Friday, April 30, 2010
6 weeks
Ellis weighed in at 10 lbs, 15 oz today! That's a full 4 pound net gain in 6 weeks. At this rate, he would weigh 41 lbs at his first birthday and 353 lbs by his tenth birthday. Good news: we are expecting his rate of weight gain to decrease...
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
New Furniture
I'm not sure what to call the object Jen bought at IKEA today. It's a bookcase that's turned sideways so it's wider than it is tall. It doubles as a place to store Eli's diaper stuff, toys, and other baby paraphernalia. It matches his crib and looks nice in that corner of the room. Of course, the photo's going to be delayed with the missing MacBook. I will say that this was the easiest and fastest piece of furniture I have assembled. I hope Eli likes it. Jen will as she won't have to kneel down on the floor to change diapers; neither will I.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Baby Monitor
We are in the sixth week now. Eli is making more noise during the night, or so Jen tells me. She's the saint who gets up to feed and change him. I still wake up tired. She looks good.
So I opened the baby monitor we received at a shower and tested it out; so far so good. We just put Eli to bed in his crib with the monitor up and running. Here's to better sleeping.
Burglary
Jen and Eli went to Wisconsin on Friday. I went to dinner and out with some friends. When I came home, I thought it odd that a light was home. I then opened the front door and found it was chained shut. Through the three inch gap, I looked into our bedroom and saw drawers opened and clothes strewn about. Though I didn't hear anything, I decided to call the police.
The office entered with drawn gun; nobody was there. I had been praying that the external hard drives were still there, figuring that both laptops, the iPod, the Wii and the digital camera would all be gone. The thief must love all things Apple as only the iPod and the MacBook were missing. Everything else was sitting out in plain sight. Must have been looking for things that will sell quickly and are easy to transport as it appeared they were looking for cash, jewelry and firearms from where stuff was thrown out of drawers.
The thief came in through the front window, looked through Jen's desk, both out nightstands, the dressers, and both closets. It wasn't a very smart thief as all the cash from baby showers was in my desk! The thief left through the back door, leaving it a few feet open.
We figure someone scoped out the place and knew we weren't home. I'm feeling mostly thankful as no one was home, we have insurance, and I expected to have lost a lot more. I don't feel someone violated our space, but I do feel vulnerable in that someone can see all 8,000 of our photos that were on the Mac. My friends keep reassuring me that the drive has already been wiped and the computer's been sold. (And yes, I have been checking Craigslist just to see if it appears!)
In my ethics class this semester, we've talked a fair bit about memory and remembering rightly. I am trying to hold the perpetrator in my memory justly - neither demonizing him/her nor letting him/her off the hook. An injustice was committed against me. I would like to meet with the thief, though I realize it's unlikely. I would like to hear the story of the circumstances and offer forgiveness to him/her.
The "good neighbors" at State Farm are pretty helpful, so I should be getting a new iPod and MacBook later this week. Needless to say, Eli's photos are going to be posted late!
The office entered with drawn gun; nobody was there. I had been praying that the external hard drives were still there, figuring that both laptops, the iPod, the Wii and the digital camera would all be gone. The thief must love all things Apple as only the iPod and the MacBook were missing. Everything else was sitting out in plain sight. Must have been looking for things that will sell quickly and are easy to transport as it appeared they were looking for cash, jewelry and firearms from where stuff was thrown out of drawers.
The thief came in through the front window, looked through Jen's desk, both out nightstands, the dressers, and both closets. It wasn't a very smart thief as all the cash from baby showers was in my desk! The thief left through the back door, leaving it a few feet open.
We figure someone scoped out the place and knew we weren't home. I'm feeling mostly thankful as no one was home, we have insurance, and I expected to have lost a lot more. I don't feel someone violated our space, but I do feel vulnerable in that someone can see all 8,000 of our photos that were on the Mac. My friends keep reassuring me that the drive has already been wiped and the computer's been sold. (And yes, I have been checking Craigslist just to see if it appears!)
In my ethics class this semester, we've talked a fair bit about memory and remembering rightly. I am trying to hold the perpetrator in my memory justly - neither demonizing him/her nor letting him/her off the hook. An injustice was committed against me. I would like to meet with the thief, though I realize it's unlikely. I would like to hear the story of the circumstances and offer forgiveness to him/her.
The "good neighbors" at State Farm are pretty helpful, so I should be getting a new iPod and MacBook later this week. Needless to say, Eli's photos are going to be posted late!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Kids on Human Trafficking in South Africa for World Cup
While this video is political (because it's about people and their/our life together), it's not about particular legislation, candidates or parties. Simply about the abuse and injustice that will happen in the country hosting this year's World Cup.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VxD3RmRUf0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VxD3RmRUf0
Friday, April 23, 2010
Eli's Weight Gain
Birth: 6-15
3 days: 6-9 (lost 6 oz)
1 week: 7-1 (birth weight regained)
2 weeks: 7-11
3 weeks: 8-10 (almost a pound in a week!)
4 weeks: 9-6
1 mo checkup: 10-0
5 weeks: 10-1 (today)
That's three pounds net gain in five weeks. If this rate continues, he'll weigh just over 38 pounds at one year. I doubt that will happen though. Just a fun mathematical exercise (for me).
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Bath Time Follies
Eli loves his baths. I mean this kid has not cried at all during all the baths we have given him. He tenses up when his feet or butt make first contact with the water, but that's it. I'm already looking forward to baby "swimming lessons" with him once he turns 6 mo.
Today, we put his little tub on the kitchen counter beside the sink so I wouldn't break my back bending over the tub. I don't know how many of you have ever given a baby a bath, but once the No More Tears shampoo/soap gets all over them, they are slippery! So it became painful to be balancing myself kneeling beside the tub and worrying about Eli slipping out of my hands and hitting his head or something.
Tonight's bath was going along great. It's fun that Eli can hold his head up for the most part and that his eyes are tracking us more and more. I'm more comfortable with how to give a bath, including cleaning the hard to reach folds of skin on his neck.
But I made the mistake of washing his face with a washcloth that was too full of water! He sputtered and clenched his whole body as he coughed and cried for a minute. It's amazing that his little body knows where water is not supposed to go: in the lungs. I was freaking out, realizing that I nearly drowned my son! Thankfully Jen was there to calm me down and reassure me that it was not that bad. I felt terrible.
We toweled him off in his hooded towels. I was putting a diaper on him when I noticed his face was wet. He had peed on himself. What an end to the bath time adventure. I told Jen that if he cries during the next bath, it's because I've traumatized him!
Today, we put his little tub on the kitchen counter beside the sink so I wouldn't break my back bending over the tub. I don't know how many of you have ever given a baby a bath, but once the No More Tears shampoo/soap gets all over them, they are slippery! So it became painful to be balancing myself kneeling beside the tub and worrying about Eli slipping out of my hands and hitting his head or something.
Tonight's bath was going along great. It's fun that Eli can hold his head up for the most part and that his eyes are tracking us more and more. I'm more comfortable with how to give a bath, including cleaning the hard to reach folds of skin on his neck.
But I made the mistake of washing his face with a washcloth that was too full of water! He sputtered and clenched his whole body as he coughed and cried for a minute. It's amazing that his little body knows where water is not supposed to go: in the lungs. I was freaking out, realizing that I nearly drowned my son! Thankfully Jen was there to calm me down and reassure me that it was not that bad. I felt terrible.
We toweled him off in his hooded towels. I was putting a diaper on him when I noticed his face was wet. He had peed on himself. What an end to the bath time adventure. I told Jen that if he cries during the next bath, it's because I've traumatized him!
Monday, April 19, 2010
First Road Trip
We took our first road trip up to Green Bay this weekend so Eli met Grandpa Jim and his side of the family. Here they are in their first moments together.
Eli was a champ both on the road and in the hotel. Everything takes longer with a baby.
Where did we have lunch? Curly's Pub at Lambeau field. We will continue rooting Packers and secretly hoping the Lions break 500 one of these seasons...Habituation
Here is one of the first experiments that Ellis participated in. I was following the book Touchpoints by T. Berry Brazelton. Watch how quickly he habituates to the light...
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Diaper Growth
Ellis has transitioned from the "N" (newborn) to the "1" in diaper sizing. In case anyone cares, we use Pampers Swaddlers. There's a big difference - he went from filling out the N to the drowning in the 1.
First Restaurant
Last night, Jen, Kristi and I took Ellis to dinner with us at Red Robin. Ellis slept through the whole outing, despite the loud music, the kids at the table next to us, or it being in the evening. We enjoyed the hamburgers (especially the Santa Fe), unlimited fries and malts. The first restaurant outing was almost flawless until we heard the manager whistling at us after we left the restaurant. We had forgotten the diaper bag at the table. At least we had the baby with us.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
A different baby
When I got home after work today and played with Ellis for about an hour, he was completely calm, just as how I remember his first week in the world. He was alert, moving, making soft sounds - very pleasant to be around! I was about at my limit last night when I posted last. I'm amazed at the change in temperament from day to day. I suppose it will serve me well to remember this when the next fussy day comes. And, before falling asleep, I realized that it was I who was fussy more than it was Ellis.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Fussy, Fussy
Ellis was fussy today. Jen said he wanted to be picked up almost all day. I was gone most of the day studying and at class. When I came home, we walked to a Thai restaurant for take out dinner and ate at home. Ellis fell asleep on the walk but woke up when we got home. After dinner, we took a long walk and put him in the stroller. Despite all the bumps on the sidewalk, Ellis was fast asleep. I fed him a bottle when we got home and he woke up (5 minutes after we arrived). And then he fussed and squirmed while watching LOST. I gave in and handed him over to Jen. I get it Ellis: I am not a patient person!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Eye Contact
I came home today at 6 and found Ellis sound asleep on Jen's chest. I held him while we watched the news and then gave him a bottle. Through the whole 3.5 oz, he kept his eyes on me and I talked to him just about the whole while. It was a magical 20 min.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
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