A month already

Little E is already a month old! Time really flies. We've already noticed lots of changes in her, and she's already experienced a whole lot of things.

- She is learning to like baths, and to endure diaper changes.

- She doesn't like being put in the car seat, but once in, she enjoys stroller rides and puts up with car rides.

- She does not like cabbage (second hand, that is) but doesn't seem to mind coffee.

- She's gotten breastfeeding totally figured out, but maintains that meals should be no further apart than three hours and that a frequency of every hour and a half is preferable.

- She enjoys being outside, so long as the mosquitoes can't bite her and the sun isn't directly in her eyes.

- She likes to think she's got great muscle control in her head and neck, but the truth is she needs to do a lot more head-ups (like sit-ups, but only involving one's head) before having this one figured out.


She's attended
a wedding,
a garage raising,
two church services,
been part of her first Mother's Day celebration,
and taken road trips north and south.

She's hung out with
two sets of grandparents,
three great grandparents,
several aunts and uncles,
a great Aunt,
two friends almost exactly the same age as her,
and lots of other important people.

Canadian Milk

Colds, Folk Music and Moby Wraps

Little E has her first cold. No fun at all to be all stuffed up with no understanding of nose-blowing or proper coughing. But tucked up in the Moby Wrap, listening to James Taylor and his real-time back-up singer of one (me :D), puts her right to sleep, leaving me free to do some chores with both hands free.

The sun is slowly sinking down, and the moon is rising.
So this old world must still be spinning round,
And I still love you.
--James Taylor (see music video)

Morning

One advantage to being up at 5:30AM to take the baby for a stroll so her mom can sleep is that the light is just perfect so early.  This dandelion was being lit up just right by the low sun, so I took advantage of the timing to get a back lit shot of it.  Might have to make early strolls a habit...

She's Ours

Last night we visited some friends who have a daughter, A, five days younger than E.
Five days younger and a good pound and a half lighter. It was neat being able to look at the two babies side by side and compare family traits.
Little A is a more feminine version of her older brother, and has the fair skin and hair of her parents.

E has put on over a pound since her birth, according to her two week check-up, and is definitely a sturdy little girl.
Our friends say she looks like her dad and mostly I would agree.
Except her nose. She's got that from me, and the chin too, I think.
Whatever the case, we think she's beautiful and we look forward to seeing how she changes and develops over the coming months and years.

Diapering and whatnot

The problem with cloth diapering is that you have to change diapers way more often than with disposable, because the cotton doesn't pull the moisture away from Baby's bum like the products in disposable do.

Or perhaps the problem is when the child eats every hour and a half, day and night, and fills diapers equally as often.

Perhaps that's why God made babies so beautiful, so that you can't stay exasperated and frustrated in your overtiredness...because your heart just melts when you look at them, even after the fourth feeding in as many hours, in the middle of the night.

And it helps that the diapers are cute too. We're using Bummis Prefolds, and are quite pleased with how they're working, though we do go through almost thirty diapers in two days.

Favourites

K and E's favourite place to be for the last thirteen days is as follows:

But my new favourite place for us is anywhere outside with the Moby Wrap. E is still uncertain about it, but I'm looking forward to spending lots of time getting fresh air and sunshine and exercise together.

Good, Better, Best

Our prenatal classes emphasized the importance of pregnant women getting enough protein in their diet, and they especially argued that pregnant women should be getting at least one egg a day to get proper nutrition.

I do not like cooked eggs very much. Never have, ever since I was little. The make or break factor of food for me is texture. And eggs, like mushrooms, are just...wriggly. Not my favourite. [Caveat: I do like a good omelette or eggs Benedict or some other exceptions].

That said, I can fully appreciate the nutritional benefits of good eggs.

So, I offer you a comparison. On the outside of the bowl, generic store-bought egg yolks. In the middle, one free-range heritage-breed egg yolk specially delivered from the farm by my mother. Guess which is better for you?

Parenthood

It's still surreal.
I look down at this tiny squeaking bundle and am in awe.
Can we live up the responsibility we have as parents?
With God's help, I pray that we can.

Elspeth Maren, born on a blustery April day, at home.
Into the hands of our capable midwives and sister-in-law; coming too quick to make it to the birth center.
We are so blessed.