Froggy III

A flurry of posts to end the new year, but it seemed appropriate for LS to get one more photo session in with Froggy before the year was all gone.

What a surreal year for LS indeed, coming from out of nowhere and plunked down in the middle of this world. 2008 has been a great year, despite all of the overall background gloom and doom. As great as it's been, we're expecting an even greater 2009.

With the end of year coming, dad heard on the radio the introduction to a usual story about the "great ones" who passed away this past year. An understandable tradition, but unfortunate that we can't do the other side of it - a story about the best ones who were born this year. In general, they haven't proved themselves yet, but we have a feeling we have someone who would be in the running.

So on to the photo shoot:



Afterward we grabbed a candid shot of Froggy and LS at the photo shoot after-party sharing some secrets.



To everyone, from LS and family, best wishes for a Very Happy New Year!

LS and LL

It's never more surreal around here than at holiday time. Some years ago, we stopped getting a Christmas tree (dad didn't like the hassle) and opted instead to decorate a naked store mannequin with Christmas lights. Isn't that what you would do?

We've probably done this for about 10 years. For about 5 years now, she's gone by the name of "Lady Lights", which our niece M named her.

We also have tried to celebrate half-way through winter also. After the December celebrations are done, there is still so much dreary winter ahead! The mid-winter point turns out to be groundhogs day wouldn't you know it. And it turns out this isn't even a coincidence! Groundhogs day has its origins in an ancient Irish pagan holiday named Imbolc. At the center of Imbolc is a goddess, and the festival centers around the lighting of candles and fires. So, although by accident, our use of a naked woman wrapped in lights to celebrate winter being half over seems pretty appropriate!

Yes, we do keep the presents splayed at her feet while they are waiting to be opened. Mostly what she lacks is a place to hang ornaments.

Anyway, with LS in the house, now this time of year is doubly surreal! And about now, LS definitely has to be asking herself what she's gotten into.

We couldn't let the time go by without LS's first picture with Lady Lights.



- LS & LL, 2008

Movin out

It's probably been a week already, but time to report on a major event in LS's life. Moving out of her parents' place. Well, room anyway. We're pretty sure she'll want to stay in the house for a while! After all, she wasn't even 8 weeks at the time.

We hadn't planned on a specific time for her to stop sleeping in the bassinet in our room and move out into the crib in her bedroom. But it turns out she kind of decided on her own.

We started to have her take her day naps in the crib to get her used to the idea. She performed brilliantly. Since dad was staying up late anyway it was only maybe a day later when we had LS sleep in the crib for her first night-nap (the one from 9pm to 1am or so) while mom got some sleep and dad could keep an ear out from the office. Again, perfection.

With LS on such a streak, it seemed to make sense to have her just go the whole night in the crib. One of those first nights she slept 6 hours! Mom was pleased. Showing it was no fluke, this feat was performed again just last night. In fact, as this was written she was on 5 hours and counting... The bassinet days are behind us for good.

Thanks LS - what a great Christmas present! The gift of sleep.

Sorriso

We've been hoping to get little video clips of LS before and after she figured out how to smile. One where we'd encourage to smile and get her "serious" look, and then the other where she beamed with her new-found smiling ability.

Well, we finally got around to it yesterday. Here's the first in the series.



We're pretty sure she must have known what we were up to. This was on the changing table, but really does seem to be different then the gastic-induced smiles we've seen so far. If so, we managed to catch her first genuine smile on film. While, uh, of all things - hoping she wouldn't smile.

Video Withheld

We found out early on that there were two things LS loved to scream about (and not in a fun way): being changed and being bathed. I guess both those things seem to reveal an anti-cleaning ideology.

We're making progress on both fronts, though more so with the bathing - the subject at hand here.

What mom tried was bathing LS in the bathtub with her. None of these new-fangled plastic tubs. There've been a couple done this way, and today's LS seemed to particularly enjoy. It's a great scene really - two generations bathing together. Of course mom is just getting wet, not clean. And the water is only three inches deep or so. But LS's slippery little self is easier to manage.

And this is one of those cases where silence says it all, and slight hints of cooing pleasure are heard from LS instead of a full-on high pitched auditory assault.

Stat check: 12. That's how many inches of snow we're supposed to get tomorrow. And 12 is also supposed to be the temperature tomorrow night (-11 C), which LS is even less aware of inside our toasty house of 68 degrees.

Bye Bye Bear

It's actually come time that LS has outgrown some clothes. Today she wore the outfit that she came from the hospital in, and probably for the last time. It seemed so big then.

It seems that today might also have been the last day for the bear coat (seen here a week ago). This was a gift from a friend of mom's, who had bought the outfit before their baby was born, and their baby was born having already outgrown it!

Well, at least LS got some great usage out of it. She really took to clandestine operations, and enjoyed making it look like mom was talking to a stuffed animal at times. Only when turned around was her true identity revealed! Unfortunately it only lasted about 4 weeks.

Skypin' the night away

At not even 6 weeks old, LS has already had her first videoconference. Well, video *call* anyway. As LS cannot really figure out what is going on around her yet, memere definitely enjoyed it more on her end.

It's amazing that LS is born into a world that already has the ability to make free video calls anywhere in the world. Or where you can twitter short messages to an anonymous following. Or, well, blog about your daughter to anyone who cares to listen.

This reminded dad of those old AT&T commercials from 1993, where they predicted all kinds of cool technology that would be coming and would be provided by AT&T.

This one in particular, which includes a video call with a baby in it (that baby is now likely about 16 years old!).



It's amazing that all those things in the commercial LS can now do! Well, when she gets a little better control of her arms anyway. Of course, video calls aren't in phone booths (in fact, there are barely any more phone booths) - but still. Most of those things are better than they depict - like you don't have to go to a cash machine to buy concert tickets, you can do it sitting in your pajamas at home.

Of course, if they went back and redid the commercials they'd have to say something like - "have you ever tucked a baby in over the phone? You will. And it will be free. And, uh, we're going to go nearly bankrupt and be bought up by one of our former regional bell companies by then. Oh, nevermind."

Come to think of it, it's even amazing that it took dad all of about 30 seconds to find a link to a video of an old commercial from 16 years ago that he remembered.

And by the time LS can read this, there will no doubt be all manner of things that she can do and will be in amazement that they just weren't available yet in 2008!

Surreal Hats

This weekend LS spent time at a holiday sale, for her first exposure to the atmosphere of selling hats. Talk about surreal. She performed pretty well in the midst of so many people.

Also, she had her second overnight visitor (though only for one night this time) - Avo. With Avo over she got to learn some Portuguese lullabies, though she is struggling to remember the words. We're sure Avo will give her plenty more practice.

Back at the hat show, she relented to trying on a hat or two. (Is she actually smiling?)

121.3

This is a stat check worth its own post.

We had a weigh-in for LS today, and she tipped the scales at... hold on now...

7 lbs 9.3 oz (for metric fans, that's 3.439 kilos)

Before the weigh-in, we were told that 1/2 pound a week is really good weight gain. So 2.58 lbs in 22 days was a big surprise.

That's the weight of one KFC Extra Crispy Whole Wing each and every day.

It's the same as one of the following per week (pick your favorite):

1. Two Taco Bell Double Decker Taco Supremes
2. One Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwich plus an order of Biggie Fries
3. One McDonalds Double Quarter-Pounder with Cheese, Small Fries, and 2 Ketchup Packets

During Memere's visit alone she tacked on a 10 piece McDonalds Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips plus 3 packages of sweet-n-sour sauce.

Talking about all this reminds me of these guys from back in the day.

Day 33

The following notes were found on crumpled paper near LS's bassinet.

Day 33. Still no sign of rescue. My warm dark past is but a fleeting memory in my dreams now. I fear I may lose my sanity. The natives, however, have begun to show signs of intelligence and use of tools.

1:45am - They finally here my crying - subtlety is lost on them. Come on, we've been sleeping since like - what? - 11?
2:00am - Not the worst changing I've had, but still could use some work. Milk is a wonderful reward.
4:29am - Changing wasn't easy this time. It seemed no matter how much I screamed it didn't make it any easier for her.
4:47am - Finally on to the milk.
8:03am - enh... Enh.
8:07am - ENH! Good, finally got the big one's attention. Not easy.
8:13am - We have to wait for the milk to warm. I don't feel patient. I tried to strike a deal - he cleans me up and I'll scream the whole time. This was another messy one - but there was no need to gawk at it.
8:27am - Too excited on the changing table - I've peed myself. It didn't seem to make things go any quicker.
8:33am - Ohhh, warmed milk. Tastes like real.
9:37am - Not very exciting, just hanging out here with the big one propped up leaning on him. Doesn't he know how to do something?
9:49am - Finally, the swing. A slightly better form of monotony.
10:08am - The littler one is up! It looked like things could get more interesting, but she decides to prop me up against her while she checks her email. *sigh*
10:45pm - Back to the swing. Yay.
10:52am - Mrs. M visits! I haven't seen anyone else but these two since Memere left yesterday. A short visit though it was.
11:18am - Great. Another changing. (Note to self - stop peeing)
11:45am - More milk. I never get sick of this.
12:25pm - Another diaper blowout (as they so delicately put it). Do they think I feel good about it? Just get it over with please.
12:30pm - Whoa, hey! What's with the car seat? I try to keep screaming until they let me know. Go ahead, pick it up and rock it, it isn't going to wor... oh. *yawn* Mmm.
2:20pm - Wake up confused. This that mommy group again? Warm. Must sleep. Ok, I suppose a little milk won't hurt anything.
3:15pm - Wake up confused again. This the car? How does that get me fed? And no, I won't stop screaming actually.
3:35pm - More changing and more milk.
4:52pm - Found thumb. Not bad, but not worth the trouble. Yet.
4:55pm - Tummy time? Are they for real? Look. I have a heavy head. Does that amuse you?
5:08pm - Oh such good milk. I forgive all.
5:45pm - Oh, so full. Now how about we *yawn*, I mean we *yawn*. I, uh, think I'll just close my eyes. Just for a se...
8:51pm - Not sure what happened there. I just shut my eyes for a second. But then I ... Hey! I'm hungry! Of course she just has to change me first.
9:29pm - *yawn* Tired again.
11:30pm - Just laying looking at these shadows on the ceiling. What does it all mean? Crying would just bring changing. I think I'll let them sleep a little longer.

Heavy Head

We dusted off the archives of LS for video of her first real tummy time at the age of 3 weeks (Nov 22). Although the video is a week and a half old, it still shines like it was taken yesterday.



We half suspect that LS will first master breakdancing the "worm" even before crawling. See the following for comparison.

1 Month

Wow. 1 month already. 1 month in this wild world of ours. Good thing LS doesn't know how to read the news yet.

The last few days were pretty full. As things worked out this year, there were two Thanksgiving dinners to be had - one on Thursday with dad's side of the family, and one on Saturday with mom's side of the family. Illnesses unfortunately cut the attendance on Saturday from what could have been 15 down to 8. Still, with two TG dinners this year, I guess that means it was a year to be twice as thankful as usual.

It seems LS had a reaction to something in TG dinner, because she didn't sleep well and seemed to have gas discomfort both Thursday night and Saturday night - but it seems to have only lasted one night each time, so I guess we're thankful for that.

Anyway, here's to 1 month gone by! Which draws us closer to... LS being able to sleep through the night. Now that will *really* be cause for celebration!

Froggy II

We decided it was time to measure LS against froggy again. We've noticed that already some clothes are fitting differently. Yesterday LS wore the same outfit that she came home from the hospital in and was too big then. It seems now that if she wears it again next week it may be for the last time, as it now fits.

Our unofficial measurements put LS at 19 inches long now (1 inch growth (5.5%), she must have been pinched). And unofficial head circumference increase of 9%. Sadly, we don't have a delicate enough scale to measure weight, and the American Academy of Pediatrics is officially no longer in favor of the Archimedes water-displacement method.



After the photo session, LS was feeling energetic. We caught her practicing a move on froggy she called Bringin' the Hammer Down. Froggy didn't seem to mind.

First Look

For this post we rewind back a few weeks to LS's first moments in the outside world.

We like surprises - so we decided that we would wait until birth to find out the sex of the baby. When people asked if we knew what we were having I was often tempted to say - "yes, a baby." It's our contention that the sex doesn't matter, unless you're changing the diapers, until they are much older. Of course, we'll see how well that theory holds up.

Anyway, it was part of our "birthplan" that I, the dad, would be the one to announce the sex of the baby when it came out. This idea went back to when we thought mom might need to have general anesthesia and wanted something that would make things feel more personal and less clinical.

We were lucky that we knew roughly what to expect with the procedure, as mom had been at the observer-end of a C-section before. I had heard a number of times the story of when they had mom peek over the curtain to see her niece before she was fully born and only the head was peeking out of the abdomen.

So now I was at the critical part of the process. During the C-section I was holding mom's hand and keeping her company and listening to music of our choosing, while the doctors did their thing. Then -

"Ok, dad." (says our OB)

A moment of hesitation. Oh, this is the part where they show me the head out of the abdomen.

So I get up and look over the curtain toward the abdomen. But no head peeking out.

Panning my gaze upward. Oh... the baby's out... Wow!

"Well, what is it?" (again our OB, maybe getting tired now from holding the baby up)

A baby. But I realize that first thought can't be what she means.

Oh, right, I'm supposed to say what sex the baby is! Once this thought finally enters my head it already feels like an eternity since I first stood up to look, and I can only think that mom is now getting anxious with the delay.

Alright, now don't say the wrong thing. Sometimes you see the wrong thing, or you see the right thing but say the wrong thing - this is one of the times you don't want to mess up.

Even with the delay already, I decide that I'm going to take an extra long look and make sure. Things can be subtle down there on the little ones, and I'm committed to not blowing the call on this one.

Ok, it's a girl - I'm sure of it. Say "girl". Say "girl".

So, I turn and whisper to mom - "It's a little girl".

We're lost for a moment just looking at each other and thinking about the fact that this is real and we have a little girl to take care of.

"What is it?" - says one of the nurses.

Oh no! I must have said the wrong thing! I replay in mind the last few seconds - I was sure it was a girl (check), I told myself to make sure to say girl (check), I can hear the word girl coming out of my mouth in the replay (check). We should be good here.

"What?" I ask.

Nurse - "You have to tell us what it is."

Can't you tell? I can't be the one most qualified in the room to figure this out can I?

"I already told her - it's a girl."

"I have to hear it so I can write it down," she says motioning to the ankle bracelet yet to be fastened onto LS.

Oh, I see - so this is all very official - I'm stating this for the record. Phew. Relieved that I didn't mess it up afterall, I let the rest of them in on the big secret.

Meet the Family

On Sunday, just in time for the holiday season, LS met a good number of her family. Her cousins, ranging in age from 2 to 8 years old, were the most impressed.

The occassion was for the 5th birthday party for one of the cousins. It's hard for any of us to believe that she's 5 already, and harder still to think that LS will reach that age before we know it.

LS handled the stresses of such a public performance with so many people fairly gracefully. She chose to start by sleeping, which is a good way to remain calm. She then moved on to feeding and sitting there looking cute. Not a bad way to set up a first impression.

LS is looking forward to seeing them all in less then a week for Thanksgiving festivities. And there will be more family to meet in the coming week also.

What a fun time of year to join the world.

Madrugada

Memere's trip begins at 4:30am this morning, or as her driver to the airport calls it: O'dark-30. He's not a morning person. Really it's that time of day when it isn't clear whether it is late at night or early in the morning. Miles away, LS is about 2/3 through a 4am feeding session. Soon to be back to sleep.

5:50am board the plane. 6:20am take-off. LS, cozy at home, sleeps through most of it. 9:16am, finally get off the plane. One more leg to go, 40 minute drive.

Memere hates the cold. When dad left to get her at the airport it was 19 degrees out. For you LS fans more familiar with the metric system, that's roughly negative stupid. Dad, of course, wears shorts. Didn't really think of it, as always - until memere mentions it in mock horror.

So about 10am, memere meets LS. We think she approves. Both of them that is.

Anticipa-a-tion

LS hasn't really learned to anticipate yet - but if she did she would be ready for memere's visit starting tomorrow.

Memere has a famous dislike for peas, but we think that even she wouldn't so much mind this pea-in-a-pod look. Shot on location in dad's office.

Stat check: 0.3125 dph. LS's diaper/hour rate so far this week. That's 3 hours 12 minutes per. This improved rate is due mostly to LS's parents figuring out what they're doing.

New Day

What a difference a day makes. A bad night, followed by a really good night. Night before last, LS wouldn't get to sleep. So, of course, neither could mom. She estimated she got 45 minutes of sleep - and not all in a row. LS didn't cry all night - thankfully - but she just fussed a lot (pipped and squeaked we call it), and mom can't sleep through that yet. That didn't make for such a good day.

Last night, LS was a sleeping champ - and mom got some much needed rest.

Stat check: 30 hours. About how much total sleep we all got last night.

Of course, dad got the lion's share of the sleep last night with 12 hours.

We're guessing that should make for a more pleasant day today. And hopefully a sign of better nights ahead!

The Sound of One Hand

We've yet to solve the riddle of the sound of one hand clapping.

LS has necessitated the adoption of some monomanual skills that were unexpected however.

Top of the list is one hand washing. This happens post diaper change while still holding LS with the clean hand. One hand can wash itself pretty well it turns out. So much for the saying about bipartisan hand cleansing technique.

Next on the list is one hand typing. This is a skill especially picked up by dad. One wonders what a keyboard optimized for one handed usage might look like. Well, like a cell phone maybe.

Some mild success has also been made in the areas of monomanual lunch preparation, dressing, and cat feeding.

Topping the list of failures - leaf raking.

Fortnight

Wow, LS is 14 already! Uh, days. Still, where *does* the time go?

This week saw, on the same day, the one week mark of LS being home and the day that the birth had been planned for. Plans. Yeah, those are a thing of the past.

She made her first social trip today (i.e. not Dr. related). Of course, that meant it was also Mom's first trip out of the house not headed for a Dr.

Destination? Coffee shop - where else? She hung out at our table and listened intently to the debate on whether the government should bail out GM, and stories that people had about their dangerous run-ins with unions. You can always tell when she listens intently because she closes her eyes and tilts her head to one side. Some casual observers actually mistook this for sleeping!

Later in the day, LS had a bath - her second since being home. This one was for the cameras though. Although we haven't reviewed the film yet, I think she was hamming it up a bit.

Stat check: 65. That's how many cloth diapers LS has gone through since 3pm on Monday (1 diaper every 1 hour 57 minutes).

We're using a cloth diaper service for these first weeks that drops off 80 diapers each Monday afternoon (yeah, and they take back the dirty ones!). There are currently 15 clean ones left. It looks like for this first week we'll be relying on a grip of disposables to get us over the goal line. Next week we're expecting LS to aim for closer to one diaper every 2 hours 6 minutes.

Sweathogs

Fun fact - LS is soothed by the opening bars of the theme from "Welcome Back Kotter". One of her first couple days she had a brief visit in the nursery and dad hummed this tune when she was brought back ("Welcome baaaaack..."). For dad it's a nostalgic song that harkens back to an age when a big city seemed as other-worldly as Captain Kirk and green women.



Stat check: 5 lbs 6 oz as of today, back above birth weight.

The next weigh-in isn't until 2009 (which, believe it or not, isn't that far off).

Introducing Froggy

The first day home from the hospital, Dad set out to find LS a little stuffed animal buddy. The task was made easy when froggy was seen right away sitting on the edge of the shelf in the store. A certain resemblance couldn't be denied, and these two couldn't help but love each other.

LS can't do much yet, but froggy seems to be content to wait it out. Froggy mostly likes to get snuggled anyway, and LS is bound to get the hang of that once old enough to try.

The two posed for a picture together to compare sizes. Something that might happen again from time to time.


The camera also caught Froggy stealing a glance at LS when they thought the camera wasn't watching.

A Fix

We're like junkies. Just need a fix. Just one more hit and then we'll straighten ourselves out. We swear.

Faced with 25 minutes before feeding time - what else would we do? We set the alarm. 25 minutes out in the future. Oh sweet sleep. Just a hit of sleep.

Ohhhh, and that snooze button. 36% more sleep with just one hit. Mmmmm..

Curiosity

Nicki was cautiously interested in the arrival of LS. The image here captures her first peek. She hasn't gotten that close again. The crying doesn't seem to bother her though, so that's good.

We went to the pediatrician for first visit today. Everything looking good.

Stat check: now 5 lbs 3 oz

That's up 2.6 oz in a little over a day. Good eatin'!

Averages

As a family we're averaging at least 8 hours of sleep a day.

Should be enough, no?

But then here's the problem:

Lady Surreal - 20 hours
dad - 2 hours
mom - 2 hours

So there you go - 8 hours on average. Ugh.

It's enough to make you want to lay down and enjoy your first time in pants.

Looks like we'll be going home today! A somewhat drizzly morning, but good temperatures for November - upper 50's. Although Memere would find it really cold!

Stat check: A little more weight gain last night, back over 5 lbs now (5 lbs 0.4 oz).

Dad got some serious sleep last night - 8 hours! Maybe Mom will get her turn for a little extra time today/tonight.

The picture is from this morning - in the bed where Dad slept during the hospital stay.

So Surreal

Lady Surreal (not her real name!) is pretty new to this world. About 4.5 days as of this post actually.

What could be more surreal than coming from the womb and being plunked into the outside world? The moniker is a play on her name, but also comes from her time glowing blue on a UV light table.

The purpose of this blog is to share information about what's going on in her life. Mostly so family and friends can keep up with that sort of thing from time to time. Names have been changed or generalized to protect the innocent.

So far things are good. She is a great nurser, thanks to the efforts of mom. After losing weight the first day, she has gained some weight back each subsequent day. She is pretty easily consoled and seems to like being held (which she is never lacking volunteers to do). The last two days she has been sleeping 3 hours at a time and has to be woken for her nursing sessions - at which she is expert.

She started a little over 5 1/4 lbs and 18 inches long, and is now back to just under 5 lbs.

Good chance she'll be headed home with mom and dad tomorrow. Won't that be an adventure?