Work Day

We're all sleepy tonight after a tough day working on the garage/cottage. Omma painted the new baseboards in the cottage while Pop and Papa reorganized the garage. It looks beautiful now and is open for visitor business!

A Sunny Saturday in Oakland

This morning I went to the farmer's market (that's me in the sling):
and then I modelled the poncho Nancy knit for me while everyone else gardened.

Happy 60th Bday G'ma Debbie!

Come back and see us soon!

Welcome Omma & Pop!

Big day today. Omma and Pop arrived this afternoon in their shiny new Prius all the way from Denver (1,218 miles!). They made such terrific time (who knew Prii could hit three digits on the speedometer?)

They even brought

hand-me-down goodies

from Aunt Julie and Uncle Chris including two boxes of clothes from my cousins Courtie and Lily.

Omma also introduced me to the pacifier, a great tool for hands free sucking!

Cry, Cry, Cry

The doctors tell me I need to cry about an hour a day, just for "exercise" and "to burn excess energy."

The value of this lesson arrived just as the first winter rains did and while we were the furthest from the house we've ever been: halfway around Lake Merritt. Dad was walking me with Molly and Maisy when I took a cue from some nearby joggers and got in some good cardio screaming and crying for over 20 minutes. I thought that was what people did around Lake Merritt but Dad was looking flustered and seemed to be smiling sheepishly at the passers-by. Maybe he was just embarassed by how good an athlete I was turning out to be.

Family Traits

People always ask me questions like: "What color are my eyes?" -and- "Who do I look like?"While I won't know my eye color for sure until I'm about 6 months, I have discovered three family traits so far:

1. I look like my mom, especially in the cheeks. Here she is at my age (that could be me!):
2. I have my G'ma Debbie's toes. Only she and I can spread our toes while pointing our pinky toes, and ONLY our pinky toes, down:
3. I also think I have my Omma's rounded chin. Speaking of which, SAFE DRIVING OMMA AND POP!

High Fashion Up Top

My wardrobe largely consists of long and short-sleeve onesies, pajamas, and tightly wrapped blankets that can collectively be described by one word: papoose. They keep me warm and swaddled (read: calm) but leave only one area for accessorizing: my noggin'. That's why I'm so excited by two recent handknit gifts,

the urban sophisticate by Nancy:

and the urban hipster by Jenny:

My Local Extended Family

I'm lucky to have a great community of friends here in Oaktown that have made for a fun and steady stream of visitors since I've been home. As my family lives far and wide, they're like my local extended family. It's been great to meet them and they've helped us out tremendously by making my parents dinner and bringing us goodies like lullaby music, bedtime stories, peace lilies, even beautiful hand-knit hats!

Here's a few pictures (an incomplete list to be sure) of those I managed to catch on film:

Fingers + Toes

sleptmuchbetterlast night.

TIRed day.... zzzz

Those 5 S's make me go to sleep. Only problem is, they make me go to sleep during the DAY, which can be good for cat naps in the sun but are hell on my parents, especially my mom, who didn't sleep too well last night.

My Secret Off Switch

As I get more energy, I'm discovering the joys of crying. Great exercise. I was getting in a few sets this morning but then my parents learned how well "the 5 S's" (swaddle, side or stomach, shush, swing, and suck) lead quickly to the sixth S: sleep. Man, I'm only a week old today and they've already discovered my secret off switch. They're also warming to the idea of putting me down for a change. This morning I slept in the family bassinet for over an hour (becoming the 24th family member to do so) and enjoyed a few rides in the swing. This is great. More sleep AND more rides.

A's Clinch AL West!

Last night my team, the Oakland A's, clinched the American League West. I was pumped.
So pumped in fact that I celebrated all night long and fed every hour. I sure hope they win the World Series... and that Mom brings enough food.

My Mommy

My Mommy is the greatest. She works 23.75 hours a day just to feed and sleep with me. That doesn't leave much time for anything else. She's already a champion nurser and has mastered the football hold, the cradle hold, the laying down feed, and even the she-sleeps-I-sleep-or-we-both-do-while-nursing "hold". I'm more or less in this position 16 hours a day.

1st Dr. Visit, 1st Bath

Today was my first visit to the doctor. A routine post-delivery check-in. See out here in CA they want to make sure you know how to breastfeed and you know little CA tricks like putting raw cabbage in mom's bra if she gets engorged (not sure how that works really but we'll keep it on file in case Mom's desperation happens to fall on farmer's market day). They also draw MORE blood to make sure you're doing okay. Hey, I don't have much to spare over here.

Thankfully, the judges gave me high marks for my sucking form and noted that I had already gained an ounce since being discharged from the hospital on Friday. That brings me back up to 7lbs 11 oz, or just 3 oz short of my two-week goal: to match my birth weight. I'm a good eater.

My other big first -- and far from the cute-smiley-baby-playing-in-the-bubbles impression my parents had going in -- was my first bath. Hated it. It was not until I was warm and dry again, wrapped in my horse towel, that I calmed down and could focus in on one of my real favorites: the mobile on my changing table.
Whew, what a day!

My Daddy

My daddy can't feed me so he's been trying to pick up the slack in other ways by doing things like changing my diapers (they started me on cloth this morning. Product review forthcoming), making meals (though between G'ma Debbie and a few visitors bringing goodies he can hardly take any credit), cleaning up (he keeps putting things away that Mom still needs and then suddenly are no longer within reach), and answering the phone and talking to all my fans. He's been helpful but, let's face it, he's no substitute for Mom. So last night I figured he needed a little bonding time and, after a hearty late night dinner (milk! much heartier than colostrum), he walked and burped me and I fell asleep on his chest on the couch for 4.5 straight hours.I'm a good sleeper... so far.