Terra Incognita

It is certainly true that a baby offers many novel experiences for a new dad. Here's a few:

Interactive TV. She'd had a tummy upset earlier, but was happy enough now so I changed into a clean shirt and we settled down in front of the TV. It was a PBS documentary on the explosion of Krakatoa in 1883. After some initial mid-size explosions there were some months of calm, when people assumed the worst was over. We sat on the sofa and RR worked quietly on finishing the bottle. Then came loud explosions on Aug. 26th, and on the 27, suddenly... Kerblooie! With precise timing, an unexpected and powerful volcano erupted right in my lap. Quite stunning, TV was never like this before. Full change of clothing for both of us, this time. (photo from wikipedia)

New social situations. With T at home taking care of the baby, the resupply mission was up to me. I ventured boldly into that grocery store aisle that men seldom tread. There was one other person in the aisle too. I hung around a bit, looked up and down. Are they going to leave? ...no, they are not. At last, I muttered quietly into the cell phone. "No, sweetie, all I'm seeing here is ultra-thin and maxi, there doesn't seem to be a 'normal' size. ...and looks like they're all scented... no wait, here's one that isn't, but it's only available in the special thong shape."

After a long pause, the man standing next to me muttered into his cell phone. "Honey, I can't find any like that, it looks like all of them have the wings."

Waking Up is Hard To Do

The idea was, with RR in the same room as us at night, we would be able to wake up along with her and prepare the bottle before mild annoyance evolved into really upset. The problem with that scheme is interpreting the collection of snorts, squeaks, and odd birdlike chirps that signal her transition from blissfully asleep to ever-so-awake. For example last night, when the chorus of sound effects started around 2:30 am but an actual waking state did not pull into the station until 3:20 am.

After a tiring early morning, it is so wonderful to have the assistance of grandparents in taking care of things while the parents nap!

Mother's Day

It was so nice of Aunt K. to come by and in the blink of an eye, whisk away 2 weeks of debris on our table and replace it with an elegant serving of scones and tea for Mother's Day. Magic!

Then neighbor friends dropped by with muffins and an amazing pop-up Mother's Day card made by their 4-year old, and T's mother helped again, giving us a few priceless hours of sleep. The world is full of kindness today... thank you!

Bottle, Please! Bay Area

contributed by special guest writer Redowa Rose

As a new resident of the Bay Area I was excited to sample the local dining scene, but can so far only review one neighborhood mom & pop operation. While the menu options here are extremely limited, the food is satisfying. However, special off-menu requests are typically met with incomprehension, and sometimes the kitchen gets sloppy and the food does not arrive hot. The quality of service here varies: the wait staff is attentive, but orders at off hours (e.g., 4 am) are slower to arrive. In short, the house specialty remains my favorite and I'll be continuing to dine here, but am also looking forward to an expanded menu promised in the months to come. -RR

* inspired by the KQED dining show "Check, Please! Bay Area"

Taking the red eye

I've heard that Native American tribes used sleep deprivation to stimulate visions. The method was working for me the other night, although instead of the Great Bear leading me across the plains, I became convinced my pillow was the baby in her sleep sack, and I was probably crushing her. Fortunately, upon further examination the pillow turned out to be actually a pillow.

To reduce glare we keep a dim red light on at night. The bulb package reads "party light", matching the theme of a baby shirt one of T's co-workers gave us. It reads "Party Time! ...Place: my crib ...Time: 3:30 am".

You can keep your hat on... (?)

The baby wore a hospital-issue cotton fabric cap while we were there, and various selections from our sizable collection of baby caps since we've been home. One thing that the caps all have in common is that they don't stay on. I don't know if it's a size issue, or shape, or the smooth fine hair on her head, but no sooner are they adjusted than they pretty much just slide off. Are there any baby caps that actually stay put?

Stirred, not shaken

It appears my practical chemistry skills are sadly lacking. It had not occurred to me that mixing a powder with water just by vigorous shaking would produce a lot of trapped gas in the form of bubbles, which might, if served immediately to a newborn, eventually produce volcanic results. An eruption which a few feeble pats on the back do nothing to prevent. (Interestingly, the nurse recommends burping both before and after feeding.) The problem seems to be solved by careful slow stirring to mix, instead of shaking.

On another note, it is quite humbling to a previously independent-minded person to experience the practical demands of childcare. The invaluable support and assistance of T's mother and aunt are most gratefully acknowledged!