Room for a Car Seat

I'm walking!

2011-04-13T07:54:00.000-07:00

And he's off! Dominic took his first steps this week, and I guess that means there's no going back. He's not exactly Fred Astaire... he's more like Frankenstein. Still it sure is exciting... and stressful.

My Grandpa

2011-03-06T18:22:00.000-08:00

My Grandpa, Dominic, and my dad

In the same week Dominic turned 10 months, I learned my grandpa has a rare form of skin cancer that is ultimately going to kill him. Not to sound too "Lion King" about this, but it really does make you think about the circle of life. As one life is just getting going, another is coming to an end.

Unfortunately, Dominic will not likely remember my grandpa. Even if he does, it won't be the same man I remember... and nothing makes me sadder.

He'll never get to hear my grandpa order his coffee and tell the waitress to "hold the mayonnaise"(I don't know why he said it, but he said it. EVERY time). He'll never play cards with my grandpa and wonder the entire time if he's cheating (he probably was).

He'll never call my grandpa and say "let's take a trip" and no matter what he was doing he was ready to go. We went all over. Riverside to see family, Mariposa to go fishing, Yuma for God know's what. We even drove all the was across the country and back (can't believe we didn't kill each other).

He'll never hear my grandpa tell him (and truly believe) he was the best at whatever it was he was doing. My grandpa thought I was Pele on the soccer field and Michael Jordan on the basketball court (I was neither). He never missed one of my high school soccer games (home or road). Even at soccer camp, in 100-degree weather, he was standing on the sidelines (I'm not even sure he was allowed).

I will make sure to tell Dominic how his great-grandfather was always there for his daddy. Once I took my Subaru station wagon off-roading (it was 4-wheel drive) and got stuck. I called my grandpa in a panic to help me get it out before my dad got home. He raced over and we got to digging. We were still digging when my dad drove by.

I want Dominic to understand his great-grandfather has a huge heart. When I was in elementary school we had "grandparents day". My grandma and grandpa came every year, and every year they would adopt everyone in the class who's grandparents couldn't make it. They would invite all those kids to sit with us at lunch, and my grandpa would spend the hour making jokes. (Years later when one of my friends got married, he invited my grandparents to the wedding. Their invitation read "Grandma & Grandpa".)

Dominic will only have the art on our walls to know how talented my grandpa is. My grandpa is a true artist. He paints, sculpts, draws, you name it he could do it. When I was in high school, he really got into make walking canes. His best had a bear on the top. People always told him he could make them and sell them, but he was always more interested in giving them away. The same with his paintings. Now I wish I had taken more.

I will make sure that Dominic knows how important my grandpa is in my life. How some of the best parts of me, are the best parts of him. I want Dominic to know, that Vic McKean may not have always been the best man, but he was always the best grandfather I could ask for.

I love you grandpa.

Now that I have you depressed... I have a movie for you to watch. Dominic is becoming VERY mobile. See for yourself.

Dominic's on the Move

2011-01-23T08:36:00.000-08:00

Dominic's is definitely on the move. Strangely, he's usually headed to where ever the dog happens to be. Once Dominic can walk, the dog will never get another moment of rest. Too bad.

Dominic's New Toys

2011-01-01T16:35:00.000-08:00

Dominic is enjoying his new Christmas gifts. I won't lie, I'm enjoying them a little myself.

The first is Dominic's new piano. It plays music, says numbers and colors and it also hooks up to the TV somehow. We're still working on that part.

This racetrack daddy can really get into. It involves cars, racing and more importantly crashes. Plus it makes Dominic laugh.

8-Month Update

2010-12-16T11:02:00.000-08:00

Late in Melissa's pregnancy someone said "I want to see you keep the blog going once the baby is born." At the time I thought, "no problem".

I was wrong... clearly. This is the first "real" update in months. Oh well... so goes the life of a busy dad.

It's not that I don't have the time. There are plenty of free moments, but I use those to do other things, shower, eat, and most importantly sleep (I'll tell you what we don't do... watch movies. We've had the same DVDs from Netflix for months).

The good news is-- eight months later, things are getting easier. Dominic is sleeping more of the night. He can sit up, which means he can play on his own. And he loves toys, especially the ones that play music (and what's not to love about hearing the same song over and over and over again). He loves to laugh, and we love to laugh with him.

The bad news-- I think things are about to get harder. Dominic seems to be on the verge of crawling (or walking, I really not sure which he's going to do first). Mobility scares me... a lot. Someone else said to me, "once they can walk, you're always one fall away from the ER". Great!

And let's be honest, there's nothing more painful than watching your kid be in pain. Dominic bumped his head pretty good the other day, and it took all I had not to cry, while he was crying. I guess that's how it goes.

Praying for toys perhaps?

Now we're getting ready to share our first Christmas with Dominic. Can't wait... even though he's already the best present I've ever received (although, that Josh Freeman jersey I got from my birthday was pretty nice too).

Give me a Kiss

2010-12-03T20:22:00.000-08:00

Dominic has apparently has mastered blowing kisses. What concerns me is that he learned it at daycare. And today one of the girls (an infant, not a daycare worker) kissed him. Maybe he's a ladies man in the making. Just like daddy!

The Lost Blogs: Dominic's Baptism

2010-10-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

I'm not exactly what you'd describe as a "religious" (imagine me doing air quotes there). In fact, you can count the number of times I've been to church on one hand (maybe two).
So when Melissa said she wanted to get Dominic baptized I was mixed. But since she grew up going to church and it was important to her, then I was all for it. Besides, I figured it at least meant more presents for Dominic at Christmas and birthdays (again, not that religious).

What I didn't realize is that I'd have to follow all these rules. First, you have to pick Godparents. No problem. Oh wait... they have to be Catholic? And confirmed? What does "confirmed" even mean?

Next you have to go to a baptism class. By the way, this was pretty silly. All they did was show us a movie made in 1985 that ultimately told me I need to show up, bring the baby, and the Godparents. Done and done.

Proof that I went to church and didn't catch on fire.

Then comes the big day. All our family came including grandparents, great grandparents, Godparents, and aunts and uncles. We all went to the church and ironically on a day Dominic was going to get water poured on his head, he needed an umbrella to keep him dry.

We attended the full mass. That's a pretty good workout. Lots of standing and sitting and standing again.

(Side tangent: Obviously it was a Sunday and football was on. Do you know who didn't look at his phone for a score or fantasy update once during the service? Me. I can't say the same for everyone in our party.)

At one point the church got quiet and what wouldn't you know... Dominic let one rip. A big one, people actually looked. Again, I'm not very religious, but I don't think you're supposed to do that in church.

Finally the service was over and it was time for the baptism itself. That took a long time. Nearly an hour. About three-quarters of the way threw Dominic fell asleep... so imagine the rude awakening when the water was finally poured on his head. He cried, but just for a second.

Afterward, we headed home for a nice afternoon of football and delicious food whipped up by my beautiful wife.

All in all, it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it might be. Thank God!

Wedding Day Priorities

2010-10-24T20:36:00.000-07:00

That's one good looking family!

There I am, decked out in a tux, my wife a beautiful bridesmaid, the reception is just about to get going and the only thing I can think about is getting Dominic out of all the noise.

This is how your priorities change when you have a child, even when you're at his uncle's wedding.

A beautiful wedding

We had big plans. Melissa and I were both in the wedding, we even bought a sweet suit for Dominic to wear. We were one good looking family.

And it's not like Melissa and I never expected to stay all night, but we figured we'd bust a couple moves, watch the cake get cut, maybe even have a cocktail or two.

Nope.

As soon as we walked into the cocktail hour... I knew it was over. Dominic was overwhelmed by all the people and all the noise. His eyes were as big as saucers.

Can you tell he didn't like the noise?

And as soon as I saw that, I was ready to go and didn't even think twice about it.

Ultimately, we stayed through dinner, and Dominic fell asleep on my lap. After the meal, I took him back to our hotel room, and let Melissa stay and party (it was her brother's wedding).

How sweet is that?

Would I have loved to stay for the party? Yeah. Would I do the same thing about in a heartbeat? Absolutely. After all, it's all about priorities and my family is priority number one.

The good news is... before we left we took some really good photos.

Daddy and his boy... check the shoes!

Six Month Birthday

2010-10-14T21:10:00.000-07:00

Dear Dominic,

About a week before you were born I wrote you my first letter. Now, six months later I figured it was a good time to write another.

It’s only been six months since you’ve been in our lives, and yet I can’t remember what life was like before. I don’t remember what it was like to sleep through the night. I don’t remember what it was like to sit through an entire, movie, TV show, or video game. I’m also pretty sure I used to go to these places that served adult beverages, but I don’t remember them either.

But here’s the thing… I wouldn’t want to change any of it.

Your toothless grin brightens my morning, and welcomes me home. Your funny sounds crack me up. I’ve even gotten used to finding mysterious spots on my clothes.

Every day brings something new, something amazing. One day you’re grabbing my finger, the next you’re eating real food, rolling over, sitting up, and the best so far… saying “dada”.

Dominic I want you to know, that your mommy and daddy feel like the luckiest parents in the world.

Happy six-month birthday, we can’t wait for the next six.

Love you,

Daddy

Lots of Laughs

2010-09-12T17:36:00.000-07:00

If laughter is contagious, then be prepared to catch Dominic's case of the giggles. His uncle Brenden just knows how to get this kid going. I promise this will bring a smile to your face.

Two Big Milestones

2010-09-07T20:52:00.000-07:00

It was a big weekend in the Chechourka household. Dominic passed two big milestones, his first rice cereal and his first night of sleeping in his room. I would have posted video of both, but recording him sleeping seems a little creepy. Besides, the eating is way cuter.

His first non-boobie meal consisted of rice cereal. He wasn't exactly sold at first but after he realized it was food, he was all for it. He liked the rice cereal, but he LOVED the bananas we fed him the next day. So much so, he was even trying to eat the banana he had spilled onto his bib.

His face may not say it, but he's bananas for bananas!

We're already gearing up for his next meals. We're making the food ourselves, using "Cooking for Baby". We've already whipped up some meals of peas and sweet potatoes. We're freezing them to serve up later. I like this food-making stuff because A) I'm cheap and B) I get to use the food processor!

As for moving to his room... it's a move a month overdue. We had big plans to move him out of our room after 3 months. But as I've learned... your plans are not always your kids' plans. First he got sick. Then he had the allergic reaction to amoxicillin. Then he got sick again (thanks again daycare).

So far, the move has been a roller coaster. The first night was good, the second night was terrible, the third night was good again. Can't explain the ups and downs, but hopefully it gets a little more consistent.

As for the next milestone? I'm rooting for sleeping through the night.

The First Trip to the ER

2010-08-29T18:26:00.000-07:00

The last place you want to be as a parent is the ER, but that's where Melissa and I found ourselves last week. Let's back up a little...

Dominic started daycare back in July and since those places are Petri dish of bacteria it was only a matter of time before he got sick. And that time was about two weeks. It started out as a little cold and eventually became an ear infection.

We took him to the doctor for the ear problem and they prescribed him amoxicillin. He really liked it. I think it's because it was really sweet. So everything was coming up roses…

…Until the last day of his of the medication and he got a really bad rash. After turning to my old friend google we decided to head to the ER at 10 PM.

The ER is... um... interesting. It was a lot of different sets of parents and kids. There were obviously caring ones, and then there was the parents who told their 3 year old to quote "sit your ass down."

When we finally got into the doctor he seemed more interested in Dominic's AC/DC onesie than his rash. He also had no explanation for the rash even though it seemed fairly obvious that he was having an allergic reaction to the amoxicillin. Adding to the ambiance of the ER was the person in the curtained off area across from us throwing up. Not the "I ate something bad" puking but the "there's a chance my kidney is coming out on this one" retching.

After being told to give Dominic an incorrect dosage of Benadryl (don't worry we figured out that the doctor told us 3x's too much before we gave it to him) it was time to discharge. There we had the opportunity to stand in line behind a gang-banger who was clearly faking his arm injury to get some pain meds. How do I know this? My first clue was the flipping out when he realized the doctor didn't prescribe him any.

Also in line before us was a woman (I think?) who in her baritone voice told Melissa what a terrible doctor visit she had. If she wasn't a man then she used to be.

So at the end of our visit what did we learn? We learned that Dominic is allergic to amoxicillin. We learned that ER doctors are dangerously bad at math. And we learned that the ER is great people watching.

Dominic's New Bouncy Chair

2010-08-20T21:41:00.000-07:00

If there's one thing Dominic loves to do... it's stand. So this past week my cousin Amanda let us borrow her bouncy chair. It was an immediate hit, not just for Dominic but for mommy and daddy as well. This kid is a crackup.

The Lost Blogs: Dominic's First Flight

2010-08-18T06:47:00.000-07:00

(Writer's note: This is the beginning of a series of blogs I meant to write over the past few months and never did. I'm calling them "The Lost Blogs" an homage of sorts to my favorite Corey Haim & Corey Feldman movie "The Lost Boys". First up, our first flight with Dominic).

This was my chance at revenge. After years of screaming babies, kicked seats and general unpleasantness in the air, I was finally flying armed with a baby. It was Dominic’s first flight.

The recipe was perfect. The flight to Vegas had been delayed 40 minutes, the plane was packed and Dominic was still getting over a bit of a cold. The only thing missing was me tapping my fingers together Mr. Burns style and saying “excellent”.

We took the back seat in the plane (thanks to Walt Gray for that advice) and geared up for takeoff. I’ve always heard that babies get fussy when the plane lifts off because they can’t make their ears pop. So, I figured once we got in the air the show would begin.

Instead, Dominic slept. And slept. And slept. Not a peep.

He woke up a little while later, so maybe it was a fluke. Maybe the sleeping helped him ignore takeoff. Once we started our decent into Vegas, he was sure to start screaming.

The landing was not exactly smooth. We hit a bunch of turbulence. The plane was bouncing like a ping-pong ball. Dominic’s eyes were huge. Here we go…

Nothing.

Seriously, he never made a sound. He complained less than the adults on board. In fact, one stewardess told us she forgot he was even on the plane.

The plane ride back was more of the same.

The highlight was we were sitting next to a young guy who was completely hung over. He looked like he would have rather died than sit next to a baby. By the end of the flight, he said he was amazed by how great Dominic behaved.

Turns out my devilish plan was ruined by my angel of a son.

4 Months Later

2010-08-17T20:37:00.000-07:00

Those pajamas say it all!

Dominic just turned 4 months old… but he’s been in our lives now for 1-year. And what a year it was.

Oddly, people talk about how much your life changes. Really, ours hasn’t changed that much, just a lot more diapers, a lot more drool and far less money. Anyway, I figured this was a good opportunity to look back at the last four months and look ahead as well.

What’s surprised you the most about being a parent so far?

Melissa: I think I’m most surprised by how little sleep I can get by on.

Justin: I think I’ve been surprised by just how silly people act around a baby and that includes myself. Ridiculous faces, silly noises all to make someone who poops in their pants smile.

What’s the best part of being a parent?

Melissa: The chubby cheeks and that big smile. I also like the funny noises and the giggle. Even though I’ve only heard one.

Justin: I love it all. Well maybe not the lack of sleep, but everything else is great. It’s amazing how consumed you can get by such a little person.

What’s the most useful advice or warning you received before Dominic was born?

Melissa: Invest in a good stroller. We use the BOB everywhere.

Justin: I think not telling people his name before he was born was the best advice. Not only was it fun because it drove our parents nuts, it also created the awesome moment where I got to introduce Dominic to them.

What was the least useful advice?

Melissa: Honestly, sleep when the baby sleeps. By the time you’re ready to lie down he wakes up. It never times out right.

Justin: I’m not sure I got bad advice. Besides I ignored most of it.

Last question, what are you looking forward to most before Dominic’s 1^st birthday?

Justin: I’ll answer this one first. I can’t wait for him to walk. Lugging around that carrier is a lot of work. Do babies even walk before their first birthday?

Melissa: I’m looking forward to the first real hug. One, where he knows he’s hugging me. Also 8 hours of sleep in a row.

Justin: Amen to that.

The Bus, The Boy, and the Bucs Fan

2010-07-18T21:42:00.000-07:00

Dominic had his first experience with the bus this weekend. It wasn't the school kind, or the buses downtown full of homeless people. Nope, this was the Future-Hall-of-Fame NFL running back variety... I'm of course talking about "The Bus" Jerome Bettis.

The Bus, the boy, and the Bucs fan

So how'd this picture happen... let's start at the beginning.

Melissa and I decided the best way to beat the heat this weekend was to escape it. So, we decided to head to South Lake Tahoe and who knows maybe we'd see some stars at the celebrity golf tournament. So we packed up Dominic in his finest Hawaiian onesie and headed out the door.

Our first stop was going to be somewhere for breakfast. Heading up highway 50, we see the Red Apple Cafe. Looks quaint, that's got to be fun right? Right?!?!?

Um... no. It was 85 degrees inside the place, the food took 40 minutes and even worse Dominic had what we affectionately like to call a poop-fountain. For you non-parents, that's when the poop travels all the way up and out the back of the diaper. That leaves his shirt as the last line of defense. It's not pretty.

Between the heat, the poor service and saying aloha to Dominic's Hawaiian shirt, the Red Apple Cafe left me with nothing but sour grapes. Needless to say, the trip was not starting off on the right foot.

Now we're well behind schedule but soon enough we're passing Heavenly, Harrah's and MontBleu. We park and head to the golf course.

As we're walking up, we immediately see Jerome Bettis and Sterling Sharpe through the fence. (Timeout. Here's what you need to know going forward. Melissa's brother, Enrique, is a huge Steelers fan. HUGE. There's a good chance he's wearing Steelers underwear as I type this). So, I take some pictures through the fence from about 30 yards away (not exactly close ups).

We go inside the course, buy our tickets and start our walk around. This is when the trip takes a huge turn. Two strangers see us with Dominic. They also had a baby with them and tell us that because we have him they'll give us their VIP passes to the clubhouse. WHAT?!?!?!

From this point on it was serious VIP status. Free food, free drinks, celebrity athletes everywhere. The captain of the Miracle on Ice hockey team, tells me what a cute baby we have. We sit next to Aaron Rodgers, Jerry Rice, Carrie Prejean. I even got the opportunity to shake the hand of Buccaneers star Ronde Barber (not especially friendly). I get a beer next to Oscar de la Hoya. It was crazy cool.

At some point, Jerome Bettis walks in and sits down. Melissa and I discuss whether we should approach him. Eventually, I convince her to take Dominic and ask him for a picture (look a woman with a baby is going to have a higher success rate than a guy dressed in Buccaneers gear). He says he'll come by before he leaves.

And then... poop fountain number two. I was sure that Melissa was going to be in the bathroom changing Dominic and The Bus would leave. Luckily, Bettis likes to eat (as you can tell from the picture).

Eventually, The Bus was done eating and got up to leave. Both Melissa and I were sure he had forgotten and would just leave. All of sudden, he comes to the table and says "you still want that picture?" Heck yeah!

I'm not sure if I said anything to him or even shook his hand. Whatever the case, he was such a nice guy it almost made me want to root for the Steelers (calm down Ricky, I said "almost").

Rollover Caught on Tape!

2010-07-16T19:59:00.000-07:00

Tonight Dominic rolled over on his own for the first time. I didn't see that coming. Fortunately, I knew there'd be more where that came from and caught the second rollover on video.

It's sort of long, but the payoff is worth the time.

A "First" for everything...

2010-07-10T16:55:00.000-07:00

We're entering the 3-month mark, but really we're entering the world of firsts. Over the next few months, we'll get our first giggle, first tooth, first steps and Dominic's first day at daycare (more on that later this week).

But one thing that is clear, our first "first" is going to be crawling. Right now, Dominic is like the "Little Engine that Almost Can". He's trying (check out the video), but he just can't seem to get the arms and legs working in conjunction. He really pumps those legs, but with his hands end up by his head, he looks like he's pretending to be a bull in Pamplona.

As for me, I'm not sure I'm ready for him to crawl yet. After all, it's the first step (or crawl) toward independence & adulthood. And before you know it... we'll be talking about first kisses, first dates, and the scariest thought of all... the first time behind the wheel!

OK, maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself.

Dominic's New Jungle Gym

2010-07-05T19:39:00.000-07:00

If there's one thing we learned at daycare it's that Dominic loves a jungle gym. So like responsible parents we went straight to Babies R Us and got him one for home.

You'll notice this one has an ocean theme (thankfully, no oil spill). Who needs Nemo, when you have an octopus and a whale? It also comes with a variety of other dangly things. Everything a nearly 3-month old could ask for.

Dominic & His Wrist Rattles

2010-06-26T09:43:00.001-07:00

So this is Dominic's newest form of entertainment. It's great, he wears himself out and then it's nap time. Plus, it's pretty entertaining for mom and dad.

Painful Day at the Doc

2010-06-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

Two things I don’t like… needles (as noted when Melissa had to get an epidural) and my son being in pain. So the two-month visit to the doctor’s office was a worst-case scenario.

Dominic had to get three shots, and one oral vaccine. Melissa took a smart road and fed him while all this was happening. But, the nurse decided to give Dominic the oral vaccine first. That seemed like a good idea. It wasn’t.

Breaking him away from his eating got him all worked up. And then, she stabbed him in the leg and the screaming started. Two more shots and Dominic was hollering like… well… like someone had just stabbed him in the leg three times.

And just as sudden as the screaming started… it stopped and he went back to eating. What can I say? The kid likes to eat. The worst seemed to be over. It wasn’t.

If you’ve gotten a tetanus shot lately, you know it leaves your arm feeling pretty sore for days. So imagine you’re two months old, you’re going to be a little cranky. And Dominic was.

He started crying, and screaming, and wailing. Poor little guy was not happy. Thankfully with the help of a little Children’s Tylenol he settled down. It was a very long day… and we get to do it all over again in two more months.

Two-Month Thoughts

2010-06-19T10:17:00.000-07:00

As we celebrate Dominic’s 2-month birthday… here are some random thoughts that have been kicking around in my head…

- I don’t know what it is about becoming a parent that makes you suddenly start referring to yourself in the third person… example: “Daddy refers to himself in the third person all the time.”

- People say you can’t go to the movies when you have a baby. I have a solution... the drive-in. It’s perfect. You don’t have to leave your car, which means you can feed the baby if needed, if he screams no one can hear him, and Dominic sleeps like a champ in his baby seat anyway. Now I just need to find a drive-in.

- Traveling with a baby is a whole new experience. It requires a lot of stuff. Strollers, boppy, basinet, dozens of changes of clothes, blankets, diapers, wipes, toys, medical supplies… and of course awesome hats…

BOB Revolution Revelations

2010-05-30T08:31:00.001-07:00

One of the things I've been looking forward to most... was taking the boy on a run in the BOB (for those without kids, that's a really nice jogging stroller). Nearly two months after Dominic was born we finally headed out the door.

Melissa had already used the BOB in a stroller strides class. She said it was a piece of cake and that Dominic really liked it.

So there we were ready to run. First observation, it's way harder to run with a jogging stroller than by yourself. Especially if any hills are involved.

Dominic spent the first 3/4 miles checking out the scenery and enjoyingthe ride. He started to dose off and then...

The wheels came off. Literally. The front wheel came completely off... bringing the run to an abrupt stop.
So there I am in the middle of the park, broken down stroller, screaming baby and no cell phone. A true father-of-the-year. Panick started to set in... how am I going to get the baby (who's in the carrier, which by the way isn't exactly light), the now broken down $300 stroller and myself home?

Luckily, after a few mintues of work I got the wheel back on. Turns out it was loose to start with. So here are my BOB Revolution revelations... check the wheels before I leave next time... and oh yeah, bring a cell phone.

The Late Shift

2010-05-30T07:13:00.001-07:00

In one of the few baby books for dads, the author suggests you work out a deal with your wife where she gets up with the baby and you sleep all night. I'm not sure who he married... but this ain't happening in my house and probably not in yours.

It doesn't matter that you have to work, it doesn't matter that you can't actually help the baby in most cases (daddy just doesn't have the goods), what matters is keep your wife from going crazy. Sometimes I think, Melissa just wants me to get up so she doesn't feel alone.

I'm not going to lie... getting up with the expectation of being functional isn't easy. You find yourself doing crazy things, rationalizing with the baby (come on, just a few more hours of sleep), even bribing him (I already owe Dominic four or five trips to Disneyland). On the flip side, I've learned you can get a lot of DVR time when you get up at 4 a.m. and even a few rounds of video games (I've mastered holding him and the controller at the same time).

Besides... when you're rocking the baby at 2 a.m. and he gives you a big toothless grin... it's all worthwhile.

Two of a Kind

2010-05-14T07:17:00.000-07:00

A lot people say Dominic looks like me (some have used the word “clone”), others say he reminds them of Melissa. But the family member Dominic has the most in common with right now… is our dog, Sputnik.

I’m not saying Dominic acts like a dog or the dog acts like a newborn, but the similarities are undeniable. Let’s start with the obvious, they both spend their days doing one of three things… sleeping, eating, or pooping (we’ll only tackle 2 of these three).

The average newborn spends 16-18 hours a day sleeping, the average dog 13. See, it’s science, not just my own paranoia.

When it comes to food… Sputnik barks when he’s hungry, growls if you get too close while he eats. Dominic cries when he’s hungry, grunts while he’s eating.

The similarities don’t end there. They both feel about the same when it comes to water... neither likes a bath. Sputnik hates water in general. As for Dominic, I think the picture says it all...

Neither likes their finger/toe nails cut. Thankfully, Dominic doesn’t bite you while your cutting his.

They both start the night out in their own beds, and somehow end up in ours (turns out... four IS a crowd). There’s no hope of breaking Sputnik of this habit, but there’s still hope with the boy.

But it's not all bad. Perhaps the best trait they share right now… they’re both here to greet me when I get home. It’s great to come home to a dog that’s always excited to see you and a little boy who’s future is wide open.