Making Friends

Getting to know Orson

This is the sleeping song...

...a song in which to sleep.

Yes, the original Nick Cave lyrics are actually, "This is the weeping song, a song in which to weep..." but I thought a little change made it perfect title to the pictures from Gran and Granddad's house. It has been their turn to babysit while I finish my last weeks of work, and this is how Granddad and Caterpillar Girl spent a dark and rainy Thursday.

Baby kisses

Caterpillar Girl is learning to give kisses.

Godzilla Stomp

A new favored activity for Caterpillar Girl is stomping through the town crushing everything in sight. We like to add some smashing sound effects in addition to the ear-splitting shrieks she has perfected for a true action-movie feel.

UPDATE: No actual cities were harmed in the making of these photos, but I am flattered that my meager Macromedia Fireworks editing looks so real. ;)

Class reunion

To prepare for Caterpillar Girl's birth, we participated in a 12-week long Bradley Method class. The Bradley Method, also known as Husband-Coached Childbirth, emphasizes "Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby." During the class, we discussed nutrition, relaxation techniques for natural births, reasons that we might need hospital intervention methods, the stages of childbirth, postpartum preparation, coaching...pretty much everything we could imagine for childbirth. Our class took place on Sunday mornings for two and a half hours with 4 other couples. Our instructors Melissa and Scott Bradley were knowledgeable, experienced (four births of their own), and caring--and I think CG's home water birth was thanks, in part, to this amazing class. After the last baby born was three-months old, a reunion was planned. Only 2 couples besides us made it to the reunion, but it was still fun. We told our birth stories, introduced our babies, and talked about our new lives, which, as can be seen in the picture, CG did not find all that stimulating.

Three-month Stats

Length: 24.25 inches
Weight: 12 lbs 13 oz

Happy Mother's Day!

My first mother's day...

Cards and plants and smiles

tasty breakfast and chocolate
and for the first time ever, she grabbed something and put it in her mouth!

Blowing Raspberries

I think that's what it is called when babies blow bubbles through their lips. Caterpillar Girl now spends several minutes at a time blowing raspberries, making that plbbbt sound, until her face is all wet. It's immensely funny to watch. She loves it even more than cooing these days. When I talk to her, she spits at me in response. Then smiles her widest when I laugh at her in return--an interchange that probably says more than all the peace talks in the Middle East.

Future Gardener

My little caterpillar squirmed in the dirt today, helping me plant some flowers and coleus in the yard. She can turn to her side with great ease now, and it seems like it will be only a matter of time before she rolls all the way from her back onto her tummy. On Wednesdays, she stays awake all day, almost as if she realizes that I don't leave for work until 5 pm and she wants to spend as much time with me as possible. Only a few more weeks until I am home with her permanently. What a wonderful time we will have!

Little Lamb

Caterpillar Girl looks so much like her father, but at least there seems to be one thing she gets from me: love of a warm bath. Her very first bath caused a few tears, but ever since she has enjoyed the ritual, complete with silly song composed by me:

Scrubbidy scrubiddy scrubiddy scrub
Who's that baby in the tub?
It's Erin.
It's Erin.

I'm sure I didn't make up the tune, but I have no idea where it comes from. Now her legs are long enough to splash when she kicks, and she loves when I squirt her with one of her bath toys like the frog in the picture above.

After the bath she is wrapped in her lamb hoodie towel to dry.