(no subject)

[rivka]

Yes, I am going to spam you with pictures for a while. Sorry.

Michael is back to work this week, and my mother is here. As many of you know, our relationship has been rather strained in the last couple of years - but she's good at this, and it's working well. She cooks and cleans, and keeps me company through the extreme tedium that is life with a newborn, and reassures me when I get neurotic, and does puzzles on the floor with Alex, and reminds me to drink water, and says things like, "I'm done eating, so why don't I take him while you have a second helping of dinner? After all, it's your job to make good milk."

Apparently, her sister-in-law just came back from a four-day visit with a new grandchild in which she was only permitted to hold the baby twice. So I get to feel like, when I hand Colin off in the morning so that I can shower and eat breakfast, I'm doing her a favor.

On the "second helping of dinner" front, today I am back in my prepregnancy jeans. Holy cow. I guess all this cluster nursing is having an effect.

I'm starting to feel like crawling out of my den. We went to church on Sunday, which was really enjoyable - a young man in our congregation who is a composer did a special service in which several of his pieces were performed, with solos by an opera singer friend of his who has an amazing voice. He also gave a compelling sermon about how he has come to terms with Christianity after growing up as a gay man in the rural South. I haven't really been enjoying the sermons of our interim minister, so it was great to have such an interesting service to come back to.

In the next few days, I am hoping to continue this crazy exciting series of outings with a shopping trip, a whole-family visit to Dorian's art opening, and perhaps even a walk or two. It's 36 degrees here, which seems too cold to take a Maryland baby outside in the stroller, but I know that Minnesota babies must leave the house when it's much, much colder than this. Fortunately it's planning to warm up over the next few days, into the upper 40s and lower 50s. But it sure would be nice to get out of the house today. We'll see.

Oh, and I should say: I am hopelessly not keeping up with LJ, so if there's anything you want me to know, you should probably drop me a note or leave a pointer in comments. Sorry.

Comments

[going-not-gone.livejournal.com]

I love that photo. You both look so utterly contented.

[fivemack.livejournal.com]

Aww. You both look so happy. With pictures as cute as that you can continue spamming us indefinitely.

[wcg.livejournal.com]

Those pictures are beautiful.

It's good that your mom has come to help out with Colin. I know things have been very strained these last few years between you two.

If the wind dies down you might find a walk this afternoon pleasant. The air doesn't feel all that cold right now, but the wind is fierce.

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

Yeah babies and moms! That little "aw, Mom" smile he's got is wonderful!

"He also gave a compelling sermon about how he has come to terms with Christianity after growing up as a gay man in the rural South." And yay for him as well! I'd like to talk to this guy (what am I doing, starting the Christian Faggot's Underground Network?), so feel free to give him my e-mail address.

Cool, cool, cool!

[eeyorerin]

When it's winter, the Buffalo babies I see have lots and lots of layers to the point where they look like wee Michelin men, and usually a blanket over the stroller. They still seem content, though.

[kate_nepveu]

Baby smile! OMG!

Yeah, the grandparent win-win situation is nice, isn't it? Frex, SteelyKid's grandmothers positively jump at the chance to change her _diapers_, which I will never understand, but hey, everyone's happy!

Hope your acid reflux isn't bugging you too much and your excursions go well.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Hope your acid reflux isn't bugging you too much

You know, my midwife and lactation consultant both said that Prevacid was fine. The LC looked it up in a book and printed out some information for me. Maybe your GI doc is just very conservative about these things?

[kate_nepveu]

Possibly; I think the basis was that they all passed into breast milk.

Since I hope to wean her soon, it's probably not worth revisiting the issue at this late date.

[thette.livejournal.com]

They're passed into the milk at about a percent of the mother's dose.

[minnaleigh.livejournal.com]

That is a wonderful picture!!

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

Is that a baby grinning...in his sleep?!?! Whatever is going on, the photo is utterly enchanting. Thank you for posting it.

If you're already back into your prepregnancy jeans, it sounds like those second helpings of dinner are downright necessary. Wow. Doesn't that usually take months?

How very neat that church was so good Sunday. I hope the weather cooperates with getting outside today.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Is that a baby grinning...in his sleep?!?!

It is! Before they can actually smile socially, they get these sweet little reflexive smiles when they are sleepy or sleeping. I call them "milk smiles" because they seem to go along with being happily drunk on milk.

If you're already back into your prepregnancy jeans, it sounds like those second helpings of dinner are downright necessary. Wow. Doesn't that usually take months?

I think it depends a lot on the individual. I don't gain a whole lot of weight when I'm pregnant, not because I try to restrict weight gain at all but, I think, because my setpoint weight rules my body with an iron fist. When Alex was born I lost the weight very quickly too. I'm not dieting, because I want to have the calorie intake to support good milk production - I've been having gigantic bowls of ice cream every night and everything.

[ckd]

Isn't spam supposed to be things we don't want to get? Post all the OMG CUTE BABY SMILE OMG pictures you want!

[ex-serenejo.livejournal.com]

IAWTC

[pameladean]

Awww. You look about eighteen, and what a fine expression on that baby.

Minnesota babies go out in much colder weather, though you can't exactly see the baby until the parents get on the bus and take the swaddlings off the stroller.

P.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Minnesota newborns go outside wearing whatever clothes they are wearing, plus a hat. They now have these clever buntings that are part of the bucket car seat/stroller padding, so one tucks a light fleece blanket around baby, then flips the bunting over her face and zips up the sides. it isn't tight and baby can breath perfectly well, but does keep them warm. At least that's how my daughter handles her new little one, and her brother before that. Depends on how cold it is, though. At 36F, I doubt she'd cover the baby entirely over. Babies generate an astonishing amount of heat, truly.

Maryland babies go outside! There's pictures of me at our house in Takoma Park, outside and bundled up, in the pram, with plenty of snow in the background. My sister was playing in the snow, but I was too little for that. I think leaving a newborn outside for a while might be pushing it but if he were 2 or 3 months old, I'd say go for it.

K.

[jerusha.livejournal.com]

Oh, noes! Cute baby pics, whatever shall I do?

...besides making googly eyes at my computer monitor, of course.

I don't think we're anywhere near saturation with cute baby pics.

[dornbeast.livejournal.com]

Yes, I am going to spam you with pictures for a while. Sorry.

Why are you sorry?

I'm enjoying this.

[aitchellsee.livejournal.com]

If I had to pick one word to describe the mood of this photo, it would be "BLISS!!!"

[chargirlgenius.livejournal.com]

That has got to be the sweetest picture in the world. I wonder if it would shrink well into an icon...

I think that Grandmas must get some sort of special baby energy, that makes them willing to be a babyholder at all hours of the night. It’s likely because they don’t *have* to, don’t have all of that energy going towards worrying about nursing, they didn’t go through the whole birth thing, and all of that. Plus, I think Grandmas must have an easier time realizing just how very FAST this stage really is.

I’ve told the boys numerous times that I want to be a grandma. I’ll have to stop that when it means anything to them. :-D

Oh, and your bag of pudding comment on my post… YES. I thought it was especially apparent since I had a 13 month old at the same time as baby Eddie – but newborns stay where you put them, HOW you put them! And changing a newborn diaper after a toddler? Whee! (relatively) Easy!

[boxofdelights]

Awwwwww. Bliss face.

Are you coming to Wiscon this year? The programming suggestions are up here.

[ailbhe]

That might be the most beautiful baby smile I have ever seen.

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

Please post *lots* of pictures!!!!

[ratphooey.livejournal.com]

He's lovely.

And resembles his big sister!

[rivka.livejournal.com]

He really, really does. We're going to have to label the baby pictures!

[puzzlement.livejournal.com]

That's a very pleased milk smile indeed now. You and he look beautiful!

[murumatsu.livejournal.com]

do you not have any carriers? the easy way to keep them warm outside in the winter is to wear them with a big coat over both of you.
(I'm in Minnesota too, and my older daughter was born on Valentine's Day--we'd've had to wait months to go out if we waited for it to be above freezing!)

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I do have a Maya wrap, and I can button my coat over it. But I wanted to go to the grocery store and buy some things, which meant taking a stroller with a basket.

[aloha-moira.livejournal.com]

I'll accept the apology, because these pictures are winding up my biological clock like nobody's business. (My ovaries would also like to weigh in: "BABYBABYBABYBABYBABYBABYOMGBABY") That is the happiest smile I have ever seen on a wee tot, incidentally... you must be doing something (everything) right!

Glad things are going well with your mom, as well.

[lydy.livejournal.com]

I just have to agree. It's a very fine picture. Colin is beautiful.

[nolly.livejournal.com]

I have a nephew in MN, and I am told my sister-in-law has a special coat with a flap that goes over him (in a carrier, I presume), so they can go out in the cold. (I have not visited yet; I do not do MN cold. I plan to visit in June or so.)

[nelc.livejournal.com]

Aw! What a cutie!

[selki.livejournal.com]

Apparently, her sister-in-law just came back from a four-day visit with a new grandchild in which she was only permitted to hold the baby twice.

Yow.

So I get to feel like, when I hand Colin off in the morning so that I can shower and eat breakfast, I'm doing her a favor.

Heh. And yay.

[lizzibabe.livejournal.com]

I have just fallen head over heels in love with your son. His happy smile totally makes my day.

[windsea.livejournal.com]

:-) :-) :-).

Life.bookends: I sat down with *my* Colin tonight, and went through university and community college and career websites with him, looking at his course selection issues for Grade 12. Sunday next he will be 17.

[thette.livejournal.com]

Happy baby! Happy mother! Yay!

[kightp.livejournal.com]

You know, I'm not particularly enamored of generic baby pictures.

But this particular, individual little boy baby? Oh, please, spam away!