Jan
3
Announcing!
Submitted by jessica on January 3, 2009 - 12:00am
Our little girl came to join us on Monday, Dec. 29th - on her due date! - at 2:34 am.
She is minutes old here, on our bed, with the caring hands of Joe and our midwife. She is laying on a receiving blanket from Joe’s infancy.
We named her Viola Irene Balsam Miller - Viola is pronounced like the instrument. Irene is the middle name of both of our maternal grandmothers.
Today is her 5th day of life and I think I am more in love with her every day.
Jan
3
Announcing!
Submitted by jessica on January 3, 2009 - 6:28pm
Our little girl came to join us on Monday, Dec. 29th - on her due date! - at 2:34 am.
She is minutes old here, on our bed, with the caring hands of Joe and our midwife. She is laying on a receiving blanket from Joe's infancy.
We named her Viola Irene Balsam Miller - Viola is pronounced like the instrument. Irene is the middle name of both of our maternal grandmothers.
Today is her 5th day of life and I think I am more in love with her every day.
Here she is today after gorging on lunch, the remains of which you can see around her mouth. Needless to say, she has had about 1,000 pictures taken of her already.
Much more to say later!
Jan
4
Viola’s first Sunday
Submitted by jessica on January 4, 2009 - 12:00am
Last Sunday around 6:30 am, I was sitting at my kitchen table, nearly 40 weeks pregnant and waiting for my contractions to start. I was eating a rosemary-cheddar scone (which I made with the fresh buttermilk leftover from making butter) with a fried egg and reading the New York Times. Our midwife and her assistants were just waking up from spending the night on our futon and couch; she commented that the whole breakfast scene was very civilized.
Jan
4
Viola's first Sunday
Submitted by jessica on January 4, 2009 - 3:06pm
Last Sunday around 6:30 am, I was sitting at my kitchen table, nearly 40 weeks pregnant and waiting for my contractions to start. I was eating a rosemary-cheddar scone (which I made with the fresh buttermilk leftover from making butter) with a fried egg and reading the New York Times. Our midwife and her assistants were just waking up from spending the night on our futon and couch; she commented that the whole breakfast scene was very civilized.
Today around 6:30 am, I was again sitting at my kitchen table eating a rosemary-cheddar scone with a fried egg and reading the New York Times. Only this time, I was holding the baby in my arms instead of willing her to come out of my belly. What an eventful week!
Viola wishes you all a very happy 2009.
Jan
16
I’m too tired to be writing this
Submitted by jessica on January 16, 2009 - 12:00am
According to Viola, the world is about to end every night around 9:00. Then, around 2 am, she changes her mind and decides everything’s ok. At least, that’s how I interpret the look of utter desperation on her face as she screams and cries inconsolably during these hours.
Jan
16
I'm too tired to be writing this
Submitted by jessica on January 16, 2009 - 8:29pm
According to Viola, the world is about to end every night around 9:00. Then, around 2 am, she changes her mind and decides everything's ok. At least, that's how I interpret the look of utter desperation on her face as she screams and cries inconsolably during these hours.
And yet we, her parents, continue the nightly farce of "going to bed" by doing such ridiculous things as changing into bedclothes, brushing our teeth, and turning out the lights. As if we were going to actually sleep - and sleep together, at the same time - like we used to before we had a newborn. Instead, we take turns with the little girl, applying myriad interventions which sometimes work for up to 10 minutes at a time. Last night after exhausting my lullaby songbook (Sweet Child O' Mine; 4 + 20 by Crosby Stills Nash & Young) I saw limited success with walking really fast and jiggling the outward-facing baby around the house. She paused with tear-stained cheeks and stared at the scenery, but she was no closer to sleeping. Swaddle, unswaddle, swing, rock, bounce, sing, shoosh, feed, hold, put down...tonight we will try adding bath and massage, and see if that buys us an hour of positive outlook.
On the other side of the coin, Viola was her sweet self during her first sponge bath:
Her umbilical cord stump fell off today, so we are free to bathe her in water now. Speaking of which, the time is nigh...
Jan
30
Walking around with Viola
Submitted by joe on January 30, 2009 - 11:09am
Viola is obsessed with walking around especially around midnight in order to maintain calm and stability.
