Three Down A Life Time To Go
From the Log of D. Butler
Day 1
1am
I was surprised to fined how fast I was put to work, young master Fowl was only born two days ago and released only yesterday. Meaning that this is technically day 2, but I have decided to start my count with full days making today day one. The moment that we arrived at the house he was handed to me, six ponds seven ounces if person. It has become evident that through out our training there are some arias that are sourly laking, such as basic child care, Mrs. Fowl gave me a schedule that we are to follow so I hope that should be of some help.
I put the young master Artemis to bed, he screamed for a very long time till I discover that he had a fondness to the song baby beluga that which seamed to lore him to sleep. I'm keeping the baby monitor close by but have been yet to get any sleep because I'm worried that it will not wake me up, even now I check to make sure the battery is working and the sound is fully up. As expected the devise is still working. I can hear soft sounds of movement that make me jump thinking that he might be awake. All this aside I must try for sleep.
6am
He woke up far early then I would have expected at four. According to my schedule he still had a whole hour be for he was supposed to, the schedule also said that if he woke up earlier to wait to check on him. I had all intentions of doing such I in know way want to go against what it is my duty to do, but at first I figured I should at least go into the room to make sure that he was alright. Then see the crying child I became unable to fulfill my duty and took him out. He was crying so we sang several more rounds of baby beluga, the singing continued all through the proses of getting him cleaned and changed. Once again I was faced with a odd situation the outfit that was set out for me to dress him in made no sense; the pants were starchy feeling, the shirt felt scratchy, and there were shoes. He looked so comfortable in his pajamas that it felt almost cruel to be putting him in to this. As I put the clothing on to him he scowled at me making his young fetchers seem oddly old, its funny he looks like a little old man.
Once dressed we went down to the kitchen. Carrying him is the strangest thing, hes so small that I think he could fit into the palm of my hand, and he has no ability to hold himself up. We had spent some time yesterday when we first met figuring out the best way to transport him. In the kitchen we found the bottle labeled Arty's breakfast which I got out for him. I feel that it could have been stepping out of line but I did inform Mr. Fowl that I thought that Arty was a stupid nick name that I would never use. He seemed to find this humorous, but was quick to re gain composure and drink his breakfast.
After this we went back to the nursery were I lay some blankets on the ground for him to play, but after only a little while of chewing on stuffed animals he fell back asleep. Hes on the ground and I can't think of away of moving him so just put a blanket over him. I need to look over the notes again because as it is I have been unable to sleep or eat.
12am
I'm vary ashamed of what has happened, I fell asleep on the ground. I lay down to be at a better vantage point to watch young master fowl and found the blanket on the floor to be far more comfortable then had anticipated. I was a awaken by the young master who pulled on my shirt and gave me a disapproving look. I told him that I was sorry and he seemed to accept that. I leafed through my instruction binder, it was amazing how off my day had been already, but what can I do now except try to get back on schedule. According to the notes I was supposed to bring him down to the library and listen to Mozart well reading poetry. This was supposed to help him learn or something of that nature. I picked him up and we walked down the stairs, I haven't seen anyone all my times that I've walked around I'm beginning to wonder where Mrs. Fowl is.
I turned on The Marriage Of Figaro and found a copy of The Complete Works Of Emily Dickinson. We sat down in a comfortable. Young Mr. Fowl seemed to enjoy the music, but as soon as the reading started he started to whimper. He kept up this small whine till I reached one about like a house and prows or something that he lost it. I picked him up and bounced him though this didn't seem to sooth him, so I started to sing with the music, I didn't know the words and I have to say that I'm no Pavarotti, but the he didn't seem to mind at all and was cheered up. As I sang to him I noticed a most peculiar thing; though the baby had look a pink color he now appeared a strange color almost a yellow. I told myself that babies are not supposed to be yellow, but it was undeniable this baby was yellow. To be honest I kind of lost my composure. I brought him to the bathroom nearest to us I scrubbed him but the color still stayed the same. I somehow thought that well I was sleeping he had gotten into something, now looking back I know that he is unable to move so he would be unable to get into something.
After drying him off I went down the stairs to the living room. I had to use the phone to call to the only person who would know what to do Sashalina Butler my mother. When I called my little sister Juliet answered, it was nice to talk to her but that was short lived because I had a more pressing matter to deal with. I tried to remain calm well explaining the problem to no avail, I was babbling and a complete mess by the time I was done, and to add insulate to injury I was told that it was totally normal. Apparently its called jaundice and she explained a lot of response for it, but the thing that I really took home from the conversation was that I needed to put him out in the sun wearing only his diaper and he would turn back to normal.
He was starting to seem cranky so I went to the kitchen and gave him the bottle labeled Arty's breakfast. I fed him as we walked out to the yard. I'm not supposed to feed him well walking, but what harm can it do. In the yard I changed him down to his diaper and lay him down. I used this as a chance to catch up on my journal.
5pm
After a while young master Fowl became upset by the feeling of the grass not to mention that he seemed to look ashamed by the lack of clothing that I had him in. We decided to look for some kind of seat. In his room and play room there were many things all of which looked like they were very expensive but of no use to a child. I remarked to him that I thought we should go to the store, by his lack of response I supposed he agreed. The Fowls had provided me with a credit card which they had told me to feel free to use for what ever expenses I might have, they assured me that it had no limit and to not worry, personally I thought it most fitting that the card only be used for the young master.
I had been given a Bentley to drive the young Fowl around. His seat was already put in so it was just a mater of figuring out how to buckle him in, which only took several tries. When we were driving I turned the music on. I could hear him but was unable to make visual contact so I turned the rear view mirror so I saw him not the road. We tried all sorts of music on the radio, I finally stopped on one that made him laugh.
At the store I discovered that the seat could be taken out and used as a baby transporting devise. As we looked around the store it became evident that the baby did not seem to have the basic things that a baby would need. Non of his clothing seem it the least bit comfortable so we went to the clothing section. He was by far the most well dressed baby in the store. We picked out several plain white onesies so he would not have to be nude well sitting in the sun I handed them to him for opinion and he though them in the cart. We moved on to the jumpies so that the young master might have some comfort well around the house. In this area he was far more picky I offered him frog print he throw them, puppies he throw them, balloons throw them, baseballs throw them, we tried many patterns then I tried blue and white stripes he tossed them in the cart the same was done for a whole array of stripes and flat colors.
In the shoe section I tried to talk him into getting a pair of comfortable slippers but that only got me a withering glare that seemed to say what do you think I am. I had been unaware of the fact that a baby of such a young age was able to glare at all. We settled on a pair of sort leather shoes that were a much better choice then the loafers that the Fowls had been expecting him to wear. Nest we moved to the place where we got a bouncy seat thing and a sling. Last we got some new toys which the baby insisted on holding and chewing on even before it was paid for.
We have now reached the house and put everything in his room, we are going to go get some dinner and then I'm to put him to bed.
Day 2
5am
Artemis is not yet awake. Last night when feeding the the baby I discovered away to eat well still giving him the attention that he needs; it involves putting him in the sling feeding him his bottle with one hand and using the other hand to eat my food well standing, the standing is very importune if I sit he starts screaming. When we were ready for bed I tried laying him in his bed but then he started screaming again. I picked him back up and bounced him, eventually he fell asleep I tucked him in pushing his dark hair out of his eyes, he was one of the few dark haired babies which such fair skin that I had ever seen. I found myself unable to pull myself out of the room. There was a bookshelf in the room with all sorts of books on parenting. I sat in the rocking chair to watch him and reading through them. I fell asleep there, I've found that I get much better sleep when I'm in the same room as him, I must take note of that. I see that he is going to wake up soon so I will check in again later.
12pm
I'm glad to report that are day is going much better then yesterday, that is it is running more smoothly, but I am sadly not following Mrs. Fowls plan. After reading all sorts of different books about parenting I decided that they were ridiculous, they didn't seem to take the baby into account young Artemis is a very picky baby how am I supposed to raise him according to some book written by someone whos never even met him, though Mrs. Fowl has met him, but I don't think she had when she wrote out the rule book. That aside we are finding are stride together.
We ate are breakfast together. He had his bottle and I had a protein shack. I showed him that we both had are bottles, he stared back at me trying not to smile, hes a very serious little guy. As a general roll I try to hit the gym everyday, yesterday this had seemed like something that was going to have to stop, but I started today with a new sense of resolve. The Fowls have a gym which made things much easier. I put him in his bounce seat turned on the radio. This allowed me sometimes on free weights, but as expected he grew tiered of that. I had brought several books with me and read them aloud well running on the treadmill, I made sure to show him all the pictures and he was happy. Afterwards was time to focus on the needs of the young master.
I changed him in a a neutral blue jumpy and his knew shoes he grabbed for the loafers and I reminded him of how uncomfortable they were but he still grabbed, so I pointed out that he was unable to walk which made him stop. We played toys his favorite seems to be a stuffed elephant that he enjoys to chew on, so maybe that is actually his least favorite at any rate its the one he plays with the most. There was only one insentient that he started crying but after several rounds of baby beluga and a diaper change he was happy again. Right now he is enjoying a nap, he fell asleep in my arms just as he had the night before.
I managed to move him back into his bounce seat giving me an opportunity to shower something that I had been beginning to wonder how I was going to do at all, but was relived to discover that he could sleep through the noise and that I would be able to hear if there was something wrong. I moved him back into his crib to finish his nap and that is where he currently is but its looking like he might he waking up.
7pm
We have been having a busy day. When the master woke up I changed him into a onesie to lay out side. He seemed more comfortable in this then the diaper be was wearing yesterday, he still seemed displeased by the situation but I explained that the only way to stop doing this was to just get it over with. I think that now he is looking much less yellow. The sun was shining brightly so I did put sun block on him, hes so pail that even the slightest hint of sun seems able of burn him. We ate are lunch sitting out there.
I've been thinking a lot about the fact that I'm in charge of teaching him to talk. I can't help but wondering if I'm introducing him to enough words. I ask him if he has any interest in having the dictionary read to him, he scoffs back, I should have figured. I read him more of his books but he seems unamused, when we run out we run inside to find some new ones. He picks The Complete Works Of Shakespeare from the library. Back out side I lay him on a blanket and start from the beginning with the sonnets the baby immediately lightens up laughing and enjoying the sun trying to move around on his patch of blanket.
After a while a maid comes out to get us saying that there is someone at the door who I need to talk to. We go inside and great a man who has a crew of men around him with photography equipment. Apparently young Artemis is to have his first portray done today for his birth announcement. The man inquires condescendingly if I intend to have the photo done in what he is wearing. I laugh it off and go change the baby into a sailor suit that is laying out in his room. I have to say that I don't understand the draw to putting a baby in a sailor suit though once hes dressed it is undeniable that it is very cute. I noticed the face he was making and asked him if he didn't like this outfit and his next face made his opinion on the outfit quite clear, I made a mental note no sailor suits.
I took my instruction book down with me to make sure that another scheduled event did not sneak up on me. The photographer took Artemis and set him in a small seat that was covered in white cloth in front of a white back drop I heard photographer talking about how classic it was going to look when they were done, but I was not listening something in the book had taken my attention. Scheduled for tomorrow from three to four he was going to have quality time with his parents, this was planed to happen at this time on that day every week.
I in know way mean to make a personal attack on my employers and know that it is entirely out of my place but as this is my personal journal I must make my thoughts known. I will start with Mr. Fowl I know that he is a busy man, but my uncle is always with him and he finds time to call and discounting business trips there is just no way that one hour a week is all that he can spare for his child. Now Mrs. Fowl is an even worse story I know for a fact that she dose not work and that she is home almost everyday, honestly I don't know what she is doing, I try to tell myself that this is just temporary after having the baby, but I think that she really intends to stay home and not see her baby. After reading this I have no regret for not obeying the book clearly they are giving me free rain if thats all the time that they plan to give him
I put the book down and went to watch the photo shoot Artemis was refusing to smile as much as the photographer goued and gaed to make. I told the baby that his parents need a picture to send to everyone and that this would be the first time the public saw him, this made him smile though it looked rather forced. The photographer attributed the smile to his own genius and how great he is at working with kids. Me and Artemis both laughed when he said this. Undoubtedly that will make the best picture.
The photographer left cheerfully proud of his own work, but all this hassle had reminded me that I was in need of a camera Artemis did cute things all the time and they needed to be documented. We drove to a near by store. Things like using the car seat become easier the second time a few more times and they will be second nature. At the store the sales people stated trying to talk us into a rip off camera but just as they started Artemis started crying, we make a pretty good team. We ended going with a high end model Artemis insisted, but that turned out to be a good idea because according to the packaging its strong something that were going to need if its going to be baby proof. He fell asleep on the on the way home which has given me an opportunity to catch up in the my journal.
7:30am
Artemis is still sleeping so I'm trying to be quite this is the latest hes ever slept in. It think its because we stayed up fairly late. After Artemis woke up from the car ride we ate our dinner in our usual way. I wonder if babies ever get sick of eating the same thing. I bathed him and changed him into his pajamas. I tried putting him in his bed but as usual he did not want to and as I did not feel like sleeping another night one the uncomfortable rocking chair I brought the baby into my room along with a bunch of stuffed animals and books. We read and played for awhile till we both fell asleep. I think that this is the way that is best for both of us to sleep, the small child seems much calmer then he has other nights and when I think he is going to wake up he grabs me and stays asleep. So I think that till he is big enough to be by himself for the night we will be using this system.
12am
I honestly don't have that much to report. I'm starting to establish systems that work thou the day. We got dressed for the day in a green jumpy, nice and neutral as always. We have are breakfast we go to the gym the music selection today was flight of the bumblebees followed by a little Shakespeare read from the treadmill we're trying to read the whole book. We go up stairs play till nap time, then I shower. As I said life is getting easier as time passes and we learn how to live and work with each other.
7am
Wow where to start I guess I will take things chronologically as always. When Artemis woke up we had lunch and laid in the sun like everyday, he is pretty much pink again which I'm happy about. I read him some more from our book then explained what was happening in a few hours. He listened to me when I told him about his mother and father he seemed interested and confused at the same time. I always have to wonder just how much this small person can actually understand because he seems to get everything and respond accordingly.
I gave him a bath so that he would be clean for the meeting with his parents. I changed him into the most uncomfortable thing in his entire wardrobe figuring that it would be the Fowls favorite thing that he owned. Artemis was happy to get to wear his favorite shoes that I never let him wear. To be honest he did look cute and very dapper so I took a picture but I had also taken pictures of him well sitting out side and playing in the play room and sleeping in the play room, so pretty much everything he had done for the day.
We met the Fowls down in the living room. I handed Artemis off to them. They seemed happy to see him and I stepped back to stand with The Major in the corner. The Major was my uncle and the Butler assigned to Mr. Fowl. We exchanged casualties, you know asking me how I was doing and such. Then he pulled me out of the room saying that they wouldn't mind. Ones out side he ask me what was on my mind, so I told him about my problems with the once a week visit. He just laughed and then said that he went through the same thing when he was first assigned and he to had found it weird, but the way he said made it easier to think about was that this was your kid to raise and it makes the job a whole ton easier to do without parents trying to but in and have you do things there way. He said that it will get easier, but that thats going to depend on my Fowl you never know how terrible a babies going to be when it reaches its teens, but he added and hes pretty good at reading people even babies that it looked like he was going to be a easy kid and I had no need to worry about dealing with a crazy teen, this one looked mellow. I don't think that The Major could really tell that from a baby but was happy for the encouragement. As we were leaving he put in one last thing, that that is your baby that your spending your life with.
The rest of the day has not been much to say I changed Artemis. I told him that The Major thought that he was going to be a mellow teen this made Artemis laugh and that made me worry. After dinner we went to bed and read our book, as he fell asleep I tucked him in. Three down a life time to go I thought.