Alice is doing very well these days, and is now 5 week old. Earlier this week, she treated us to her first social smiles. She seems to have figured it out now, because she smiles all the time when she gets attention.
To mom and dad's relief, there seems to be some progress on her sleep schedule. It is certainly evolving, and with a little bit of creative interpretation, one could say she is getting close to the 3 naps per day schedule which is common for infants. Most importantly, bedtime seems to be getting earlier...midnight was not sustainable.
Bye.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Long day
I was away for just under 15 hours yesterday, but it felt like a week. The trip went well, and it was nice (though completely disorienting) to be a grown up speaking in complete sentences. I wore heels, for crying out loud -- haven't done that in at least 6 months.
But boy-oh-boy did I want to get back home. Though I miss Lizzie incrediby when I travel, I can bear the separation because she's already so independent. Being away from Alice felt deeply unsettling and unnatural: she's just way too little, and our physical separation (through her birth) is far too recent. Before yesterday, I'd left the house just once without Alice, for about an hour to get my haircut, and even that was difficult. Thankfully, I don't need to leave Alice again anytime in the immediate future.
The day away reminds me how lucky I am to have my six week maternity leave augmented by a full semester teaching leave. Before having a baby of my own, I might have agreed with U.S. custom that a 6 week maternity leave should be adequate. (6 weeks seemed like an eternity to my childless self.) But I now realize how incredibly paltry that is. The Europeans have this one right. If ever there is a time in one's life that merits social support, it's maternity. (And parternity, for that matter.) I would gladly push back my retirement age in exchange for more generous parental leave -- and I strongly suspect I'm not alone. (Perhaps the French protesters would beg to differ, but they already have a much more generous (i.e. civilized) leave policy.) Think about it: most people will enjoy DECADES of retirement, and yet get (or take) just months or weeks for tending to their newborns and young children. Not only is the marginal utility of parental leave almost certainly higher on the relevant margin for parents, but there is clear positive externality for paternity leave -- better adjusted children with fewer illnesses.
We've become a nation in which most families are dual income. That's great for so many reasons, not least of which is the clear expansion of women's opportunities -- but when so few parents (of either gender) feel able to take extended leaves for family care, increased workforce participation surely levies a steep social and personal cost. (Keep in mind that I write this from the perspective of a two-academic family: we have incredible flexibility in our schedules and are darned grateful for it. I'm not complaining! But so many others (the vast majority of new parents) aren't nearly so fortunate. Can you imagine taking just 6 weeks of unpaid leave from your 50 hour a week, rigidly scheduled job, worring about the financial cost the whole time? (Very likely your spouse would get no leave whatsoever -- either the FMLA wouldn't apply, or because your finances wouldn't allow it.) Scary. That's enough of a Halloween tale to keep me up nights.
But boy-oh-boy did I want to get back home. Though I miss Lizzie incrediby when I travel, I can bear the separation because she's already so independent. Being away from Alice felt deeply unsettling and unnatural: she's just way too little, and our physical separation (through her birth) is far too recent. Before yesterday, I'd left the house just once without Alice, for about an hour to get my haircut, and even that was difficult. Thankfully, I don't need to leave Alice again anytime in the immediate future.
The day away reminds me how lucky I am to have my six week maternity leave augmented by a full semester teaching leave. Before having a baby of my own, I might have agreed with U.S. custom that a 6 week maternity leave should be adequate. (6 weeks seemed like an eternity to my childless self.) But I now realize how incredibly paltry that is. The Europeans have this one right. If ever there is a time in one's life that merits social support, it's maternity. (And parternity, for that matter.) I would gladly push back my retirement age in exchange for more generous parental leave -- and I strongly suspect I'm not alone. (Perhaps the French protesters would beg to differ, but they already have a much more generous (i.e. civilized) leave policy.) Think about it: most people will enjoy DECADES of retirement, and yet get (or take) just months or weeks for tending to their newborns and young children. Not only is the marginal utility of parental leave almost certainly higher on the relevant margin for parents, but there is clear positive externality for paternity leave -- better adjusted children with fewer illnesses.
We've become a nation in which most families are dual income. That's great for so many reasons, not least of which is the clear expansion of women's opportunities -- but when so few parents (of either gender) feel able to take extended leaves for family care, increased workforce participation surely levies a steep social and personal cost. (Keep in mind that I write this from the perspective of a two-academic family: we have incredible flexibility in our schedules and are darned grateful for it. I'm not complaining! But so many others (the vast majority of new parents) aren't nearly so fortunate. Can you imagine taking just 6 weeks of unpaid leave from your 50 hour a week, rigidly scheduled job, worring about the financial cost the whole time? (Very likely your spouse would get no leave whatsoever -- either the FMLA wouldn't apply, or because your finances wouldn't allow it.) Scary. That's enough of a Halloween tale to keep me up nights.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
D-Day
D-Day, as in Daddy day. Emily had to spend the day in DC, so I got to babysit both kids. Things started out on the wrong foot when Alice fussed from 9-12:30 last night. Then Liz woke up at 5:30. So I didn't get much sleep...but things turned out great. Alice slept from 7 (when Emily left) until I had to pack her up and take Liz to school. Then she slept some more until about 10:30.
Oh, of course she has started feeding from a bottle.
After getting Liz home from school and having lunch, I managed to get Liz to sleep, fed Alice and got her to sleep, and then took a nap with Abby! Alice must be paying me back for last night, because she is still asleep (with one dream-feed at 5). Or she is resting up for a long night of fussing tonight.
I guess that's about it. Pretty easy day, it went much smoother than I expected.
In general, Alice continues to have the fussies in the evening, usually starting around 8 or 9. Some night are worse than others, but its not too bad.
Bye!
Oh, of course she has started feeding from a bottle.
After getting Liz home from school and having lunch, I managed to get Liz to sleep, fed Alice and got her to sleep, and then took a nap with Abby! Alice must be paying me back for last night, because she is still asleep (with one dream-feed at 5). Or she is resting up for a long night of fussing tonight.
I guess that's about it. Pretty easy day, it went much smoother than I expected.
In general, Alice continues to have the fussies in the evening, usually starting around 8 or 9. Some night are worse than others, but its not too bad.
Bye!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
The witching hours
Our babymoon has ended -- it turns out that Alice does cry after all. We've officially entered the weeks of the witching hour(s) in the early evening and into the night when Alice gets the "grumps." I suspect intestinal gas is the trigger (though I suspect she also started a growth spurt yesterday) -- at times, she's clearly in pain (contorted face, legs pulling up, tight abdomen) -- though after an hour or so of not sleeping when she's clearly tired, Alice also shows signs of being overtired (and why not?!), which makes matters that much worse. At other times, the grumps are just general end of day fussiness, though with Alice that's easily solved. She settles very quickly when held and soothed UNLESS there's periodic tummy cramping (in which case she's soothed for just a few minutes at a time). Still, compared to Lizzie at this age, Alice is easy to handle.
Apart from gassiness, we're doing very well. Alice now gives us 3-4 hours sleep at a time overnight (unless she's up with gas), and has similar stretches during the day. She falls asleep almost instantly in her carseat, whether in the stroller or the car. (Again, unless she has gas pains, in which case all bets are off.) She loves motion. Quite unlike Lizzie, Alice is tepid toward the the swaddle, and generally rejects the pacifier. The latter is particularly unfortunate, as we found the paci a wonderful soother when Lizzie had gas pains at this age. Alice's vomiting has slowed to about once a day, and is often a bit less in volume than before. The jury's still out on this one, though -- if indeed she's going through a growth spurt, it may explain the reduction in vomiting. (She's eating (necessarily) smaller meals more frequently, and probably getting more hindmilk as a result.)
We've had a few firsts: first family trip to the park (Alice slept the whole time, and Lizzie had a ball with both parents there to marvel at her athletic feats); first sniffle (already resolved itself for Alice -- Lizzie is on week two of a runny nose); first day without an umbilical cord stump. To celebrate the last of these, we'll give Alice her first tub bath tonight!
Apart from gassiness, we're doing very well. Alice now gives us 3-4 hours sleep at a time overnight (unless she's up with gas), and has similar stretches during the day. She falls asleep almost instantly in her carseat, whether in the stroller or the car. (Again, unless she has gas pains, in which case all bets are off.) She loves motion. Quite unlike Lizzie, Alice is tepid toward the the swaddle, and generally rejects the pacifier. The latter is particularly unfortunate, as we found the paci a wonderful soother when Lizzie had gas pains at this age. Alice's vomiting has slowed to about once a day, and is often a bit less in volume than before. The jury's still out on this one, though -- if indeed she's going through a growth spurt, it may explain the reduction in vomiting. (She's eating (necessarily) smaller meals more frequently, and probably getting more hindmilk as a result.)
We've had a few firsts: first family trip to the park (Alice slept the whole time, and Lizzie had a ball with both parents there to marvel at her athletic feats); first sniffle (already resolved itself for Alice -- Lizzie is on week two of a runny nose); first day without an umbilical cord stump. To celebrate the last of these, we'll give Alice her first tub bath tonight!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Well baby checkup: thumbs up
Alice got a big thumbs up at her (almost) 2-week checkup today. She has regained all of her birthweight plus an ounce. A "very nice weight gain" according to the doc. She has excellent muscle tone, too. (Why, of course! ;) )
Our biggest concern (and only concern, really) was her frequent voluminous vomiting (uber spit-ups really -- full stomach contents projected with gusto after particularly large feeds). The doc said it's just excess milk she's taking on baord, but that she's clearly getting enough down to stay healthy; the barfs are just a nuisance (you can say that again). Most likely, little Alice likes the comfort of feeding, and just wants to extend the experience. Only trouble is, my milk supply is a bit more than is called for at present, so she overindulges. The result: mega-barfs at least once a day. (Good thing I have two bathrobes.) In any event, I'm just relieved that she's healthy. We'll work on the overeaters annonymous bit next.
More anon, but in the meantime my services are needed by the little sticker.
Our biggest concern (and only concern, really) was her frequent voluminous vomiting (uber spit-ups really -- full stomach contents projected with gusto after particularly large feeds). The doc said it's just excess milk she's taking on baord, but that she's clearly getting enough down to stay healthy; the barfs are just a nuisance (you can say that again). Most likely, little Alice likes the comfort of feeding, and just wants to extend the experience. Only trouble is, my milk supply is a bit more than is called for at present, so she overindulges. The result: mega-barfs at least once a day. (Good thing I have two bathrobes.) In any event, I'm just relieved that she's healthy. We'll work on the overeaters annonymous bit next.
More anon, but in the meantime my services are needed by the little sticker.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Hello!
Please give a warm welcome to Alice Furstenberg! Mother, father and baby are all doing great. Alice's birthday is September 24, 2010 at 11:53pm. She tipped the scales at 9 pounds and 1 ounce and measured 20.75 inches long and had a head circumference of 14 inches. Alice was born at Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville Virgina.
Alice has one sister, Lizzie. You can read about her here: www.elizabethfurstenberg.blogspot.com
We'll have lots more news in the coming weeks months and years.
Alice has one sister, Lizzie. You can read about her here: www.elizabethfurstenberg.blogspot.com
We'll have lots more news in the coming weeks months and years.
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