Visitors galore!

Recent days have brought us lots of visitors. First, we had our good friend from Seattle, Scott, here. While Scott was here, we were also joined by another friend of Mike's, Andy. Andy is a friend from Mike's high school days, and he lives in Chicago. Unfortunately, we don't have any pictures from their visits, as we were too busy having fun - visiting the vegetarian restaurant, the local diner, and eating yummy Mexican food. I gather the boys also played some cards while a fussy Natalie and I hung out in the other room.

My good friend SYL and her boyfriend Mr. K were our next set of visitors. SYL, as you may remember, is the super-good friend who made the drive down from Seattle with us in the u-haul (something for which we will be eternally grateful!). SYL and Mr. K were here for an extended weekend last weekend. We managed to show them some good Mexican food, the local coffeeshop, and Mike's workplace. We also ate some super-yummy meals, one cooked by Mr. K, and one cooked by the best friend of Mr. K's father (the best friend happens to live in Texas, so we all went to visit him).We also took Natalie on her first walk to the park. Saturday was really the first day that it even seemed possible to take a walk outside. Unfortunately, we delayed a little too long (having breakfast at Waffle House - for the experience) and by the time we got too the park, it was a little warmer than I'd have liked. Nonetheless, we were able to walk for about a half hour, letting SYL and Mr. K see some cattle grazing.I'd never understood people who claimed they had to "meet the baby." Since, obviously, the baby won't remember them. But it was so nice to have one of my oldest friends here that now I sort of get that sentiment: it's for the parents (duh). So, well, we were touched that SYL and Mr. K used their vacation time and dollars to come and see us.

In other news, Natalie has a new relative (second cousin? first cousin once removed? We're not sure). Mike's cousin had a son, Brody Etai, on Sunday morning. He's such a cutie, and we're so happy for them!Our life with Natalie chugs along. She is definitely smiling more, and we are even getting some laughs occasionally.The entire recent set of photos (no video, alas) is below (and also here):
Today, Mike's parents and my mom arrive, with his sister and my brother following tomorrow. Everyone is in town for Natalie's tree-planting, which will take place on Saturday (let's hope the rain stays away!). Pictures to follow of that, of course!

New stats

Natalie had her two month check-up at the pediatrician yesterday. I love our pediatrician (well, I hate their waiting room - and yesterday was no exception - but I love our doctor, and love that they have evening/weekend/holiday hours). Natalie feels about the pediatrician the way she feels about baths. Hey, at least she's consistent!

The cutest part of the visit came when the nurse was asking us about Natalie's routines and developmental progress. The nurse asked, "Does she coo?" I was just about to say that Natalie makes lots of noises, but that I don't really know what cooing is exactly, and I'm not sure if my definition of cooing is the same as theirs, etc. And then Natalie let out a perfect little baby coo, as if in answer to the question! She's brilliant!

And she's definitely growing! I knew she was small at birth, but I hadn't realized quite how small. Her birth weight put her in the 10th percentile for weight. But yesterday she weighed in at 11 pounds, 3 ounces - putting her in the 75th percentile! Talk about progress! At 23 inches long, she's also in the 95th percentile for height.

Unfortunately, the visit ended with Natalie's first round of shots (5 in all - poor little thing!). This was no one's favorite part. But, well, we all seem to have survived. Natalie seemed extra fussy last night, but seems to be doing better today.

Two months

Well, we've reached the two-month mark of Natalie-ness! (Okay, that was officially yesterday, but I wanted to wait to get the video up, too)Natalie is getting ever-more alert. We now definitely know that she looks at us and sees us - and even smiles at us sometimes. In the mornings, we usually try to bring her to bed with us and have a little cuddle. Some mornings, she'll turn her head back and forth, just looking at each of us in turn. It's darling.In addition to holding her head up quite nicely, she's also increased the use of her arms and legs. In the arms department, this means that she's more often waving them around with more force - more often than not, this results in her scratching my face as she nurses (we've resorted to putting the newborn mittens back on her). In the legs department, she's started to kick actively - frequently we find that she's kicked off the blanket from her swing or stroller.Here's a little video of her smiling and waving her arms and legs. We took this with our new Flip video camera, which we love! Such an awesome gift - big thanks to Mike's aunt and uncle for sending us this! If you read this blog through the email digest, the video may not show up. If that's the case, you can find it by clicking here.

She usually has a fussy period after dinner, but is (sometimes!) calmed by a combination of music, rocking, and swaddling. We've found that she likes listening to my brother's old ska band. Well, whatever works!

She still dislikes baths - and demonstrates this by, well, using, um, let's say "weapons of the weak." At least her bath-time screams have progressed from bloody murder to severe dislike. So that's something, right? Here she is getting her hair brushed, post-bath:In terms of new experiences, we have yet to go for any walks, since it's either been too hot or too rainy here. Hopefully, we'll able to start that soon!

New-experience-wise, we're also phasing in our use of cloth diapers. I have about six right now (all different brands/types) and we're trying them all a few times to see what works before we make a more major switch. Expect some posts on that soon as we get our system up and running.

Natalie met her first dogs the other night when we went to dinner with some friends. This is a very important milestone! Seriously! Natalie didn't mind it the first time the dogs licked her toes, but she was a little unsure after that. The dogs, on the other hand, were super-stressed-out and concerned when Natalie cried. Sweet dogs!Natalie didn't do much to ring in the new year. Well, she did go to the aforementioned dinner, but nothing beyond that. However, I am struck by how different this year is from last. Last year it was just the two of us living in the apartment, with all our books still in boxes in Mike's office. We couldn't even find the recipe for our favorite apple cake and had to improvise. This year we've got our books nicely arranged on our shelves in our lovely new house where we live with our amazing daughter. Talk about a year of sweetness and light!p.s. In other news, I've decided not to go back to my job after my maternity leave ends. I'm pursuing a full-time position with Natalie.p.p.s. The entire set of recent pictures is below (and can also be found here):

Eight weeks old!

Natalie is eight weeks old today. I suppose at some point we'll have to stop counting weeks and start counting months. Perhaps that point has arrived? Or will arrive next Sunday (at the two-month mark)?

It's been a rainy few days here in Texas. I'm sure if we lived somewhere else in the country, we'd be shaking our heads ruefully and remarking on the arrival of fall. Well, while things are cooler here today (the high is only in the 70s today!), I'm sure this won't last. Fall won't be on the way for another month or so, I bet. I miss fall! And apple-picking! And red leaves!

Not that it matters, anyway, since we mostly stay inside. And what do we do? Well, Mike is on paternity leave, but he's still working some. Here he is showing Natalie how to network (or at least how to collect business cards):We're seeing ever more progress on the smiling front - although it's card to catch that on camera. Here's a recent attempt:Of course, Natalie can go from happy to sad quite quickly:Here's Natalie wearing her TCU onesie in honor of TCU's football game on Saturday (TCU won). I never thought I'd become the kind of person who dressed her kid in clothes in honor of a football game, but so be it. Also, you should see the cheerleader outfit we have for her. Kidding. Really, family, I was KIDDING (ha, ha, kidding. Get it?).Here are a few other pictures:
And here's the whole album (which is also available here):

Daddy's first conference

Last week we had a big milestone around here: Mike left to go to Toronto for a conference for a few days, leaving Natalie and me all alone. Except, of course, we weren't really all alone - our wonderful friends here dropped in on me every day. They provided actual conversation, held Natalie so I could take a shower, and brought delicious food. They were great, but I was very glad to see Mike when he returned!

Here's a shot of Mike giving his paper. Or something.Last week something also seemed a bit off with Natalie. When things didn't improve after a few days, I ended up taking her to the pediatrician while Mike was gone. Turns out something was wrong (score one for parental intuition) - nothing major, we've got medicine to fix it, and are on the road to recovery. But I did pass the time in the pediatrician's waiting room convincing myself that I was at that very minute catching swine flu from all the feverish kids. It's now several days later, and I'm not sick, so I guess I dodged that bullet. Anyway, that visit was my first solo outing with Natalie - let's hope the next one is for something a little more fun (and less likely to induce my paranoia!).

Also, Natalie is probably 10 pounds by now - she was 9 lbs, 14 oz last Thursday! We also think she might be smiling. I mean, she's definitely smiling - it's a lot less clear whether she's just coincidentally smiling or whether this is in response to us. A few times we think we've done things that made her smile, but maybe she was just going to smile anyway.....In terms of things that make me smile, I've gotten back in the garden. Most people here plant a new crop of veggies around now for a late fall harvest. I don't have the energy for that (although I would like to plant vetch in about six weeks or so in order to enrich the soil for next spring's plants). But I am making the most of the plants we do have - tomato and basil. Here's a shot of a Caprese-style salad I made:(See? I do believe in foods other than dessert. Although not very much....)

And here are some additional things to make you smile:And here's the whole album (which can also be found here):

Catching up

First, the long-awaited photos of the new dresser and the composter (it's up to you to figure out which is which. I believe in you!).There isn't really all that much to report - things kind of chug along here. Natalie has been sleeping in stretches that are a little longer, so we're approximating something like a semi-decent night of sleep every now and then. Unfortunately, she's also coupled this sleeping with a little increased fussiness, so we're all a little more exhausted when it comes time to sleep!

Last week we also hit the fancy grocery store again. Also, we upped the challenge by going to the Indian buffet beforehand. Natalie was awake at the restaurant, but as long as we jiggled her carseat, she was pretty chill.

I've also been doing a little baking. First, I made this fig tart.The tart was okay, if very fig-y. Thinking about it afterwards, I decided that it might have been improved had I a) served it with better yogurt or even with ice cream, and b) added some chocolate. That got me thinking that what I actually really wanted was a chocolate dessert (sometimes fruit just doesn't cut the mustard, you know?), so then I made a sour cream marble cake. No pictures of that, alas, as it was eaten up before I remembered to take a picture of it.

Last, I made this sour cream blueberry coffee cake (can you tell I had some sour cream that I needed to use?). This recipe is a total keeper! I made it on Friday night for some guests that were coming on Saturday afternoon. We sampled a bit of it when it came out of the oven - and then it was very hard to resist eating the rest before the company arrived!
Okay, we've reached the point in the blog post where you get what you really came for......

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the last few days:Here's the whole album (which can also be found here):

Weekend follow-up

Here are a few more pictures from the weekend.

These come from Aunt Jo, but I know there aren't that many that feature all of us, so I wanted to be sure to put these in a prominent place.These come from my very first outing alone with Natalie - I went to the 4th birthday party of a young friend of ours (Mickey Mouse theme, in case you needed to know). Being that it was my first event alone, I was a little stressed. However, the party was at their house, which is only 5 minutes from our house and featured a crowd of experienced and understanding mothers. And Natalie, again, slept the whole time.

Weekend guests

This weekend we were lucky enough to have a quick visit from frequent commenter (Mike's) Aunt Jo and her son, Zak.They came in on Friday morning and were toured around TCU before stopping at a local institution to pick up lunch. Then Mike brought them home to see the real Fort Worth attraction: Natalie. We spent a lot of the weekend just hanging out inside, hugging and holding Natalie. However, Natalie did have another outing: we went to the Paris coffeeshop for some serious Texas food. With four of us at the table, we finally tried one of their cinnamon rolls. Delicious! And Natalie was great: she mostly slept. We just parked her stroller beside the table a jiggled it occasionally. She didn't wake up for real until we left the restaurant. As it turns out, Natalie is NOT a fan of the heat. At all.

Aunt Jo got some serious grandma practice in - a good thing, too, since she is to become a grandmother sometime this fall. I think she'll be a hit!

Here are some recent Natalie shots (including one of Natalie making her favorite counter-culture gesture):
The complete album is here (and can also be found here):

Aunt Jo's pics are here. For the life of me, I could NOT figure out how to get these images on our blog - if anyone has any suggestions, please let me know - Jo's pictures are great!

This blog is pretty much all Natalie, all the time, but I also want to tell you about some other things going on in the house.

First, our garden has suffered from some neglect on our part and from some searing heat from the sun, but we are still getting some tomatoes, lots of chile peppers, and a TON of basil. I remember trying to grow basil in Seattle - I had, like, three anemic yellow leaves. I now have, literally, a tree of basil in the backyard. Also, yesterday at Costco I bought a fancy compost tumbler that was on deep discount. Of course, the tumbler in its box was so big that it wouldn't fit in my little Corolla. So we had to take it out of the box; during the five minutes it took to do this, the chocolate chips I'd bought totally melted. Ahh, Texas. Anyway, pictures of that are coming once Mike assembles it. (Also, I'm sure that this will just give our neighbor one MORE thing to complain about, but, whatever.)

Second, I finally have a dresser! My old Ikea dresser broke when we were still living in Seattle (and by "broke", I mean, held my clothes just fine, but refused to give them up when I wanted to wear them). So I had been using some rubbermaid bins. This was an okay solution - durable, and very easy to move, but lacking somewhat in the charm department. This is my new dresser. It isn't assembled yet, either - and there's no particular rush, I guess. But pictures of that are forthcoming, too.

You know, because pictures of a compost tumbler and dresser are what you're really after....

One month ago....

Our little girl was born!It's hard to believe she's one month old today. It all seems like a blur - something between just yesterday and fifty billion years ago. But maybe that's the sleeplessness talking.

In all seriousness, we aren't doing that bad, sleep-wise. Of course, we're not doing that great, either. Natalie can go about 3.5 hours without eating, so we usually go to sleep right after one feeding (and by "right after" I mean, after she's been fed, burped, and then held upright for 40 minutes to minimize the spitting up). Then we have one feeding in the middle of the night (after which Mike usually sits with her). And then we get up after the third feeding. So the nights are, um, short. And interrupted.

Natalie is also a "sleep squeaker" - so even when she's "asleep", she often makes little squeaks, squawks, and murmurs. These are actually super-adorable. Unless, you know, you're trying to sleep. Well, even then they are adorable, just a little loud....

Noise-wise, she's also a frequent hiccup-er. We've been assured this is totally normal, but, wow, I've never heard so many hiccups! (It was great last week after Mike's surgery when he had the hiccups as a side effect from the anesthesia, and Natalie had them from being, well, a baby - I felt totally surround by hiccup-ers!)

She's getting bigger - although, so far, we've only outgrown one sleeper suit. We've also outgrown the newborn diapers (those are up to 10lbs) in favor of the size one diapers (8 to 14lbs); we estimate that she's closing in on 9lbs. [Note - we are still planning on switching to cloth diapers - we're going to start trying some different approaches next week with the goal of totally transitioning in the next month or so. Today Mike put a clothesline up in our backyard so that we can air dry/sun bleach the diapers. Any guesses on how long it'll be until the psycho neighbor makes some comment about this???]

Natalie is also getting more alert - she has longer periods of alertness and seems more engaged with the world (meaning her fingers, the mobile on the swing, the shadows from the windowshades, etc.). We've also both had the distinct impression that she's been looking AT us, not just blankly staring in our direction. The other day Mike told her "look, there's mommy" and then held her in my direction. And then she turned toward me and made some sucking gestures with her mouth. So perhaps that's recognition. I'll take it.

We've seen her smile in her sleep, but we're still waiting on that social smile.

We're also doing better on liking the baths. I wouldn't say she loves them, but, well, there's less screaming, and she's quicker to console afterwards.

We wouldn't trade her for the world. We are more in love every day.

Mike just informed me that we have uploaded 553 pictures of Natalie since her birth. Bonus points if you've actually looked at all of them! (I'm thinking the grandparents and great-grandparents *might* be shoe-ins for this award).

Anyway, here are a few of my favorite recent pics:The entire album is below (and can also be found here):