christening: the good, the bad, and the what???

After much discussion, we decided to get Bridget christened. It seemed like a given to both of us raised Irish Catholic. However, we are both disaffected followers given the sexual abuse scandal and lack of women and married men as priests is ridiculous... but to cover our bets we went ahead, after attending a meeting with a priest at the local church, which was mostly pro forma, the priest seemed a little odd, but who knew.... we had uncles bob and brian, kieran and cecilia as godparents, and grandma and grandpa in attendance. The preparation included a "class" in which a priest talked to us about the ceremony, its meaning and how much to contribute (and the finances of the church which was detailed enough to be inappropriate), followed by a cheesy DVD, that makes Hallmark Movies look Oscar worthy... the ceremony was not to be believed, the priest was so out there to be a caraicuture of a out-of-touch priest. His long-winded sermon included refences to active excorcisms stilled carried out, the Godfather, stereotypes of New York Italians, scolding of people not regularly attending church (great way to bring them back) and much more, much of it I have blocked out, all of it both odd and largely inappropriate to the occasion... I wish I had tape of it, the very reason so many people feel a disconnect with the Catholic Church and many (not all) of its priests... the highlight was lunch at a nice Italian restaurant in White Plains, where we had not previously gone... we were the only ones there for a late lunch, the company was great, the food terrific and Bridget loved the attention, she brough the house down eating corn on the cob we brought... knowing Bridget, I certainly don't believe in original sin, she is purely innocent, we should all be so good, God bless you Bridgie...

Christmas a little sweeter this year

Last Christmas, we were in the wait and see mode with Bridget due anytime. Following good advice, we went out to a number of movies and dinners (I think I have been to one movie since)... now with Bridget, Christmas was great though she is completely oblivious of the holiday's cultural, religious or material import. I bought her a wooden train that I found in Edinburgh Scotland (over for my brother's wedding) after hours of looking through crappy tourist type stores (people must be buying the stuff). We also got her a ride-on car that she could push or ride on. I know hold her with one hand and push her at warp speed through the apartment with the other. I have even taken to "flying" as she jumps over various baby flotsam and jetsam, the look on her face is pure joy, with her jaw dropping.... Bridget has given us so much joy and it is wonderful to see the reaction of grandma and grandpa, other relatives and random people.

Christmas was a nice, intimate affair with grandma, grandpa, and uncles bob and brian. All eyes were on Bridget and she carried the day with another command performance, with some priceless expressions. She got another car from the grandparents, a souped-up Dora the Explorer that has a carnival going in the front (if you thought driving and cell phones were distracting, imagine a circus on your front hood).

Looking forward to lots of future Christmas holidays, particulalry once she gets the idea.

Peace, all the best in the new year.

A Little Cape Magic

We just returned Saturday from our annual week on Cape Cod. I have done the Pan Mass Challenge the past five years with friends from college to raise money for cancer treatment and research. The full ride goes from Sturbridge to Provincetown, 194 miles in all. I have raised about $20,000 over the years through this incredible event.

we stayed in a condo resort in Brewster rather than rent a house this year. Megan pushed this and was smart to do so. We had a nice two bedroom, two bath condo and three pools, including an indoor pool nearby. With a six month baby, we were on a short leash of two hour windows, so it was great to have pools so close. Bridget really likes the water, taking after her mom. She loved splashing, moving in the pool and we danced around with her. Being social, she loved all the stimuli, watching the other kids. Being a new parent, it was striking to see how babied many kids were in the pool by parents. We also went to a wonderful pond in a local state park. Fresh water ponds with no motorboats can't be beat for swimming. Feeling sand on her feet was a new experience, you could see her wheels turning trying to figure it out... we took her to her first baseball game, home game for the Brewster Whitecaps, the Cape League is the best amateur ball in the country and the scene is so Americana, taking place at an elementary school with kids wandering around, playing on the playground, we had to be especially careful Bridget didn't get konked in the head by a foul ball, no day dreaming... we also went to Nauset Beach, the beginning of the National Seashore, just endless unspoiled beaches, we didn't take Bridget in as the water was cold! but I went in, she was fascinated watching the waves and by their sound... we went out to eat a few times and she used a high chair which was great, meg and I weren't swapping her back and forth eating fast... two of our friends who have twin boys Bridget's age stayed in the same complex so it was great to meet up with them... The Cape is just great, relaxing, laid back, cool weather, and beautiful geography, can't wait to go back.

what it must be like...

As an ordinary looking guy, I take it for granted that I go largely unnoticed while in public. I always wondered what it would be like to get a lot of attention... now I know to some degree. This is shameless, but we get stopped regularly by people commenting on how beautiful, adorable, engaging (with her megawatt smile) Bridget is. I always I would find her beautiful, but never counted on such a little star. While in Brattleboro for example, we gave our lunch order at a restaurant to our waiter and several minutes later, a waitress came along, as a hurried New Yorker, I quickly said, the other waiter got our order, and she told us I heard about the baby and came to see...she really lights up around people and makes their day, she is just a bundle of good news and positive energy...

someone once wrote, "it's beauty that captures your attention; personality which captures your heart."... Bridget's personality is so curious, loving, and sweet that it trumps her looks... needless to say, I fall in love more and more each day.

A Place More Quiet and Green

We visited a friend in Vermont for a few days earlier this week. She has a beautiful place outside of Brattleboro. It was such a contrast to home, very quiet, no neighbors in sight or earshot, and no ambient light at night. With a pool, great views, comfortable places, great food and wonderful company, there was no reason to leave. We did check out the town with a terrific Riverside Cafe with beautiful views of the river there. We also visited a country store, farm stand, a bison farm, and lots more. Bridget got a kick out of our friend's dog, a big furry, mellow fellow - first time she seemed to notice an animal, you could tell from her expression that she was trying to make out what he was, hmmm four legs, fur, big, etc... We ate well at local restaurants and Meg cooking with local ingredients (within miles of us), pancakes and bacon every day with the syrup from the property itself. Bridget wowed our host with how engaged she was socially with us, she seemed to follow all our conversations with curious intent...I went for a nice bike ride up a small mountain (got chased by a dog for part of the climb (great for motivation), saw an alpaca farm, a historic round schoolhouse and lots of farms, little traffic - again, I knew I wasn't in westchester.... Meg and I love the vermont vibe of casual dress, little attitude, liberal politics, local food, and outdoors adventures... look forward to taking Bridget back to the green state.

vermont

Bridget took her first trip to vermont and her 2nd road trip.. she did really well. My friend and colleague spends her summer there. she has a beautiful country home on several acres with a pool and a pond too. The town is tiny with a country store and many farms as well as a covered bridge. Bridget and Alex( our friend's dog) got a long great. Alex was very patient and held back as he really wanted to keep licking Bridget's face. He became upset when Bridget would squeal. He wanted to protect her even when it was just Chris playing around. Alex thought she was in danger. it was adorable.. Despite the rainy weather we all relaxed and Bridget got some time in the pool with daddy. unfortunately, i got some odd infection on my eye and had a visit to the er. it was a great small town experience, though as I was the only patient in the er and didn't have to wait. I actually waited longer in the pharmacy while I listened to everyone catching up. All in all, a great trip.. We were off the grid.. away from cell phone, internet and tv and it was a great change!! we cooked a lot with produce from the local farm stands and the Brattleboro food co- op and had wine every night with dinner, explored nearby brattleboro and a nearby bison farm, visited the country store, the covered bridge and told stories..

six months!!

Bridget had her 6 month check up at the doctor last week. He was thrilled that we have begun avocado and he feels Bridget is growing really well. she is now 16lbs and 27 inches long. She is still above average in weight and in the 90% percentile in length.. wow!! The doc continues to be a great listener and he really took his time with us. Chris met him for the first time since last month was our first visit to this new doctor. chris was impressed. He was impressed with her sleeping.. prior to our vermont trip, she was sleeping 10 hours straight 7pm-5am.. yay!! He was surprised at this since he explained how much more they dream at this age and often wake themselves up in between dreams.. well, we always knew she was advanced.. ha ha!

The new doctor is in croton so before the visit we went to croton point park and were hoping to swim there.. but for some strange reason there aren't lifeguards during the week, huh!! and they prohibit swimming!! ugh! it was gorgeous anyhow and we enjoyed the scenery. after our appointment we went to their farmer's market.. it is great. they even have wines there from a vineyard in the hudson valley. fun!!

avocados- yummy!!

For Bridget's 2nd week of solids, we introduced avocado.. It went really well. She took to it quickly and seems to like it more than sweet potato. We have a good routine now for the three of us. I nurse Bridget for a bit, then I bring her to the kitchen where daddy has the chair all ready. I take out the bib, prepare the food and bring over the food and spoon, then while he feeds the first food, I prepare the 2nd,just in case she is interested. When Bridget is done, I get a bowl of water for the clean up and chris cleans her while I clean the chair. Then I get the vitamin drops and the water. We are so thrilled about one thing.. Bridget seems to love the water at the end of her meal. YAY!! She reaches for the glass. horay. She is so healthy already.. liking avocado and water.. what a smartie!!

sweet potatoes

This morning, Bridget had her first introduction to solid foods.. It was an adventure for all of us.. First I spent awhile early this morning preparing the food. Yes, I decided to make the food myself. I have good intentions, I'm not sure how long I will do this for, but it will save money and the fresh food will be better for her.. so, I first looked up how to sautee sweet potatoes. I didn't have a steamer insert so I used a colander.. and it worked well. But I made way too much!! Let's just say, I hope she likes it.. we have about one months of sweet potatoes.. 4 frozen ice cube trays.. ugh!!

Then I put together my food processor that I bought last summer.. While I did this, chris got the high chair from the garage and assembled it..

Then it was time, Bridget woke up from her nap, I nursed her and then Chris looked for the bib. We placed her in the chair, I took out the wooden bowl and spoon that I recently purchased and scooped one T of the pureed sweet potato into the bowl. I sat next to her in a chair and placed some of the sweet potato on her lips.. Then, I began to put some slowly in her mouth. we couldn't tell if she liked it or not, but it was a good start..Not too much ended up in her mouth or being swallowed.. but it was a start..

we were careful to be positive and not react negatively. We stopped after about 15 minutes.. we took her out of the chair and put her down to play. Later today I read the book again for some tips, turns out I missed a few key points that I will try tomorrow:

first I should only nurse her for half the time before the feeding so she is somewhat hungry, then I should mix breast milk with the sweet potatoes so it's a more familiar taste and is more liquidy, and I should put the spoon full of the sweet potato on her tongue. also, if she doesn't move it, I should slowly place some of the potato on her tongue.. It's an interesting ritual and mealtime seems to be so important.. I want her to enjoy it and learn to try many foods and also get her nourishment that she needs..

single mom!

For the past week, I was a single mom.. Chris went to a seminar for history teachers in Rhode Island at Brown University. He loved it and it was right up his ally. He listened to lectures by famous historians, saw documentaries and did a group project, ha ha.. I stayed at home and well, spent my days doing the same, taking care of Bridget..going for walks, reading books, nursing, singing, yoga classes, laundry, etc. the once difference is that I didn't have any breaks.. ugh!!

well, I was prepared and scheduled many social visits at night from friends. we had dinner together and chris' parents watched Bridget twice and I went swimming.. yay!! It felt great to get out and have a break and exercise..

I really don't know how single parents do it.. no breaks is tough.. going to work - outside of the home would actually be the only break..wow!!

it made me appreciate chris more and realize how hard single parents have it!!

saturday in the park

Well, chris came back from his conference. pfew!! It was rough being a single mom for a week.. he had a great time hanging with the other history nerds, learned a lot and had fun too.. we had a good week and I socialized a lot with friends.. several nights I had friends over to dinner which was fun for me.. twice grandma and grandpa babysat and I swam at the pool yay!! On Saturday the 4th, we went to a park on the river , this park we hadn't been to before and loved it.. gorgeous.. I am beginning to really like the river towns.. not that I hadn't before. just exploring them more lately.. On one side there is a little beach, lots of picnic tables and bbq grills and a playground and on the other side we found lots of areas to play sports, soccer fields, a basketball court and more and all of this was right next to the river. unbelievable.. and open to the public.. We had fun walking around and took Bridget on the swing too.. she seems to enjoy being outside.. well, don't all babies??

lake house

Bridget had her first visit to a lake house last weekend.. She loved it.. Chris' uncle has a lake house and we spent the day. She enjoyed visiting on the screened in porch, watching the waves in the lake and lying in the hammock.. fun!! We were very happy that she took a nap too in the pack in play that we brought.. pfew!!

Bridget's first visit to a public garden

We finally made it to a public garden we have been meaning to visit.. It's a gorgeous spot in Riverdale with incredible views of the Hudson River and the Palisades.. WOW. we had a good visit in between rain showers and loved every minute.. A great spot for a picnic too.. we enjoyed our trip so much that we decided to join.. we plan to go often this summer.

yay! It's fun exploring new places..

Father's Day

I was thrilled to celebrate my first father's day this year. Fatherhood has been more amazing than I ever thought possible. I have been doubly blessed. First, my dad is nothing short of extraordinary. I grew up thinking he was so smart, athletic, tough, kind, funny, and empathetic - a kind of superman. I still think this way, the older I get the more I appreciate him. He is the most grounded, centered person I know and I have turned to him any number of times for help and he is always there. If I can be half the father to Bridget that he was to me, I will consider myself quite successful. It has been so satisfying to watch him in his new role of grandfather - he can't contain his love and pride. Megan gave me a great present for the holiday, a personalized photo album with lots of great photos. She wasn't able to wait until sunday, so she gave it to me early. I also got a personalized card with wonderful sentiments. It brought so many memories of the past six months to mind. Every day I marvel and Bridget and thank God for being so blessed. I love her more and more and that love is more profound than I could ever explain. I am at once savoring every moment and looking forward to so many experiences with her. We had lunch that day with grandma, grandpa, and uncle Kieran and aunt Nikki - it was great to see everyone, but the best part was just spending all day with Bridget, showing her off.

progress report

5 months:

Physical growth- 

Bridget is growing at a very steady rate- she is now 15 lbs. She continues to be very long for her age at 26 inches. She continues to grow in many areas.  We are noticing that her eyelashes are getting longer by the week.  wow!  she is teething and has been since 4 months but now we can feel her bottom teeth.

Motor skills:

She continues to roll on her side often and sometimes rolls from her back to her front. She is beginning to reach for her toys.  Tummy time is getting much easier. She holds her head up well and pushes her arms into the floor. YAY!!  She can touch her toes and can place them in her mouth.. she continues to place both hands in her mouth.. yummy this is to soothe her and also helps with the teething..

Interacting with her environment- 

She continues to be very curious. she loves to look around at people.  She still tracks our voices and loves to watch people talk, particularly people that use their hands to talk.   Her main way of interacting with her environment is with her mouth. This is how she explores so anything of interest that can be placed in her mouth, is placed there.  

five months and growing strong!

Bridget is 5 months now and boy is she growing!!  At her 5 month visit she weighed 15 lbs and 1oz, and was 26 inches long.  We went to our new pediatrician. He is an integrative doctor with degrees in eastern and western medicine. He uses acupuncture in his practice and even teaches patients to meditate.. he is conservative on the vaccines which I like too.  He has an easy going personality and isn't into all of the scores..  All that we know is that Bridget is average in weight and above average in length..  The doctor didn't take out a chart with the percentages.. honestly, we are fine with that.. The best part was surprisingly the shots.. Since Bridget is going to daycare in the near future we have to do some of the shots.  So, the doctor and I spoke and decided which shots she would have. Then the nurse came in and I was singing and playing with Bridget to distract her.. They gave her two shots and I recall when she had these same two at our previous doctors' office.  She bled a lot and was very sad..  This time, she made a sad face after the second shot but didn't cry and didn't bleed. In fact they didn't even need a band aid at all.   First of all, the nurses are very skilled. secondly, they must use very small needles since she didn't bleed.  Boy was I happy and so was Bridget.. I am so thrilled that we switched.  The office is 1/2 hour drive unlike the other that was 5 minutes away, but it does seem worth it..  The doctor was impressed that B hasn't been sick yet since she was a winter baby. We have been so careful with having people wash their hands before holding her and the nursing certainly helps since I pass the antibodies to her. 

bailey hughes

Bridget has a cousin on the hughes's side of the family!!  Bailey was born on june 6th.. she weighed 8lbs and was 21 inches.. wow!! she is much bigger than our little gal.. we can't wait to meet her when she comes to visit this August.  - she lives in SF with her parents..  Bridget and Bailey will have lots of fun in the future together since they are just 5 months apart.. YAY!!

oh the places we go!

In our complex we have a playground with swings and a jungle gym for toddlers and a separate area for older kids.. I never gave it too much thought.  Recently, I was thinking that she could play there when she is around one year old.  Then on a walk with Bridget last weekend, I went by the playground and we looked around.. I realized that some of the swings were the seat swings that she could sit in.  Since she sits up with minimal support, I thought I'd give it a try.. I put her in the swing while holding on and gently swong- (is that a word??), her in a circular direction.. well, she really liked it.. she was not giggly, but was really mellow..

 Later, I took her down the little slide, I held onto her the whole way down.. she really like this..  so, now I am really appreciating that we have a playground.. it's so convenient..  just steps away.

so, now I'll be looking around for other playgrounds and seeing what kind of equipment they have.. funny how I look at the world differently now.. 

PARTY

Bridget went to her first birthday party. It was a party for a one year old boy of a friend of ours.  He is adorable and a little bruiser. I doubt he knew what was going on but he seemed to enjoy the cake. It was precious to see all of the kids with their party hats singing happy birthday.  Bridget wore a party hat too and it was adorable.  We had fun at the party catching up with friends, but we were thinking that we will probably skip the one year old party. Instead we may do a one year survival party for Chris and I when Bridget has gone to bed..  now that is something to celebrate!!

Bridget's first suitor

Today was our yoga teacher's last day. We were very sad and we gave her a photo book of all the  mommies and babies pictures.. she was thrilled. It was a pain to make, compiling everyone's info and getting it together, but I am so glad that I did it.. she was so touched that she cried.. We will miss her dearly, but I am happy for her as she is moving to Spain and beginnning a new adventure and a new life with her husband and daughter. 

 Class was great as usual and Bridget made a friend.. Olin is a very sweet older boy who was clearly touched by Bridget.. He is over 7 months old, he sits up by himself and he eats solids.. very impressive resume, I think.. he also has a very cool mom who speaks spanish and is a veterinarian..  Today he grabbed and held Bridget's hand.. She let him do so as he gazed at her..  adorable.. luckily, our teacher was there with her camera and she caught it on film.. Priceless!!

Chris has already spoken with Olin about his intentions!!

Big Girl

Bridget is a big girl now.. She is in her own room now.. Yes, it took us 4.5 months.. She h as been in the co- sleeper( basinette) in our room.  It was easier for nursing and then I just got used to  having her there. Honestly, I loved going to bed and seeing her sleeping and waking up with her beside our bed. And it was so easy to nurse during the night.  But when she was about 4 months old it became apparent that she had outgrown the basinette. Let's put it this way, when she stretched out her arms, she hit the sides.. wow!!  so, the first step was to buy a monitor, then we had to take the play gym out of the crib. Previously, she had been playing in the gym in the crib so we had to establish the crib as a sleeping area, not a playing area.  And then for the big move, I think it was harder on me, then on her.. I was sad because it meant that she was getting bigger.. She wouldn't ever be in the basinette again.. but, I quickly got used to having our room back.. being able to read before going to bed among other things..  not having to get my gym clothes out of there before I put her to bed.. having some private space with chris..  wow!!  She is waking up more often due to the teething- which started around 4 mo n ths and being in her own room.. so , I have a strategy that seems to be working.. I feed her once during the night and then put her back to her room and then Turn off the Monitor.. yes, I actually do!!  And surprisingly, I don't have guilt about it.. It helps me get a few more hours sleep. Then, when I wake up around 7, I go and get her.. She is usually kicking her legs on her crib and cooing.. I figure if she was really crying I would hear her.  She is just next door, although with the ceiling fans and our white noise machine... it's not so quiet..  So, Bridget is getting bigger and more independent and her mom is getting more independent too. hee hee.

Giggles

So, my favorite sound is Bridget's laugh.. not surprising to most parents, I guess.  We are hearing it more and more these days. It is still a mystery what makes her giggle.. The first few times it was her mimicking us. We were laughing as we watched Seinfeld and she began to laugh.. Lately she laughs at other things.. some words make her laugh, like the word, YAY and when I move her body in certain ways, she laughs.. This morning she was laughing with her full belly laugh as I laid her on my thighs facing me and I opened her arms out to the sides very wide, then I would bring her arms in and touch her  hands to each other. I did this several times and got faster and faster.. she kept howling.. ofcourse we were laughing hard at this so she was laughing at us laughing and it was contagious..

Dancing to music generally makes her smile and sometimes she laughs.. last night we were listening to Cupid  by Sam Cooke. Bridget began to laugh when Chris sang," Don't know much about history."" she is so smart. she knew that wasn't true..   or perhaps she was laughing at his singing.. we'll never know.. We will continue to do silly things to hear our favorite sound..

5 months

Bridget is 5 months today!!  We celebrated by attending the hudson valley arts festival in Sleepy hollow to mark the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's expedition on the hudson river.  We heard spanish poetry and saw some amazing ships at this gorgeous park on the hudson.. The main ship is the same type of ship that Hudson used in his sailing journey. They even sounded the cannons. Bridget took a nap on her daddy on a picnic table but she was quite startled when she heard the cannons. A few friends were there and the weather was perfect. It was about 75 and clear and sunny along the river.  This morning was a big milestone for her. She has been turning 90% from back to side and this morning, she flipped from her back to her front.. yay, Bridget.. what's next, only she knows!!

wearing Bridget

I have experimented with baby wearing ever since Bridget was a few weeks old. Finally, I found the best way to wear her.. The moby wrap..it has GREAT instruction booklet, many different ways to wrap her in different positions depending on her age or disposition at the time and the weight is distributed on both of my shoulders and when she is in, it's hands free.. YAY!!She often takes naps in the moby when we take walks in it..  and if I am out, I can use it instead of the stroller. She feels close to me and we don't take up so much room as with the stroller.. she hardly ever fusses in the moby.. It's not hard to guess why not since she is in a HUG position..  

4 months

We had our four month visit to the doctor this week.  Bridget did very well.  She did extremely well. The doctor told me to keep up the nursing as long as we can.  Bridget weighed in at 14 lbs 1oz - this is 70th percentile for her age and her length is 25.5% - this is 90th percentile.  Her head measured 16 inches- which is 50th percentile.  We always knew that she didn't have a big head.  So, we now know for sure that we have a future basketball star or swimmer on our hands.  

Surprisingly, she handled the shots really well.  She had two shots and I handled it better than in the past too.  I tried to distract her by playing with her before the shot.  Bridget let the doctor examine her with no problem and when he was looking in her ears, she was holding his fingers, it was very sweet.  The doctor mentioned that at age 6-9 months, she will begin to have stranger fear.  Oh well, for now she is very friendly toward our friends and co workers that she meets.

One funny thing happened, across the hall from our exam room was a mom and her son Jackson that we know from yoga.  He is about one month older than Bridget.  

Bridget's first visit to a farm

Today we went to a farm nearby.  It has always been one of our favorite places to visit, see the animals and walk.  It was a real thrill to take Bridget there and in a few years we know it will be even better.  There were many programs for 3 year olds there. They can learn farm chores and go on bird walks and more.  We had a wonderful walk looking at the different animals and the fresh air and gorgeous scenery was good for all of us.  our pictures came out so well that we decided to make a slide show.  Bridget often looked at us and not the animals but we know that she enjoyed the fresh air and she giggled when she heard the ducks quacking.. It was real" music" to our ears.  

Play dates

Bridget began play dates when she was 2 weeks old. Okay, it is really socializing for her mom. But, she has had many play dates since then.  Now that she is 16 weeks, she has begun to look at the other babies. If only briefly, it is fun to see them notice each other. 

The little guy here is 6 weeks older than Bridget.  They both slept through this play date.  Bridget wasn't able to hold her head up yet so I propped her up for this photo.  On the photo  at the left, the little guy is now 6.5 months old. we had a recent play date at a coffee shop.. Bridget is almost 5 months old. 

Our little crab

Bridget is developing every day.  It is so incredible to watch her interact with her environment. Whether it's looking at the light coming from a lap or the sun through the window or admiring  the smiling faces of people she meets, we get a real kick out of watching her.  

 For some reason, she has always loved her changing table.  Every since she was a week or two old, she has always helped us change her diaper.  She actually lifts her legs up for us and keeps them there!!  It is so adorable.  Her latest feat is to move like a crab.  While lying on her back when we change her she now scoots with her legs and arms really quickly. She scoots so much that we have to gently move her body back so she doesn't hit her head. This is because she is scooting the length of the changing table.  It's unbelievable how far she can scoot. We love to  watch it. She is so happy  because she is moving herself and using her arms and legs.  She also  scoots a little on the floor or the bed but not as far nor as fast as when she is on the changing table.   We think she scoots better on the table since she uses the surface to push off.  She is so smart. Flip turns in the pool will be a cinch!

Happy Baby Pose

Bridget like all babies is extremely flexible. It's amazing. She can touch her foot to her head very easily..  My yoga teacher always says, watch a baby, they do yoga all day.  Now that I am a mom, I really do see it.. Her moves are all yoga poses and I am sure that as she begins to crawl I will see more than a few downward facing dog poses too.  Bridget and I go to a mommy and me yoga class as often as we can.  There is a wonderful class that is held just a few blocks from our house. It's in a studio inside a maternity store.  I actually took pre- natal yoga classes there with the same instructor.  Yesterday, we went to the class and it was a great class.  Usually I enjoy it , but it was especially enriching yesterday. There was a good energy in the room as yogis say.  For some reason despite the great weather, the class was packed. This says somthing about the instructor.  Usually several babies are fussing during the class and the instructor will offer to hold the baby.  I don't recall this happening before. On a personal level, Bridget and I usually do half of the class together and then I nurse her or hold her and rock her to sleep.  Well,  yesterday, she had a great class and we finished the entire class without any breaks..

 I was surprised and  thrilled. Is it because I brought my camara?

 Well, Bridget is developing more and more each day. Even though she barely napped that morning, she was interested and distracted enough to enjoy the class. She enjoys watching the other babies, watching me, doing yoga with me and also just sucking on her hands on her own mat like a true yoga baby. 

After class,  I went to eat at Whole Foods with the other moms and babies and she fell asleep in her stroller. This is a new recent development too that she can fall asleep on her  own in her stroller when we aren't even moving.. yay Bridget. 

I am so happy to have the pictures of the class.  It is a wonderful class. I am able to enjoy the benefits of yoga and do some yoga with Bridget while meeting other moms, seeing and enjoying their babies, and learning ways to interact with Bridget.  We do some of the poses from the class at home.  She  loves some of them.  I also sing the lullabies from class to her at home.  Yesterday in class we ended the class with a Spanish lullaby.. Perfecto!

Each week is more and more fun !!

super heroes

Parenthood is an incredible role.  Being a mom makes me want to be a better person since I want to be a good role model for her.  It is easy to be in a good mood and patient when I am with her. She brings out the best in us and those that we meet.  She is also so easy to please.  Providing her with unconditional love and attention is all that she needs.  She thinks we are rock stars and super heroes.  Just this afternoon, I was nodding my head back and forth while listening to a song, I wasn't even trying to dance or get her attention while she fed.. She stopped to look up at me as she has been doing lately.. and she saw my bobbing back and forth and began to giggle.. of course, then I began to ham it up since I love to hear her giggle... ah.. pure sweetness....  It's dreamy...

Recently on John Stewart's show he mentioned that his son thinks he is a super heroe because he can reach the top shelf..  so funny but so true..  I think Bridget already feels that way and she hasn't even seen us reach the top shelf.  She makes us feel like super heroes just being in her presence.  she is an incredible gift!!

Tough Competition

Bridget is more and more aware of  her surroundings but it can be tough competition for her parents.  In the first week or two, her vision was limited as was her time in an awake state.  Then in week 3 she became alert and her time in active or passive alert states was  longer. She was enthralled with her environment and had a hard time napping. She had trouble closing her eyes since she was so stimulated.. now at 16 weeks, she continues to take it all in.  We are surprised by what interests her..  For at least a month now she is enthralled by lights.  We have a night light on the floor of our bedroom and when she wakes up for her feeding in the night, she is distracted by the light.  In the morning when she and I hang out on the bed, she is mesmerized by the shadows on the headboard, as well as the light coming through our shades.. She loves our poster of the clipper ships in San Francisco which is in our living room. She stares at it at least 3 times a day. We think this is because it is a very clear poster in black and white.  Her vision for colors probably isn't as clear.  Lately, she seems interested in our bookshelves.  We have a future reader on our hands..  Well, she may be looking at the photos on the bookshelf but we tell ourselves that she is already into reading..  We often hold her up to a mirror. She enjoys looking at me and her in the mirror. It will be so neat when she realizes that the reflection is of her...  We'll have to ask Grandpa when this will happen..  We took her for a walk outside of our complex today. The flowers are gorgeous. We sat on a bench and looked at the flowers while we spoke with Bridget. I don't think she noticed the flowers. She loves to look at our faces and grab her clothes or her fingers and suck on them.. she is so easy to please and so happy...  We are in love!!

nicknames

we have several nicknames for Bridget

• Sweet Pea is #1- this started in the womb.  
• little pea
• bridge
• B
• sweetie
• cutie pie
• cutie
• little girl
• good girl
• baby girl
• angel

16 weeks

Bridget is 16 weeks today!!  Wow.. she is changing and developing so quickly..

Since 12 weeks, she now

•  gets herself to sleep. We put her in her basinet after I nurse her and she falls asleep on her own.. 
• She sleeps 6-9 hours straight without a feeding.. 
  
• smiles often, and shows us how happy she is by opening her mouth really wide!
• giggles and laughs a few times a day
• smiles when Chris or I walk into the room
• no longer needs to be swaddled, she sleeps with the sleep sak since 12 weeks
• has a longer attention span, can dance longer and look at books longer, stares intently when I sing her a lullaby and smiles when we sing and dance with her.
• seems to be more aware of others besides just her parents.. at yoga, she looks at the other moms and babies as well as me..  
• kicks her legs  like crazy when she is on the changing table.
• "talks" a lot to her mom and dad.. some of her favorite times are first thing in the morning and anytime when she is on the changing table.  We think this is due to the great eye contact she gets with us in that position.
• Our favorite sound she makes is the cooing.. 
• soothes herself with her hands - see hand sandwich. 
• Explores her world through her mouth- she puts all her toys and her clothes in her mouth.  the last two days she has worn a sun dress and she has lifted it up to suck on the dress.  Yummy!
• scoots  herself forward with her legs when she is on her back. Today she scoots  herself the length of the crib while playing with the gym mat in the crib with Daddy admiring her accomplishment.
• She continues to let others hold her and to be a relatively easy going baby..
• She continues to enjoy snuggling whether it's while nursing or just being picked up and held. she is a real cuddler.
• She continues to open her mouth wide when I kiss her on the mouth, it's her way of asking for more!!
• She loves exploring with her hands. Besides her hand sandwich, she also loves to join them together.. this is often her position when nursing in bed.
• She continues to love to nap with her mom and dad.. Well, we love it too... I never knew Chris to nap so much.. it's great for him..

Listening to your heart

 Parenting is similar to teaching in this way.. I feel that many styles and philosophies work in teaching.. The trick is to match your personality with a style that you feel comfortable with.  I think the same is true with parenting..  It worked for us to have a midwife and deliver at a hospital with birthing tubs and showers and walk during labor.. it works for me to breastfeed Bridget when she is hungry and not keep to a set schedule.. it works for us to help her go to sleep around 7pm so that we can have dinner together and go to the gym too..  But when I talk to other moms I see that their styles are different and their styles work for them.. That is the beautiful thing about parenting..  you find your way as a family and adjust as needed..  there isn't a right way to do it!!  It can be messy but it's also beautiful and amazing at the same time..  She keeps us 

living in the moment and listening to our hearts.. she is full of our love and she lights up our world!!  we never dreamed it would be this good..  wow!! 

Bridget's first visit to an irish pub

Today was another hot day for our Irish lass. We had planned on running the Rye derby with Bridget in tow.  After hearing the forecast, we instead decided to be spectators.  We went for a short visit to the Derby hoping to catch up with some of my running friends and their babies.  The heat was sweltering - 89 degrees so we left after a short visit.  We spent the afternoon taking a family nap and then Chris went to buy an air conditioning unit for Bridget's room. What a good daddy!! 

 Later today we met several friends from my running group at a new irish pub to celebrate their races. I think Chris and I were just celebrating getting out to dinner!!  

  It was Bridget's first visit to an irish pub and she loved it.  It is a good sized place with outdoor patios, a great menu and a large bar area.  Although the  pub has only been open 10 days, it was packed. - Great sign in this economy!

 Bridget loved looking around at all of the people talking and eating  and since it was fairly loud, when she did fuss since it was close to her bedtime, no one could hear..  perfect..   I'm sure we will be back for more dinners at that pub. YAY!

Bridget's first Fiesta

On Saturday April 26th, we traveled to a communion party for one of Chris' cousin's daughter.  We dressed Bridget in her Easter dress and traveled to Long Island. As  novice parents, we were a little nervous to go to this party. After all, we weren't sure if she would be able to nap and we were concerned about a meltdown at the country club..  Well, we shouldn't have worried, there were many babies born this year in the family and they were all at the party including one baby that was one week old who made a short appearance.  It was fun to meet the other babies. One is 8 months old, one is 5 months old, one is one week old and then there is our little one who is almost 4 months old.  It was a real joy to introduce Bridget to the family. Chris was a real proud father, sitting in the bar area with Bridget on his lap.  Bridget received many compliments on her looks.  Although there was a magician at the party, we didn't need his help to get her to sleep. She took a short nap with the help of Grandma.  Bridget melted down at usual time- 6:30 right when we were leaving. Unfortunately, we hit a horrible traffic jam in LI and she was not happy with us.  Finally,  she fell asleep on the car ride home. Pfew!!  

On the Boardwalk

On Friday 4/24, our good friend Cecilia came to visit from Boston. It was so great to see her.  Although we don't see her often, we have a real connection and always have a fun time.  Since Cecilia loves the water and it was such a beautiful day, we decided to take Bridget to Rye. We went for a walk along the boardwalk there which is along the Long Island Sound. It was beautiful and we had a chance to catch up. Unfortunately, Bridget shares our irish complexion so she was really hot.  So, after a short walk, we stopped on the board walk to take in the view. We took Bridget out of the stroller to show her the view of the water. It struck us that in the stroller she doesn't see much of the view especially since I had an extension on the canopy to give her more shade. I realized that she had no idea that we were on the water until we took her out.  The view of the beach and the amusement park  and the sound is a view that I love. I look forward to taking Bridget there often this summer with Chris.  Most of all,  I look forward to playing with her on the beach in the future and swimming or wading with her in the water.  

grandparents

One thrilling part of becoming a parent is watching my parents with Bridget.  They love her so much and they are so happy with her.  I had a great relationship with my grandparents, particularly my mom's parents.  They spent a lot of time with me, living nearby in the Bronx.  Apparently, my grandfather did not stop talking about what a great baby I was, how beautiful, etc.  I had the advantage of being the first grandchild in the family.  My earliest memory, perhaps at about a year and a half old, I am dragging my grandpa's coat down the hall saying, "out, out" pleading for a walk outside.  I also remember him taking me to Irish pubs in the Bronx to hang out with his friends.  He was unusually kind and gregarious so he loved to be social.  I get a big kick out of seeing my folks with Bridget.  They ooze love and pride.  My mom always wanted a girl, but stopped at three boys.  I talked to them the other day and my mom told me they had dinner looking at my mom's birthday card with Bridget on it.  It is a special relationship.  It is neat to see them, perhaps glimpsing back in time to what they were like with me and my brothers.  She brings them a lot of joy and I know Bridget will gain so much from being close with them.  Grandparenting is a good gig, spoiling and fussing over a cute baby.

Be careful what you ask for

So bridget has been especially verbal lately and we are lving it..  She " talks" in her language especially when we are engaging her. She is smart. She only talks with an audience. We have been really encouraging her lately and her " talking " has really blossomed.  She speaks a lot when on the chaning table probably because she has such good eye contact with us from there. Well, last night she slept well ( from 7-3) which fingers crossed has been pretty normal for her. Then I put her back in the bassinet after her feeding around 3:30am. Well,  she wasn't ready for sleep and began to blabber despite not having an audience.. UGH!!  she talked for awhile.Unlike during the day, we ignored her and didn't encourage her although she may have heard us moaning about her talking..  Well, I'm not sure when she finally ceased and got herself back to sleep but I fell back asleep and woke up around 7am to the sound of the hand sandwich.. Which is so sweet to the ears!!

Living with a Celebrity

As new parents,we were surprised how quickly our lives changed and how easily we fell in love with our dear baby Bridget.  Many people told us about the life change but really we had to experience it to understand.  It's amazing and the love that we feel for Bridget is unlike any love we knew about.  We didn't realize we could love someone so much and each day that we spend wit her our love grows. Amazing..  Well, we aren't the only ones who love Bridget.  Her grandparents for one, are head over heels to have their first grandchild and especially a grand daughter.  They think she is perfect and probably always will.  We knew our friends and family would be excited about her birth but we really underestimated the level of her celebrity status.  We've had many visits and we've actually had to schedule the visits to not overwhelm our deity.  We realize that people aren't coming to see us, and it is really obvious when the visitors come.   They want to admire her, it doesn't even matter if she is awake.   We get that our status has been downgraded.  It's great to see her bring such joy to others.

Inner Smile

During the pregnancy we played music for the baby. We realized that the sense of hearing developed early and we wanted to engage the baby with fun music and we would sing to the baby too.  We began playing our favorites nightly and we found that with particularly lively dance music, the baby would kick a lot.  In Bridget's 2nd month we began playing dance music for her and dancing with her when Chris returned from work. It became a part of our day and something we the parents really looked forward to.  It all happened by accident, we were listening to Inner Smile, the song from Bend it Like Beckham, one day and spontaneously we began dancing since we both love the song and the tune is so catchy.  Bridget was staring at us and she began to smile her huge smile.  She hadn't ever seen us move like that in an uninhibited way to the music.   Her smile got bigger as we danced more, then we took her arms and began dancing with her. She now opened her mouth as wide as she could and her eyes were sparkling.  In fact her eyes were dancing too.  Once we saw the effect it had on her we made it a daily activity.  Even when she is beginning to tire or melt down the dancing distracts her and produces a smile.  

the eviction

Bridget was so comfortable in the womb that she had to be evicted.  The pregnancy reached 41 weeks and so I went for an ultrasound to check that all was ok.  It turned out that the amniotic fluid was low, well the placenta is designed to last 40 weeks, as my midwife reminded us.  So, we were told to go to the hospital and I would be induced. It is now Monday January 5th.. Let's back up a bit..  On the previous  Saturday, since labor hadn't started and I was 40 weeks, I had an accupuncture appointment to try to induce labor naturally.  Well, it did jump start things because Saturday night the contractions began.  Unfortunately, they were very inconsistent and never got closer than 10 minutes apart.  Sunday was the same and the midwives encouraged me to have a glass of wine Sunday night so that I could get some rest.  It worked and I slept a few hours on Sunday night. Monday afternoon I was admitted. The doctor on call advised my midwife to induce me with the drug pitocin so she did. Probably around 4pm was when the drug took effect.  I tried to rest but also I was able to labor in lots of positions. I walked, used the whirlpool and shower. Chris was amazing, very encouraging and patient.  It was a long night and I recall the midwife telling Chris to take a nap on the cot because i would have the baby before midnight. It was around 10:30 at that point. Well, the next thing I remember is that it was 2:30 am.  boy was I tired!!  Well, somehow I became dilated enough to push. at this point, Chris became a DJ. He turned on the IPOD and began playing songs like," Push It and I Want a new Drug."  Chris and the nurses and midwife really enjoyed it.. I'm not sure how much of it I heard.  One nurse even asked Chris if he was a DJ.. funny...

I remember reaching down to feel Bridget's head at one point and one more push and then hearing," it's a girl."  at 5:30am beautiful Bridget was born..  Chris immediately said," Megan she is gorgeous."  the nurses were commenting on her gorgeous full lips and button nose.. 

hand sandwich

As a new nursing mom,  I was discouraged from  giving Bridget a pacifier for the first few weeks.  Although we bought pacifiers around week 2 or 3, she never really took to it. They may have soothed her for a moment or two but nothing much more than that.  I was told that if she didn't have a pacifier she would sooner or later, find her hands.. Sure enough in her 2nd month, she began exploring her hands and now in her third month she often joins  her hands together when she is nursing or sitting in her chair. Bridget has found that her hands provide an excellent soothing source.. They are always with her.. Her hand sandwich takes many forms. She often tries to stick both hands in her mouth at once and suck on them and sometimes she just sucks on one or one thumb.  She has become a mellow baby. When she wakes in the morning she doesn't cry or fuss, instead we hear her sucking on her hands and we realize that she is awake. It's the cutest sound to  hear in the morning. 

Rookie mistakes

Tuesday night I went swimming at the Y after Bridget fell asleep. Yes, these days we put her in the bassinet around 7 and she is getting herself to sleep. YAY.. progress.. We are so proud of her.  

Anyway, I am at the Y and I ran into a nice older man that I used to speak with from time to time coming to or from the pool. He congratulated me on our baby and began to tell me some of his stories about raising his children.. He said,"  the first born is really special."  Then he proceeded to say that they made lots of mistakes but the kids turned out fine..  I told him that we had already made lots of mistakes but I was finding that it was getting easier and well, Bridget didn't know that we were rookies.. He had a great story of how he and his wife went out to dinner with their newborn in tow. She was in a carrier under the table while they ate.  After a relaxing dinner, they left the restaurant feeling relaxed and carefree. It wasn't until they reached the car that they realized they had left their baby under the table. At that very moment they spotted the waitress running towards them carrying their baby with a panic look on her face. Well, he has us beat for now.. but I am sure we will have our stories too..  One thing I hadn't anticipated is how being a parent connects us to many people.  Raising a child is a universal experience.. and people love to tell their stories..

Earth Day

To celebrate Earth Day, Bridget dressed as a monkey. She wore her Life is Good monkey shirt and hat and her 1st pair of jeans. She really did look like a monkey. I was waiting for her to start making monkey sounds.. She actually was extremely verbal today.  At home when it's just me and Chris she made lots of sounds and when we respond with questions such as" who else was there?, or was daddy in your dream?, and then what happened? or comments like, wow! that's fantastic.. I didn't realize that happened.., she continues to "talk" as if she understands our questions and comments. It is really neat to see watch her communicating with us and interacting with the world around her.  We were scheduled to visit some child care centers but one canceled so instead we visited Daddy at work. He was thrilled when we called to tell him.. okay..Bridget isn't calling him on her cellphone yet..  For Earth Day his school was dressed down and they didn't use any electricity.  Since some rooms were really dark we mostly went into the office and the hallways of the school.  Bridget met more teachers and students. She was a real hit. One teacher made a comment that stuck with me for the rest of the day. She saw Bridget in the car seat and said," it's like you are carrying around your love right there."  That pretty much sums it up. 

Stanwich

Ever since Bridget was born, Chris' students have been clamoring to meet her as have the faculty at Stanwich.. It's hard to imagine why.. Chris hardly ever talks about her.. It must be his screen saver on the smartboard which is a photo of Bridget..

So, last week, I decided to make a trip to Stanwich to visit Chris.. We called Daddy at the last minute to see if it was a good day and time. Well, boy was he excited. Chris met us in the parking lot and picked Bridget right up out of my arms.  He proceeded to tour the school with her on his shoulder with the proudest smile on his face.  I followed behind, I was really just Bridget's chauffeur.. the last stop was the cafeteria where the students were eating their lunch.. It's hard to get the attention of middle school students, believe me I know.. but Chris walking in with Bridget made heads turn.. the girls all crowded around to see little Bridget up close and the boys turned their heads to see.. Chris proceeded to take a seat holding Bridge so everyone could see her face..  The lunch period passed quickly and we kissed Chris goodbye. He was still beaming and he said," Bridget you made my day." 

a wild ride

As a new parent, I am always looking for ways to engage Bridget (or keep her from fussing, a selfish pursuit I admit), lately at three and a half months, I put her on my stomach seated and tell her we are going for a white water rafting ride, she seems game, thereupon I undulate in this silly simulation of river rapids, complete with sound effects, she seems to enjoy it, never ceases to get a smile, sometimes a giggle, granted she is proto-verbal so I am not taking complaints at this point, it is priceless to watch her develop.