DAY 209 of 365

What’d You Do!?

We had a BLOWOUT in the car today! Fortunately, I’m not talking about a tire! Unfortunately, I am talking about what seemed like a half gallon of caramel syrup blown out the sides of Jake’s diaper!!! I could hear the unmistakable gurgling sound from the passenger seat. Oh boy…

Sorry Dude!

I can tell you that after starting solid foods, Jake’s poop has once again transformed into something I don’t quite understand. But in the meantime, it’s still my duty to clean it up. And after today, I’m keeping an entire spray bottle of soapy water and a case of shop rags in the trunk! Jeepers Rice Kiddo!

DAY 208 of 365

A day is fast approaching in which I will have to stand up and face the inevitable. No, not the fact that the cast of Jersey Shores is signing another contract. I’m talking about Mama J going going back to work! I thought she and I would both be excited by the prospect of her getting out of the house again. But as the day gets closer, that’s not the case.
I know she’s going to miss Baby J just as much as he’s going to miss his Mama. I see myself as a pretty good Dad. But there are times when nothing soothes that kid but Mommy. I think that’s the most worrisome part. She could be hours away and I can’t console the little man. I’ve been there before. A bottle doesn’t work. Holding him doesn’t help. Letting him cry it out doesn’t work. The only thing that calms the little man down is Mommy and the Magic Booby.

I’m sure I’ll look back and laugh at this in a few months. Although right now, I am, for lack of better words, “crapping in my pants”.

REAL KIDS SHADES GIVEAWAY!

My wife and I recently read a magazine article that was truly “eye opening”. The article talked about the danger of long term sun exposure to your child’s eyes. The American Academy of Pediatrics says children’s eyes are at increased risk for permanent damage from sunlight until they are at least 10 years old. And yet most children’s sunglasses are sold as toys. Toys are fun, toys are great, but not if they’re expected to protect something as vital as your kids’ eyesight. Let’s face it, how many parents do you know that practically dunk their kids in sun screen, but don’t bother to put sunglasses on them? Mama J and I were guilty as charged. Once we read the article, it was like “DUHHH!”
MY FIRST SHADES in Blue

A friend had already given us a pair of infant sunglasses. They did feel much like a toy, and offered no real UV protection. And unless you duct-taped them to Jake’s head, they were on the ground in approximately 15 seconds. It was time to find some REAL sunglasses, not cheap toys. It didn’t take long to find the leading maker of quality kid’s eye protection. Enter Real Kids Shades!

Real Kids Shades® are the leading innovator in children’s 100% UV eye protection. The idea is simple:  Offer affordable, real sunglasses designed just for kids. Not toys and not scaled-down versions of adult shades. Make them comfortable (so kids will wear them), durable (so they stand up to kid life), and good-looking (so they get used.)

We ordered two pair of MY FIRST SHADES, a blue pair for Baby J and a pink pair for his new cousin, Baby A. The first thing I liked when we pulled them out of the box was, they looked COOL! I know I won’t have to worry about my boy being heckled for wearing RKS! And then the big moment arrived, the first fitting! Of course Baby J immediately tried to rip them from his face, repeatedly. He was nearly successful, until we distracted him with his “passy”. Before we knew it, these glasses were…STILL ON HIS HEAD! Not only were these the BEST protection we could find for our baby, they looked good, and they WORKED!

When I started 1FD, I gave a shout out to Real Kids Shades on Facebook just to let them know what a great product they have. They responded with a thank you, and asked if I’d write a review and do a giveaway! My response: “I’d love to!” I even got the opportunity to speak with Lori C. of RKS. She even sent a pair of Elements to try out. I like them even better than My First Shades! I can tell you RKS truly cares about protecting our kids’ peepers! And I think that’s one of the reasons why they are the best at what they do!

THE MOMENT YOU’VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR, THE RULES OF THE CONTEST!
1. Become a fan of Real Kids Shades on Facebook!
2. Go to www.realkidshades.com and choose your favorite pair!
3. Become a FOLLOWER of http://www.onefunnydaddy.com, and tell me which pair of RKS are your favorite! And don’t forget to click SHARE ON FACEBOOK while you’re here!
4. Send me naked pictures of yourself…KIDDING! Just making sure you’re still paying attention..:)

Leave a comment at www.onefunnydaddy.com when you’ve completed all of these steps. You can comment on your favorite pair once a day until the deadline. Baby J will choose a random winner on Monday, July 11th. The cool people at Real Kids Shades will send you the pair of your choice!!!

EXTREME – ELEMENTS in Blue

No, I’m not getting paid to do this. Yes, I’m trying to spread the word about 1FD and RKS! So, let’s have some fun and protect our kiddies’ eyes at the same time!!!

Good luck and get to work!:)










DAY 207 of 365

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!! Last night, my wife attempted to camp outside with Baby J and a ton of family. I had a hunch I’d see them back at home later. It was a safe assumption. Jake is a little like his Daddy when it comes to sleeping. He needs a fan on, the A/C purring, maybe even a sound machine depending on his mood. If there is any, and I mean ANY background noise while he’s trying to nod off, forgeddaboudit! I’m sure it will get easier for him in time (wishful thinking). Until then, he gets to be the grouchy old man that has to get home at a certain hour or he’s a real A-hole!

10 Seconds to Total Meltdown

DAY 205 of 365

‘Tis the season! No, not tax season. SUMMER CONCERT SEASON!!! Not to mention Taste of Chicago, Summerfest, and just about every other fun festival that you could think of! But it’s not as simple as just buying a ticket and jumping in the car anymore. There’s the stroller, diaper bag, sunscreen, baby shades, mosquito net, Xanax, and oh yeah, a BABY! I see those determined parents maneuvering the stroller through the throngs of sweaty, drunk people. They look like they’ve been weaving through a minefield all day! I understand that Mommies and Daddies want to get back to normal life ASAP. Although, the question remains, how young is too young to bring a little baby to a big event?

DAY 204 of 365

Only a few days away from July 4th! I think about all the mischievous, borderline dangerous things I did with fireworks growing up as a kid. I’m lucky I still have all my digits! I know I’ll feel a little hypocritical telling Jake he can’t shoot roman candles at the neighbor’s cat. But, I guess that’s being a Dad. Whatever it takes to keep him from turning out like this guy:)

DAY 202 of 365

We’ve noticed recently that Baby J does this little “tick” type thing after he eats first thing in the morning. Imagine if he’d just tasted a lemon for the first time, that kind of face. And it’s accompanied by a little twitch like he was shaking off a chill. Now, it’s only happened twice. But, he did it like 5 times in a row during those two clusters. At first we thought it was nothing. But then we did the dumbest thing a new parent could do. We consulted… THE INTERNET! So of course, we ended up at the Dr’s office. The Doc says he shows no obvious signs of a problem, and it’s most likely a benign thing. It could just be him doing “the things babies do”. Obviously, we’re going to have another test done just to be safe. Has anyone had a similar experience? It’s always nice to hear from other parents who have been through it. Thanks:)

DAY 201 of 365

I can’t believe I’m past the 200 day mark! My, how time flies when you’re…being puked on, not sleeping, changing countless diapers, etc. I wouldn’t change it for the world, though. This little blob of sunshine surprises me everyday. Having Baby J in the house fills our home with joy (most of the time:). I forget about the trivial things when I hear him learning how to laugh. All I want is for this little man to grow up happy and confident. That’ll do donkey.