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.

it's mr. jackson to you

He doesn't even know who the deceased King of Pop is, but Z-Dub's heard the name so much over the past several months, this doesn't really surprise me.

Seriously, note to media, talking about him every day for months will not bring him back.

But I digress. Back to the point of this post, Z-Dub was introduced to HotMomma's sister's husband's brother's three-year-old son yesterday. And never one to disappoint in the comedic sense, for the entire day he referred to this kid as "Michael Jackson." We have no idea why, but he just did. As much as everyone tried to correct young Z-Dub, he still called the kid "Michael Jackson." Not "Michael," but the whole name. HILARIOUS!!!!

The weird part is that this kid looks nothing like the real "Michael Jackson." I don't think anyone saw him moonwalk or dangle The Deuce out a upper story window either. He even has his original nose. His real name is nowhere close to "Michael" or "Jackson." We don't get it.

Anyways, he's going to go play with "Michael Jackson" again today. Perhaps he'll get his name right today.

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:

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.

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.

a milestone on video

the funky crawler

The Deuce started crawling on Wednesday. He was very unsteady at first. Even a bit apprehensive as he scooted forwarded one hand and knee at a time. However, in the matter of a day, he found his courage and, with a grin on his face, began a new chapter in his life -- a chapter of independent exploration. Now he's quick and almost stealth-like in his travels. One second he's in the middle of the living room and the next second he's under the kitchen table. One second he's playing with toys on the floor in the middle of our bedroom and the next second he's in our bathroom with a big smile on his face as if to say, "hey look...I found you!"

Today we are more vigilant around the stairs and about what we place in arms reach of our little creeping creature.

He also started doing a little dance this week. It's a totally funkedelic head bob thing. Yeah, he's cool.

Oh, that reminds me, he's eight months old today. He's going to be walking before we know it. Then he'll really be able to get his groove on.

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.

i'm back

Wow, it's been a long time since I updated the blog. The past few weeks have been a bit of a blur. Not only had I a lot to do at work, followed by a two week vacation, but I was also having some health issues checked out. Luckily, all is okay with me and it's time to get back into the swing of things. I've neglected my blog so much that I probably don't have any loyal readers anymore. I hope to redeem myself in the coming weeks with new posts and a renewed effort to read everyone else's great posts.

Of course, it's very late...actually, now that I just looked at the clock, it's very early. So instead of a full blown post, I'll leave you with this video of our vacation earlier this week. As you'll see, the family had a great time. We stayed at the Catamaran Beach Resort and Spa on Mission Bay. It was nice to escape the heat of Las Vegas.

To all of our American readers, Happy 4th of July. To our Brit friends, no hard feelings, of course.

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.

wordless wednesday: gratuitous kid pic

on the mend

Z-Dub had his tonsils and adenoids removed and new tubes put in his ears early Saturday morning and then spent the entire day and overnight in the hospital. He was discharged midday on Sunday.

Since we arrived home he's been recovering at a very past pace, without requiring any pain medication. However, he's very grumpy because he's on a strict liquid and soft food diet. Z-Dub is a little weird because he doesn't want Jello, pudding, popsicles and ice cream. Instead he begs for chicken, hot dogs, pizza, chips, french fries and popcorn. HotMomma did break down and made him some Orzo pasta with parmesan and romano cheese mixed in it. He seemed to like it and it was soft enough for his throat.

Other than the diet thing he's also been very clingy to me, which has been a bit of a slap in HotMomma's face since it was Mother's Day weekend. I have no idea why, but all Z-Dub wants is his Daddy. It's almost annoying though.

Thank you to everyone here and on Facebook for your well wishes. We appreciate it very much.

Just after surgery, all Z-Dub wanted to do was sleep.

A visit from his Grandma.

Later in the evening he got a visit with his bro The Deuce.

Doing great!

Waiting to get that damned IV out of his arm and go home.

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.

a post of randomness

Oh dear blog, how I've neglected you. It's been five days since my last post. And, frankly, my last post was nothing more than an embedded You Tube video. Not much to it really. 

Life has been kind of crazy lately. We've been reinforcing the potty training with Z-Dub. He's starting his third week diaper free. He's had a few accidents, but that's expected. He gets distracted by "fun" and forgets that he's not wearing a diaper. He also tends to "hold it" too long before telling us he has to go. As a result, some of his accidents have been while his pants were coming off to use the toilet. 

Speaking of Z-Dub, he's turned into a raging three-year-old lately. He's literally a back-talking, hitting, stubborn brat of a boy. We're working hard to get him under control, but let's face it, he's three and it's how kids his age act. We're trying to find a healthy balance of discipline and positive reinforcement when he's being good. So far, the most effective punishment is withholding toys. And threatening kidnap by pirates seems to be working as well. He scoffs at time out. 

Meanwhile, little The Deuce just keeps eating, pooping and growing. He's been teething lately, so he's a little on the grumpy side. Not too bad though. With the warm weather, he's been enjoying time at the pool. In celebration of a friend's birthday, we had a private cabana and pool at Green Valley Ranch Resort yesterday. The weather was beautiful and The Deuce and Z-Dub and their cousins had a blast splashing in the pool. They also like the endless parade of delicious food. I enjoyed one too many mojitos. It was a great day. 

Want proof, here's some pics.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that we got Z-Dub one of these over the weekend:

It's a Disney's Cars television set. It was an award for all of his peeing and pooping in the toilet. It'll also be great to "take away" as punishment for bad behavior. Just thinking ahead.

the weird dream

Ever have a really weird, vivid dream; the kind of dream that you remember every little detail of? I had such a dream last night and I'm still trying to analyze it.

HotMomma, Z-Dub, The Deuce and I were being chased by mobsters and the police simultaneously. We were in a strange city, which, based on the signs, turned out to be Jacksonville, Florida, even though it looked nothing like Jacksonville. There were big hills in the city, like in San Francisco.

At different points in the dream were at the beach, hiding among the throngs of sunbathers. Later we were hiding in a mall and a used car dealership lot. It was there that HotMomma surprised me with her car theft skills as she hot wired a beat up, old, orange VW Bus. Later we were involved in a high speed chase with the police and it did very well around the curves considering the kind of vehicle it was. Later we were on a cruise ship as it was exiting a bay. With the police on board, we jumped off into the water and magically ended up on jet skis. From there we were being chased by mobsters in speed boats. Throughout the dream, innocent folks were falling victim, but somehow we always eluded capture. It was very Jason Bourne.

The dream ended with a real yelp from The Deuce, indicating that he was awake and ready to eat. Just before that happened, in the dream we sought sanctuary in the home of a very nice and helpful lesbian woman who was in the middle of shampooing her carpet. Not that carpet, you perv!

a special birthday video

Obviously our friend Drew has mad skillz. He put together this video of Z-Dub's birthday party last weekend at Bounce U. It's amazing. It makes me smile.



Thanks Drew. You're the man!!!

Disney Vacay Montage

We're back from our short Disneyland vacation to celebrate Z-Dub's third birthday. It was a fun and exhausting trip and Z-Dub had a blast. We took hundreds of photos, of course, but I thought I'd share just a few. I'm playing catch-up at work today and will be back to regular posting (and reading) tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy!!!

Ready for blast off!

Z-Dub's shirt says "Big Brother: Honor and Defend" and The Deuce's says "Little Brother: Search and Destroy."

Mom and son.

A Goofy encounter.

Excited for Autopia.

Sukita (cousin) and Z-Dub.

Still in line.

HotMomma and cousin DP.

HotMomma and her cousins from Sactown and little DP at Space Mountain.

HotMomma and me.

What's Z-Dub looking at? Perhaps the giant, talking Buzz Lightyear.

Goofing off.

The teacups at night. I couldn't catch a photo of Z-Dub riding. It was too fast for the camera at night.

The Deuce and his Auntie.

Enjoying the fireworks.

The fireworks.

Z-Dub shows off one of his Birthday presents.

Also, Z-Dub refers to Donald Duck as "Donald THE Duck." It's funny when he says it.

And, finally, we fly a lot, but the short 36-minute flight home from SNA to LAS was one of the scariest we've ever experienced on account of the wind. HotMomma was reciting Hail Mary's as I sat in my chair with   white knuckles. Luckily we all made it home in one piece.

wordless wednesday