Random Updates from the Desch Household

Probably not the picture that you were thinking you would see when loading our blog. No, Howie has not grown 8 legs. This is a chilling photographic record of the spider Josh faced off with outside of our apartment. For the details on this horrific event, please consult Josh's Real-Life Stories from a First-Time Dad. Just looking at that picture now makes my skin crawl.

In less disgusting and disturbing news, things have been going well in the Desch household. Howie is growing by leaps and bounds... he weighed in at 13 lbs 6 oz at the doctor last week!! I guess all of that stuffing his face with milk that he does each day is working. I'm sure that every new parent has "Wow- I'm Really A Parent" moments, and I've already had several. I experienced my latest in the course of reading... drumroll please... parenting books. Yes, I'm reading parenting books. The esteemed James C. Dobson has found a place on our shelf with his book Bringing Up Boys. Another book on our nightstand is Making Your Kids Mind Without Losing Yours, by Kevin Leman. These books were given to me by my mother, and I'm actually finding them very useful. Granted it's a bit early to think about Howie minding (seeing as he's only 2 months old... "Howie, I told you NOT to spit up again!!" Oh wait, that's crazy). But this parenting know-how will come in handy before we know it.

I am currently obsessed with watermelon. I guess I've always liked watermelon, but for some reason my liking has escalated into an obsession. Maybe this was something pregnancy-induced. We've had a watermelon in our house at most points for several weeks. There's something about the watery but firm texture that just makes me crazy. I could honestly eat the whole thing at one time. A few weeks ago Josh came home from work to find a watermelon cut in half, with most of the middle gauged out. If you've ever cut a watermelon, you know how much work it is. The juice gets everywhere, you have to cut all the fruit off the rinds and throw them out... it's a little time consuming, and when you want watermelon real bad, you just have to set into it with a knife and your mouth. No time for formalities here. There are few foods that I would shamelessly put my entire face in and just eat away, but watermelon is definitely one of them. I would also dunk my face into a pool of Laffy Taffy, but that's another issue.

Howie has this blue bouncy vibrating seat that he just loves. We put him there when we're eating or cooking or doing dishes, and he thinks it's great. In the last couple of weeks he's started taking an interest in toys and and batting at them with his hands. The chair came with a little bar of hanging toys that we left off for the first several weeks because he wouldn't have cared about them, but I put the bar on a couple of weeks ago. There are four little toys that now hang over Howie's little seat, and then this tag on the side that has all of those stupid mumbo jumbo warnings, like "Don't Let Your Child Operate Heavy Machinery While In This Chair," or "Don't Let An Elephant Sit on Your Child While In This Chair." For some reason, Howie loves playing with that tag as much as playing with the other toys. It's really funny to watch him bat at the tag while this enticing rattle gets no play. I love how babies can find anything amusing.

All right, here's several pictures of life in the last week. I'll tell you about them in order.











1. Howie's battle wounds from his first round of shots. The Sesame Street bandaid may make it look fun, but Howie would tell you otherwise. To his credit, he hardly fussed. Already taking it like a man.
2. Photographic record of Howie's FIRST golf cart ride in Peachtree City this weekend! Already hitting the paths. Only in Peachtree City can you take the family for a spin to Kroger on your golf cart.
3. Howie learning to push himself up and hold his head up. Hard work for a baby. All of those brains in there make it heavy.
4. Howie with Nana and Bible Bill, having some grandparent fun.
5. Howie lovin' on his paci. Whoever invented pacifiers deserves some kind of Nobel prize, seriously.
6. Howie dressed in one of his more manly onesies.
7. Papa reading Howie one of the heavier philosophical works, B Is For Bear.
8. "Heeyyyy, Mama!! Are you SEEING this??"
9. "Yeah, that's RIGHT!! I'm holding my WHOLE HEAD UP!!"
10. Giving Howie very early driving lessons in hopes that he won't be a typical teenage driver.

Well, I guess that's about all the updates for now. Thanks for reading!! Have a great week!!