February 2009
23 posts
Privacy
Today we finally got the roller blinds made for the nursery. Most parents do this sort of nesting project before the baby arrives, but we were doing a full kitchen remodel the last half of my pregnancy.
The nursery has been functional, but keeps getting better. The roller shades are plain green cotton duck. We used the excess material from the under-counter curtain project. It looks great and...
January 2009
24 posts
Happy Half-Birthday to You
Dear Alexander Josef,
I can’t believe you are six months old already. I remember the week you were born. We had planned to have two Doulas-in-training assist, but you were already a week late. One of our Doulas had to leave for a roller derby in Las Vegas, but stopped by the hospital to wish us luck. I was admitted Monday morning at 8 am. They started the induction, had a hard time finding...
Blurry Happy Baby
So a few years ago I was in Egypt, touring the pyramids on camelback. Snapping pictures with my Nikon FG. The guide is on a horse, he leads tourists around all day, and he rides up and offers to take my picture. I’m trying to hand him my camera, keep my balance and explain to him how to look through the viewfinder and see when the split ring is in focus. He’s waving me off, no no, he...
Tickle Me Baby
That business with cootchie-cootchie-coo under the chin? Finally figured out why people do that to babies. The chin wattle is a tickle spot. And it is hysterical to watch a baby being tickled. There’s just nothing like it, gummy grin, musical giggle, full of happiness. We tickle him under the chin, behind the calves, his soft belly, the traditional feet and armpits. Poor baby has been...
Just under six months and the baby seems to be teething hard. We got home tonight and he was slick with drool. He grabbed my keys and happily chewed the metal ends, cried when I took them away. I checked the mail and he grabbed the envelope and gummed it to a pulp in an instant. While I was fishing paper put of his squirrel cheeks he was working on the ends of my scarf. I gave him a stick of toast...
The Social
Everywhere we go our baby makes friends. In stores other kids point him out to their parents, trail along behind us looking at him, giving a running commentary. In restaurants the waitstaff finish with us and start talking directly to him, can’t resist chucking him under the chin or picking him up.
Our boy is so wide open. Smiling at strangers. Welcoming human contact. He’s like the...
It's a Wise Child
There’s a difference between what the book says and what proud parents imagine when it comes to their child’s vocabulary. For instance, around six months we should be getting some vowel-consonant combinations like “Ah-goo.” Well he has been saying that for months, and even went bilingual with “agua!” once.
The first time he repeated “Leh leh leh”...
“Algeria, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Dominica, Egypt, France, The Gambia, Hungary, Iran,...”
– They Might Be Giants - Here Come The ABCs - Alphabet of Nations
Oh The Places You'll Go
The baby is not yet six months and he’s traveled by train and plane, bus and taxi, even sailboat. But he hasn’t been out of the States. Before he’s a year I want to get him a tiny passport and go on a little adventure.
But where should we go? Somewhere close, easy, where we have been before? Bahamas, BVIs, Bonaire? Or somewhere exotic, make the travel time really count?...
Wild Thing
The baby fights sleep. As soon as he starts getting tired he worries that he might miss something good. And so the struggle to stay awake begins.
He frets, he kicks, he shakes his head. He cries his terrible cries and gnashes his terrible gums. It sound like the sun is setting on the planet of the Wookies and the twilight is filled with burbling screams.
And then it is over. He collapses,...
#inaug09
Today we welcomed a new president. Bug didn’t get to see it live at lunchtime because he was in daycare, so tonight we watched the podcast together and drank a champagne toast.
Our baby will grow up with hope and change, science and curiosity, virtue, diversity and the wonders of technology. I am so proud. Of us, of America, of our future.
A Real Boy
Sometime between three and four months my tiny infant turned into a sweet baby. And between five and six months we are watching him change from a baby to a little boy.
He feeds himself fistfuls of toast. Sits up like a champ. If you put him down in his crib on his back, he can flip over, sit up, scootch to a handhold and pull up to standing. He snores, farts, has dirt under his nails. He has...
Breakfast in Bed
Apparently there are several methods of training your child to sleep through the night, alone in another room. Awful-sounding things like “Ferberizing” and “Systematic Awakening.” Methods based on letting them cry so they learn you are not going to come pick them up when they are unhappy. Methods with instructions for muffling the sound from the nursery with blankets taped...
The Story of Bug
Once upon a time there was a little Bug. His mother loved him and his father loved him and everyone agreed he was very advanced. Except the Kitteh, who was not impressed but tolerated him and even let him pet her soft fur, provided he behaved himself.
The Bug lived in a green room in a green house, and was happy with things in his own small way. He liked music and dancing, eating and drinking,...
Snacks
In addition to our ill-advised venture with edamame, we have successfully fed the bug applesauce, frozen bananas, cheerios in breast milk, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, pears, a dab of baby oatmeal and the surprise favorite: broccoli.
Bug can’t get enough broccoli, just steamed plain. He and I worked our way through a big floret like it was a box of chocolates. We had the best...
The Bug
A lot of nicknames for the baby come and go: Crankypants Junior, Boogernose Snotlocker, Slobber McDroolsalot, Rocketpants, Sir Crawlsalot, Stinky Thunderbutt, Swamp Pants, Amber Junior, The Little Dictator, Stinkblossom, Sugarbutt, Milkface, Smiley McSupertoot, Banana Breath, Mr. Paddlefoot, Captain Adorable, The Genius, The Truffle Snuffler, Mr. Stinkypants, and Li’l Dude.
And then there...
Keeping an Eye Out
The baby is asleep on my lap, breathing through his mouth. He is clearly dreaming about something nice, he smiles and laughs from time to time. His fingers wiggle a little. Left hand mostly. Will he be a Southpaw? And his feet paddle, usually in conjunction with a sweet sleep suckling motion. His breathing speeds up and slows down, and his eyes dart around looking at dream things. But his lids...
Not Tonight
A tiny beaming face. Snuggle with me Momma. Don’t write in your blog tonight.
Ok, little bug. Lights out.
Right on Schedule
During one of our first pediatrician visits (there are several the first few weeks, running together with hormones, painkillers and sleep deprivation) the doctor asked me how much I fed the baby. I had no idea what he was talking about. I was breastfeeding. How would I measure it? I took a stab at it and said that when I pumped, I got about 5 ounces in the same amount of time he nursed, more or...
Fact: He is Very Advanced
All weekend we practiced pulling up. On the chair, on the exersaucer, on Momma’s leg, on Daddy’s chest. Today all our hard work paid off, and the bug pulled himself up in his crib at daycare. His teachers were suitably impressed, and staff from all over the center came to admire this tiny feat of infant prowess. “How old is he?” “Only five months and already pulling...
Naptime
In the upstairs nursery. Kitteh’s asleep on the chair, Daddy’s asleep on the floor and baby is asleep on my lap. If I can get comfy enough in the rocker, Momma will have a nap too.
One Tough Bug
On his daily report from daycare, Ms. Cassie says she lowered his crib mattress today because he’s about ready to pull up. Maybe he already has and they just want to hear that he has done it at home first, so I don’t feel like I am missing all his milestones.
So tonight we put him on the floor and provided handholds, and he pulled himself up like it was the easiest thing in the...
Crankypants Junior
I’m so lucky to have married The Baby Whisperer. Usually when our little guy is fussy the solution is a few minutes on Daddy’s shoulder and he’s sleeping like a baby. Today was the exception.
Nothing worked. Rocking, walking, swaying, swaddling, jiggling, even dancing with Daddy didn’t help. Lights on, lights off, Christmas tree lights and mood lighting didn’t seem...