Mini-Vacation

This week we got an Avent Isis Breast Pump so that I can feed Harvey even when I'm not in the same room with him. This means that Joe can be the Nipple-Man tonight and I can enjoy some uninterrupted sleep. Hooray! Unfortunately I have a feeling that I will want to stay awake and capture on film the momentous occasion of Harvey's first bottle. Oh well, maybe next time.

Brunch at the Radnor Hotel, October 16

It's supposed to be one of the best brunches in town with 3 enormous tables of vittles, omelettes made to order and live piano music (though the piano is painfully out of tune). There's even a chocolate waterfall (think Willy Wonka and the Oompa Loompas) in which to dip your strawberries and donut holes and plenty of extra parking for your Graco Stroller. This last feature is important since babies seem to take up more room than a table full of adults. Come to think of it, the ratio of square footage of Harvey's "gear" and accoutrements per body weight by far outweighs his parents' respective stuff/body weight ratios. And while we are on the subject of ratios, I have recently learned that the daily intake of breastmilk intake for the newborn is the equivalent of an adult consuming 5 gallons of fluid in one 24 hour period! Joe has calculated that Harvey's weight gain during this past month is the equivalent of an adult gaining 30 pounds in just a few weeks. Come to think of it, just about EVERYTHING that this baby does is writ large: crying volume, fart volume, drool and spit-up volume, amount of laundry per week, etc.

A Filmstrip of Faces

 

Big Roses for Little Noses

Today we took a family stroll through the Dean Bond Rose Garden at Swarthmore College. Harvey enjoyed being introduced to the fine art of stopping to smell the roses. I could actually see his little nostrils sucking in all of the wonderfully soothing effects of the rose oil. Happy Birthday Harvey! You are four weeks old today. PS Yesderday we put you on the bathroom scale and you were up to 9 lbs 3 oz. Way to go you little gourmand! 

Parent Survival 101 - Chasing the Blues Away

Check List for Crying
1. Is the baby in search of nipple? Babies have stomachs the size of a pea and they get emptied out VERY quickly. Recently I was informed by a nurse that babies don't have glycogen reserve abilities and therefore when they are hungry, it causes them physical pain. If THAT doesn't cause a let down, I don't know what would.

2. Is the diaper wet and/or poopy?

3. Does baby need babying? (We all need to be held sometimes and bouncers don't always do the trick)

4. Is baby flailing arms and legs violently? This could mean he's in need of a good swaddling. PS don't forget the masking tape.

5. Has he been in the bouncer chair lately? He could be in need a good shake. (no, not McDonalds). If mom and dad are REALLY desperate, it is time to get baby in the car seat and drive over bumpy roads and mimic the womb. Using a body sling to "wear" the baby works well here too. See above photo of the Native Carrier . Notice that the woman pictured doesn't appear to have any residual weight from pregnancy, yet the baby is obviously under six weeks old. Come on people, have some mercy on the rest of us women who are trying to forget about the extra 20 pounds that didn't come out with the baby and the placenta on delivery day and the fact that our bodies just aren't ready for the yoga mat or the treadmill yet!

6. Perhaps he wants tummy time (to practice crawling).

7. He could just need sleep and is overtired (actually mom and dad are more likely to be crying for this very same reason)

8. He could just need awake time and is sick of lying around. This means that mom or dad have to hold him vertical to give him the illusion that he has mastered the art of standing.

9. He needs a burp and/or has gas and needs relief. This is often evidenced by the red face and arched back.

10. He's just bein' a baby. Hey, this is the only time in his life when he has baby rights.... 

Sleeping Beauty

After nearly 36 hours of nonstop eating, pooping, puking, crying and general gastro-nightmaring, the little critter finaly conked out for a record SIX HOURS! In babyland, that is a big accomplishment. Joe has commented that Harvey is starting to beef out quite a bit and now has the appearance of a Butterball Turkey, thus earning himself our affectionate sobriquet "porker". While we are on the subject of nicknames, please note the transitions we have gone through. At first we had diminutives (like the Russians): "peanut", "lima bean", "sweet pea", "bundle of love", etc. During the second week the names got a little more aggressive, "Harvey the Hoagie" (reference to the swaddling...see earlier blog entry). Lately the nicknames are linking up with the many bodily fluids that are associated with pregnancy, childbirth and newborns: "pooper", "puker" and "peeman". We are just floored at how efficiently he gets the milk down, through the tubing and out the other end (or in some cases, right back out the mouth). K.K. remarked that babies are mere "miniature food processors". 

Harvey Hiccups

Aunt Sara had to take the Martini away from Harvey. He doesn't know what his limits are yet. 

Hitting the Bottle

The Pediatrician told us that we could start Harvey on the Bottle soon. I have a feeling that this isn't what he meant. Although the label does read "BABY".

Walk-a-bye Baby

Finally after a 9 day stretch of nonstop rain, Harvey, Mom and Dad are going for a neighborhood stroll in our Graco Quattro Tour Transportation System. This is the "Rolls Royce of Strollers" said somebody at the shower. The matching Windsor Car Seat hooks into the front of the stroller so that when baby is lulled to sleep in the car, we don't have to remove him from his throne. Modern babies are soooo spoiled and pampered. HS is looking forward to picking up some chicks in Wayne. Wish him luck! 

With Aunt Chita

Does this need a caption?

Pooh Bear Meets HS

Harvey With His Aunties

Danger: Dirty Diapers

 
 

Male Bonding: Harvey, Dad and Uncle Michael

 
 

The Diaper Diaries

"Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore!" I don't think we're in reality anymore. All 24 hours of the day are now created equal. That means that at any given moment there could be a "poopy diaper" or a "poopy wet diaper" or a sound that comes out of the baby that resembles a helicopter taking off which is really just a false alarm. (Joe wondered what accoustical properties cause baby farts to sound 10 times louder than adult farts...) These poops have the appearance of French's Mustard and must be dealt with quickly before it runs down the legs and gets onto the clothing, the blanket, the couch, etc. At the pediatricians office we noticed the beginnings of diaper rash! So yesterday as I was about to give up diapering altogether and tell Harvey that he would have to walk around naked and that there would be a cat box for him to go poopy, my mother called to inform me about an article in the NY Times that discusses a "movement" away from diapers and getting to know our infants' grunts and grimaces so that we can race them to the bathroom and hold our bundle of love over the toilet so he can go potty sans diaper. Yes, folks, it's not hip enough to go with the supposedly environmentally conscious diaper-cleaning services. Now we have to litter train our wee ones. But think of the benefits as cited by the article: "...savings in the cost of diapers, which can reach $3,000 a child; less guilt about contributing to the 22 billion disposable diapers that end up in landfills every year; no diaper rash, and a nursery that doesn't reek of diaper pail." Harvey has VERY wiggly legs and he definitely is a challenge to change. But I think coaching him through 19-20 daily eliminations won't be part of our contribution to the ecology. Perhaps when Harvey becomes a parent himself, he will shocked to think that his parents were so backward.

Making A Friend

Strawberry Cap

Harvey Expresses Himself

Beefing Up

Harvey is beefing up. He gained 7 ounces this week--and a 1/4 inch in the cranium. Tonight, while on the changing table, he exhibited the rare feat of peeing, pooping and puking all at the same time--a triple "p". Eileen, Laura's mom, commented, "At least his plumbing is working." He can also undo his swaddling before you can say Harvey Houdini even when we use use masking tape. Rest assured, we use the tape on his blanket not his mouth--an old neo-natal nursing trick. But we have to admit that we've been tempted a few times at 3 AM when he's crying incessantly, and it's times like these when the poet in me has noticed that swaddle and throttle rhyme. Laura just informed me that Harvey puked on the couch--another first!

My Breast Friend

 

Got Milk?

So far Harvey has proven himself a hardy eater. Over the weekend he was demonstrating the highly sought-after textbook habit of feeding every 3-4 hours. Unfortunately he discovered the fact that if he wants more milk all he has to do is cry and poof! out comes My Breast Friend and the magic nipple. Now he is on the all-you-can-eat buffet plan and is woofing down Godzilla-sized portions at intervals that are aimed towards (dare I say it) SLEEP DEPRIVATION. The greedy little guy often has milk dripping out of the sides of his mouth while he eagerly laps up whatever he can as though it were his last meal. In just 8 1/2 days he has managed to fill two pails full of diapers. I swear he must be working on commission from Pampers.

Table of Torture

 

Thank You Barbara!

To the adult eye, this appears to be the Jenny Lind Changing Table which (for curious readers) is available at most baby stores for about $90. We got ours at a local consignment shop in Wayne, Pa called As They Grow for only $30! I thought it was so cute and that HarveyFiona (that was his name before birth) would really LOVE having his soft tushie cleansed atop this pretty piece of furniture. Unfortunately, to Harvey's eye, this appears to be an instrument of PURE torture! His legs writhe ferociously and his face scrunches up and turns bright red and the wailing....Oh my....the wailing! I might as well be changing a bucking bronco. Fortunately, my friend Barbara gave me a piece of priceless advice. She said to try covering up his torso and arms with a blanket. Well, I tried that today and now he will allow me to change him with the placidity of a gentle lamb. Stay tuned for another triumph of motherhood...

Harvey Looking Askance

 

The 5 S's

Is our baby colicky? Or just fussy? We've beeen honing our calming skills. Reading "The Happiest Baby On The Block" at 3:15 in the morning. Learning about the 5 S's: Swadddling, Side(lying on side), Swinging, Shushing, Sucking....Sleeping, however, is not one of the 5 S's nor Spitting-up. Soon we may go a little pSycho! Laura: I think Harvey is the Happiest baby on the BLOG.

Cocktail Hour Chez Kerr

Laura dictating while holding baby: In birthing class they told us we mothers would enjoy several cocktails of naturally produced hormones throughout the labor, delivery and breastfeeding experiences. These include: oxytocin, adrenaline and prostoglandin. Joe on the other hand gets to enjoy "real" cocktails. I'm looking forward to that first Martini after my nursing days are over (about 3 to 5 years from now--just kidding!). However, don't feel too sorry for me. These natural drugs make the real ones seem like weak iced tea.

Joe's response: Where can I get some oxcytocin? How does it taste with vermouth and a twist?

I Serve Zorton--Dark Master Of The Kissing Fish

 

The Aquarium Bouncer

Saturday morning: Harvey is almost 6 days old and nursing better and better. Last night we were able to sleep for 3 or 4 hours at a time. We finally put batteries in the Aquarium Bouncer, a strange sort device which looks like a mini Barca Lounger. It blinks, vibrates, makes purring and bubbling noises, and has little plastic fish that kiss each other over and over again. It makes us feel a little guilty, but Harvey just loves it. It calms him down and sends him into a zen-like state. At least it's not Barney!