Breaking news!

This just in . . . Eve Xochitl laughed for the first time tonight!  Mama sneezed, Eve laughed and it sounded a little creaky, but was definitely a laugh.  It was followed in quick succession by her second and third laughs, which were much clearer.  Mama cried a few tears at the momentousness. 

We're mostly packed and ready for Florida adventures tomorrow!

March already?!

Even though it's only two days shorter than other months, February was true to form and reputation and sped by in what felt like 10 days. 

Eve is developing rapidly and every day brings something new.  She's way into toys, especially the moose from Auntsy.  It's starting to go into her mouth and entertains her for half an hour at a time.  She loves gumming her hands, and has been eyeing her feet, so I think it's only a matter of time before those make it into her mouth.  She's discovering her voice and makes shrieks and other noises that are not entirely pleasant, but don't seem to be caused by pain or discomfort..  

Eve and I got away for a Green women's retreat this past weekend.  Here is Eve, wearing shoes for the first time, ready to go!  Note how she fills the swing now.

 

I took her cross country skiing for the first time.   It was a short, but glorious outing (and very warm and windless, for those of you concerned that I was using her to break the wind). Eve loved it, was wide eyed the entire time.

 

We hung out (here with Aunt Amy).

We read up on bee keeping.

 

Here's a better one of the two of us:

Back home to daddy (who was very happy to see us after our first days apart since Eve's birth), Eve is getting geared up for a visit this weekend from Grandma Shirley and Grandpa Charlie, and then our trip to Tallahassee to visit her cousin Sid!

 

Que pasa, baby.

3 months old and then some!

Our loyal readers are crying out for more pictures and posts, so here goes!  We've been taking video, too, but struggling a bit on the technology front and so can't yet post clips here. 

It's been a busy busy few weeks, with visits from Auntzy (my sister) and Marme and Grandad (my parents).  Auntzy, named as a contraction for Aunt Zoe plus her antsy behavior at times (love ya babe), came down over Valentine's Day weekend, to let Steve and me get out for a much needed date.  We had a two and a half hour dinner at a fancy schmancy restaurant, and even managed to find things to talk about not related to the baby!  Here we are, about to go out.

Marme has been coming to town for days at a time, to let both Steve and me get in to work.  It's a win win win situation, as far as we can figure.  Marme and Eve are getting to be great friends, and Steve and I get to catch up.  It's clear that our current arrangement for work/Eve care is time limited:  having her in the office with me one day a week works, but I don't now that she wants to play for hours at a time.  Steve's night shifts on call followed by days with Eve are brutal.  We're looking at options right now, so stay tuned.  For the immediate term, we're looking for someone to stay with Eve at home one day a week (please let us know if you know anyone who might be appropriate or have tips). 

One of the unexpected advantages of having Mom here is that she's been showing us how to use all these baby toys we've been given.  Who knew what they were for or that Eve was ready for some of them already!   She's started grasping for things (including beards, hair, necklaces, but mostly toys) and has gotten quite good at it.   She likes to be read to, but has to be in the right mood.  

She's gained awesome head control, to the point where we have her outward facing in the snugli now. 

 

She is a very contemplative, observant baby.  

  

 This t-shirt was a gift from Steve's coworkers at WCCN:

 

Here are Marme and Steve, holding Eve's friend Dora and Eve with their matching bee hats (from Marme).

  

And, finally, the quintessential Eve shot - taken by Auntzy on her iPhone:

Play time

Eve is 11 weeks old and more fun to be around with each passing day.  My parents were here for the last week, to watch Eve while Steve and I catch up and put in solid time at work.  We also got her first non family babysitter (thanks, Amy!) so the four of us could go to the beer and cheese fest last weekend!

One of the treasures my parents dug out and brought with them this trip is this red bar that you hang across the crib and festoon with whatever toy or animal or other inanimate object you want.  As a result, the baby who would not allow herself to be put down is now quite happy batting at and chatting with her crib friends for half hours at a time.  Our world has changed!

 

She smiles readily at anyone and to herself.

 

This is what she is looking at:

She will deign to stop playing and acknowledge my presence if I interrupt her.

 

And almost best of all, she put herself to sleep!

We're otherwise keeping busy and happy.  Steve and I (and Eve) are mastering the balancing act of work, home and selves, and enjoying ourselves throughout.   We're looking forward to a quiet weekend followed by a month of visitors and trips - highlights between now and mid March will include visits from both sets of grandparents and Auntsy (my sister), a Green women's weekend in a cabin in the woods (with Eve, of course), and Eve's first plane trip to Tallahassee, to visit her cousin Sid and his parents, David and Miles. 

New pics of Eve (Sprout)

(Sorry about the email misfire!) We've been trying to make a point of taking pictures recently, after neglecting to do so for a while. Here are some of the more successful ones...


Her first favorite toy. She can't hold it yet, or even reach for it consistently, but she'll watch it for a long time.

A nice one Juscha got as we were sitting on the futon.

Probably our best smile shot to date.

And this one is just hilarious.

Finding our rhythm

I don't know at what point we'll lose track, but Eve is 9 weeks old now, and 2 months last Monday.  We've been having fun, and most importantly, easing into what will be our "new normal" of both Steve and me working less than full time and juggling Sprout-care.

It was my second full week back at work, and went infinitely more smoothly than the first!  Steve brings Eve in to me at work for a lunch time feeding, and it's something we all look forward to.  My practice has picked right back up, after being away for 8 weeks, and it does feel good to have dedicated time with adults and using my brain. 

We've continued to receive visitors.  Last week, we had my friend and acupuncturist, Laurel and her husband, John, from Red Sage Health, over for dinner, to thank Laurel for her care during our pregnancy and birth. 

We've been venturing outside, taking walks in our neighborhood.  Here's Eve in winter garb, all snuggled in under my coat and scarf.  Fun fact:  both her fleece and hat are from our Florida relatives!  How did that happen?  Also, check out her eyelashes.  They tripled in length recently.  Steve's mother, Shirley, reports that Steve had them as a baby, too (still does, they just look shorter in relation to his face!). 

Eve continues to amaze us with every move and noise.  She has us well trained, and won't allow herself to be put down unless she wants it (which is sometimes the case).  Here's Steve working on his computer with Eve in one of her favorite positions.  Looks comfy, eh?   The flexed hand position is common, too.

New trick as of the last few days:  she likes toys!!  Hallelujah.  She will happily sit and look at something that you or I would find rather boring.  But hey, if it means I can shower or put in a load of laundry or do the dishes, I will find a place in my heart for it, too. 

A few more gratuitous pictures . . .

Naptime with Papa.

Watching Mama and Papa cooking in the kitchen.

Hanging out with Mama.

8 weeks old today

It's hard to believe it's only been 8 weeks since Sprout was born.  It feels like we've had her forever and since just yesterday, at the same time.  Steve and I are continually learning.  Parenthood is apparently a continual lesson in being flexible and having a sense of humor - and our child is easy!!

Eve is being rapidly socialized.  She was a hit at the Harmony Bar, our venerable, smoke-free and very popular local tavern, where we appeared last Friday for a double birthday party.  Wisconsin has a tradition of taverns being for families, so there were at least a dozen other kiddos there.  This family shot was taken by Vicky Selkowe, one of the birthday girls.

Following up with the theme of family photos, we've also been experimenting with webcams and chatting with both sets of grandparents.   It's great for them to see Eve in action (oh yeah, nice to see you two, too.)  Dad took this hilarious shot of their computer screen during one of our calls:

Eve is developing at a rapid rate.  She's sleeping 6-7 hours a stretch at night.  She has discovered her tongue and is constantly sticking it out at me.  She is trying to reach for us, we think, but is uncoordinated enough that it results in us getting bonked in the face more often than not.  She's vocalizing intentionally, making noises that could probably be described as coos.  She alternates seeking our attention with intently observing (mostly light and shadows from what we can tell).  Like my sister said, just looking at her, we feel like we're watching synapses form. 

We're keeping busy and gradually developing routines.  The big development this week was my return to work.  Steve and I each have Eve at home two days a week (I'm set up to work remotely) and then I take her in to the office with me one day a week (planned to be Wednesday).  Today, then, was the first day with Eve in the office, and it went surprisingly well.  She slept, nursed, slept in the sling, woke up and wanted to play (which we did) and charmed some coworkers in the process, slept, fussed, nursed, fussed and slept.  Steve came by and kept her happy for a few hours while I worked and was on call for nursing.  One under-anticipated side effect - I'm exhausted tonight.  Getting used to being back at work, plus baby watching.  I figure it will take a few weeks to fully adjust, but am feeling optimistic about making it!  She's sleeping right now, a well deserved nap.

Eve will be two months old on Monday.  How did that happen?