- Andrea saying "toes to nose" and putting Emmett's toes to his nose (100% effective)
- Singing "Bicycle Race" by Queen while moving Emmett's legs in a bicycle motion (100%)
- Holding Emmett upside-down (90%)
- The mobile hanging over his crib (50%)
- Dancing in front of Emmett with a funny face (20%)
- Vibrating your lips like a horse in front of Emmett (15%)
- Tickling (2%)
- Peek-a-boo (0%)
- Blowing a raspberry on Emmett's stomach (0%)
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
What makes Emmett laugh at 15 weeks
Monday, June 16, 2008
owie weenie
Finally getting caught up on the blog a little bit. This past weekend was a celebration of our friends Bobby and Miyuki's wedding (they got married in Japan already, but this was a celebration with their friends from this side of the Pacific. It was a really beautiful day up in Tilden Park (above Berkeley) and Emmett was a pretty good sport for the whole thing---with the exception of the drive...he still doesn't seem to love the car. Emmett also got to play frisbee, sort of. I had to give it another shot as the only other frisbee experience he has had resulted in him getting hit in the head (an errant frisbee while he was getting his diaper changed...he wasn't ready for it). This time I wore him in the Ergo and only threw forehands which meant very little shaking for Emmett who napped the whole time (about 1.5 hours). Unfortunately, though, he has ended up with what looks to be a blister on the end of his penis and I am worried that all of that bouncing around in the Ergo chaffed the end of it. I am back into bad father territory (the day before Father's day I do this, no less). Andrea called the doctor and she said to just keep an eye on it and if gets worth to give her a call in the morning. We are at three months and a week or so and we have only made two calls to the doctor, at least we have that going for us.
Sunday we had big plans to go to garage sales. Andrea got a list of the ones we were going to hit and at about 8:30 she said "OK, let's get ready to go." We were all ready to go except our shoes and we decided to let Emmett take a little nap. Three hours later Emmett woke up with the interim being filled by us hoping he would wake, still waiting, shoes in hand. We ended up only going to our friends' garage sale where we scored a small cooler to transport breast milk to NYC (liquids bad, breast milk OK? Our dumb rules). A bunch of friends came over to hang out, too, so that was pretty good.
Today I finally got around to setting a date for my leaving the lab. I had mentioned that I was going to be calling it quits to take care of Emmett/explore other options, but was countered with an offer of a half-time position. I countered back with a half-time position where I am at the lab one day a week and home the rest, so the ball is in their court and we will see what happens. Anyway, it looks like there will be a change 8/14 where I will go to stay-at-home dad. We haven't really broken the news to Emmett--he is getting used to this mom/foodsource being around all of the time, so I am not sure how he is going to take it. At least he and I have frisbee.
Sunday we had big plans to go to garage sales. Andrea got a list of the ones we were going to hit and at about 8:30 she said "OK, let's get ready to go." We were all ready to go except our shoes and we decided to let Emmett take a little nap. Three hours later Emmett woke up with the interim being filled by us hoping he would wake, still waiting, shoes in hand. We ended up only going to our friends' garage sale where we scored a small cooler to transport breast milk to NYC (liquids bad, breast milk OK? Our dumb rules). A bunch of friends came over to hang out, too, so that was pretty good.
Today I finally got around to setting a date for my leaving the lab. I had mentioned that I was going to be calling it quits to take care of Emmett/explore other options, but was countered with an offer of a half-time position. I countered back with a half-time position where I am at the lab one day a week and home the rest, so the ball is in their court and we will see what happens. Anyway, it looks like there will be a change 8/14 where I will go to stay-at-home dad. We haven't really broken the news to Emmett--he is getting used to this mom/foodsource being around all of the time, so I am not sure how he is going to take it. At least he and I have frisbee.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
The indispensables, vol. 2
Three months in on this whole baby thing and there have been a few more products that have been worth their weight in burp rags:
4. The swaddle blanket. When we got home from the hospital I still wasn't getting the whole swaddle thing (for those that don't know, the swaddle is this method of forming a kid-filled burrito with a blanket shell that keeps the kid filling from self-inflicted face slaps by uncontrolled hands throughout the night). The nurses were able to swaddle Emmett so well that he wouldn't even contemplate moving. Well, since that time we have both improved in our swaddling abilities (the trick is to realize that Emmett can take the swaddle being pretty darn tight), but in the last month or so Andrea came home with a swaddle-designed blanket called the "Kiddopotamus" and it revolutionized our lives. The Kiddopotomus has a pocket for Emmett's legs and two wings which are wrapped around his arms and chest with a velcro closure (the only picture I have of Emmett in one is of the upper half---unfortunately he is already in bed else I would get a better picture). We got a size a bit large and put a regular blanket swaddle underneath (it is chilly at night in SF). Since starting to use these blankets it is a pretty rare night that one of Emmett's arms sneaks out of the swaddle and starts clocking him in the face. The Kiddopotomus definitely gets 7 sock monkeys.
5. The Ergo. I have mentioned the Ergo before, but it really has been a great carrying device for both Andrea and I. We both use the same one, which is nice, and though it doesn't pack incredibly compactly (like a sling, say), it is quite comfortable to wear and Emmett is usually very relaxed inside it (the picture below is what Emmett looks like inside of it looking over Andrea's shoulder, and the picture at the bottom is of Andrea wearing it at the wedding on Sunday with some friends---see, it makes great formal wear). The infant liner that one is supposed to use until the baby is 15 lbs is a little bit of a hassle (Andrea has given up on it, but I still use it). The fact that we can use this until Emmett is 2 or 3 is really nice. I do wish it was positioned just slightly lower so that Emmett's weight was really being carried more by my hips, but he is not so heavy that it is a problem just yet. I would give the Ergo six sock monkeys--not perfect, but a very worthwhile product.
4. The swaddle blanket. When we got home from the hospital I still wasn't getting the whole swaddle thing (for those that don't know, the swaddle is this method of forming a kid-filled burrito with a blanket shell that keeps the kid filling from self-inflicted face slaps by uncontrolled hands throughout the night). The nurses were able to swaddle Emmett so well that he wouldn't even contemplate moving. Well, since that time we have both improved in our swaddling abilities (the trick is to realize that Emmett can take the swaddle being pretty darn tight), but in the last month or so Andrea came home with a swaddle-designed blanket called the "Kiddopotamus" and it revolutionized our lives. The Kiddopotomus has a pocket for Emmett's legs and two wings which are wrapped around his arms and chest with a velcro closure (the only picture I have of Emmett in one is of the upper half---unfortunately he is already in bed else I would get a better picture). We got a size a bit large and put a regular blanket swaddle underneath (it is chilly at night in SF). Since starting to use these blankets it is a pretty rare night that one of Emmett's arms sneaks out of the swaddle and starts clocking him in the face. The Kiddopotomus definitely gets 7 sock monkeys.
5. The Ergo. I have mentioned the Ergo before, but it really has been a great carrying device for both Andrea and I. We both use the same one, which is nice, and though it doesn't pack incredibly compactly (like a sling, say), it is quite comfortable to wear and Emmett is usually very relaxed inside it (the picture below is what Emmett looks like inside of it looking over Andrea's shoulder, and the picture at the bottom is of Andrea wearing it at the wedding on Sunday with some friends---see, it makes great formal wear). The infant liner that one is supposed to use until the baby is 15 lbs is a little bit of a hassle (Andrea has given up on it, but I still use it). The fact that we can use this until Emmett is 2 or 3 is really nice. I do wish it was positioned just slightly lower so that Emmett's weight was really being carried more by my hips, but he is not so heavy that it is a problem just yet. I would give the Ergo six sock monkeys--not perfect, but a very worthwhile product.
Monday, June 9, 2008
going to the chapel
Yesterday the whole fam headed to Burlingame to attend a wedding. It is kind of crazy that Andrea and I are approaching 6 years of married life together and we had only attended three weddings together, but Sunday made four and was Emmett's first. The wedding we went to was for a college friend and it was fancy schmancy. I got him to settle in the Ergo (soon to be added to a "essential items" list) and he made it through the entrances with only a slight stir (it is kind of funny that in this day and age weddings still have things like the three groomsmen walking in together in one line and the bridesmaids walking in one-by-one with lots of space between them so we can all check them out). During these entrances there was a nice, peaceful harp playing but when the bride came in a trumpet blared that "here comes the bride" thing and Emmett had had enough. Emmett and I spent the remainder of the ceremony walking around the rose garden---he really likes checking out the color contrast of flowers though he doesn't get the whole smell thing just yet. It still amazes me how well he will settle if he is outside and moving about. I think we have a regular old John Muir. Anyway, we took one picture when we got home (Emmett was just starting into meltdown mode). It is a horrible picture, but I figure since I never put pictures of the three of us on here, it might as well be a bad one.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
The big 03
Tomorrow Emmett turns three months, or in modern-parent-speak: the end of the fourth trimester. It is pretty interesting to think how different things would be if Emmett really could have hung out inside Andrea for the fourth trimester and popped out where he is not developmentally---maybe giving one of his big smiles right after birth. He definitely seems much better prepared for the world today than he was right when he arrived (not that he is ready to start foraging for food or anything like that, but he can hold that head of his up).
It was kind of funny that I had a first this evening that I was surprised was a first: tonight I filled out my first form that had "number of children" as a box to fill. I found it hard to believe that this was yet to happen, but I guess I am not filling in forms all that often.
We are trying to figure out how to improve Emmett's sleep patterns these days and we have yet to hit on a solution. Our pattern of late has been that Emmett hits the hay around 7:00 or 7:30pm, sleeps until somewhere between 1-2 AM when he wakes, is fed, and goes back to sleep. He then wakes at 2 hour intervals repeating the above at each waking until 6 AM when he and I get up together and spend an hour or so hanging out giving Andrea a little more shut-eye to prepare for the long rest-free day of Emmett care. He will normally go back to bed with Andrea when I leave for work for an hour or two until he is really ready to start his day. We are trying to figure out if we (we meaning Andrea) should be feeding him at each waking or if he is reaching the point that he should be able to sleep longer stretches between feedings and we should be letting him settle back to sleep sans food. There are so many competing theories out there and it is definitely not easy to let him complain when he is inches away from us (and knows we (read: Andrea & breasts) are there). Apparently the woman who leads the parents' group that Andrea attends is of the opinion that 4months/14pounds is an important milestone where one can start working toward sleeping through the night. He is a month short and about a pound light, so for now we are sticking with feeding him when he wakes.
Andrea said that Emmett is getting close to the back-to-front roll (expected ~ 3 months) and is scooting himself in circles on his back using his legs. Not really all that exciting, but I guess it doesn't stop me from reporting it.
It was kind of funny that I had a first this evening that I was surprised was a first: tonight I filled out my first form that had "number of children" as a box to fill. I found it hard to believe that this was yet to happen, but I guess I am not filling in forms all that often.
We are trying to figure out how to improve Emmett's sleep patterns these days and we have yet to hit on a solution. Our pattern of late has been that Emmett hits the hay around 7:00 or 7:30pm, sleeps until somewhere between 1-2 AM when he wakes, is fed, and goes back to sleep. He then wakes at 2 hour intervals repeating the above at each waking until 6 AM when he and I get up together and spend an hour or so hanging out giving Andrea a little more shut-eye to prepare for the long rest-free day of Emmett care. He will normally go back to bed with Andrea when I leave for work for an hour or two until he is really ready to start his day. We are trying to figure out if we (we meaning Andrea) should be feeding him at each waking or if he is reaching the point that he should be able to sleep longer stretches between feedings and we should be letting him settle back to sleep sans food. There are so many competing theories out there and it is definitely not easy to let him complain when he is inches away from us (and knows we (read: Andrea & breasts) are there). Apparently the woman who leads the parents' group that Andrea attends is of the opinion that 4months/14pounds is an important milestone where one can start working toward sleeping through the night. He is a month short and about a pound light, so for now we are sticking with feeding him when he wakes.
Andrea said that Emmett is getting close to the back-to-front roll (expected ~ 3 months) and is scooting himself in circles on his back using his legs. Not really all that exciting, but I guess it doesn't stop me from reporting it.
Monday, June 2, 2008
I'm just a bill
I just handed Emmett off to Andrea who is already in bed. He and I spent a bit of the evening reading together. Tonight's literature: the voter information guide for tomorrow's ballot measures. Though the supplied arguments for and against each measure may look good on paper, they just don't have that catchy ring when read aloud---even with happy annunciation added.
This weekend was pretty nice for the fam. Saturday E, A, and I walked to the main library and then over to some friend's new pad to visit for a while. Emmett slept in the bassinet of his stroller for something like four hours. It is pretty amazing how much he likes being out in fresh air and how it is a pretty sure-fire way to get him to relax.
Sunday's primary event was a trip to Marin County to Emmett's friend Augie's grandparents' house. The three babies whose pictures often show up in Andrea's blog (Augie, Ethan, and Emmett) all went to Marin with their respective parents for a day of BBQ and swimming. Emmett couldn't take part in the former (except via breast filter), but he did take advantage of the pool availability for his first ever swim. The water was a little chilly as there was a bit of a cold spell and general overcast-ness leading up to the weekend (solar-heated pool), but that didn't stop Emmett and his mom from hopping in for a short swim. FYI (I didn't know this), there are baby swim diapers which are basically just polyester shells. There was general debate amongst the parents present as to whether diapers should go on under the swim covers (they don't come with instructions) and it was decided they should. Who knows? Anyway, here are some pictures of ma and Ems in the pool---you can see the full range of reactions in Emmett from "hmm" to "OK, that's enough"
This weekend was pretty nice for the fam. Saturday E, A, and I walked to the main library and then over to some friend's new pad to visit for a while. Emmett slept in the bassinet of his stroller for something like four hours. It is pretty amazing how much he likes being out in fresh air and how it is a pretty sure-fire way to get him to relax.
Sunday's primary event was a trip to Marin County to Emmett's friend Augie's grandparents' house. The three babies whose pictures often show up in Andrea's blog (Augie, Ethan, and Emmett) all went to Marin with their respective parents for a day of BBQ and swimming. Emmett couldn't take part in the former (except via breast filter), but he did take advantage of the pool availability for his first ever swim. The water was a little chilly as there was a bit of a cold spell and general overcast-ness leading up to the weekend (solar-heated pool), but that didn't stop Emmett and his mom from hopping in for a short swim. FYI (I didn't know this), there are baby swim diapers which are basically just polyester shells. There was general debate amongst the parents present as to whether diapers should go on under the swim covers (they don't come with instructions) and it was decided they should. Who knows? Anyway, here are some pictures of ma and Ems in the pool---you can see the full range of reactions in Emmett from "hmm" to "OK, that's enough"
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