ToddlerTales

2006-10-20T09:04:00.000-07:00

BEING A WAHD:

For almost the past two years I've been a work at home dad, taking care of my son Shawn who is now 27 months old. Time management is a key to balancing work and fatherly chores. I own two small business that are very rewarding and financally stable. You have to learn to be flexible and allow for some down time during the day. I put in 6-7 hours a day 5 days a week. To Be Continued:

2006-10-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

Defination Of a Family:

Raising someone elses's kid can be a struggle at times me 3 y/o nephew Alex has been a handful. Since his parents and his sister moved in around the end of June, it has been an adventure to say the least. When I found drugs in my guest bathroom I was stunned, my SIL was the offender, and things have been crazy around here since then.

2006-09-25T21:30:00.000-07:00

Male Bounding:

Had a blast at the Porsche Event in Long Branch Sunday attached you'll find a few pictures a picture of Alex I took early this summer!

2006-09-16T10:16:00.000-07:00

Birthday:

Well today is my birthday nothing to excited going on here, it's a pretty nice day out planning on taking a drive with the wife later and then we're having dinner w/ a few relatives it's amazing how some things have changed so much in the past few years and some things haven't!

2006-08-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

2 Year Olds:

It's amazing how much Shawn has developed in the past few months. He seems to enjoy playing w/ blocks and messing in his pants then learning his ABC's. But he's only 26 months. It amazes me how parents expect there toddlers to potty trained and ready by 2 yrs old. Let them be a toddler don't rush there childhood!

2006-08-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

Vintage and Modern Porsche Muscle!

2006-08-15T12:37:00.000-07:00

Home Invasion:

It's been just over 2 months since my inlaws arrived on our doorstep @ 4:30 am. Well the sister inlaw is in rehab again twice in 6 weeks, and I'm Aniece is being evaculated for any signs of learning or developmental issues! Shawn is starting develop into a very vocal toddler with a decent amount of meltdown thrown in for good measure. My nephew Alex is still living us and is a ball of energy!

2006-08-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

A FEW MORE PICTURES:

2006-08-15T09:17:00.000-07:00

More Pictures:

Another decent picture from the shark trip in July!

2006-08-15T08:23:00.000-07:00

FINALLY:

Some pictures from my shark trip back in July!

2006-08-02T09:48:00.000-07:00

FISHING TRIP:

Had the chance to go shark fishing with my father, had a great time caught release 4 sharks under 110 Ibs each! Picture to come later.

2006-07-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

Work:

Work to me means two things, taking care of Shawn and earning an income. Lately I feel that my commitment to my business has been strained due to family related stress.

2006-06-30T20:04:00.000-07:00

UPS-DOWNS:

It's sure been an adventure the past 10-11 days. Found intervenus drug needles on my guest bathroom sink. They were my SIL's. Kicked her out the house and kept my nephew her husband went to stay w/ his other sister! There other child is with her Grandparents. Shawn turned two on Thursday. Feeling stressed out, my wife is also 7 weeks pregnant due date is around 2/20/07!

2006-06-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

The Weekend:

Well Saturday it was damn hot here in the Garden State 91 degrees where we live! Keeping Shawn entertained was a bit difficult, my nephew decided to have a major meltdown because he had a doctors' appointment. We spent about 1 hour at the pool before Shawn had a meltdown over having his swimmy diaper changed, lately if you interrupt his playtime he flips out. I wasn't ready to go home, so after a little quiet time with mommy Shawn calmed.

2006-06-16T21:10:00.000-07:00

In 2003 this Porsche GT3RS won the 24 Hours Of Daytona, it was the first time since 1977 that a Porsche 911 based road car won the 24 hrs of Daytona. The three things I love the most my wife, our son and the Porsche Automobile!

2006-06-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

Toddler Drama:

Well woke early 6:30ish to get to the local day camp to sign Shawn up for there toddler program 2 weeks a total of 5 days, he has never been in daycare so we shall see how it goes!

I get home from signing him up and he is having a major meltdown, "where dada" so I pick him up and bring him into the nursery to try and sooth him. The wifey ticked off that she can't get him calmed down. So now it's 9:20ish and his nighttime diaper has not been changed yet, so after a quiet change an even quicker just in shower with daddy which he loved. We were off the Costco's!

To Be Continued!

2006-06-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

New Discoveries:

While giving the Lil Guy his bath today "he says to me what this" pointing to his penis, I said it's your penis. So the next question daddy "what it doo" So after explaining to him that it's were your pee comes from "do you have one" yes Shawn dada has one. So bottom line he's finally discovered his penis!

2006-06-14T14:06:00.000-07:00

Looking at this picture reminds me of summer vacation, today at the park I was talking to our neighbor who has son 1 month older then Shawn, she was saying we'll call the boy Timothy starts day camp next week, is Shawn enrolled I said he's too young. Her reply
"the camp has toddlers as young as 16 months" this kid weighs close to 29 Ibs wears a size five diaper at 25 months. So he is a little big for his age. When she described what the daily routine was at camp it sounded interesting but tiring for toddler!

2006-06-13T13:36:00.000-07:00

PORSCHE= FUN

I've always been interested in cars since I was a toddler, Shawn loves going for rides in our '03 Porsche Boxster. My wife won't let me take him in the Porsche yet, she's afraid I'll go too fast. But she has no problem taking him for a ride herself! The car pictured is a relatives '04 911 Turbo.

2006-06-13T12:49:00.000-07:00

The Dirty Mouth:

Well after having lunch today while on the changing table getting changed for his nap, Shawn says to me "dada go fuke". I was so beside myself. I said to him those are bad words, his reply "NO". So I said to him do you know what we do when you say bad works, which has only haddened once my wife was cleaning out the diaper pale, and he repeated what she said which I think was crap? So I gave him a choice time out or a spank, which homestly I think he doesn't yet realize what a spank is ! So I put him over my knee w/ diaper on and gave him too gentle wacks. He cried in his crib for the next 10 minutes before tiring himself out. All after he's been saying "bad daddy".

2006-06-13T09:07:00.000-07:00

The Diaper Diaries,

Well Shawn is almost back to normal, he's regaining his energy but still has a slight fever. The one thing that's getting back to normal is the amount of poo and pee this toddler produces. He woke up with a toxic wastesite in his diaper. Too much carrots and lettuce last night plus a small 3 oz bottle full of pedi-care!

2006-06-12T16:51:00.000-07:00

Want Mommy:

This is what Shawn has been saying since he woke up from his nap today. It's 7:49 pm and he's finally a sleep for the night. Besides a meltdown after dinner today went pretty well. Hopefully he'll sleep thru the night. I'm hoping he doesn't wake up calling for his mommy, I need sleep!

2006-06-12T11:19:00.000-07:00

Shawn Cole

This past week Shawn was rushed to the emergency room with a high fever and inflamed gentile that was two times bigger then normal. The doctors' were telling us that it could be cancer, thankfully it was just an intestional and bladder infection. He still has a fever 99.7 and is cranky. My wife is away this week until Thursday on business. So besides having four houseguests until July 1st. I'm basically alone with Shawny and his cousin the 38 month old carpet wrecker!

2006-06-12T10:42:00.000-07:00

Our Daily Routine

Shawn usually wakes me between 6:40 to 7:10 a.m during the week. Lately once his diaper is changed we play with his toys for a little while. Then my wife feeds him while I check on e-mail for work! At around 9:30 my wife leaves for work, we have bathtime usually in the morning during the week, it just seems less stressful in the morning. Up until 4 months ago Shawn would take a nap in the morning around 10:45 to 11:20. But those days are over except on rare ocassions! Between this time now he has a playdate two days a week with our neighbors 22 month son for about 30 minutes by 12:00 I've usually already changed his diaper 3-4 times! I try to get some house work done between 11:30-11:45. I have a daily phone call for work at around 12:20 this call usually lasts half an hour! By this time Shawn is ready for Lunch. At about 1:15 on the dot 3-4 days a week he takes a 45 minute nap, at which time, I usually nap myself for 20 minutes or work! Gotta run the little guy is calling me!

2006-06-12T07:21:00.000-07:00

The In-Laws:

This past week my brother in law showed up on my doorstep with his wifey and two small children. I think I mentioned in one of my first entries that the 38 month old has been going poop in almost every room of my home except the bathroom. My in-laws got kicked out of their South Jersey condo for failure to pay 4 months worth of rent, so I've been living with the little pooper his parents and his sister plus my own clan for the past 4 days. Shawn was rushed to the ER this past Thursday with a high fever and enlarged gentiles. The doctors scared the crap out of my wife and myself saying that it could be some type of cancer.

2006-06-11T14:07:00.000-07:00

When Shawn was born in 2004, I was already working from home full time my wife wanted to stay with Shawn, but also wanted a career. So after taking 7 weeks off, my wife went back to work as an interior decorator and part-time graphic artist. The first two weeks were scary and magical at the same time. I'm the youngest of my fathers' three children, he had them when he was in his late teens and early twenties. So being an only child of his second marriage was almost like being an only child all together. I'm trying to make the point that I wanted to dedicate myself to my son 100%. I'm own father is what you would between a traditional father and a late 20th Century father. He changed diapers and was up at night was I was up. But his alcohol abuse and business comes first attitude help to destroy his marriage to my mother. I didn't want to put business first Shawn second, that why I scaled down my hours to dedicate time to raising him!

Shawn Cole Born June 29, 2004 4:13 p.m

2006-06-10T13:46:00.000-07:00

My son is a bundle of energy at 23 months old, it is amazing how much energy he has, until a meltown occurs. This past week has been a unusual one for our household with the unexpected arrival at 4:20 am N.J Time Zone of my wife's brother and sister in law and their two children ages 38 months and 4 years old!