The Rumpus

A day in the life of Maddox

Yes, I know we are slackers...I have nothing humorous or interesting to write, but I do have lots of cute pictures of my kid and maybe a few captions. We just finished painting Maddox's room, so I put up a picture of his room, which is a work in progress. My new favorite online toy store is called Oompa.com, it has all the stuff that I would love to fill Maddox's room with, at prices that I cannot afford (but it is fun to look).

Maddox has recently learned to stand in his crib and can entertain himself for many minutes just standing holding onto the rail, looking proud...

and pensive...

a little smug...

and finally, just annoyed because I keep snapping pictures

I know what you are thinking, enough of the kid with different expressions in his crib.

Here's one of the kid with a different expression in his stroller-
As you can probably tell by the enthusiastic look on his face, he loves walks. Actually, he does love walks; this picture was taken when I tried to pass off a quick stroll around the living room for a walk. I kept oohing and awwing and telling him to look at all the cool furniture and even put on the Discovery channel, but he wouldn't have it... so I look him out for a walk in the rain. The next picture illustrates why going on walks  is  a  big embarrassing production, I for one, do not like to draw attention to myself. Maddox, however; is a different story -

If this were a video image you would see him manically pumping his legs and hear him shrieking at the top of his lungs. The kid loves his walks (outside).

Another thing that Maddox loves:

THE UCLA BRUINS! (Cue the fight song)...Steve will go into more detail on this one, but you cannot pry this kid away from the TV when the game is on. Don't even try to take the clicker from him, he is scary, scary when the game is on. Thank goodness the Bruins are on a winning streak.

What child is this? Oh, and Merry Belated Christmas

Here is the Santa picture Steve mentioned. Isn't he scrumptious? Yeah, I guess Maddox is cute, too. This was taken on Maddox's four month birthday. I love the little Lord Fauntleroy outfit Grammy Susan got him.  We were terrified when we were standing in line to see Santa, all the kids were either screaming bloody murder or playing stupid ("Smile for the rattle? What rattle? I would rather look at my feet"). So, Steve and I decided to bargain with Maddox, "If you are nice to Santa and smile for the camera, you can be as cranky as you want for the rest of the day".  Once Maddox got on Santa's lap it was showtime, if he could wink and blow kisses he would have. He could hardly contain himself, he petted and cooed at Santa, he flirted with the elves, he giggled for the camera. It was so bizarre. Steve and I were like: "Whose kid is this? Why is he so friendly and happy? He is nothing like us...oh crap, he is trying to suck on Santa's nose...Hey, kid! I know we made a deal, just smile, don't go overboard!" Santa finally wrangled him into his lap, Maddox gazed at all his adoring fans (Steve and me and some old lady), then looked directly at the camera and belly laughed, thus creating the picture above. Of course, Maddox knows the value of a good bargain, he was a holy terror for the rest of the day.

P.S. We moved into our new house in December...here is a picture of some of our decorations in our new house (as our first Christmas as a family together).

Maddox at five months...

Some new pictures for the poor faithful readers of this blog. The third picture may be my favorite of Maddox so far - even including the one of him with Santa.

Picture updates

The title of this blog is so not funny or original. But, who cares, I am a new mom, right? I barely have the brainpower to login to this site...so, since I am so pathetic lately and have been slacking terribly on this blog, I decided to post a few more pictures of my charming (when not shrieking or constipated) son, Maddox. These pictures are from early in his second month, he will be three months in 2 days so they are a bit old. Oh, oh and if you want great ones that my sis (the pro) took about a month ago the link is:

http://www.kellymccordphotography.com/maddox

Anyhow, here are some other pics:

I love the pointy ears.

What a poser! He takes after his mommy. But, seriously this kid loves his baseball, he will kick it back and forth for minutes (a long time for an infant).

Sitting on his auntie Susi's lap.

I love the way Steve looks at Maddox; a way only a daddy can look at his child.

I really don't see any resemblance :)

The little usurper with his cousin Sofia.

He's gonna be the fattest kid in the orphanage

  When we first brought Maddox home he would not stop eating or crying, this charming trend has continued into his seventh week. We recently discovered this crankiness is due to silent acid reflux. I feel so bad for the little guy! He needs to eat all the time for the antacid effects of breast milk, yet he cries, grunts and spasms while trying to enjoy food, wonderful food! He also exhibits signs of Sandifer's Syndrome with GERD and if you are interested (Lorrel) you can read about it. It is not fun for anyone involved and sometimes at the end of the day I end up in tears right along with him.

On a lighter note here are some silly pictures of his first month...oh, FYI he now weighs (at seven weeks) over 14 pounds, about the size of a five month old. We will post pictures of the second month very soon, but our camera battery is dead and I am too lazy to walk out to the car and get the charger or replacement battery, so just be patient, my humble readers.

Okay, this pic was taken about 16 hours after he was born...I feel like I missed half of his life,  he looks like a three month old. And trust me, he felt like a three month old. Have you ever seen a 16 hour-old with CRAZY brows (thanks daddy).

Look at the guns on this kid...I know I sound like I am bragging, but, it is a little bit scary just how big and strong this kid is. Short for Maddox=Ox. Oh, and check the baby mullet, or as we like to call it: THE SKULLET.

THE GODFATHER. Actually he looks nothing like this. I looked in his crib one day and I had to grab the camera, he looks so mafia-oso. I know what you are thinking: where's the pinky ring and cigar?

Maddox and his best friend, no not Steve- The Sling! He loves to ride around in his sling, and Steve and I can get things done this way. During the day, about the only times he sleeps is in his sling.

Please, please - no paparazzi! Wait until you start hanging out with your Teetee Kelly!

Oh, by the way (or for you internet chat savy "BTW")-This post was written by Lindsey and not by Steve...oops.

Life in the Fast Lane

Yep, I have finally used my child to his fullest potential - as a second body in the car to qualify for the carpool lane.  I told Lindsey that I would take Maddox for the afternoon/evening to give her some time off while I went over to my parents' house to perform some slave labor.  In reality, I was exploiting my child and using him to bypass rush-hour traffic.  Brilliant!  The way I see it, Lindsey and I will just have to keep cranking out kids so that we always have one handy for those crosstown drives during commute hours.  Don't worry, we'll lend them out to our friends.  Maybe lend is a strong word.  How about contract out at a discounted rate?  Just remember - it's always better to avoid rush hour traffic, but when you can't - borrow a baby.  You break it, you bought it, though.

Game Day

I'm posting this picture for my friend Jeanette, who rocks.  However, this posting is not about Jeanette.  It's about Maddox and UCLA football.  Maddox loves his UCLA football as you can tell by the keen interest in his eyes.  Okay, his eyes are closed, but that's because this picture was taken while he was resting up for his first game.  Maddox has watched two of the three Bruins games this season and he has cried every time the other team scores.  Lindsey says it's because I scream obscenities at the top of my lungs.  I say it's because he cares.  After all, UCLA is 3-0 and undefeated in his lifetime.  How can you argue with that?

Pictures...finally!

Okay, here are a few more pictures of Maddox.  Lindsey wants me to note that these are my favorite pictures and not necessarily hers.  She promises to put more up this week and then you can decide for yourself.  However, if you like Lindsey's better - you're just plain wrong. 

Kelly is a Rock Star!!!

You probably already know that Kelly is an awesome photographer.  You may not already know that she was nice enough to take some pictures of Lindsey's delivery.  Thanks, Kelly!!!

As we've finally gotten around to editing some of the pictures, we thought we'd share them in a slide show.  Please note that any issues with the pictures are not Kelly's fault, but are most likely due to my ineptitude in editing or the process of shrinking the pictures down so that the slide show isn't super huge.

Oh, and since this is our first attempt at this kind of thing, please let us know if it works.  You know, sound and everything.  It would also be good to know if you Mac people can use this type of file. 

Download lindseys_delivery.wmv

Thanks boys

Forgive me if there are grammatical errors or spelling mistakes I am typing fast in hopes the baby will stay sleeping.

(Outfit courtesy of Tete Kelly)

I was awake for four days straight and then was expected to take care of a newborn. I was awake the night before I was induced, the entire day and night of the induction and for the 2 days in the hospital. Who ever voted Good Sam as The Bay Area's Best Place to have a Baby-I BEG TO DIFFER! There was NO nursery! Maddox was rooming-in at all times; for shots, check-ups, baths, for all night screaming sessions, etc...and every ten minutes or so there was a nurse coming into our room. Oh, and my milk did not come in until yesterday (I had zero, zilch and the nurses kept trying to get the little guy to nurse on nothing) so there were three to four hour long crying jags. Finally, we resorted to formula and he is a perfect angel as long as his belly is full, but it seems to empty out pretty quickly. With no sleep and feedings ever 2 hours I was slowly approaching insanity. My mom stayed with us for two nights (thanks Mom), but I still just got little catnaps throughout the day and not much at night until Steve or my mom would relieve me for a few hours. But it was the greatest thing, last night Steve told me to go to sleep at 9 o'clock! So, I quickly did a little pumping and then hopped into bed...woke up only once to pump some more and then slept until 5:30! Steve played Playstation and did feedings in between games (I think) and stayed up all night long. I feel pretty refreshed but still exhausted. Thank you, thank you boys, I think I'll keep you. Steve, I think you are a great daddy and I love you.

Maddox!!!

Maddox Muir Brandenburg was born on August 16, 2005 at about 5:50pm. He was 9 lbs, 9 oz. (!)  Lindsey and her baby boy are doing well and are expected to leave the hospital tomorrow afternoon.  We'll keep you posted!

A Dog's Life...

So we just got a new digital camera and since neither Lindsey or I want to be in any of the pictures, we've been practicing on the dogs.  So enjoy a couple of pics of Rascal, Wookiee and Gatsby.  Gatsby isn't ours, but he's Wookiee's best friend and we'll be taking care of him (and the other two and the baby) while my parents are in Russia for a month.  My mom doesn't think I'll remember to feed him.  She's probably right.

Wookiee in his favorite pose on the couch.

Rascal is never far from a toy.

Gatsby is weird.

There will be a mutiny in about two seconds if these dogs aren't fed.  Look at the snarl on Wookiee's face.

Tune in next week for the dog vs. newborn wrestling pictures.  We're planning on a pay-per-view webcam crib match at some point.  I know you can't wait.

Banana Ketchup & Mucus Plugs, oh my!

So first a caveat from my wife...  I opened a bottle of wine tonight and since she doesn't help me drink much these days I felt compelled to enjoy most of the wine myself.  So please forgive any content and/or spelling indiscretions that I may have tonight.  Unless of course you spell ketchup as "catsup" - then you need more help than this poor blog can give you.

Now on to my story...  Two major events happened today.  Lindsey ejected (I'm not sure this is the right word?!) at least part of her mucus plug and I tried the banana ketchup that we brought home from our honeymoon in St. Lucia.  As you will see, these two events are not as different as you might first suspect.

First, the mucus plug.  Guys, in case you didn't already know this (I had no idea until birthing class), women accrue (again, what's the right word here, people?) a "plug" of mucus in their cervix during pregnancy.  It's essentially an accumulation of secretions that serves as a protective barrier between the big, bad world and the baby.  Sometime before birth (sometimes as much as two weeks) the plug discharges (please, somebody help with some euphemisms here - I'm grossing myself out!).  Kind of like the pregnancy version of Mr. Hanky, I suppose.  At any rate, the plug looks just like this (please don't look if you are faint of heart, squeamish or are currently eating banana ketchup).

As I have already alluded to, this looked just like the banana ketchup that I ate!  If you're interested in banana ketchup, it's one of the exports of the island of St. Lucia, where Lindsey and I had our honeymoon.  Bananas are the big crop there and, wouldn't you know it, some enterprising St. Lucian decided that it would be a great idea to make ketchup out of them.  Oddly enough, the bottle that we bought had a nasty dark splotch in it, just like the picture of the mucus plug.  Perhaps inspired by "Steve Don't Eat It", I ate it anyway.  So far, I'm still alive and I'm here to report that it tasted much better than your average mucus plug (from what I've heard).  Actually, the taste was pretty good (think vinegary banana slush) and went well with the pork chops that we grilled up (sorry, Babe!).  Lindsey loved it so much that she spit out the first bite and disavowed dinner for the rest of the night.  I love cooking for this crowd! 

At any rate, if you're ever over for barbecue to our house, don't be shy about asking for the banana ketchup.  I'm sure it will still be in the fridge.  Right next to the mucus plug and across from the placenta.

I'll have double drugs. Super-size it!

It is always good to keep with what’s hot and what’s not in childbirth trends, I know that 25 years ago it was all the rage to feel every torturous minute, from first contraction to last push. I know, I know, it sounds fantastic, but as a product of this drug-less birthing process, I can tell you it was quite traumatic. I went from the nice warm, serene womb into a bright room filled with grunting, screaming and profanity-and that was just the doctor, you should have heard my mother. Nowadays, it is kind of a do what ever you want to do attitude, just as long as the baby comes out. I don’t know about you, but if I were having a root canal, having my toenail pulled out, or pushing a watermelon out of my nostril, I would opt for drugs. I feel the same way about giving birth. In fact, I will petition for double drugs! But, now that the option of inducing labor is on the table (no pun intended) I have started having some thoughts about having synthetic hormones injected into my body. When you induce, to get the labor process started, they give you pitocin, which is the synthetic form of oxytocin, a hormone your body makes naturally and usually begins the labor process. Normally, I would not care about going with the faux version; I have no problem with acrylic nails or toting around my knock off “Kate Spade” purses. But, putting a knock-off hormone into my body, that just seemed too scary, I mean look at Janice Dickinson, you can go too far with the artificial stuff, you start by augmenting the uterus and then you just can't stop!

Still, I am very impatient and I want this baby out, so, I have been looking on the internet for natural ways to get my body to produce this hormone. Lo and behold I found this informative website called Birthing Naturally which has some wonderful ideas about how to induce labor naturally. The most effective way is nipple stimulation, since it can cause uterine contractions. I thought it sounded pretty interesting and decided to read on and figure out the methods and proper techniques to stimulate the nipple (I really didn't want to bring the subject of nipples into this blog but it is just too irresistible). So, there I was gathering information of nipple stimulation when the article crossed the line and hit me with this: “The areola can be orally massaged by a baby who has been "borrowed" for this purpose (babies under 6 weeks will tend to suckle anyone)”. WHAT!?!!?  I could not believe what I had just read, I called Steve in and had him read it. He wanted to scandalize me even more so he said, “can I borrow it after you?” Okay, Ewww!

Really now people, imagine this:

“Excuse me? Hi, my name is Fawn Furflower. What's your baby’s name? Can I borrow him for a few minutes? Don’t worry this is totally NATURAL. I just need him to suckle on me so I can have my own baby sooner, he will suckle anyone, oh, and my husband wants to borrow him after me. Thanks!”

Now listen, if this "baby borrowing" business turns into the newest childbirth trend and any of you scary natural people come up to me and ask to borrow my baby, just be warned, I will be charging a substantial hourly rate.

My baby ate my boyshorts! Oh, and I am crazy

CAUTION! Viewer discretion is advised. Please do not scroll down if you do not want to see a very pregnant lady in very small shorts. The following images are graphic and difficult to view and are not recommended for children and some adults.

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This is what happens when you gain 40 pounds in a matter of 5 months...do the math, that is 8 pounds a month! Keep in mind, the baby will only weigh about 8 pounds.

I warned you! The first picture is at 16 weeks pregnant and the second I took yesterday at 37 weeks pregnant. Look at those little shorts hanging on for dear life! I have split more seams in the last month than in an entire lifetime. Yes, those are the same shorts, I put them on yesterday and I was afraid I would not be able to get them off!

I am so miserable and it is not just the weight gain. It has been about 95 degrees here for the last few weeks, I am totally irritable and I think I am slowly creeping toward insanity. Usually little Tebucky pummels me all day long, in the ribs, the liver, the stomach, the bladder-anything he can get his little bony limbs on. But, two days ago he started doing this rhythmic pounding with just one limb, it would go on for about 5 minutes, then he would stop and not move for a while, then start doing it again. This went on for the entire day and then at night he just stopped moving (at least not as rigorously as I am used to). So, before I panicked, I decided to go on the internet and do a little research since the internet has ALL the answers-expecialy frum all the woman in online chattin' fourums who shuld allways bee cunsultd befour callin' yur doctur...I really should have gotten the hint about the accuracy of the advice from these women who can't even spell "doctor". For those of you who know me, I am slightly neurotic (no comments Kelly) and these online forums sent me over the edge, I was convinced Tebucky was completely entangled in his umbilical cord. So naturally being calm and collected, I started sobbing hysterically. As I was yelping I mentioned to Steve that we needed to rush to the emergency room. Steve is used to my antics, so he kind of rolled his eyes at me, got dressed and off we went to the ER. On our way there, my hysteria must have woken Tebucky because he started kicking. I still was convinced that he was just struggling to free himself from his umbilical cord and continued on to the ER.

Now, I thought once we got to the ER they would just put the Doppler to my belly, let me hear the heartbeat and send me home. This however, is not protocol. They got a wheelchair, sent me up to the maternity ward, put me in a room, dressed me in a gown, had me pee in a cup, and hooked me up to all the wires and we had to sit there for a few hours listening to Tebucky's perfect little heartbeat. At this point, I am quite embarrassed. Of course, the embarrassment and excitement of the evening made my blood pressure skyrocket, so then I had to wait while they drew blood and took my blood pressure about 20 times. Apparently, if I did have pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy), I would have to stay in the hospital and possibly be induced. Poor Steve, he was on a very uncomfortable little recliner and every time a nurse came in (every 5 minutes) he felt the need to sit up straight in allegiance, like a perfect gentleman. It was so annoying, the nurses coming in and out, Steve popping up and down, the whoosh whoosh of the heart monitor and the blood pressure cuff tightening every 10 minutes. What made it worse was I had this horrible "white coat blood pressure syndrome", where every time a nurse came in my blood pressure would go through the roof which called for more tests and more time sitting in this bed sweating, the gauze pad they make you sit on was sticking everywhere making me totally irritable and causing my blood pressure to rise even more.  It was a cruel cycle. I am sure labor will be so much more fun.

Finally, at about 2 in the morning a nurse came in and said my blood tests were fine and I could be discharged. I was feeling exceptionally lame and then they put me in a wheelchair and paraded me through the whole hospital with a sign that said "She's not in labor, she's just crazy"...then they dumped me out on the curb and said "If you come back, your baby better be in dire distress or you better be ready to push, crazy lady". Okay, that part didn't really happen, they were actually quite nice and kept telling me I did the right thing, yadda yadda yadda, it happens all the time, blah, blah, blah...But, I was still totally embarrassed and kept looking to Steve for support, but he was very stoic and just kept shaking his head at me. 

Anyhow, we will keep you up to date when they actually let us back in the hospital. Here is the good news, since I am going insane with this pregnancy my doctor said we could induce me at 39 weeks! Hip hip horray! Only two more weeks until all the postpartum hormones make me really, really crazy!

Woot! Woot!

Okay, my new favorite website in the world, other than STEVE, DON'T EAT IT!,  is Woot! Woot! is like Overstock.com except it only sells one item everyday, usually electronics, at super low prices.  The best part is that it updates the item every night at midnight central time (10:00pm for my west coast homies).  Sometimes the item sells out within minutes and sometimes it doesn't sell out at all.  That's the wonderful world of Woot!  Now, here's my story...  The other night Woot! offered the mystical B.O.C. (Bag of Crap, for the uninitiated) where they just fill a bag with their leftover stock items and sell it for a $1 (and only $5 shipping).  It's the best thing ever and it only pops up once in a great while.  However, when I tried to log on to the site (at 10:01) it took a while due to the high volume of Wooters trying to get a deal.  As I was trying desperately to get through, Lindsey decided that she wanted to cuddle.  And yes, Mother Jackson, it was just cuddling.  However, she is such a demanding cuddler that I was not able to get back to my computer until the BOC had sold out.  Sadly, I didn't get to participate in the best Woot! ever.  Now Lindsey has the "no-cuddle-until-after-I-see-what's-on-Woot!" rule in effect.  I suggest that the rest of you do the same.

Oh, and you should check out Woot! just for the product descriptions - they're awesome.

I'm turning Japanese I really think so

I am totally obsessed with the FACEANALYZER, courtesy of my funny, charming, pretty-again-now-that-she's-getting-thin-again sister Kelly.  I put in a picture of Steve and me into the FACEANALYZER and apparently am 100% Korean/Japanese! Mother Jackson I knew it! All those times throughout childhood when Grady told me I was adopted, he was telling the truth.

Lindsey Jackson-son.

Also, according to the FACEANALYZER, I am a male. Wow. Who knew? I also have low gay-factor. Which is absolutely not true because it says I am a male and I really like males, so I must have very high gay factor, right?

Now, I started to get suspicious about the accuracy of this face analysis tool when it classified me as a charmer. Who me? Charming? For those of you who know me, that is bogus! This FACEANALYZER must be a sham. Just to be sure, I did a few other test runs. Here are the results:

Rascal, our nine year old cattle dog is 41% Eastern European and 59 % Anglo Saxon. Rascal has low promiscuity, which is true, because he has no....actually I don't want to embarrass him, but trust me, he is not promiscuous.  Rascal also makes an average of $30,000-$50,000 a year. All this time we thought he was sleeping when we left him alone at home! I hope I'm in his will. And, of course Rascal has a will, since he is a BETA-ACADEMIC! As a beta academic, he is a long-term planner, diligent worker and avoids risk as much as possible.

The Madame Alexander baby doll, you guessed it! He is a cigar smoking BETA BOSS.  "He is a power driven risk-taker. His desires to obtain power quickly propels him to take large risks, both financially and socially".

Wow! Who knew an online facial analyzer could be so accurate?!

Wedding Announcement

Our wedding announcement is now up on the Santa Cruz Sentinel.  You can check it out by clicking here.

There's no picture online, but this is what you'd see if you got the paper today...

Cherry Angioma, Cherry Angioma

As I am sure some of you have noticed I have a yucky thing on my chest. It is centered right in the middle like a third nipple, but higher up. At first it was just really small, like a pinprick and then one day about two years ago it burst open and did not stop bleeding for days. Once the bleeding stopped I was left with this weird little blood-filled bump. However, since I have been pregnant and blood volume increases by up to 30-40% this thing has mutated to about 10 times its original size and I constantly get asked about it- "Is that new?" "Have you had a doctor look at that yet?" And, of course, my nieces always say to me- "Oh, poor Teetee has a big, big boo-boo". It doesn't hurt, I am just constantly afraid I will rip it off somehow. Steve has bought me several beautiful necklaces with pendants that I wear daily to cover this thing up. Pictured below is the beautiful Elsa Peretti necklace that he got me last year for Christmas.

But, recently these pendants just teeter-totter on top of this thing since it now protrudes so much. Tragic.

Here is more information on my debilitating skin growth (okay, it is not so debilitating, but it definitely limits my wardrobe selection):

Alternate Names : Angioma - Cherry, Senile Angioma

Definition:

A cherry angioma is a benign skin growth that appears as a small, smooth, cherry-red bump.

Cherry angiomas are benign, fairly common skin growths that vary in size. They can occur almost anywhere on the body but usually develop on the trunk.

They are most common after age 40. The cause is unknown. Although painless and harmless, cherry angiomas may bleed profusely if injured.

Since I prefer not to have a part of my body referred to as senile, I call it a cherry angioma. Steve took this name and transformed into a lovely song. Mind you, he sings this song to me every time I mention the cherry angioma or he feels like being especially annoying. I must warn you this little jingle will get stuck in your head for hours and hours...and just like any clever jingle, it will have you wanting your very own cherry angioma in no time!

To the tune of Gary, Indiana from The Music Man. Here is a link to the music if you would like to sing along.                                                                              

Cherry, Angioma

Cherry, Angioma, Cherry, Angioma, Cherry, Angioma                                                                  Let me say it once again.
Cherry, Angioma, Cherry, Angioma, Cherry, Angioma 
It's the benignfairlycommonskingrowth that "knew me when."

If you'd like to have a logical explanation
How I happened on this elegant syncopation,
I will say without a moment of hesitation
There is just one place
That can light my face.
Cherry, Angioma,                                                                                                                Cherry, Angioma,                                                                                                                        My growth sweet growth.

(By Steven Brandenburg, 2005)

Dueling Tebuckys

He burps! He hiccups! He already torments his mother! He can even breathe underwater! Okay, I know, I know we are already acting like the obsessed parents who spend all day bragging about our child, showing off his picture and telling everyone just how smart he is. But, just know this: it will only get worse once he is out of my belly. The picture I would like to share today is from the same ultrasound lineup that Steve shared yesterday. Look at this kid, is he cute or what? I feel like I am carrying a real, live version of a character in one of my favorite books, Harold from Harold and the purple crayon!

Do you see the resemblance? I really think he does have a purple crayon in there, which would explain all the crazy fetal flailing; he is in there drawing whole cities and skips through them while I am trying to sleep.

But, while closely examining this image, I realized that this kid has my forehead! Or as Steve calls it, my fivehead.

Now, I picture him looking more like this:

Pretty scary, huh? You know what is even scarier? The only way that I picture Tebucky is as a

2-dimensional character or a misshapen Madame Alexander doll. What a rude awaking I am in for.