Mom's Singularly Necessary Position

It's impossible to overestimate Mom's importance in the regulation and optimal running of our little family - she does so much in our household! Sure, Dad gets all the glory, but without the thorough attention to detail that Mom provides, The Culbertson Family would fall apart in minutes.

The best example of Mom's behind the scene's importance is bath time. At first glance, bath time seems to be equal duty. Mom is in charge of the washing, and Dad is in charge of keeping Henry calm. I spend most of bath time holding Henry's hands and telling him that things are going to be OK, occasionally warning Bonnie if the bath water is too warm.

Not shown: Henry's Rod and Tackle

But bathtime, absolutely the most important part of our bedtime ritual, wouldn't work without Bonnie's "behind the scenes work" - most of which I only become aware of later, if at all. Before bathtime even begins, Mom is at work in Henry's room, lowering the blinds (enabling the little tyke to sleep in later), getting his nightime outfit ready (he's started sleeping in just a shirt and diapers, which allevates worries about overheating and makes it easier to change him in the middle of the night), and tidying the room so that Dad can find everything during nighttime diaper changes. She even covers his sleeping blanket with another blanket, so that when he gets put down for the night, his sleeping blanket isn't too cold. Before we get to the actual bath, she calls out to make sure that I've got a binky (pacifier) ready for him.

And if it's not already obvious, Mom is the one who actually gives Henry his bath. She makes sure that it is a successful part of putting him to sleep every night. Dad just holds his hands and reassures him. (She's also in charge of most of the picture taking.)

And after the bath is finished? It's Mom who is ready to put him in his towel before he begins to cry from the cold.

Truly, without Mom's persistent and perceptive help, our whole world would fall apart. Without her help, it wouldn't be...well, I won't say easy, but it sure wouldn't be as not hard.

As may be apparent already, this particular post is less for the wider audience, and more specifically for my wife - I'm constantly reminded of how wonderful she is, both as a wife, and as the mother of our child. (It also provided an opportunity to publish some photos of Henry in the bath, useful for blackmail later on in his life, but that's really a secondary benefit).

Thanks, Bon, I love you and Henry both, and couldn't dream of a better family than ours.>

Weekends and Other Special Moments

Mornings always seem to be Henry's best time. Given how much and how well Henry sleeps, we can't really complain, but if pressed, we might admit that perhaps he's a little fussy during the afternoons and evenings. However, he usually wakes up in a pretty good mood, and you can get a good hour or so of awake and alert time. Mom fills me in every day regarding his daily progress on the first big milestone: smiling. He's starting to get the hang of it, but going to work means that I don't usually get to experience these sunny moments.

Of course Henry and I spend time together during the week, but I'm usually tired before I even leave for work; by the time I get back I'm pretty exhausted. In addition to my tiredness, Henry's usually lost his good mood by the time I get home - possibly because his Mother beats him all day while I'm at work.

Weekends are different, though; they are special. Henry and I usually get up a little earlier than Mom, which lets Mom catch up on some much needed rest. We spend our time on a variety of activities - we play on his playmat, we walk around, Henry sits on my lap and we hold hands and talk. I love this time with him, even if it does only last for an hour or two.

After that, we usually take a little nap. Repeat readers will recognize the foreshadowing; another picture of Henry asleep on Dad's chest is coming. This one, however, features a little something for the ladies.

Sorry ladies, I'm taken.

Our other special bonding involves calm-down time. When Henry gets really upset, it seems that the only thing that will calm him down is to slip out back, where we dance and sing on the patio. Like any baby, Henry responds to bouncing, and loves to be sung to, but it's no secret that in the Culbertson household, Dad does it the best. I do have a couple nursery rhymes, courtesy of my mom, but those secret weapons are used only in the most dire of circumstances (e.g. after a 4:30 a.m. feeding, when Henry isn't really interested in going back to sleep, but Mom and Dad can't really think of anything but).

Why it's necessary for us to go in the back probably depends on who you're asking. If you ask Henry, he'd probably say "bob booboo glag" - because he's a baby. What he would mean, of course, is that the change in scenery, especially the warm air is necessary to get him out of the crying mood. Dad knows that the real reason we hide is so that the whole world doesn't laugh and point at the spectacle; not only is Dad gyrating like a madman in order to provide the rhythmic bouncing Henry needs, but Dad is also practically a human beatbox - the beeps, doo-dahs, clicks, and lalalas coming out of him are beautiful music to Henry's ears.