Misery DOES Love Company

It's official - Brooke & I both have colds. She has been handling it pretty well, but nights are really rough. If she is on her back for a long period of time she has trouble breathing. Then she coughs. Then she gets herself all worked up. Then she has a crying fit. It's been a few days and I'm hoping she is at the tail end of it ... maybe if we ride out the weekend it will be over.

I'm just at the beginning of mine, but am also hoping it moves its way on out soon. It is actually quite challenging to manage her while I'm not feeling so well. The toughest part of it is that Brooke's lack of sleep at night has led to a lack of sleep for me too, and battling a cold on minimum levels of sleep is not easy. Today she took a really long nap in the middle of the day and I realized that I should have taken the opportunity to nap too. Of course, I didnt. That leaves her well rested (and likely to not want to sleep tonight) and me dragging along wishing for a decent nights sleep. Thankfully we have Daddy around this weekend - thats why we need to get rid of the colds before he is back at work!

8 Weeks Old!

Brooke is 8 weeks old today :) The other day I ran into a girl in Starbucks whose baby looked about the same size as Brooke - "How old is your little one?" I asked. "14 weeks" she replied. "How much does she weigh?" I asked. "About 14 pounds" she replied. Brooke weighs the same as that other baby and it is almost twice as old as her :) Obviously, Brooke has a healthy appetite and has been growing at a fast rate. We can barely recognize her as the baby we brought home must a few short weeks ago!

She is doing much more than growning physically though. BabyWeekly says she is also storing memories! For example, she may associate a bottle or a nursing pillow with being fed or the bathroom with a bath. Seems to me like a Pavlov reflex - she wont remember things that are happening now but she can associate certian things with others. Maybe I can train her to drool when I ring a bell :)

BabyWeekly also says "your little one has discovered her hands and is gaining the muscle control to enable her to direct that thumb into her mouth". This is definitely something we have noticed in the past week or so. Up until then she would randomly try to get her hand near her mouth - and it would usually end up there by accident. Now she just moves it straight there without any effort. She still hasnt mastered the thumb suck though - generally she puts a few fingers (or the whole fist) into her mouth!

New Mittens

Rumor is Brooke looks especially adorable in this pic so I figured the blogosphere should see it.
We got her some mittens because she insists on keeping her hands out - regardless of the temperature outside. It appears babies are not smart enough to protect themselves from the elements (sadly, a trait that often carries on through adulthood). This pic was taken just a short time before she started displaying symptoms of the cold she has been battling. Her little nose is stuffed and she can't breathe. At night she can't sleep and spends hours coughing, tossing & turning. This morning her mommy woke up with a sore throat and cough ... Good thing misery loves company :)

So instead of thinking of sick baby Brooke, think about how cute she is here. And after this pic she dropped her pacifier and tried to get her hands into her mouth with the mittens on ( which obviously didn't work). That was even cuter but I didn't get pics!

Study: Away-facing strollers stress babies

My sister sent me this article and I thought it was pretty interesting. Turns out, facing your baby away from you in his/her stroller can add to a babies stress ... and stressed out babies grow into anxious adults.

Brooke always faces us now in her stroller, which is pretty common with infant stroller set-ups. The next stage strollers pretty much all face out, in fact I'm not sure I have ever seen a rear facing one.

The study is done by a Dundee University's School of Psychology with 2,722 parents and children. While the study is interesting, I tend to not always believe studies out of the UK. European countries have different guidelines and principles for their research and (in my opinion) often come out with slanted research. This does raise an interesting issue though and should be something that researchers (and stroller manufacturers) continue to look at. Even now, at 7-weeks, Brooke actually prefers to face out when I am holding her (versus facing towards me). She is interested in the world and things going around her ... not in me :) But I can see how a child facing out in a stroller can basically go ignored for the entire duration of the time spent in that stroller, whereas when the child faces the person pushing the stroller there is a natural level of interaction that occurs.

Now the question is, if away-facing strollers cause stress in babies ... is the same true for pets?

Cradle cap

In addition to the bout of baby acne (which Brooke is still battling), she also now has "cradle cap". I think it popped up about a week ago, but since her head was also covered with acne it was initially hard to see...thus it might have started a bit earlier than that.

Cradle cap is a condition that appears much like dandruff. BabyCenter.com says "f your baby's scalp has flaky, dry skin that looks like dandruff, or even thick, oily, yellowish or brown scaling or crusting patches, it's most likely cradle cap". If often shows up in the first few months of life, and it usually clears up on its own in about six to 12 months — although some babies have it for several years.

The same condition may be visable around a baby's ears or eyebrows (Brooke has it in both), or even in his armpits and other creases. When it's in places other than the scalp, it's called seborrheic dermatitis.

Cause
Technically the cause is unknown. Some believe its related to the hormones a baby receives from his mother at the end of pregnancy. While the exact cause is unknown, doctors do know that cradle cap isn't caused by poor hygiene or allergies. In addition, it's not contagious. Treatment
There is no need to do anything as cradle cap will disappear on its own in time. If it really bothers you you have a few options: shampooing more frequently, gently brushing your baby's scalp with a soft brush or a terrycloth towel, and using an oil remedy (oil helps to loosen dry flakes.)

To do an oil treatment, rub just a small amount of a pure, natural oil (such as almond or olive oil) on your baby's scalp and leave it on for about 15 minutes. Then gently comb out the flakes with a fine-toothed comb or brush them out with a soft brush. Follow up by washing your baby's scalp with a gentle baby shampoo. Leaving oil on baby's head could clog the pores and cause the flakes to stick. Try leaving the shampoo on for a few minutes before rinsing, to help cut the oil.

Once baby's cradle cap is completely gone, it's unlikely to return. To help remove dead skin while its improving, you might want to give your baby more frequent shampoos. (Don't overdo it, though, or you could further stimulate his oil-producing glands. A gentle wash two or three times a week with a mild shampoo should be plenty.)

Brooke Is Crabby Today

It's not a good day for Brooke today. She didn't sleep well last night and has been very irritable since she has been up. It took me a good 2 hours of intermittent screaming (both the baby and her mommy were screaming) to finally get her to nap, and now even while she is sleeping she keeps whining/crying. You know you are having a lousy day when you cry in your sleep :)

Despite her lousy mood she is still so darn cute. I realized I haven't posted a pic in a while so thought I was overdue. Here is my 13-pounder during one of her few peaceful periods today, getting ready for our daily walk to Starbucks.

The Newborn Ultimatum

There was a great article, The Newborn Ultimatum on msn.com. I enjoyed it enough I thought I'd post the whole thing.

The Newborn Ultimatum
How a new baby can make you a better man
Sam Grobart, Best LifeMore from Best Life

Not long ago, I became a father for the first time. And since then, I’ve become a better man. Not “a better man” in some hokey, Jack Nicholson in As Good As It Gets way, but a better man, practically speaking. Besides all the joyful, deeply personal ways fatherhood is a hell of a thing, it has also accorded me some real-world advantages to boot. It’s as if my baby girl has been my own personal Sun Tzu. Here’s how you, too, can use the lessons of fatherhood to master everything else in life.

Talk Less, Listen More. My daughter, Kate, is amazing. Have you seen her point at things? Like an Einstein she points. She can also walk and smile. She is clearly destined for an awards ceremony in Stockholm. There is one sticking point, however: She can’t talk. My daughter is 14 months old. A typical day with her is like the first half hour of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

All this silent time has an adult payoff: I’m a more active, expressive listener. You know that personal quality, usually ascribed to Bill Clinton, in which someone can make you feel as if you’re the only person in the room? Well, apply the rules of dad–kid communication (empathy, laserlike focus, enthusiasm) to adults and you can have them eating out of your hand. Recently, I was interviewing for a new job. You’d be amazed how smoothly an interview can go if you just pretend that your future CEO is a 14-month-old girl.

Keep Your Cool. When you’re at work, it’s not unheard of for someone to describe a lousy situation as a sh*t storm. Well, I’m here to tell you that managing said storm can be a lot easier if you’ve been in a real one. It’s no metaphor, friend. It’s an actual pedioclimatological event.

We’ve all worked with babies, people who live on drama. When facing an obstacle, they just lose it. It’s no reflection of the actual level of peril. Oh, did the server go down? Take it easy, my hyperkinetic IT director. We’ll get the server back up. In minutes, probably. There, there.

Since Kate’s birth, I categorize all things in life into two categories: Things That Can Kill the Baby and Things That Cannot Kill the Baby. Open jug of bleach? Category one. Angry boss? Category two. By dealing with ultimate peril, you are much more calm and collected about all the other nonsense.

Know Your Strength. My daughter, while being the sweetest future MacArthur Fellow you’ll ever meet, has about as much common sense as a bag of Britneys. So, soon after fatherhood takes hold, you start to consider all the angles. If you don’t have a child, you don’t think much about the act of opening a car trunk. When I have Kate in one arm while unlocking the trunk with the other, I’m thinking about where my hand should be, which foot I should put my weight on. My childless friend calls it “dad strength,” something that, he says, comes to all new fathers. It’s true, but it’s not about muscle. I’m just more methodical and more conscious of my movements. I’m like a ninja of incredibly lame things.

Stick to Your Guns. Something happens when you become a dad: You take less crap. Some ticket agent is giving you back talk about your seat assignment? Please. You made a human being! Just hand over the damn boarding pass. You second-guess yourself less. You make a decision and you do it. Not in some foolhardy, Rumsfeldian way, but when you commit, you commit. Keeping your pride and joy from running into the parking lot is not a time to consider the effect it will have on her self-esteem. Things need to be done, and they need to be done now. That’s true on the playground and on the trading floor. Dads are the ultimate CEOs.

Share the Spotlight. Caring for an infant is kind of like being a member of Prince’s entourage or an aide to Kim Jong-Il: You are responsible for anticipating the needs of an irrational person who is completely divorced from reality. You’ll do anything to keep her happy, and so you remove ego from the equation. Sure, I used to be able to go to the movies whenever I wanted, but after a certain point, you have to ask yourself, Is all this me-ness going to make me a better person? Doubtful. For that, you need someone to put you in your place. Zen Buddhism has this concept of mu, or “emptiness,” which often manifests itself in the context of “no self” or “no ego.” I don’t know much else about Zen Buddhism, but I do know this: Whoever came up with mu clearly had some strained peas thrown in his face at some point.

Payless Gives Shoes 4 Kids

There is a site I regularly follow that let me know about a new campaign by Payless Shoe Source:Shoes 4 Kids. The goal is to provide $1 million in shoes to needy children this holiday season, one pair at a time. Payless will distribute 65,000 $15 gift certificates to nonprofit organizations redeemable for shoes and clothing in its shops.

Here is a promo video from their Chairman: Although the marketing effort behind this is quite obvious (why not just donate the million to a charity straight out? why not just give pairs of shoes to worthy organizations? why make them come into your store with a gift certificate ... so they spend more than the $15 they have been given ...) the intention is good and I hope that the money (and shoes!) go to people who really need it.

Seven Weeks!

Brooke is 7 weeks old today and we have seen some amazing things just in the past few weeks. First of all (and most notably) she has become (slightly) less fussy. In place of some of those fussy periods we now get moments where Brooke is just happy to hang out with us, play some games and check out some of her toys. It makes for a much calmer home, and both Brooke and her parents are finding our time together increasingly enjoyable.

WhatToExpect.com says that Brooke should be awake and alert more often during the day, and thus it is important to allocate more playtime. They suggest stimulating her senses by providing plenty of opportunities for her to experience her surroundings through sound, sight, and touch. "Small doses are best (if she's fussing or squirming, she's had enough), and simple toys are all you need. For example, now that she can track moving objects with her eyes, try slowly shifting a ball, rattle, or cloth from one side to the other as she faces you. Watch as she plays along by moving her eyes back and forth".

Her eyes continue to develop and "while she could once make out only bright colors and basic, two-toned patterns, she's now beginning to discern more complex designs and a whole rainbow of colors". I recently read that only 50% of 6-week old babies recognize their parents (which was a depressing statistic) but WhatToExpect says Brooke is starting to be able to put our faces to our voices. And that while we talk she is "listening carefully and may soon try to respond with some sounds of her own".

Stroller Strides

Today Brooke & I went to Stroller Strides. It was actually tougher than I expected, which was a good thing. I'm obviously out of shape at the moment, but hope it wont take too long to regain some stamina and strength. I was worried that the class would be really easy - making it a waste of time once my level of fitness gets back to normal. But, I dont think thats true ... and for sure I'm going to be sore tomorrow after my workout today!

Brooke slept through the entire class, which was what I was hoping. When we got there she was awake, she fell asleep as soon as it started and actually woke up the minute it stopped. I would have liked a bit of a longer window, but I'll take that for now!

The best thing about this class is that its filled with other babies and moms. While I was lucky that Brooke slept through the class, most of the other babies didnt. There was lots of whimpering, crying, and occasional cooing and giggling. It was a great place to get a workout with your baby, and not be embarassed or get frustrated by the fact that babies will be babies! I look forward to future classes and spending some quality time with Brooke while I try to get back into shape :)

I Know How To Pick Em

It took me a while to find the right furniture for Brooke's room, since I had a picture of it in my head way before she was born. I knew I wanted a cream/ivory finish ... and it proved to be a challenging find. But find it I did, and soon after I ordered it I found out that the company who makes it filed for bankruptcy. This led to a LONG wait for Brooke's furniture, with it finally arriving the day before I went into labor.

The furniture looks great, and I'm lucky I found it ... because today I read that Morigeau is going out of business. It really is a shame to see a company with long-standing tradition that was producing quality baby furniture go out of business. They simply couldnt compete against the low-cost (and often low quality) furniture imported from Asia. I'm sad to see them go, but we are lucky that Brooke got to be the recipient of one of the last sets of furniture to be produced by Morigeau.

The Holiday Bandwagon

It irritates me that the day after Halloween every store was decked out for Christmas. The season looses its luster and excitement when it lasts for so much of the year. But this year I have to admit that I jumped on early too! I already have a stocking for Brooke, and got her a 1st Christmas ornament. Grandma Stanula jumped on too and alrady gave Brooke an ornament with her name on it.

Since she is so little I dont have to do any gift shopping for her, but I think Santa might get her something small so she has a present under the tree Christmas morning. So though the holidays are still a while away ... Brooke is all set!



I'd post pics of the ornaments & stocking but don't want to ruin Brooke's suprise!

6 Weeks

WhatToExpect.com says "at six weeks, your little genius is inventing a special wordless vocabulary that is made up of grunts, gurgles, sighs, and coos — a step up (and a welcome one, at that) from crying on the communication ladder." The site suggests we "talk back" by cooing (or mimicking) back. "Matching coo-for-coo will be extraordinarily satisfying for her and will encourage the verbal explorations that will eventually (sooner than you think!) lead to that first meaningful mama or dada". Brooke has definitely been more expressive - both verbally and with facial expressions. We swear we have almost seen a few genuine smiles and she for sure has a particular face to display several emotions ... including a happy one! We have been following the suggestions and mimicking her noises and she definitely responds. We assume since she is responding she likes it (since WhattoExpect says she does) but we really have no clue :)

WhatToExpect also says that Brooke is having more involvement with her hands. 6 week old babies often find their fingers fascinating, grip items, start to bat at items, and are getting better at coordinating hands and eyes. Brooke is doig some of these things. For instance she is gripping things, but doesnt appear to be aware that she is gripping them. She has been grabbing Jeff & I alot, and if we dont have clothes in the area she is gripping she will grab skin. I have had my hair, cheek and neck pinched and scratched many times in the past few days. She also frequently grabs my necklace and my shirt. Yesterday I thought she was swiping at a new toy our friends gave her, but it could have just been coincidence. She has yet to look at her own hands and really see them, which is why I think much of this is still accidental on her part. Her hands and eyes are moving more together but she has yet to fully comprehend how much a part of her those little hands really are!

All Good Things Must Come To An End...

Aunt Jean left today. It's always hard to see her go as the time between our visits can sometimes be lengthy. This time seemed especially hard since Brooke had to say goodbye too (and she had to say goodbye to her). Though she will return soon (for the holidays), in baby time those months can be huge. Brooke will be almost 3 months by then, and the developmental changes in her are likely to amaze Aunt Jean (as well as Brookes parents!!!).

In the few days she was here, Jean quickly learned to pick up on some of Brookes quirky behavior and became almost an expert at soothing and entertaining an occasionaly difficult baby :) She also got to see the sweeter side of Brooke and spent time cuddling with her when she wasnt consoling her. All-in-all I think it was a good visit for all.

Special Note:
I want to congratulate our friend Nicole on her engagement. I havent seen her since the big event and just saw her when she came to visit Brooke this weekend. Nicole, your engagement ring is divine and exquisite!

More "Firsts"

Aunt Jean gave Brooke her 1st pair of shoes - some Converse All Stars. In addition, Brooke had her 1st restaurant experience:)

This morning she refused to sleep anymore after 6am. So we stalled a bit and woke up Aunt Jean a little after 7 am. (Of course, she was thrilled). Jean took a shower and got ready, then took care of Brooke while I put on clothes and tried to disguise the fact I haven't showered since Wed. And we were off!!

We took a long walk to get Brooke settled down and sleepy, and got to the restaurant about 8:40. They didn't open till 9 ... So we walked some more!

During the meal Brooke would stir if her stroller wasn't moving - so I ate my pancakes with one hand and rocked her with the other. She didn't have a fit, so I would say it was a successful outing ... But eating my meal with one hand while rocking with the other proved to be a challenging feat!

Brooke Approves

Brooke met her Aunt Jean (finally!) and they immediately hit it off. If she ever wakes up maybe she can actually SEE her aunt, since she fell asleep the minute she got into her arms.

5 Weeks!

Brooke is now 5 weeks old. She gets bigger and stronger every day :) Of course we had to celebrate ... so we went to a new coffee shop (one that I am familiar with, but she was new to) called Julius Meinl. After coffee we went to go buy her a 5-week-birthday present. Since her Daddy is quite sure she will be an LPGA player I thought we should get her on the right track early. She obviously is too little for golf lessons so we'll start with the appropriate wardrobe. So now Brooke has some "golf shoes" and that should start help preparing her mental game for her future career in golf (if her Daddy is correct). If the golf career fails to pan out, at least she gets to wear these cutes socks in the meantime.

Brooke @ 5 Weeks
What To Expect says "by five weeks of age, when the corners of your baby's mouth curl up, you can safely attribute it to an actual social smile (unless, of course, you happen to detect that telltale odor that means it's time for another diaper change)".

Brooke is now atune to more sounds, ranging from music to bells, barking dogs, vacuum cleaners and whistles. We have found some proof in that over the past week, as she has been jolted awake by the sound of a pop can opening and the rustling of a bag of Tyson frozen chicken tenders :) We have yet to finds sounds that calm or soothe her (though I think the bussle of Starbucks does do that) but we have found some that snap her awake and therefore must bother her. We now open our pop cans in another room during Brookes precious nap times.

Sleeptime changes too! While a newborn may sleep for 16-20 hours out of every day (Brooke was closer to the 20), a five-week-old is increasingly alert, and may be awake up to 10 hours out of every 24. Brooke is definitely awake for longer periods of time, but we have had some great sleep experiences lately too. The past few nights she has "slept" for about 6 hours straight, where in the first few weeks she was sleeping 3-4 at most. Her sleep is not deep the whole time, and for long periods of time I can hear her twitching and fussing ... but she doesnt cry out or wake completely up. Sleeping 6 hours is considered sleeping throught the night, which a baby generally doesnt do until 3 months or 12+ lbs. While Brooke is only 5 weeks, she is about 11.5 lbs already! That bigger tummy is giving us all the ability to have longer sleep periods because she does not have to eat as often as a smaller baby would :)

Our Amazing Adventure

I know I talk about Starbucks alot, both here and on my other blog. It's one of the few things I have been able to hold onto from my pre-Brooke life, and one of the few places around my house that seems to be really Brooke friendly.

Today we headed out for our usual trip and two amazing things happened. First, the holiday cups are here!!! If you arent a Starbucks person you dont get the excitement that comes with the holiday cups, but for me they are the true sign of the season. Sure, Macy's is all decked out in holiday decorations and the streets glimmer with tiny white lights, but it doesnt feel like the holiday season until I have a seasonal Starbucks cup (preferably with a Gingerbread Latte, which arent quite here yet) in my hand.


And second...

Brooke stayed awake the whole time ... without crying! One of the reasons we come here is because she sleeps here. I would love for her to be awake, but unfortunately she cries for about 99% of her awake time.

Today it's like a whole new Brooke. She is awake and hanging out ...And we are spending some quality mother-daughter time at Starbucks :)

First Bath, Round Two

Brooke had her first bath a bit ago, but it was a learning experience for us and none of us (Jeff, Brooke, or myself) really was happy with the experience. Since Saturday Brooke was 1 month according to the calendar, we celebrated with a bath. We are calling this her first official bath for two reasons: 1) we needed a do-over and dont want to remember the 1st experience as our real first experience and 2) I got a baby book for her 1st year and it has a place for a first bath picture :)

This time we did things a bit better, we were prepared, she wasnt cranky, the water temperature was right, etc. We also did take pics this time, unlike last time ... to chronicle this experience. We only took happy pics, and none of them that we feel are embarassing. Though I am going to post one here so that family and friends can enjoy, I do promise not to pull any bath pics out to show to Brooke's friends or significan others when she grows up.