox and ET!

a weekend of firsts

We've been through these milestones before with Z-Dub, but it doesn't take away from the excitement. The Deuce is entitled to the same attention from his excited parents.

This weekend we achieved several. First, and most important, The Deuce cut his first tooth. It's way earlier than Z-Dub did. Of course, he's been grumpy as a result, but not too bad. This weekend also was time for The Deuce to graduate to the high chair. In doing so he started on baby food too. He's also been gnawing on baby biscuits. He's had quite an exciting weekend.

And finally, my favorite milestone is his repeating of "Dada." He's been saying it like crazy all of a sudden. We also got him to repeat "Dog." Or at least that's what we hear.

Here's a bonus video. You can't deny his cuteness.



As for Z-Dub, he's going through a bit of regression this weekend. He keeps crapping in his pants. It's been a muddy mess and we're frustrated.

kid talk

Z-Dub amazes me every single day with words that come flowing out of his mouth. Sometimes they're funny and other times just out-of-left-field strange. For example, right after waking up this morning:

Z-Dub: "The coyotes are all over Grandma's house! Pandora (sister-in-law's English bulldog) is going to eat the coyotes...and the bats. Bats are flying around Grandma's house. And the chipmunks eat Pandora's food."

Me: "Huhhh!?! Did you have a weird dream?"

A few minutes later while walking down the stairs to have breakfast and get ready to head over to Grandma's house:

Z-Dub: "Daddy, I want to ride the city bus."

Me: "The city bus? How very environmentally conscious of you."

Z-Dub: "Huhhh!?!"

As we're walking out the door:

Z-Dub: "It's raining for us outside."

Me: "No it's not! It's hot!"

Z-Dud: "I want to go in an airplane. I have poo poo in my tummy and I go poo poo in an airplane."



I'm not even at work yet and my brain is exhausted.

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In other news, my latest Uptake.com post about treating your special mother to a poolside retreat in Las Vegas for Mother's Day got picked up by the Los Angeles Times online travel blog. Cool!!!

of needle pricks and hard hits

Have any of the few parents that read this blog ever have to take their child to get blood drawn?

How did it go?

What did you do to calm your child (and yourself)?

We're facing having to take Z-Dub to get blood drawn as part of his pre-operation regimen. He's scheduled for surgery on Saturday morning, so we have to get it done sometime today or during the next couple of days. He's never had blood taken, so I'm fearful about the trauma it's going to cause him. I think we may actually have to strap him down to do it.

I don't know if I'm going to be able to be in the same room with him as its done. I personally have an intense fear of needles due to some extremely excruciating childhood experiences in the hospital with IVs. I remember when I was about 10 years old I spent a week or so in the hospital for one of my many surgeries. I had a room mate, who was a little boy that had a pituitary problem and was going to have surgery to fix it. We decided one evening to race wheelchairs in the hall of the children's ward (this was before surgery for both of us). In doing so, I knocked the IV out of my arm. The result was a punishing replacement. The damned nurses couldn't get the IV back in my arm. They tried 17 times, jabbing long needles into my black and blue arms, with no success. Finally they gave up and stuck it in my foot. That hurt like like hell. Ever since then I almost pass out at the sight of needles.

Needless to say I'm not looking forward to Z-Dub facing the same thing. Not only will he need blood drawn for the pre-operation blood work, but he'll most definitely need an IV for his his surgery to remove his tonsils, adenoids and place new tubes in his ears.

I'm going to be a nervous wreck all week.

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Changing subjects to something much more pleasant...anyone else see the Pacquiao vs. Hatton fight live on Saturday night? We were at a Pacquiao party, eating Filipino food and supporting Manny. He kicked some serious Hatton ass (well, face) for sure.

It was awesome, but I kind of wish the bout lasted a little longer than just two rounds. Oh well. Pacquiao won and that's all we cared about.

blame it on the parents

The other day, while HotMomma was off with her friends having "mommy" time, I took Z-Dub and The Deuce to Target with me to pick up a few things (diapers). While driving up St. Rose Parkway, all of a sudden I realized that Z-Dub was singing along with the song playing on the radio. He seemed to know most, if not all, of the words of the chorus. This was the song:



At least the song teaches life lessons. Right?

Like, if you get her drunk she'll take her panties off.

happiness

As I was washing off some strawberries and blueberries for Z-Dub to eat for dessert last night...


Z-Dub: "Daddy, you happy?"

Me: "Huh, what did you say?"

Z-Dud: "Daddy, you happy?"

Me: "Yes, I'm happy."

Z-Dub: "You not mad?"

Me: "No, I'm not mad?"

Z-Dud: "I not mad either. I happy too."

broken bone(r)

I went into the bathroom to check on Z-Dub. He had been finishing up his shower and playing with his Little Einsteins figurines a couple of minutes earlier. I walked in, pulled back the curtain and found him carefully examining his errr...naughty bits. "what are you doing?" I inquired.

"My pee pee is broken," he proclaimed. "I need a new one."

With a bewildered tone I asked "Why is your pee pee broken?"

"It's not up anymore," he replied.

All I could think about was the fact that he's only two, almost three, and the "the talk" appears to be just around the corner.

pee pee and poo poo

Once again I'm writing about poop. When you have a toddler potty training it tends to be a hot topic. As many of you know, potty training Z-Dub has been a huge challenge for us.We've been trying for the past several of months with little to no success.

However, with a sticker chart hanging low on the refrigerator and the promise of toys as rewards for hitting certain milestones, we've had much success in the past couple of weeks. So much so, that yesterday, without any reminders or requests, he went into the bathroom by himself, took off his pants and diaper, sat on his potty chair and filled it up with golden goodness. He was quite proud of it and proceeded to do it two more times within the subsequent hour.

That's where the success ends, because later in the morning he crapped in his diaper three times. Each time I begged him to try the potty, but he absolutely refused. Apparently pooping is traumatic.

So, if anyone has any suggestions on how to get Z-Dub to make mud in the potty instead of his pants, lay it out there for us. Our family and our local landfill will greatly appreciate it.

naked saturday

This morning HotMomma had to work, so I was left with the boys. At 11 a.m. I decided to hop in the shower and get dressed for the day. I took The Deuce upstairs and put him in our bed. Z-Dub stayed downstairs to watch Max & Ruby. Everything was cool.

About three minutes into my shower I heard Chi-Lo barking uncontrollably and Z-Dub yelling. With haste, I hopped out of the shower and headed to top of the stairs. Right then I heard Z-Dub yell, "just a minute. I open door!"

"Holy crap," I thought. "He's actually trying to unlock and open the front door for a stranger."

I ran down the stairs to intervene. I made it just in time, removing his hand from the key in the deadbolt lock just as he unlocked it. Right after I realized that the exterminator was standing right there outside the window looking at me.

And I was naked.

Thanks Z-Dub.

a monday mess

Last night Z-Dub's cousins were over. They played upstairs in his room before heading downstairs for dinner. Later, when we took Z-Dub up for his shower, we found his bathroom floor flooded. They had messed with the toilet and it overflowed. Believe me when I say mopping toilet water is no picnic.

Of course, I launched a full investigation, complete with a heated interrogation of Z-Dub. At first he blamed everyone but himself. Later, upon full examination of the evidence I figured it out and was able to coerce a confession out of the little culprit. Apparently his cousin and he decided to fill the commode with toilet paper and flush it. Obviously it couldn't handle the mass quantities of soggy paper.

He was charged, tried and convicted in the court of Daddy and sentenced to bed.

On a side note, when I arrived home I changed into one of my old t-shirts. Z-Dub asked what it said below the picture. I replied "don't spank the monkey." Later he told HotMomma "no spanking the monkey!!!" Then, even later, The Deuce spit up on my monkey shirt.

Yep, it was another interesting Monday night in our house.