bean's first chargers jersey...starting the brainwashing early (~5 wks).
~10 wks
i see that the last blog was posted almost exactly two months ago...which is an eternity in bean time. she's become a whole different baby about 6 times over in that time period, which is pretty fun to watch. i believe where we left off, bean was cute and everything, but really making us unhappy with the several-hour crying episodes. we'd made peace with our colicky baby diagnosis, but weren't thrilled at the prospect of at least a few more months of nonstop screaming.
~7 wks
~10 wks
well, with all the fuss about colic, you'd never imagine that our bean's was cured literally overnight (though it took about a week to work out all the kinks). at the advice of our friend alyssa, we picked up a book called "happiest baby on the block," and after reading the first 5 pages, bean had about her 5th night of silence since the colic began. the next day i completed the book, and by the end of that week, bean was sleeping a solid 6 hours through the night at the tender age of 5 weeks. this is apparently unheard of in the world of babies. with a little more tweaking and increasing confidence over the next few weeks, bean started sleeping for stretches of up to 8 hours, followed by a quick snack, and now will go back to bed for another few hours after that without any trouble. if you know somebody with an infant, i recommend you keep this information private, as it seems to really piss off other parents.
bean's first time feeling grass, millenium park, ~5 wks
~10 wks
you may be wondering what kind of witchcraft we perform on our daughter every night, but it's actually quite simple. the argument this pediatrician makes is that for various compelling evolutionary reasons i won't delve into here, human babies are not quite ready for life outside the womb when they exit it. thus, they can be very fussy, but that can easily be corrected by essentially simulating womb-like conditions for the first three months of life or so. it's not hocus pocus, in fact, you'll see the simple techniques used in cultures all over the world where people use ancient wisdom rather than new technology to raise their babies. sometimes, less is more.
~ 7 wks
smiling lovingly at dad, ~9 wks
things like swaddling, rocking, sucking, and white noise go an incredibly long way in calming a baby. unfortunately, i'm not a tribeswoman in central africa, so for various reasons i can't keep bean bundled up next to my bare chest 24 hrs a day or hand her around my tribe to take turns bouncing her through the night, so we have come to really appreciate some modern conveniences like the pacifier, and the swing, which bean slept in for several weeks (now we have weaned her to the point where she only has it on to fall asleep, but doesn't need constant motion to stay asleep through the night).
~7 wks
bean with mom in the art museum gardens, ~9 wks
as time passed and bean and i both caught up on several weeks of no sleep, we began to get to know each other much better, such that now she never really cries (and thus, neither do i). she makes different noises and motions that to me, clearly mean different things--little ooo ooo mmms deep in her throat mean "i'm hungry," mmm mmm mmm mmmmmmmms mean "i've sat in this wet diaper long enough," waaa aaaas mean "please swaddle me, i'm tired and i can't quite fall asleep because my arms are flailing all over and i don't know how to stop them yet," high pitched yelps mean "help, dad is trying to dress me," and any of those will turn into angry yell-cries like the colic of yore if not addressed in a timely manner; for example, getting out of a warm bath into the cold air does not bode well with bean. anything else just generally means she wants to participate in the conversation.
~7 wks, little bean mermaid
bean on museum campus with dad, ~9 wks
bean has only really cried three times in her life since nipping colic in the bud, and it's amazing how different a cry sounds when it's not the "i'm pissed, do something about it" cry. the first time was when i pinched her skin buckling her carseat, and i knew instantly what a painful cry sounded like. the second and third times came almost two months later, within days of each other--not a good weekend for the bean. let the record state that bean is *not* a fan of injections, and a week later, i swear she is still getting back to normal after her first round of vaccinations. she did however receive her first dose of children's tylenol shortly after...man, that stuff works! a few days later, we took bean to the farmer's market as a nice family outing, which turned into one of the worst days of bean's life when a huge jet screamed across the sky at a decibel not acceptable for human ears, waking her from sleep and igniting within her a primal fear that she was about to be mauled by a sabertooth cat or something. she was so traumatized we took her home and she slept for 6 straight hours in the middle of the day.
~8 wks
~8 wks
other than that, bean is actually quite vocal. the little dinosaur noises are now reserved for when bean is just rousing from sleep...her other musings have become quite intentional and human. especially right before bed, she will erupt in a flurry of ooos and aaahs with a very determined look on her face. she is becoming increasingly social and really likes to be a part of whatever is going on, and tries very hard to contribute to conversation. she hates to be alone in a room, and can sense it even when she's sleeping. in our 800 square foot apartment we're never far, but she likes to be able to see us at all times. she's much more interactive, making great eye contact, soaking in her surroundings, and just starting to take an interest in her toys if you shake them around in front of her face. she more or less holds her head up by herself, tries very hard to sit up and practice standing (but screams if you put her on her tummy), and we just learned last week that she has almost doubled her birth weight (11 lbs, 2 oz) and has grown three inches (22 in)!
big girl! ~9 wks
~10 wks
~9 wks
she's so well behaved these days that it's easy to go on with life more or less as usual. she sits next to me on the couch and helps me with my homework, or writing this blog, as the case may be. if our conversation becomes a distraction, i just start reading some of my schoolwork out loud to her and that usually knocks her out (i can't really blame her). we enjoy taking baths, singing, and dancing together (vampire weekend's "contra" is her favorite to dance to), and she comes with us to most places, like cafes to study, friends houses, shopping, and all around town. not surprisingly, everywhere she goes, everyone falls in love with her.
~9 wks
~9 wks
certainly, the most exciting development for most parents must be the smile. that fat, happy, toothless face will put a song in anyone's step. while many psychologists argue that at this young age, babies are unable to associate smiles with happiness, i find that adults are so conditioned to associate the two that you can't help but be filled with happiness and smile yourself when the bean 's whole body breaks out into one of her beautiful, beaming grins. especially when you smile and she smiles back at you, it's about the best feeling in the world.
~9 weeks
aside from her development, the bean has had many exciting adventures over the past two months. first, grandma jeannette moved to chicago.
the grandmas with bean, ~10 weeks
later that week, the michiganders came into town to help with the dual move and celebrate mickey's birthday. while child rearing has its challenges, i'm considering timing the birth of a child approximately a month before any future move, so i have a legitimate excuse not to lift a finger. no seriously, not a finger. thanks, mom!
bean celebrating zeda-upcha's* 60th bday, ~5 wks
*mickey's self appointed moniker, just smile and nod.
bean making herself at home in the new living room, ~6 wks
bean has met many important people:
aunt marissa, ~7 wks
cousin lupe ~5wks
great nani schey, ~10 wks
great nana, ~10 wks
and after one meeting while both in utero and two with bean in utero, bean and cousin ava finally met in person in bean's first baby to baby encounter! ~10 wks
lots of other exciting things have happened...mom is one year older
bean, mom, and dad watch the sunset on mom's 26th birthday, ~8wks
and bean had many firsts:
first trip to the field museum (a first for mom, too) ~9 wks
first trip on the el
first jazz concert, ~9 wks
first trip to shedd aquarium, ~9 wks
first swim! with dad, in lake michigan (sawyer, michigan) 9 wks. after the initial shock (and a few squeaks), it seems like bean really took to the water. like everything with a baby, beach trips are very different...bean had an explosive poop on the long car ride over, so after cleaning her, the carseat, applying sunscreen, putting on a bathing suit and hat, and creating an appropriately shady, molded spot in the sand, we barely had time for one dip before we had to pack up and head home (after stripping the bean, drying the bean, and changing the bean again). before, david and i would sort of bury our valuables and swim together, but neither of us felt right concealing the bean in some bunched up towels to go splash around. fortunately, the bean is very cute, which makes it all worthwhile.
enjoying the beach
first summit of a sand dune...it was a tall one!
the bean also had her first big trip back to michigan. she got to play in the yard where her mom grew up:
and visit her future college campus:
legend has it that if you walk on the M before your first blue book exam, you will fail it. i have a strong suspicion that blue books will have become obsolete by the time bean becomes a wolverine, so walk she did! ~11 wks
bean studying with mom, espresso royale cafe on state st, ~11 wks
we have many more adventures in the near future as well...stay tuned for the scoop on aunt emily and uncle eric's wedding and bean's first extended roadtrip, both forthcoming in september...
