Sweet little Jdog

I’m thinking of using the last few posts to springboard my new novel, “The Chronicles of Potty Training.” I’ve become so comfortable using potty terms and telling potty stories that The Puddle has lost propriety. Not that I’ve ever really been a “proper Polly” anyway. My mom always cringes when I consider changing Jdog’s diapers in semi-public places. She probably wouldn’t think twice about it if someone else’s daughter decided to change her baby on her lap in a restaurant. I think it’s just that she can’t believe she raised such a redneck. I love reminding her.

Anyhow, enough dirty talk. I need something sweeter to salivate over…something sweet and squishy and smiley. Something like Jdog. Aint never been a sweeter babe. Lately he’s learned to crank his neck around and turn his body to the side, just to look at me. I look down at his little blanket to see his big blue eyes and plump cheeks checking me out and I can’t help but snuggle right up next to him on the floor and watch him shove a hand full of my hair right into his mouth.

Jdog is a sweet, and somewhat serious baby. He smiles a lot, but you have to work hard for his giggles. Yesterday Atrain began playing “extreme peek-a-boo” with him. This game involved the traditional cover-your-eyes approach, but whenever Atrain uncovered them he screamed, laughed and danced the “peek-a-boo” part. I thought Jdog would cry, but no—he’s so sweet he just laughed at Atrain’s crazy game…just like he puts up with (and even is starting to look like he enjoys) the constant head-butting, smothering and silly singing/screaming. He is quite a patient baby.

For example: yesterday my sweet neighbor invited us and a few other families over for lunch. We arrived and Atrain said, “Wow—it smells good in here.” And he was right. She had prepared a five course gourmet lunch. It was amazing. She even made individual pizzas for each of the kiddos. Too bad picky little Atrain wasn’t impressed. All he wanted to do was ask the other kids to play “monster under the table” and race his cars down her hallway. I was so conflicted, trying to allow my taste buds to savor each succulent bite, coo at my sweet baby J, and wrestle my three year old into submission all at the same time. My stress reached a pinnacle when Atrain and the other kids somehow tipped over my neighbor’s full length mirror. It came crashing down right on Atrain’s head. We were so lucky that no one was hurt. I sat Atrain on the couch and sternly told him not to move a muscle while I cleaned up the mess, to which he responded, “You’re breath sort of stinks.” My first thought was, “I didn’t know you know the word ‘breath.” Then I didn’t know whether to laugh or get embarrassed or strangle him, or squeeze him and tell him how glad I was that the broken mirror didn’t ruin his sense of smell. So I just told him again to stay put.

Here is where the sweet Jdog comes in. Amidst all of the chaos he just sat there and smiled and let the other ladies admire him. Once the daggers of broken mirror were sent to the dumpster and the area was vacuumed, my neighbor brought out the cup cakes and Atrain retreated from “monster mode,” batted his big blue eyes and dished out angelic pleas for the delectable dessert. He does know how to be sweet too.

But today I am especially thankful for my sweet baby J, who puts up with a lot of tough love from big brother, a lot of mindless moments from mother and enjoys every instance he gets to snuggle with father. He sure is good at snuggling.