February 25, 2006
Baby Names
(Filed under: Baby Stuff)We've only had our baby for three and a half weeks, and I already find myself calling her anything under the sun. We named her Madeleine Alexis, with Madeleine as the pretty, formal name and Lexi as a nickname (Maddy is not an option).
But in addition to Madeleine and Lexi, I've also found myself calling her Lex, Monkey, Peanut, Goober, Little Girl, Chica, Kiddo, Buckeroo (?!), Fuss Box, the closely related Squawk Box, Freak, Stinky Butt, Squirt, and my personal favorite--Grunty McGruntsalot.
I am so incredibly a dad.
Posted by kevin at 6:11 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
February 21, 2006
The Completely Non-Durable Social Security Card
(Filed under: Baby Stuff)So our baby's Social Security card came today. Pretty cool. The government officially recognizes her and will give her money when she gets old. Maybe. If the whole system hasn't crashed by then.
So the Social Security card is something you're supposed to keep for your entire life. Does it make any sense at all that it's just a piece of paper? And you're not allowed to laminate it? How archaic is that? Wouldn't they be a little more durable if we made them out of plastic like credit cards, or at least gave them some kind of protective coating?
Posted by kevin at 2:08 PM | TrackBack
February 19, 2006
Lexi's Discovered Her Hands
(Filed under: Health)Lexi has realized that she has hands, they are very entertaining and they taste good. So far she has figured out how to stare at her fingers, how to cover her face with her hands, and how to shove a thumb and three fingers in her mouth.
Posted by abby at 7:24 PM | TrackBack
February 18, 2006
Easy Baby Announcements
(Filed under: Baby Stuff)I'm a practical guy. So when it came to telling the world we just had a baby, I wanted to do it quickly and easily. All people really want with a baby announcement is a cute picture and the basic facts. So we figured let's put it all in one handy package.
We made reprints at Target and then printed the basic facts on a big address label and slapped them on the back of the pictures. Before the baby came we printed address labels, labeled and stamped the envelopes, so once we had the picture it was quick assembly line. People were receiving the announcements within a week of Lexi's birth.
Easy. Cute. That's how I like it.
Posted by kevin at 4:07 PM | TrackBack
February 16, 2006
Music for the Baby
(Filed under: Baby Stuff)One thing they really don't emphasize when you have a baby is the importance of music. You get a stroller and a crib and a changing pad (or not), but you don't think much about music. Stores like Babies R. Us have typical section with a few expeced Baby Einstien or Raffi CDs or--God forbid--Elmo. But what adult in their right mind wants to listen to that stuff? No thanks.
I've actually found that my baby likes U2. Johnny Cash works pretty well, but U2 really calms her down. I attribute to the U2 concert she attended in utero. If she's just going nuts I can start playing upbeat numbers like "Beautiful Day" or "City of Blinding Lights" and we dance and bounce to the music. When she's getting sleepy we can go with any number of somber tunes like "In a Little While," "One," or "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" and she quiets right down.
I'm not sure if it's the actual music, or if it's the fact that the music makes me dance and bounce and sing, but I do know that no music means crying. So crank up the U2.
Posted by kevin at 4:28 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
February 15, 2006
Monkey Outta Nowhere Onesie
(Filed under: Clothing)May I suggest a genuine Monkey Outta Nowhere onesie for the infant in your life?
Posted by kevin at 11:03 PM | TrackBack
Way Better than Hot Dish
(Filed under: Friends & Family)The best part ever after having a baby, aside from the baby itself of course, is the food. Some great friends volunteered to organize meals for us, and so Monday, Wednesday Friday for the past two weeks we've had home cooked meals delivered to our home. Add to that the stew, chicken noodle soup, wild rice and mushroom soup and cookies made by our respective moms, and we've got a ton of food.
All of the food so far has come from friends at church, so you an imagine incredible Minnesotan meals. You might be thinking 9x13 hot dish after 9x13 hot dish, but let me tell you, that's not the case. Let's see: 9x 13 lasagna (way better than hot dish); chicken with cheesy rice, salad and chocolate chip cookies; lasagna (boring repeats? No, I love lasagna!) and salad; an entire roast chicken, potatoes, gravy (!), green bean casserole and oatmeal cookies; wild rice, chicken and mushroom soup (quasi repeats? No, I love mushrooms), homemade bread, fruit, brownies and ice cream; kitchen sink pasta (odd name that made me think of macaroni in the sink, but it's actually an amazing concoction of pasta, chicken, cashews, olives, sundried tomatoes and cheese).
The simple fact that someone made supper and brought it to my house is generosity beyond my wildest dreams. But the fact that people are making incredibly tasty supper and often pairing it with two or even three sides is blowing me away.
Posted by kevin at 9:37 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Diaper Changing Pad
(Filed under: Baby Stuff)When we found out we were pregnant there was only one thing I knew we needed. Of all the assorted baby equipment out there I only knew of one item we couldn't live without: a changing pad.
The only diapers I ever changed before my daughter's were for a kid I used to babysit for in high school (yes, it's incredibly unmanly to babysit in high school, but what can I say--the money was too good). The family had a thin changing pad that was vinyl on one side and cloth on the other, almost like a table cloth you'd use for a picnic.
I'd spread out the pad on the floor, plop the kid on the floor and change that diaper. Any spillage would fall on the vinyl pad and when I finished up I could just wipe it off with a wipe. The surface was solid and plasticy, so there weren't any seams or nooks and crannies to make clean-up difficult. Wipe and be done.
Apparently such pads don't exist today. You can get a two-inch thick changing pad for your changing table, and while it does have a vinyl surface, it's also quilted or perforated, making clean up difficult. They also sell pad covers, though they're just cloth. So any spillage means the pad cover goes in the laundry and you still have to clean the pad itself, which is already difficult.
I turned to portable changing pads and found things weren't much better. The portable pad we put in our diaper bag has threaded seams where it folds. I don't want to think about how not easy it will be to clean anything that falls in those cracks. I went out and bought a quilted changing pad, only to find the same threaded seams. The lap pads we were given are cloth and require a spin in the washing machine after any mess.
Is it too much to ask for easy clean-up? I would expect that to be the whole idea, but apparently not.
Thus the one bit of baby equipment that I wanted I've yet to find.
Posted by kevin at 4:59 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Bodily Fluids
(Filed under: Health)What's a baby blog without at least one entry talking about bodily fluids?
Man, babies manage to ooze from both ends. It's like the flood.
One of the very first poopy diapers I had to change on my daughter wasn't so bad. Until she started peeing in the middle of the changing. Talk about a flood. And if that wasn't bad enough, then she started pooping again, adding to the already sizeable, um, pile. I guess baby diapers can't get much worse than that, can they? (more knowledgeable parents are nowshaking their heads)
And then there's the spit-up. Yesterday Lexi managed to spit up while taking a nap. Her sleeper, her shirt, her onsie, her blanket and the blanket's cover all ended up in the laundry pile. I even have a lovely video of her smiling and wide-eyed, looking so content and happy until she burped and white stuff started pouring out her mouth. There's one for grandma.
Update: Hardly an hour after I wrote this Lexi managed to ooze from both ends at the same time while I was changing her. I had heard of projectile vomitting, but nobody warned me about projectile pooping. Just call me the Poopsmith.
Posted by kevin at 4:53 PM | TrackBack
February 14, 2006
Grandmas Will Keep Your Kid Clothed
(Filed under: Clothing)In my experience grandmas are an excellent source of free baby clothes. It started mere days after announcing that we were pregnant. The clothes started coming in from both sides. At first it was a 'you're pregnant gift,' then it was a 'first baby shopping trip,' then it was 'just because,' and then it was clearance or garage sale items arriving in the mail. Finding out our baby was a girl only intensified the flood of baby clothes. And then when our daughter finally arrived, the grandparents came bearing more baby clothing.
It probably helped that Madeleine was the first grandchild on both sides, but I think it's some sort of addiction grandmothers have.
God bless them.
Posted by kevin at 11:00 AM | TrackBack
Day Care is Beyond Pricey
(Filed under: Babysitter)Minnesota has the most expensive day care in the nation. On average, single parent families with median incomes put 40% of their income toward day care. Two-parent families put 15% toward day care. And you wonder why we have no interest in day care.
The article blames part of the problem on government regulation. State law requires at least one teacher for every seven toddlers and one teacher for every four infants (the ratio is 1:10 for pre-schoolers, which are considered 31 months to kindergarten, a fact the article neglects to mention). Apparently they've never tried to supervise seven toddlers. We could certainly make child care cheaper, but it would also put quite a dent in the quality. Imagine what kind of care your kid gets in South Carolina or Georgia where one teacher can supervise 16 children.
It seems to me that if the state is going to have such high standards, which are good, they should also be willing to help out with the funding. Yet childcare assistance was cut 21% since 2003.
A 4-year-old in day care can cost an average of $763 a month, and it will cost more for a toddler (16-31 months) and much more for an infant (6 weeks to 16 months).
And this is why I'm going to be a stay at home dad.
Posted by kevin at 10:25 AM | TrackBack
February 9, 2006
9:37
(Filed under: Health)The alarm clock says 9:37 a.m. Madeleine has been sleeping since 4:30 a.m. and is just now starting to wake up. Who would have thought I would be excited about 5 hours of sleep?
Posted by abby at 9:39 AM | TrackBack
February 2, 2006
Thank You
(Filed under: Friends & Family)Since we annouced that Madeleine was born, everyone we know has been great. People have calling to see if we need anything, a friend came and did our dishes while we were in the hospital, people took care of our dogs , dinners are being planned and we are pretty sure that someone cleaned our bathroom (it's a lot more sparkly than when we left) but we have no idea who it was. So to everyone who has helped out, offered to help, is planning on helping, or even thought about helping out, thank you, thank you, thank you. We appreciate everything that everyone has done. It's more than we could ask for and we've only been home for 1 day. Thank you.
Posted by abby at 9:38 PM | TrackBack
