A busy weekend

We are finally to the point where our lives are not 150% completely and totally dictated by Cairo. We are finding that we can now slowly start to incorporate bits and pieces of our old lives into the present situation... for example, going out to a restraunt for a bite to eat. Yesterday, Cairo, Erik, and I ran a bunch of errands together. In the middle of our errands, we went to lunch. Cairo ate with us and was very good. Then, we decided to stop at the beach. We brought out a blanket and layed on the beach for about an hour. In that time, Cairo took a nice nap- covered from head-to-toe with a blanket (thus, far we think she has Erik's complextion- easy to burn and freckle). She ended the day sprawled in her dad's lap, followed by a bath.


Today, Cairo and I spent a relaxing and productive day together doing things around the house- reading, napping, laundry, dishes, dusting, putting things away. Then, the whole family headed down to Erik's Grandma and Grandpa Tipple's house for a family dinner. Cousin Mei was super cute wearing very fashionable leg warmers and dress (both from Japan). Cairo will hopefully be getting a pair of leg warmers when Aunt Kyoko and Grandma Dedini come back from visiting there in September.

Other than that, there isn't much more to report on.

Butts Up

So, it seems that when Cairo is on her stomach she puts her butt up in the air... just like mom used to do. Cairo joined me in bed yesterday morning and ended up asleep on her stomach. It was too cute... especially her squished up face.


Also, Erik and I are trying to take every opportunity to collect "ammo" for Cairo's teen and adult years. We are trying to get a good collection of naked pictures to show off to her future friends and boyfriends when they come to visit. We are hoping to add to that collection funny faces, poopy faces, temper tantrums, and other embarassing acts. What kind of parent would I be if I didn't show off embarassing pictures? I don't want to miss out on the fun. Here is a picture of Cairo (not happy) having tummy time after a shower. Butts Up!



I believe the scariest thing we parents have to do to infants is cut their nails. I refuse to do it. I can't stand nails that are cut too short or bleeding. It gived me the hee-bee gee-bees. Erik is a pro, though. He does a great job cutting Cairo's beautiful long nails.

P.S. I almost forgot. We went to the doctor's this week and Cairo has almost made it to 9 pounds... in fact, by now, she probably has!

5 weeks

Cairo has now reached the five week mark. Boy how time flys... yet, I feel like she has been around a lot longer.

Here is an overview of what Cairo likes and what she can do up to now (most things have been mentioned in previous blogs):

- Loves to eat
- Loves to sleep (especially on people or with people)-- excellent cuddler


- Loves to squirm and move and constantly be in motion
- Is very kinesthetic and loves to touch and feel things with her hands and face
- Is letting out small little laughs
- Likes to stand up and be bounced up in the air

- Loves to have her little neck kissed and gobbled (in my house we always called it "baby neck")
- Has much better control of her neck and head (though not complete control and to our enjoyment her head bobs around like a bobble-head on the dashbaord of a car)
- Is starting to burp on her own
- Makes a lot more noises, including a very cute little coo noise
- Like to be held facing out instead of facing in (wants to see where she going instead of where she has been)

- Is calmed and entertained by music (loud, soft, rock, classical- it doesn't matter)
- Has rolled over once
- Loves to sleep on her side
- Loves the bath and shower and doesn't mind have water run over her face (she holds her breath)

Rollin'

Yesterday I put Cairo on her blanket in the family room to play and have floor time. While she was playing I took the opportunity to eat some lunch at the diningroom table, where I could keep a good eye on her. I looked over and she was on her back like I had originally put her. I looked back about 30 seconds later and she was on her stomach. I told her that I was hoping she'd wait a little longer before she started to roll. I don't think that she is going to listen to me. She must be my daughter!

This is a picture of her sporting her tie-dyed onsie Grandma Jill gave her and a sunhat to block her delicate skin from yesterday's hot sun.

The Beach

In the summer Arcata has nice and mild temperatures. One can normally count on a nice cool breeze throughout the day which lends a nice crispness to the air. Over the past few days, though, the weather has been unusually warm. It is not uncommon to have a warm day, but it is uncommon to have so many warm days in a row... not that I am complaining. These warm days are great- temperatures only reach mid to upper 70s. Last nice the air was still and warm, so after leaving dinner at Erik's parents (where Kyoko made another wonderful and yummy meal) we decided to take the long way home and drive our cranky baby around a little. So, we we drove around the bay and made a stop at the beach on the way. Cairo's first visit to the beach. It was about 8:45, just in time for the sunset.

Cairo and Mei

Cairo was hanging out on the chair with her cousin Mei yesterday. When we first got here, Cairo was much smaller than Mei. Exactly two weeks later, Cairo is working hard to catch up... especially in length. Her torso is getting so long!

4 weeks... almost a month!

WATCH OUT, DADDY IS GOING TO SQUISH YOU!


Cairo was four weeks yesterday and tomorrow she will be one month old. How time does fly. Erik and I are really noticing the changes she has made. It is amazing how one week makes such a large difference. My two favorite things that Cairo is now doing on a regular basis is cooing and smiling. Though I know what she is currently doing isn't anything close to what she will be doing in the next few months, it is still fun and, oh, so cute!


Cairo is a cuddle bug! She loves to join Erik and I in bed or on the couch. Her favorite place to fall asleep is on someone. We are working with her to have some floor time and exercise. She is getting better at hanging out on her blanket by herself for a while, kicking her feet, waving her arms, and looking around. I have her blanket right next to our sliding glass door in the family room so that she can look outside and the dogs can look in. I crack the slider door a little so that Guinness and Sienna can poke their noses in and see her. Guinness will spend a lot of time just laying there with his nose poked into the family room, staring at Cairo... I think of him like the dog Nana in Peter Pan.

Each day that goes by we are seeing Cairo's strength increase. She is VERY kinesthetic. She likes to feel things, hold things, move around, and be touched. Her hands are constantly in motion. She is now holding her head up and looking all around for a while. She likes to stand and bounce up and down... and she loves to be kissed.

Poopy Baby

Cairo has been poopy all day... and for that matter for half of the night. No, I don't mean poopy like she's been going potty; rather, I mean that she has been crabby. This is what she has been looking like today-

This afternoon, I finally got her to go to sleep for about 3 hours... a much needed nap. All it took was putting on classical music and letting her cry for a few minutes. Her little nap allowed me to get a little yard work done. Here is a picture of the baby after putting music on, a much better baby-

Ah, the trials of parenthood... and this is just the beginning. I see years of fun in the future.

P.S. It is cool and RAINING!!! I love the rain.

The Family

There aren't many pictures of Erik, Cairo, and I. Last night, I snapped a picture of the three of us as Erik was rocking Cairo in the chair. We've had a good day of family bonding today. Erik, Cairo, and I have been hanging out at home all day just enjoying being a family in the house we love and work hard for. Since we have been up north, we have been very busy, so it was nice to take some time just to be together.

Cairo has this great toy we were given at the baby shower. It plays great music, has fun songs that sing about numbers and colors. The sound on this toy is great and there are so many choices to choose from that one doesn't get tired of hearing it. In the past two days, Cairo has spent a lot of time staring at it. She seems most at ease and happy when the classical music is playing. There are rattles andb other fun stuff attached to the toy. She hasn't discovered them yet, but maybe on a few weeks.
At this point in time she will turn herself on her blanket so that she can see the toy.

Firsts

Being a new baby, each day that goes by brings a first experience of something. On Thursday, friends came over for dinner and Cairo had her first girls night- good food, good wine, good gossip, good girl talk (of course Cairo's food and beverage for the night was a mixture of breastmilk and formula). On Friday, Cairo went to her first birthday party. Anut Kyoko turned 26. Cairo pretty much slept all through dinner and missed the candles on the cake (due to a diaper change), but she did get to enjoy dessert... mommy was eating chocolate cake while holding her and spilled chocolate frosting all over her! On Saturday, Cairo got to go to Ferndale for the first time. While in Ferndale, Cairo got to walk the main street in a very nice and comfy buggy. After browsing the main street we headed off to see Great-Grandma Dedini and Great-Grandma and Grandpa Tipple. Today, Cairo had her first real tears when crying. How pathetic! Mommy only set her down so that mommy could blow her nose. (The tears are hard to see in the last picture, but they were coming out of her right eye and dripping towards her ear.)

Here are a few pictures of Cairo... including her cute new shoes from her Aunt Katie B.

3 Weeks!

It is hard to believe that 3 weeks have already passed by. At the same time, though, it seems like ages ago that I was in the hospital having her. I have always heard people say, "They grow up so fast!" and now I believe it. My little monster, as I affectionately call Cairo, is already changing. She's getting bigger, her cheeks are filling out, she's makng more noises (mostly new snorts and grnuts), and she's traching Erik and I her likes and dislikes.

Yesterday, we were practicing new things. First, we practiced holding our own bottle. Her hands are always by her face and she has stong arms and a tight grip. I put her in her bouncy chair, propped up the bottle with a burp cloth, and let her drink. It is hard to see in the picture, but without her hand holding the bottle, it would have fallen to the side. It is one step in the right direction.

The second thing we practiced yesterday was tummy time. Cairo seemed to enjoy the exercise. She worked out her legs (trying to get the up and under her), she worked out her back, and she worked out her neck. She was able to picked up her neck and move it easily from one side to the other. She moved and wiggled a lot on the floor and then she would stop for a break and catch her breath again. It was a good baby workout and we will definitely do it again today.

Back to Bayside

It's been a while since I lasy updated the blog, but we have been busy! (picture-Aunt Kyoko holding Cairo and I am holding Cousin Mei) On Friday, we made the long trip up north to our house in Bayside (Eureka/Arcata area). It's good to be back. Cairo did an amazing job on the long ride north. She slept most of the way and we were able to get away with making only 3 stops. On the way up north, Cairo had the chance to meet lots of family. In fact, in the last five days, Cairo has met all five of her great-grandparents, her Grandma and Grandpa Dedini, her Uncle Nick, Aunt Kyoko, Cousin Mei (only five weeks older), a few of my cousins, my uncle, and both mine and Erik's best friends. It has been quite a week.


Grandma Jill and Cairo-




We are all adjusting well to being up north. Erik and I are trying to get the house put back together after everything had to be moved out to refinish the floors. At this point it seems like the never ending job. When did we aquire SO much stuff? Cairo is getting into more of a routine. She wakes up once in the night, around 2 or 3, to feed, sleeps four to five hours, feeds, takes a morning nap, is awake for an hour or so, feeds, takes an afternoon nap, is awake and looking around, feeds, takes a quick evening snooze, feeds, goes to bed... The following is a picture of Cairo sleeping in her new crib with her glo worm.

Over the past fews days, Cairo has done a better job at taking naps in either her crib, bassinet, or on a blanket on the floor. Before, she wanted to be held the whole time. I think that she finds her bassinet cozy and comfortable. It is the same bassinet that her Daddy and Uncle Nick used when they were babies. Today, we brought the bassinet out into the main living area of the house so that Cairo could be near us as she slept. We put on a variety of music as we were working on cleaning up the house and she just slept away. She seemed to particularly sleep well to Tom Petty, the Rolling Stones, and the Classical Guitar... as well as the humming of our very loud and very old dishwasher. Next picture- Cairo sleeping in her bassinet with her hat falling into her eyes.

Yesterday, Erik and I took Cairo to the doctor's office to have her weight checked. The first week, she lost 8 oz and was down to 6 lb 6 oz. The next week, she only gained 1 oz and we had to supplement all her meals with formula. Well, one week later Cairo made up for lost time by gaining a whole pound in a week. So, we now have a chunky monkey at 7 lb 7 oz. Her face is getting really full (especially her cheeks) and her dad swears she is getting a (how should I spell it) Ba-donk-a-donk (and for those of you who have not heard this, it means a butt). So, she is very healthy and doing great... what more could you ask for.





















Cairo lost her cord at 10 days, but we were waiting to make sure everything had dried up nicely before giving her a real bath. While at Grandma Jill and Grandpa Lee's, Uncle Nick facilitated Erik and I giving Cairo her first real bath. Even though her face got dunked once, she didn't seem to care and really seemed to like her bath... maybe we DO have a little waterbaby/ surfer girl!














Socks on the hands to keep Cairo from scratching her face.












Chillin' in the bouncy chair.











Taking a nap on the quilt Great-Grandma Tipple made.










Asleep and sporting snazzy sunglasses on my best friend Katie's shoulder.

Healing Mommy, Sleeping Baby

So, I asked Erik to update the blog yesterday... you can see the wonderful job that he did.

After getting my kidney stones blasted Friday, I ran a high fever on Saturday. Sunday was a day to mend and Monday our family of three was out and about at various doctor's appointments. I am healing nicely from my c-section... only 6 more weeks and I will be considered healed. I can't wait! Cairo also has an appointment to check her weight. The Monday after she was born her weight had dropped from 6 lb 14 oz to 6 lb 6 oz. We made an appointment for this Monday and found that she had only gained an ounce and a half. Not enough. Due to all the stresses my body has been under, I just don't have enough milk for her- but, I am working on it now that all of my surgeries are over. So, Cairo has to have all her meals supplemented with formula... all the formula that she wants! So, now, we have a whole new baby.

Baby Before: Would not be set down, wanted to nurse all the time, cried often, was up all night = tired and, somewhat frazzled parents (especially at 11-3 am)

Baby After: Happy content baby who sleeps happily in her cradle through the night (except for a feeding) and is wide eyed and happy throughout the day = happy parents who got 8 hours of sleep and a nap

All in all, it seems that we were starving Cairo... at least that is how Erik and I feel. I am slightly traumatized by it all... I know that we weren't really starving her, but she wasn't getting her fill. Now she is and everything is good.

Here are some pictures Erik picked out yesterday and was supposed to post along with his blog.