Wearing my Grumpy Pants

Dear Chicken Nugget,

As I write this I'm waking up from a nap.  In the future your mom may caution you to stay away from me as I re-enter the waking world.  In fact, she's learned to ignore me until I speak first.  Apparently when I wake up from naps, I'm often wearing what your mom calls my "grumpy pants" - whatever that means.

After four-something years together your mom has learned to read me and will know by just a glance that I'm upset with the world.

Just so you know, I'm not really upset with the world or anyone in it.  I just happen to enjoy sleeping.  I enjoy the deep peace of a siesta and the bizarre action-packed dreams that frequently come with it. 

Waking up often feels like I'm being yanked from paradise.  One minute I'm in a profound slumber fighting zombies (and winning) on the beaches of Cancun, Mexico and the next I'm waking up on the couch, wickedly thirsty, and realizing that I forgot to go to the supermarket to buy stuff for dinner.  So, yes, sometimes I wake up in a wee bit of a bad mood.

Your mom claims that as I roll out of my naps I growl like bear.  I swear there are actual sweet words of love coming out of my mouth - maybe your mom has a hearing problem.

I have learned recently that getting to work on something immediately after a nap often helps soften the blow to the helpless bystander.  For example, writing this entry has helped get me out of my "grumpy pants."  I'm not sure if it's because it's given me time to focus on something other than the fact that I was painfully pulled away from a beautiful rest or if its because I'm thinking about you.

If it is you that is helping my post-hibernation depression then be prepared to be used as a human shield.  I'm pretty sure your mom will use you to disarm the drooling papa bear that rolls menacingly off the couch.

Hopefully it works.


Yours eternally,

Tu papa

Baby wants to party

Dear Chicken Nugget,

Your mom and I have been having dreams about you, your birth, and life with you.  These are the typical dreams that a lot of new parents have; mostly due to pre-birth anxiety. 

Last night I had a really unique dream that I want to share with you.  In my dream, I saw your mom going into labor and it seemed to catch us by surprise.  Then, Patrick Swayze's voice boomed down from above and said, "Baby's coming early.  Baby wants to party."

I don't know if this is a message from above (Patrick Swayze, a famous actor of our generation passed away just last year) or if it's just a subconscious mash-up of recent events and thoughts.  Just a few days ago your very pregnant mom and I reenacted the last dance scene from the movie Dirty Dancing, starring Patrick Swayze.  So combine the movie with pre-birth excitement and you have a recipe for a great dream.

Or, it could be that Patrick Swayze is giving us a heads up.

Either way, we can't wait to meet you, Nugget.  You get here when you want to get here.  We'll be ready for you.  And, if you want to party, we're ready to party with you.


Eternally yours,

Tu papa

Dear Little Ducky

Dear Chicken Nugget,

Last night I had a strange but cute dream about you.  Your mom and I were going to the hospital because we got a phone call saying that you had been born.

When we arrived they brought out a little bed where a little duckling had hatched out of an egg.  The duckling was still halfway out of the egg, but its feathers were dry and fluffy.  The little duckling was our baby and I was so happy that it had arrived.

The colorful little duckling was following us wherever we walked.  Everyone in the dream who asked us about our baby seemed to be completely OK with the fact that our baby was a duck.  And, I was proud of my little duckling.

So, chicken nugget, when you're older and have your degree in Psychology you can analyze the dream all you want.  But, personally, I think it means that we're going to love you no matter what.

Waddle on.

Eternally yours,


Your papa