Piecemeal Mama Advice

I've got this plan to write a big 'ol post filled with all the wisdom and secret tricks and product recommendations that have made their way into my brain over the past 4+ months. And oh, I've thought a lot about what to write. But oh, I never manage to do it.

Case in point: I am now typing this one-handed because I am nursing. And it's not even my good hand.

So rather than one big long crafted post, I'll try to offer my thoughts in the tiny bursts that this baby allows.

Thought #1: Once you have a baby, it becomes really hard to get anything done. It WILL all get done (mostly) but it will take a long time. I could elaborate, but I can't right now. Let's just say it took me over 10 minutes just to write this.

Ch ch ch changes

Hello, 4 month old baby! You are freaking cute, among other things. You're also incredibly smiley, and quite talkative, especially in the mornings, when you release an endless stream of chatter and gurgles and coos and mmmmppprrrggrshsssss. Yesterday you rolled over for the first time, though I didn't actually see it. You were on your activity mat, eating your toes (your current favorite activity) and rolling onto your side. Then I went into my bedroom and a few moments later I heard you fussing. I emerged to find you on your stomach, fairly confused as to how you got there and unsure as to what to do. You'll figure it out soon enough. Yay!

Other developments I'm noticing: your head control is excellent, and your legs are wicked strong. You seem to be trying to sit up—when you're propped up against pillows, you strain to bring your head forward. You're still too floppy and unbalanced to do it on your own, but you seem to be trying. Also, you notice the dog now! And the cat. You watch them and smile and laugh. Speaking of smiling and laughing, you crack up every time you see your Grandpa Doug. Something about his face and his shiny head I guess...

You also seem to be noticing food, and the act of eating that goes along with it. It'll be awhile before you take part, but it's cool to see you raptly watching as the food goes to the mouth.

Aaaaand you're also totally making a sound that sounds like "mama." Just sayin'.

Our Daughter, the Keyboardist

One Month, Two Months, Three Months, Wow!

Jason likes to say that the most commonly used sentence in blogs is most likely "So I haven't written on this blog for a while, but..." (or some variation thereof), and he's probably write. In an effort to avoid that let's just get to the point(s): It's hard to do much of anything when you have a new baby (and a new house) but I think I'm finally feeling a little bit settled. And I want to keep people posted on Ivy Cat, and me, and us, and life, and I want to do it for you all, Dear Readers, and for us as well. Because one thing that everyone tells you when you have a baby is very, very true: It all goes so fast! I find myself trying to remember what Ivy was like last month, or 6 weeks ago, and it's almost impossible. Like when did she start smiling so much, and making all these sounds? And when did she start grabbing and reaching? And when the hell did she stop taking naps!?! (She's actually napping right now. Hence blogging. Exciting!) At the same time, I really am enjoying it all, every moment of it (that's the other thing that everyone tells you when you have a baby). I'll never stop being thankful that I get to spend all this time with her.

So here's what she's all about right now: smiling, reaching, grabbing soft toys/fabric, bringing soft toys/fabric to her mouth and sucking, grabbing hair, smiling, gurgling, making R2D2 noises, 'flapping her wings', wriggling, being naked, splashing in the bath, sleeping in the Ergo, eating her hands, chewing on her cloth book, staring at the ceiling fan, staring at her psychedelic mobile, getting her diaper changed, and staring intensely at our faces. And the faces of others. She'd stare at yours if you were here. And of course, she's into nursing. She's waaaay into that. Current favorite objects include two different cloth books, Sophie le Girafe, a stuffed rabbit, a purple cow rattle, a little wooden figure thing, bright green blanket, and a small stuffed fox (whose nose she sucks).

AND NOW WE MOVE!

More soon, from our new home on Canon Ave.

SO MUCH!

Ack! We are moving! We bought a house, we are packing, Jason is working, Ivy Cat is nursing, Buzz is sleeping, Henry's spazzing. Barbara and Doug are helping, Aubs is touring, painter is coming, floor guy is coming, we are learning, resting, multitasking. Why spread out major life changes when you can do them ALL AT ONCE?!

In other news: Ivy Cat's best friend has been born! Lara and Mitch welcomed Io Augusta Trale into the world on August 6—just over a week ago! Ivy and Io have hung out a few times, but have yet to really get deep.

Now I will go get Jason and go buy kitchen floors—Marmoleum!—and then pretend to pack for a while. Sigh. I hate packing. But I am beyond thrilled for our new home!

5 Weeks

And 5 weeks has passed since this child was born. Almost exactly, in fact—it's 3:08pm, and she was born at 3:26. Amazing. It's seemed like forever, and it's flown by. She was born a million years ago and she just arrived yesterday. We're used to her, we know her, she is a total mystery. She is big—11 lbs now, and even taller, and her neck is getting stronger and she sleeps well at night and loves to eat and she smiles at us.

And we bought a house. We are moving in a month. This will be a very very busy month. I feel good and calm but very aware of all that we have to do. I love being home with Ivy, though it's hard to get much done.

How do those mommy bloggers do it?! I guess it gets easier and you settle into a routine and your brain gets less addled and mushy? I am getting good at using my feet to pick stuff up off the floor when I'm holding her so I don't have to bend down. If only I could pack with my toes...

Right now she's in her bassinet and I'm rocking it with my right foot. She's kind of napping, kind of grunting.

She Smiles!

Magic

Precious tiny creature. In the swing making sounds—like grunts and coos and a kind of squeak. Waving arms. Startling, the Moro Reflex, this primitive thing you do to protect against beasts and dinosaurs. A pure remnant of a long time ago. Little moving mouth, little moving eyes. I sat down to write here, finally, and then she began to cry in her swing and I cannot let her cry in her swing and so the writing was put off, and she laid in my arms and nursed until she fell asleep and I let her stay there, warm and soft with her mouth still open around my nipple. I spend a lot of time in this blue chair. The Giants game is on. We took a nap today, the three of us. She likes to sleep on her side and curl against us, her arms folded in front of her, one leg straight and one bent, the same way I like to sleep. The Giants score. The cat stares out the door. A stack of Thank Yous to write and oh how daunting that is. She squawks and tells me she'll soon tired of the swing. And so I'll stop this and scoop her up again. I am more than happy to do this. Here I come.

I Don't Even Know Where To Begin

That's the problem with blogging, I guess. When you stop for a while, for whatever reason—say you had a baby, and couldn't do much but stare at her for several weeks—it's hard to start back up. You start to fret about what to write, how to catch up on everything, whether you need to detail all that's gone on or whether you can just skip a bunch of stuff. And really, it hasn't been that long—Ivy Cat is only 17 days old. We have had her for 17 days. We've been parents for 17 days. But oh how amazing these 17 days have been. How long and magnificent and unlike anything we've ever known. How quickly one can slide into an entirely new role, a new life, a completely new way of being and orienting and thinking and loving. 18 days ago I did not have a tiny creature rocking placidly in a swing next to me. I did not get up in the middle of the night to nurse a sweet sweet cooing baby (instead, I got up to pee). I did not know how unbelievably good babies smell, or how much we would love laying in bed with her in the morning, watching her make faces as she slowly wakes up. And I most definitely did not know how big my boobs would get, and how important those Lansinoh breast pads would be!

And there's so much more. This is such an amazing time of learning, both on our parts and on Ivy's part. Everyday is new information, new movements, new expressions, and new discoveries. Her poop changes, her coos and grunts change, she uses her hands more, she grabs at her toes. We get to know her better every day. Two nights ago we discovered that playing loud classic rock provokes instant calm and shut-eye in Ivy—so far Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti and the Stones' Exile on Main Street have put the kid to bed in like 3 seconds.

She's a good sleeper and she's not much of a crier—I mean, she cries, but she calms quickly. She's remarkably alert when she's not sleeping, and is an enthusiastic nurser, to say the least. She's getting perfectly chubby. Those cheeks and thighs. Sigh.

We can't stop taking pictures of this child—I'm putting them online at my Picasa site and also on my Facebook page.

So, Dear Readers, I am back, and ready to update you on every single development in Ivy Cat's life.

I'm kidding. I mean almost every single development.