Cranky

Oh my goodness, I'm falling behind on the blogging. Sarah has been especially cranky this week, partly due to a cold and partly due to teething, we believe. Poor thing, she just wants to be held constantly, which can wear an at-home dad out!

Latest

Sarah is still an average, healthy baby, according to her latest doctor's visit. The latest round of immunization shots aren't fun, but she recovered fine throughout the day, maybe taking a bit longer naps than normal.

She might be a little behind as far as developmental goals of sitting up and saying, "Mama" and "Dada". I need to keep in mind that every baby grows differently and stop trying to compare Sarah to the "norm". Practicing sitting up more might help some, too. :)

Shopping List

Okay, apart from clothes, crib, stroller, diapers, and food, let me tell you the best things we've purchased in our new parenting thus far.

1. Baby Monitor. Yeah, this is almost a given. I don't know what I'd do without it.
2. Diaper Genie. About necessary as well. This gadget is easy to use and keeps things streamlined.
3. Bouncy Chair. For only $20 at Wal-Mart, Sarah has had hours of fun, relieving us of holding her all the time. Since then, she's graduated to an excersaucer and a swing. Diversity is a good thing.
4. No-bubble bottles. Put out by Dr. Brown's, these guys, especially early on, reduce burpage and help things go down better.
5. CD Player. A portable CD player has really helped soothed Sarah for sleepy times. I recommend one highly.

Bumps and Lumps

Well older daddies and babies sometimes feel the affects of gravity easier. Sarah had her first "fall" a few weeks back, toppling off her bouncy chair to the floor. She wasn't hurt really, just frightened. Now, we're alot more carefully about watching her and strapping her in since she is so much more mobile than before.

Daddy also has developed a mild case of tendinitis in his left wrist from carrying Sarah and holding her for the past 3-4 months. He also strained his back a bit this past weekend picking her up. Oh well...we'll both learn.

Every Little Thing

Since taking care of Sarah, I've noticed that (1) I'm not able to be in present with her when I don't get enough sleep and (2) I get more stressed if I begin to worry about every little thing going on with her. For example, I could be a worry wart dad and wonder when she's gonna start crawling, why she is more cranky today than yesterday, or how I can get her to like rice cereal more. Sure, a parent needs to be concerned about the small stuff, but I also know that I'll be more effective if I'm able to let some stuff go and go with the philosophy that she is maturing just fine and that a purpose of simply enjoying life everyday is something we can shoot for.

Bundle o' Joy

My wife and I are still in semi-shock we have such a beautiful, happy, and healthy baby. For so long we tried the old-fashioned way before doing in-vitro last year. Thank goodness it worked out the first attempt.

Nature is simply amazing...how a bundle of cells congeal and work themselves into what is now a person we call Sarah. I can see how creationists want to bypass evolutionary thinking and go straight to some source. Sarah and her big blue eyes, long eye lashes, and little mannerisms pull you right in. I know her physical growth and personality is the culmination of eons of natural selection, but nonetheless seeing her evolve right before my eyes instills a new-found awe in me and a gratitude to be alive.

Lovin' Spoonful

Sarah took her first bites of non-formula/breast milk the other day and seemed to be ready for more. Boy, is she attentive to things around her now, grabbing at stuff within reach, smiling, showing more expressions.

Her "grammy" visited this past weekend and gave me a nice compliment. Sarah is happy, she said, and doesn't have a sense of fear or sadness or of problems in the world. Everything is focused on her and is calm and secure.

That felt good to me because it's my goal for Sarah to feel happy and secure. I want her to have a solid foundation so that when the crazy world out there comes, she'll be strong enough to face it just fine. I'm so thankful I am able to spend this time with her. So many babies, I know, are thrown into a chaotic environment right off the bat, never having the chance to just grow and experience all there is to experience without being distracted by parents with major issues or surroundings of too much disruption.