You’re One Month Old, Cucumber!

You have been out of the womb almost five weeks! You’re more aware and awake during the day, though you still sleep a good bit between feedings. We seem to be out of diapers….again, but it is easy to get more. I discovered this week that when the diaper genie bag states that it can hold up to 270 diapers, it doesn’t mean ALL AT ONE TIME. I thought that your poopy messes could be stuffed down in the genie like, you know,….a genie…… and they would stay there until the bag reached it’s fill. Instead, the diaper genie “bag” is one long blue tube that needs to be pinched off and disposed of often. I know I put this up before, but here is a shot of one of your sausage casings full of dirty diapers.

The diaper genie tube…stuffed with poopy goodness.

Some highlights from this week:

You had more visitors. We took you to RHS to meet some of my colleagues. When we crashed the math department meeting, Sharon wouldn’t let go of you.

We learned that our friends, Cindy and D, have received word that they might be adoptive parents within the next few days. A mom in Arizona chose them as parents for her child, so they are frantically trying to get flights and accommodation in AZ to be there for the birth. They’ve been in the adoption lineup for a long time, waiting to be picked by a pregnant mom/couple and approved to take a child home and be their parents. The tough part is the father has 30 days from birth to claim back his child, so there is a chance that the child will go to the biological father (who is not in contact with the mother). We’re hoping that you and the little girl can play soon.

Mommy is reporting that breastfeeding is becoming a little better. It still takes about 30-40 minutes to feed you each session, but you are latching on better and not biting and thrashing mommy’s nips much any more. For a couple of weeks, Mommy had to wear a nipple shield and would howl in agony when you first latched on and began to leech poor Mommy.

Mommy prepared a crock pot chicken dish this week…..delicious.

Being Productive: You spend most of your day sleeping and eating, dear one. There are times, though, when your body is churning and gurgling, digesting and processing the milk you’ve ingested. Some of it goes toward making you stronger and more energetic, some of it comes out in burps and spitups, and some of it comes out the other end. I had no idea how many diapers you’d burn through, and I really mean BURN through, when you torpedo poop your pants and require a changing.

Mommy and I are getting pretty adept at recognizing when you are about to let out a little soil….and Mommy has called this “being productive.” Sometimes you cry loudly until you burp, sometimes you squirm and writhe before you let out a butt burp, and sometimes you screw up your face and contort your body until we hear (and feel) the frustration work itself through you….being productive.

We’re proud of how productive you’ve been this early in your life! You are quite an achiever.

This is a post-being productive look, when the relief descends.

Love, Daddy

Dear Munchkin,

This week has flown by. You, Mommy, Clementine and I have been on at least one outing a day and had a guest once a day as well who have wanted to meet you. You are nearing the first month of life, which means some things might settle down (feedings and poopings) but other things will start to ramp up (how much you eat and how much you cry 🙁 ). Last night was one of our best….you nursed about every three hours, and didn’t take much coaxing/swaying/shhing to get back to sleep. In fact, about 10:30 last night, Mommy swaddled you and said, “Go to sleep, kid.” And you did. It was immediately after you got your dose of Mommy’s leche, which puts you in a highly suggestive state, but it worked.

Today, though, during the day, you made up for it. Oh well, you’re a baby.

Here are some images of your visitors this week:

We are so fortunate to have friends and family as great support. You are loved, Little Button.

Here are 3 dreams I’ve had in the last several days.

1. I was in a swimming pool at a high school practice. Jordan, a student of mine, was commenting that he was prepared to cheat during the practice because it was a “speed day.” I wanted to talk him out of it, but knew that because he was a kid who questioned me often in class, I probably wouldn’t be able to convince him to swim the distance.

2. I was in a large banquet room with tables and chairs for a group of 25+ arranged in the round. The discussion was about organized crime. At first I was a listener, but after some comments from attendees, they turned to me and confronted me on being in the crime ring. I wanted to back out, but I couldn’t leave the room. I fell over backwards on my chair.

3. I was at an outdooor go-kart place on my own kart racing the others on the track. It was exciting; I was hugging the turns, passing younger kids, and earning some good respect. There were some times when I got bumped out of my seat and had to hold on to the bumper, which was painful because the track was made of gravel.

Interpretation: In all of these dreams, there are things I can control and things I can’t. I think that is what I’m dealing with these days……I have lots of time and am grateful for the paternity leave, but my schedule is dictated by my newborn daughter who only speaks in cries and silence and most of her requests are met by stabs in the dark from me and Mommy…..we don’t know what you want, but are trying the best we can. I sometimes feel helpless, but still feel in control of the bigger picture…doing WHAT I CAN to take care of you.

Here’s one of all of us….Clementine’s butt is in between me and Button.

Sometime this week I had you in my right arm and was operating the television remote in the left hand. I was bouncing you to soothe you…..after a while it worked and you fell asleep. A few minutes later, I found myself bouncing the remote in my left hand trying to put IT asleep too!

Love, Daddy

Dear Little Burrito,

I just put you in your Pack ‘n Play to sleep after Mommy fed you. It is 6am so I decided to stay up and work a little. I’m listening to Mamma Mia because I woke up singing “Thank you for the Music.”

You and Me and Mommy are plugging along here. Yesterday we went to the zoo. You slept through it all but you were mere feet from hippos, lions, penguins, and giraffes! After, we visited the Phinney Market Restaurant where the server gave us 2 adult menus and 1 children’s menu. Mommy looked at him strangely but he said he didn’t want to asssume anything. You are not even 3 weeks old; not close to solid food yet. I don’t blame him; if you haven’t been around infants yet, you don’t know much about them.

Yesterday I was looking in the fridge for something to prepare for lunch, and I found a tupperware of some frozen quinoa chili. I heated it up and we ate it, but couldn’t remember who brought it to us. Mommy was confused because she couldn’t remember at all who the gifter was. It turns out it was Denny and Rachel….they brought it by when they visited…I must have put it in the freezer but didn’t tell Mommy. It was delicious….so now we know where to send the thank you card.

I’m getting better at predicting and meeting your needs these days. I can usually tell when you have a little gas in your tummy and need some burping time. There are also times when you’re fussy, but when you get that stressed look in your face, scrunch it up and let out a toot from your bottom, you feel much better. Mommy thinks you wait to spit up until she is holding you, but I think I have been able to get the burp cloths between us to catch it and save my clothes. It wouldn’t be a big deal…I am in my pajamas most of the time 🙂

Mommy had to cut my food Thursday night because my right arm was occupied.

Phase 2 of the bathroom shower project, the new moulding and a tube of Liquid Nails.

A normal day for us consists of

• You and Mommy feeding for 45 minutes about 8 times a day. We log it on the Baby Connect app to keep track
• changing you 8-10 times a day at the changing station. You don’t tend to enjoy this. The picture below shows where all the diapers go…into the diaper genie. This genie, though, has to be emptied.
• watching you sleep most of the time between feedings
• reading to you and giving you some tummy time and skin to skin time
• putting you in the swing and doing some laundry, computer work, fix food, etc.
• some type of outing…to the market, pediatrician, or a walk with Clementine
• getting through nights by Mommy feeding you, then calling “Daddy” so I can change you and walk you back and forth to get you into a deep sleep.

The last Mamma Mia song is on, and I’m kinda tired now, so I may lay on Simone for a while before you wake up. It is a Saturday today. Tomorrow Uncle Andy turns 38 years old. We will give him a call and check in to see how your cousins Kali, Annika, and Alden are doing.

Sweet dreams, cute cheeks. Love, Daddy

Happy Two Week Anniversary, Little Button!

I sketched a picture of Mommy in the delivery room and all the tubes she had going in her. Click on the link below.

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Your Peabody grandparents left today to go back to Illinois….we’ve decided they will be Grammy Diann and Chuckles. You may eventually call them something different, but that is what we thought we’d start with.

Chuckles and I tackled a home improvement project I’d had on my list for a long time…..our shower. Over the years the water had leaked out and deteriorated the wood around the base.  I calked the hell out of the holes in the shower and got it plugged, but the moulding was beyond saving.  So yesterday Chuckles and I made it our mission to find some matching moulding and repair it. Here are some before shots. I’ll add the during and after when they’re done.

Here are some things about you and your habits:

You like to feed about every 3 hours, you fall asleep at the breast occasionally and need Mommy to wake you up, you have gone on a walk about every day but you’ve been asleep for most of them, you received two “Crosby” monogrammed Land’s End tote bags today in the mail, you now have more clothes than Mommy and me, your hands often wake you up so we swaddle you in the nighttime, Mommy feeds you in the middle of the night and then I walk the rooms and shhh you to sleep until you are in a deep sleep and can continue it on your back in your Pack n play.

There are lots of questions I’d love to ask you, though you won’t be able to answer me for a while: Can you see us? Do you know our voices? Does it bother you to have a wet or poopy diaper? Can you tell what Clementine thinks of you? What are your dreams like? How far can you see? Do you like being read to? Do you like being sung to? What do you prefer more…talking or singing? What is your favorite outfit so far? Should we turn down the lights or are you ok with them? Have we ever put you down when you were hungry? What will be the first way you communicate with us besides crying or not crying?

Love, Daddy

Little Girl Little,

Yesterday afternoon while Mommy was holding you, she heard you grumble and toot and squirt and spurt in your diaper. It is something all babies do, it was just funny. When I walked by, Mommy informed me that she had a “Pile of foulness in my lap.” Sure enough, you had quite a yellow and grainy mess in most creases inside your diaper, but we cleaned you up and diapered you like we do dozens of time a day.

Last night in bed, you greased such a large one, Clementine raised her head in disbelief, looking at us, asking, “Why do you let that thing near our bed and HOW can you love something that poops like that so much?”

You were very awake today.

It was a dinner of grilled chicken, salad, and sweet potatoes.

It is a mellow Saturday night at home. It really doesn’t matter what day it is…..they have all been the same to me lately. Tomorrow we turn back the clocks an hour for daylight savings time. I am not a fan; we lose so much of the afternoon that walks with Clementine often need a headlamp. But it has been a great summer and it is time for fires and maybe some skiing and cuddling up inside.

Love, The Daddy

Dear Button,

Today is the first of November. It is your first November, your 12th day of life, and you had your first Halloween. You slept through it last night, but Clementine and I dressed up and gave out candy to the visitors.

I may look cute, but I am not amused.

Right now you are nestled with me on the Moby wrap. You have just fed so Mommy and Boo are in bed trying to get some before-midnight sleep. Grammy Diann and Grandpa Chuck are in bed now, too. I’m going to finish this and work on some AP Statistics. This is the end of week #2 of my paternity…4 weeks left. This has been a wonderful little love nest we’ve made together just taking care of you with an occasional outing. Your needs are so few but very frequent and specific. We’re also trying to give you some tummy time and skin to skin time every day.

Our little family with all the grandparents.

Halloween 2013. We had many neighborhood kids stop by…ghosts, cartoon characters, LEGO characters, a “smarty pants” (he had Smarties candies taped to his trousers) and a Daft Punk pair.

Love, Daddy