What did mama say?

Now that Troy’s mobile, he’s heading off around the house to explore. I’ll set him down, and ten seconds later, he’s in another room. I’m constantly having to chase him around and bring him back. The worst part is that if we don’t let him go somewhere or touch something, then he takes that as a personal challenge to go there and touch that as much as possible. It’s as if the forbiddenness if it makes it sweeter.

His favorite, which he found right off, is messing with the entertainment system in the den. It has drawers with interesting little drawer-pull rings that pop out of the front of the drawer. It has glass doors that become reflective when the sun’s just right. And it has shelves with stuff that go right down to the floor. I have already moved all of the stuff off the bottom shelf, so he can’t mess with it, so now he likes to just climb into the shelf itself.

But due to his ever-increasing vanity and obsession with looking at himself in mirrors, he spends most of his time touching the glass doors. When my wife catches him doing this, she doesn’t immediately pick him up and move him like I usually do. Instead, she tries to reason with him so he learns to listen, right and wrong, and consequences to his actions. I personally think he’s too young to understand, because we still aren’t communicating with words yet. So telling him something and expecting him to reason that out seems a bit far-fetched. But she’s relentless. So all morning long, all I hear coming from the den is, “Troy, Troy. What did mama say? Are you supposed to be touching that? What did mama say?”

I don’t know why, but every time I hear this, I laugh, because it reminds me of the movie The Waterboy with Adam Sandler. If you haven’t seen it, it’s about a guy in Louisiana with an overprotective mother. He works as an aquatic engineer for the local university football team. After years of everyone thinking he’s slow in the head and abusing him, he finally snaps. He ends up fighting back and completely leveling one of the players with a tackle. The coach is so impressed that he immediately recruits the guy to play on the team as a linebacker. However, his mother in against the idea, so he must do it in secret. Since he’s been homeschooled his entire life, all of his information comes from his mother. Often, her information is incorrect and misguided, but it’s all he has to draw on. So anytime anyone asks him a question, he replies, “My mama says...” and then adds some outlandish viewpoint from his mother.

So when my wife utters those words, I hear Bobby Boucher’s voice echoing them in my head, “What did mama say? What did mama say?” “My mama says, ‘Touching the glass is from the devil!’” And I wonder if Troy will say that kind of stuff when he’s older to explain to his friends why he makes the decisions he does. “Because my mama said.”

First Thanksgiving

Well, Troy has survived his first Thanksgiving. My brother and his family came up to see him, so my wife decided to cook a good-sized spread to feed everyone. As always, there was food to spare, but some of us did our part to make a decent dent in it anyway. I mean I don’t like turkey very much, so any reduction in leftovers and having to repeat this event every day for a week is welcome.

Troy also gorged himself. My wife was determined that he should eat just like we did, so she mashed up bits of our dinner and fed it to him. I bet it was like a taste explosion for him. Mashed potatoes, candied yams, broccoli, stuffing, pumpkin pie. All new, all coming one right after another. He tried so many new things that I imagine the band around his diaper is feeling a bit tight. All he needs is to have his onesie unzipped, his hand down the front of his diaper, be stretched out on the couch, and close-liddedly watching football in the background; and he'll look like I do!

Crawling

Troy is officially crawling now. He started out doing a one-legged scoot across the floor. Where one leg is down with his knee in the floor, and the other is up so he can push with the bottom of his foot. I call it his propulsion foot. It ends up being this half crawl, half walk kind of motion, and he was actually pretty effective with it. 

But today, while I was sitting with him on the bed, he did an official two-knees-down crawl across the bed to me. Just to make sure it wasn’t a fluke, I went to the other side of the bed, and sure enough he crawled over to me again. I took him in the den and put him on the floor, and within seconds, he was crawling everywhere. I have waited so long for this milestone, that I didn’t really think of the future ramifications. With his natural mischievous streak, this could go south pretty quickly.

Splish Splash

Just about every night, we give Troy a bath after he gets home from daycare. It gets the sweat and germs off that he's accumulated throughout the day, and relaxes him before he goes to bed. He actually thoroughly enjoys being in the water, and we try to make it fun and encourage it, so he keeps enjoying taking baths later on. His favorite part is smacking the water and making it splash all over the place or kicking his feet to watch the water splash over the side of his little tub. My wife will always say, "Plitsy, plotsa!" whenever he does this, which I assume is some Greek form of "splish, splash."

Tonight, though, he was smacking the water so hard and getting so animated that it looked like one of those superhero movies where someone is using their powers to create a tidal wave or earthquake. He was so determined and intense. It was more than fun tonight. It was a battle of strength and power. It was a war. Troy versus the water!

Boo!

One of my favorite games to play with Troy is a variation of peek-a-boo. I will sometimes walk behind the pillars in our den and abruptly stop. He will crane his head around to see where I went. After a few seconds, I’ll pop out and yell, “Boo!” which makes him jump and then makes him start giggling.

I have also added other variations to this, like ducking down behind the couch and popping up in random locations around the room. It’s always fun to see him try to anticipate where I’ll pop up next based on where I popped up before. His reasoning skills are unbelievable! And every time, I’ll pop out and say, “Boo!” and he’ll start giggling. It never gets old for either of us.

Cold

I am the last tree to fall in the barren wasteland of sickness. Some sort of congested cold has been slowly blowing through our house and taking down people one by one. It’s hard to know where it started, because we’ve all been exposed to sickness over the last few weeks. I’m fighting as hard as I can to withstand the coming tide, but I’m down to my last leaf and one gust of wind will blow it off too. At least tomorrow is a weekend, so if I want to metaphorically die, I have two days to do it. Here’s to rolling into the holidays on a low point!

Sunrises with My Son

I got the opportunity to sit in the bed with Troy this morning and watch the sunrise. He leaned against my left side and laid his head against my chest. I wrapped my arm around him and cradled him to me. We sat like that for several minutes watching the sky change colors and get lighter and lighter through the leafless trees behind our house. He was quiet and still at first, just content to gaze outside and appreciate this wonder. Then, he started to talk. Perhaps trying to put into words the awesomeness of what he was seeing. It came out as incoherent babble, which is pretty much how it sounded when I tried to do the same thing. Sometimes, there is no way to adequately describe how awesome God is or words that do Him justice. Sometimes, all you can do is just babble. After a few minutes, Troy got restless and attempted to put both of his feet in his mouth at the same time. I rubbed his back and entertained him by making my legs dance in front of him. It was nice to take a few moments to enjoy the simplicity of life and not be focused on the day ahead. It was nice to just be...and enjoy sitting with my son, feeling his warmth pressed against me, and watch him stick his feet in his mouth.

Second Tooth

And a second tooth has magically appeared next to the first one along his bottom gums, so at least now he looks more balanced. This one sort of snuck in on us. It didn’t seem to bother him quite like the first one did. The daycare teacher said that the first two are usually the worst from a pain and discomfort standpoint. Maybe the babies get used to it after that and know what to expect.

First Tooth

Today, we noticed that Troy's first tooth has finally poked through his gums. We knew that it had been bothering him for some time, and we could feel it under his gums, but nothing was visible until today. Its just a little white sliver, and he can't stop running his tongue back and forth across it. I'm not sure if that's soothing for him, or if he is just amazed at this new thing that has shown up in his mouth. I imagine now that the first one has made an appearance that dozens more are sure to follow quickly. Before you know it, he'll have a proper, toothy grin. Our little man is growing up so fast...too fast, if you ask me.

Scrad & Charlie

I was sharing my vacation pictures with someone today, and it suddenly occurred to me what seeing Troy’s head popping up over my shoulder reminded me of. There was a character called Scrad in Men in Black II, played by Johnny Knoxville, where he had a second smaller head (Charlie) that was on a stalk coming out of his backpack. The smaller head was always peaking over his shoulder, exactly like Troy is in all of the pictures.

The Greek Hand

My wife said that she saw Troy talking to one of the other babies today, diligently expressing himself with his hands. I started laughing, remembering an episode from when we were in Greece. Troy and I were waiting in a clothing store, waiting for my wife and mother-in-law to finish shopping, and we looked through the window across the street and saw a barber shop. In the first chair there was a man sitting waiting to have his hair cut, and the barber was talking to him, presumably about the style he should go with. However, the barber was very close to the man's ear and gesticulating wildly and very adamantly with his hand, like the man owed him money, and he was describing what would happen to him if he didn't pay. He kept making the same motion with his hand over and over again. I call this The Greek Hand.

To understand The Greek Hand, imagine someone with all of their fingers pressed against their thumb (I picture a goose hand) and their wrist bent with the hand and fingers pointing back at themselves. And then picture someone shaking their entire arm and hand in quick, jerking gestures. I have only ever seen men doing The Greek Hand, but I have seen it all over the place as a way for them to express themselves and emphasize their point. There is a similar variation in Italy as well.

So, when my wife was telling me the story about my son narrating his trip to Greece to another baby, I pictured him doing it with The Greek Hand, and I can't stop laughing.

Greek Introduction: Baby in a Backpack - Day 17

We had an early morning today, getting up at 4 a.m. to catch an early flight. We'll be traveling all day today, arriving back in Dallas late in the evening. We'll be "traveling back in time," which means I'll be going without sleep for over 24 hours and struggling to stay awake until the proper bedtime to reduce the effects of jet lag. It's also going to be a struggle to get up and go to work tomorrow. Oh well.

Our flight back was not as smooth as the flight there. We were unreasonably detained at Heathrow, while they stupidly chose every other bag to be hand-searched, and then had a single person conducting the searches. Not to mention that the security agents weren’t nice at all, speaking to us rudely like we were idiots. The delay caused us to almost miss our connecting flight.

The woes continued after that. We got stuck in the middle section of the plane, which meant we were sharing it with someone else. Someone that I had to ask to move every time I had to get up, which was a lot. On top of that, we somehow didn’t bring enough food for the baby, so we had to stretch it out and make him wait longer between feedings. He didn’t like that at all, and he got fussy and loud. Since the flight was during the day instead of the night, Troy was also awake more and needing to be entertained. He got bored and antsy with the inactivity, so we tried playing with him, distracting him with movies, and walking him up and down the aisle. It's tough when you're already exhausted, and as I mentioned before, when you have to keep asking the guy next to you to get up and let you out. Despite our feeling that we were inadequate as parents, the guy next to us commented that our son did amazing on the flight, so I guess his fussing was mild in comparison to what some babies do on flights. 

We were never more happy in our life than to see that flight end. We were both tired, my wife had a migraine, and our frustration level with a fussy baby was at a boiling point. When we finally made it home, I had to go shopping for basic supplies. I am so looking forward to my pillow, even though I know the baby is going to wake me up long before I'm ready.

Greek Introduction: Baby in a Backpack - Day 16

A friend of my mother-in-law came by to visit with the baby, and they brought him some clothes. We tried the pants on Troy today, and they appear to be in the skinny jeans style that is so popular in Europe right now. The legs are really tight, but the butt is really loose. When he sat up the back slid down, and I told him that he better pull the pants up because he had plumber’s diaper, and he was airing his business to the world!

My in-laws were very upset at our impending departure. My father-in-law has grown so attached to Troy that he said, half jokingly, that we could leave him behind. If I did that, I’d die though, because I’d have to leave half my heart behind as well. I can't live without Troy.

Greek Introduction: Baby in a Backpack - Day 14

My wife surprised me today and asked if I wanted to go to the small zoo in the community. I’ve been once before, but it was in a whirlwind, because her father was waiting for us in the car. I hoped this time would be less stressful. We thought Troy might enjoy seeing all of the animals come to life that are represented in his toys and that he’s been seeing during the endless hours we’ve spent watching Animal Planet during this trip.

We arrived just in time to catch the dolphin show, which was pretty cool. They had seven dolphins doing tricks while a trainer taught us about dolphins and their abilities. They did the presentation in both Greek and English, which I appreciated for their consideration. Troy liked it when the dolphins jumped out of the water and did flips. My wife liked it when the dolphins sped across the pool at full speed. I liked it all.

The rest of the zoo was hit or miss with Troy. For example, he seemed completely disinterested in the bears, but seemed to like the Komodo Dragon. He loved the giraffes, but couldn’t care less about the ostriches. Oh well, we don’t expect him to remember most of this, but it’s fun to experience it with him anyway.

Greek Introduction: Baby in a Backpack - Day 12

Troy and I got up this morning and went for a hike in the neighborhood. There’s a particular trail that my mother-in-law likes to take while walking her dogs, and I wanted to show it to Troy. The sun was shining, but it wasn’t too hot yet. There was a nice cool breeze blowing off the sea. It was perfect hiking weather.

The trail cuts through an open field and winds by a solitary olive tree that someone was kind enough to build a bench under. Troy and I sat on the bench and enjoyed the fresh air and scenic views. The tree was laden with large purplish olives ready for the harvest. My mother-in-law’s dogs like to eat them off the ground. Troy was fascinated with this new thing to learn about.

As we hiked back up the hill to the house, a car stopped and backed up to talk to us. The driver asked if we’d like a ride up the hill. I guess he saw Troy and felt sorry for a man carrying a baby along this busy road. I gratefully declined, but I was still touched by this unexpected kindness.

Later in the day, we went to Sounio, which is a ruined temple of Poseidon on the coast, south of Athens. We got there about twenty minutes before sunset, which we found out is when they close. The place was packed with people. My wife said that Sounio is one of the best places to watch the sunset in Greece. A sentiment apparently shared by dozens of other couples who were scattered among the rocky outcropping all hoping to get the perfect vantage point to watch the sun dip behind a low-hanging cloud and disappear. To make the long journey more worthwhile, we decided to sit at the restaurant at the base of the monument and have a cake and coffee (or chocolate milk in my case). As the area became pitch black, the temple lit up with vibrant white lights that illuminated it against the darkened sky. It sat like a beacon on the cliff, lighting the shoreline around it, as waves crashed against the rocks below.

On a side note, there was a bus load of Indian tourists visiting the monument while we were there. As they passed by Troy strapped in his harness on my back, every one of them smiled and talked to him, greeting him and trying to make him laugh. He can charm anyone!

Greek Introduction: Baby in a Backpack - Day 11

My mother-in-law was playing with Troy today, and she thought it would be a good idea to let him play with her phone. At first he was just tapping on the screen, but at some point, she took her eyes off of him, and he opened the phone app and dialed the emergency services phone number for Cyprus. When the operator picked up, she asked, “What’s your emergency?” To which Troy replied, “Aaaaaaaaaahhhhh!” The operator responded with, “I’m sorry, sir, I don’t understand. Please explain your emergency.” To which Troy replied, “Da da ba bi bi ba ba di di.” Followed by a wet juicy, “Splllllllttttt!” And then he hung up. My mother-in-law then received a text alert that her long distance emergency call just cost her five Euros. I can only imagine what the operator must have thought, and I wonder if they’re trained to communicate with callers of all ages, including eight-month olds.

This evening, when my wife brought up the laundry, she set the basket aside. When my mother-in-law came in, she decided to put Troy in it and drag him around the room. When she got tired, I picked up the basket and started flying around the room with it like he was in a roller coaster. Troy grabbed onto the sides with both hands and squealed with delight as we banked, dipped, and soared. If I tried to set him down, then he moaned until I picked him back up again. It’s amazing how much fun you can have for free with a simple household item and some imagination.

Greek Introduction: Baby in a Backpack - Day 10

Today, we entertained the “circus” of visitors for the first time, which is pretty impressive since it’s been a week before the first wave. Actually, the visitors themselves didn’t make it a production as much as my mother-in-law. She started early by cleaning and cooking, all to make a good presentation for her guests. Then, she came to get the baby to show him off after they arrived. Unfortunately, this was derailed by him having a short nap first.

The visit was very nice. It was my wife’s cousin, Kostas, and his family. Kostas’ daughter immediately fell in love with Troy, and only left his side when it was time to eat. Otherwise, she was fantastic with him, and he seemed very taken with her, giving her hugs and high-fives.

After they left, I took Troy downstairs to take a good, long nap while my wife did some laundry. She’s so used to our uber-fast washing machine that she wasn’t expecting a single load to take three hours in the economy cycle! Luckily, they have two machines, so we at least got two loads done in three hours.

After Troy woke up, we went upstairs for dinner. The washing machine is in the kitchen where we eat, and it was still going. Troy was immediately enthralled with watching the clothes spin round and round through the clear door, the water swishing and the clothes flopping down every time the drum would pause. He sat there mesmerized, looking over at me every few minutes to make sure I was seeing this wonder of mankind as well. If I happened to not be looking, then he’d grunt to get my attention, and then turn to look at the machine to show me where I should be looking.

When the washing machine hit the spin cycle, it went into hyperdrive, rotating so fast and violently that the corner was lifting off the floor and the whole thing was rocking. My mother-in-law said that my wife’s father’s caretaker usually has to sit here in the kitchen with her foot on the machine to calm it down. So my wife kicked off her shoe and put her foot on the machine, and sure enough it settled into an easy rhythm. At this point, we didn’t need Troy to draw our attention to the machine, as we all sat mesmerized by the spin cycle. When the buzzer finally sounded and the machine stopped, Troy raised his hands like, “That’s it?"

Greek Introduction: Baby in a Backpack - Day 9

The weather has turned cooler thanks to the storm front that blew through a couple of days ago, so temperatures are in the 60s today. It finally feels like fall weather. I’m glad because I brought a lot of long-sleeved clothes for both Troy and myself. Now we’ll actually get to use them.

Today, we decided to drive to Marathon to see the battleground and the lake. Decided being the operative word there. We were derailed from our trip by my mother-in-law, who suddenly decided that Troy needed some winter clothes. So after driving into Rafina to buy more clothes and then back to the house to drop my mother-in-law off, we didn’t have a lot of time left. We grabbed a souvlaki gyro and headed toward Marathon.

If you’re only familiar with the word marathon from the 26.2-mile run, but not it’s origins; then let me digress to fill you in first. The Battle of Marathon occurred in 490 BC, and is significant as the first Greek victory over the “invincible” Persian army. The Greeks, who were heavily outmanned, chose the battlefield in the swamps and mountains 25 miles outside of Athens to nullify the Persian calvary. It is widely romanticized that at the conclusion of the Battle of Marathon, Pheidippides, a running courier, was sent to Athens to tell them of the victory. It is believed that he ran the 25 miles, proclaimed “Joy, we have won,” and then died right there on the spot. The modern-day marathon is a tribute to this story to commemorate the run that cost Pheidippides his life. The modern-day battlefield consists of two mounds, which are the tombs of the fallen Athenian soldiers who died that day.

But we didn’t see that, or the lake for that matter. We got lost and ended up in Varnavas instead. Needing to get back to the house to give the car back to my mother-in-law, we pulled over on the side of the road and ate our gyros. After a quick feed and change of the baby, we headed back to the house. Not exactly the adventure we had planned, but an adventure nonetheless.

Greek Introduction: Baby in a Backpack - Day 8

What is the first thing you would do if you went to Greece? Most likely your answer is go to IKEA, right? Well, that’s what we did today. And what better place to take a baby than a place with crunchy shopping bags, bouncy couches, and tons to see! We were there for three hours, unbeknownst to either of us, and the baby didn’t complain at all...even though it had been five hours since his last bottle. Luckily, I had the foresight to pack one in the bag, so he was content to eat it in the IKEA cafe while we waited for my wife to check out.

The stores here in Greece are designed to make you walk the entire thing. The walkways meander around through every section, and there’s only one way to go, so you can’t skip straight to what you want like you can in the USA. It’s brilliant on their part, because you might see something you can’t live without and decide to toss it in the basket. It’s annoying for the male consumer that is used to going into a store with a mission and letting nothing deviate him from that mission. Thus, we spent three hours wandering around IKEA.

We bought Troy a giant stuffed elephant as a reward for being such a good boy in the store. Now, how we’ll actually get it home is another matter. I guess I’ll be leaving more clothes behind to make room in my suitcase. Oh well, underwear is overrated!