Death may be putting it a bit dramtically, but nothing good is ever created without a little destruction, right?  Here’s what we’ve been up to the past few weekends:

Ken’s Shed

Enjoy,

-D.

As it turns out, bedtime is a big deal for babies.   So, I am blogging about the switch from the co-sleeper to the big crib. Ro has grown out of her little co-sleeper next to the bed (see photo 1), and I have been debating about what to do next. I briefly considered keeping her in our bed, but its a little too small for three and a little too soft for a baby. On the other hand, I did not want her in a crib by herself in another room, or even on the other side of our room. So, my solution was to take the front rail off the crib and shove it in the co-sleeper’s place next to our bed (see photo 2).

Whoa, you say, is that safe? Well, its about as safe as I can make it. The crib and the bed are strapped together with bungee cords, and there are no gaps between the mattresses. When she gets to crawl stage she will have to go through me, Dave, and across a big bed before she can fall off. Plus, I can keep a very close eye on her.

In fact, that is what I like most about the arrangement so far. In the co-sleeper, I had to look down to see Ro’s face, but this way we are on the same level and can see each other eye-to-eye. She was a bit startled the first night, but seems to be settling in ok.

Sorry for the long hiatus.  I’ve been a bit busy with work travel and such.  Those just up are of Ro all around 3 months, check ‘em out via the Flickr control at right.  Enjoy.

-D.

My position?  I’m not a huge J.J. follower, so I can’t really bank on that.  The trailers are blipverty, so again, not much help.

I can’t help but feel they should have let the franchise rest a little longer a-la Doctor Who.  What I don’t want to see is yet another ill advised, half-baked Hollywood fishing expedition through TV shows of yore.  I couldn’t bear watching Star Trek become a parody of itself.  I guess we’ll see next Summer.

http://www.startrekmovie.com/

Well, we’ve successfully wrapped up Babytour ‘08.  Thanks to everyone along the way who fed us, loaned us something, entertained us, got us drunk, or what have you.  We had an excellent time seeing everyone again, and enjoying yet another beautiful MI Fall.  Now we are truly prepared for (Texas) Winter.    Too bad we didn’t schedule our flight a day later, we could have caught the Obama party in Grant Park.  That’s us, always driving right by history.

Talk about the chickens coming home to roost.  Man.

Colin Powell endorses Barack Obama.

For reference, check this out:  Bush’s War .  Also available on Netflix.

We had a great time this year. The weather was sunny and hot but not life-threateningly hot.  We finally got Marcelo out there, and I dare say he had a pretty good time.  Jordan, Neutrono, and Richard rounded out our group this year, and for the most part, we didn’t see too much trash  (A note to whoever programmed the exceptions to that statement, Flyleaf and Silversun Pickups, for the love of god do not book stuff like this again).

OTOH,  the rest of the acts we caught brought it for the most part, some more than others (I’m talking to you Mr. Beck “no encores” Hansen)  That would be:

• Yeasayer
• Jamie Lidell
• David Byrne
• Manu Chao
• José González
• Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
• John Fogerty
• Beck
• Gnarls Barkley
• Band of Horses

I believe Jordan & Richard also caught some of Vampire Weekend, MGMT, Man Man, Les Freres Guisse, and Richard was off to The Raconteurs and many other bands before 2:00 PM, as he was the most energetic of us all and got up and out there. 

All in all, a good festival. Though I have to agree at least partially with the AVClub on this point, it’s the fesitval I don’t have to fly somewhere else for and I get to sleep in my own bed every night.  Lollapalooza be damned, we should feel lucky to have one here at all.  Besides, though we may not be the schedule packers the way we used to be, at ~ $13 or less per band ( a weird commodity perspective, I’ll admit ) I figure that’s still a helluva deal.

Pictures forthcoming.

-D.

I was looking at this blog the other day and realized that we have not posted anything since we brought Ro home from the hospital several weeks ago, so now I am trying to rectify the situation with this update. Ro is five weeks old today, and doing very well. All signs of the jaundice have long passed, and now she is on to the more typical baby stuff – eating, sleeping, and pooping.

Any hint of a schedule is folly at this point, but its amazing how much we cling to our old routines. I think that is just about the hardest thing to let go of, maybe even more than the sleep. I think it is because Dave and I have had so many years to establish our pattern of daily life, that letting it go is even harder than if we were newly married and in our 20s. On the flip side however, I really think we have a bit more patience with her than if we were younger. So, all told it is probably better that we waited.

Within these past few weeks Ro has grown bigger (9 pounds now!) and has changed in other ways too, both good (hints at smiling now) and bad (lots more spitting up). I hear that these first few months go by really fast and there is so much development, but I have to admit that it is harder for me to see since I am with her all day. We have this collection of clothes for 6-month old babies that I can’t even imagine her fitting into – I guess I will have to see it to believe it. I know, I know, when she is 6 months old I will look at it totally differently…..

At long last, after 6 days and change of hospital stay, we’re all home.  Seton was most generous in letting us occupy our room for so long, and it really helped.  As much as I detest hospitals, the staff was extremely friendly and I can’t imagine having had to sit around the house waiting for an update.  Anyhow, those of you in town, feel free to schedule a visit.  2 rules: no kissing, no pinching.   Speaking of the baby here, of course; you can always pinch and kiss me.

Well, I have been in the hospital for almost a full week – one day for labor, two for postnatal care, and another three days nesting and looking after Ro in the NICU. As Dave mentioned, we are still borrowing our mother/baby room from Seton, and I have been pretty much living between the two floors. It did not help that I was not able to walk for the first 4 days, but time is a pretty good healer and I am now up and around. So, lunch today will be my foray out of doors.

As for the title of this post, I am finding the round-the-clock pumping not as bad as I thought it would be, and I am wondering if that is due to my aforementioned limits to one small room (I have had some practice living out of hotel rooms for two weeks), and your body does seem to adapt to power napping when it is needed. I can see myself looking forward to a full night’s sleep though (many months from now ).

One last thing – Dave and I just had our first 3-minute conversation about poop today, something we would not have even contemplated before. Also, more people have seen my naughty bits in the last week than in the last 37 years; modesty and parenthood do not mix! I will leave it up to you to decide which is better.