catching up

I can't believe it's been February since I put anything up here. Shame on me. It seems that any spare moments nowdays are filled with home chores (cleaning gutters, planting a garden), or out running errands (today's was going to the burbs to find a jogging stroller), or hanging out with little Phoebe.

Who, it turns out, is not so little anymore. She's turned into a little lady, and has started to show some personality. She's calm enough that people have been calling her 'zen baby', but that impression changes which she opens her mouth and roars out her dragon impression. We're not really sure what prompts this, or what it means, but it sure is funny. When she's not hungry, tired, or bored, she does seem to enjoy sitting there quietly and looking around. This is good because I really enjoy it too. The two of us sometime camp out in a chair in the kitchen and watch mom cook, or head out on the porch and watch people pass by. Of course, these sessions last for maybe 10 minutes, but they're nice nevertheless :)

Sleep has been a challenge (surprise, surprise). When she was younger, probably in the 2-3 month range, she slept really well. A couple nights she even slept like 6 or 7 hours straight. But then, slowly but surely, she started to regress. We were a bit lazy about giving her the pacifier, so she got used to it, and when she woke up without it in her mouth, there would be tears. Sometime in late April, she woke up literally every half hour crying for her pacifier. We decided that was unsustainable, so away went the pacifier....with mixed results. She's learned to soothe herself (sort-of), but often times will have trouble going to sleep, so will cry and cry in the hopes of getting a parent to go up and rock her or cradle her until she'll go back down. Then she learned to flip over, which is supposed to help to sleep better. Except that she hasn't learned to flip the other way... so it's pretty much a one-way street, and if she doesn't want to be on her stomach, but flips that way and wakes up, well... more tears. So the path between our room and hers is pretty well tread these days, but life has been made easier by the addition of a baby monitor (thanks Eric and Kristin!) so we can do things like watch a movie in the basement while keeping an ear out.

All in all, though, she's a good kid. Our nanny Sara is fantastic with her, and she is starting to notice and laugh at other kids (and at papa). She enjoys bath-time and has starting splashing a lot, although does not like it when water goes into her mouth (and hasn't made the connection with the excessive splashing). She went for her first jog today. Normally, she faces backwards in the stroller, but today it was forward facing, and I think it overwhelmed her. She kept craning her neck around to look back and see me, which was kind of funny. Then, it started raining and splashed on her face. I stopped under a road crossing and took her out of the stroller - her face was covered with a mix of tears and rain water, and she was most definitely NOT happy. So, we'll have to ease into the whole running thing, but I'm excited because I can (theoretically) take her out on a nice long run and get her out of Rebecca's hair and get exercise at the same time.

 She is grasping at things (toys, books, parents' hair) and putting them into her mouth. It has been neat to watch the progression. Even toys and things that she has had all along but used to ignore she is now enthralled by. A crinkly fabric carrot is her favorite of the moment. She will play with that thing for like 30 minutes, enthralled by the sound and the texture. It's really funny to watch her try to figure it out.

She doesn't like bright sun or loud noises. When the sun hits her face in the stroller, she convulses and gets upset. Likewise, when there is a sudden loud noise (traffic, cough, door slam) she gets startled. She  has a mixed record on meeting new people. Sometimes she is shy and turns her head into mom or dad's chest, or even cries if a new person holds her, but other times she is a total ham. She has a lot of hair still, and it's hard to tame, which I think makes her look older than she is (6 months on Wednesday). When I have bedhead and wake up, or it's the weekend and I forgo the brush, I've been told that there is an uncanny resemblance between us.  I'll let you be the judge...

morning wakeup routine (before breakfast)

 I read stories while she eats pages

 birthday present: matching hats!

 She doesn't typically sit still for photos

 Porch sitting, same hair stylist

 Morning routine before mom goes to work

 Sara the nanny reads to the ladies (baby December on the left, P on the right)

Ski cation!

Last weekend the family bundled into the Volkswagen, drove across two states, and arrived in Canaan Valley, West Virginia, for Phoebes first winter adventure. We stayed in a large cabin with 10 others, friends from DC (John & Carrie, George & Maggie) along with Carries mom and grand mom, sister and brother-in-law, and some other friends of theirs.

It was a big house with a hot tub and pool table, so space wasn't really an issue. Plus everybody took turns cooking a meal (and there were some good cooks) so it made a lighter load and lots of delicious food.

We drive up Thursday afternoon, so we had all day Friday and Saturday to play. This being a leisurely crowd, 'all day' typically meant leaving the house at 11 or so, and returning by around 6. The first day we went cross country skiing! We were thinking that we'd have to take turns sitting in the lodge with P, but as luck would have it, the car seat shoehorned into the Pulk (just barely) and we took our 11 week old munchkin on the trials. As an added bonus, the weight and bulkiness of the sled was just the right amount to equalize Rebecca and I. We skied with John and Carrie, who had never gone before, so it was a leisurely pace, but all had fun. The rhythmic pulling of the sled, along with the sound of the sled over the snow, meant P slept about 4 hrs!! She only woke up for lunch.

The next day we went tubing (P didn't go on that, but we took turns pulling her around in a circle at the bottom of the hill and she seemed satisfied)

Anyway, it was a great success! We are super excited to take our next family ski adventure.

Photos: the ski setup, close up of P in situ, cute ski bunny clothes, view from inside cabin, John and I skiing

2 months old!

And, happy year of the snake!
Phoebe just turned 2 months old this week, and she's getting more and more interactive every day. We had a visit from Rebecca's parents last weekend, our good friend Meredith on Monday and Tuesday, and another good friend and DC expatriate Jesse on Friday. So, we didn't get much unpacking done ;)

We are getting prepared now for the arrival of Eric and Kristin, coming to meet their niece for the first time this weekend. It will be really great to have them here.

In baby news, we had our 2 month checkup on Tuesday, and Phoebe was right at the median: height, weight, head size... So all good. She's now 11 lbs 2 ozs and steadily outgrowing clothes. The sound of her crying has really changed too: she went from a little baby cry to know a wild kitten cry. Hard to describe in words, but very cute.

So, we're continuing to juggle things here. Some days winning, some days losing.but mostly, we're just enjoying .

Photos: sleeping with mommy, sporting new stripy shirt, hanging out with daddy, visiting with Grandpa, video chatting with Aunt Sabrina

last few days of dungeon!

Our little  one is growing before our very eyes. It seems that between the time I leave for work and come home in the evening, she has gained some essential new wisdom. She's now seeing us from a few feet away. I like to think that she's recognizing me, although she doesn't outwardly show it (unless one counts bodily functions). Rebecca is still mostly nursing her, which means that I don't have a whole lot to offer apart from diaper changes and comforting her. She's on the road to bottledom, though, as we've introduced a pacifier and I've taken a few tries at bottle feeding her. This tends to work for a little while, until she figures out that I'm not mom, and that the plastic nipple is not the real deal, and then she fusses. Last night, funnily enough, she actually pouted when I tried to feed her! She stuck our her lower lip and let out a half-hearted cry. I thought that it was the cutest thing ever, of course. I just hope that this picky eater thing doesn't last too long.

One of the new tricks that I've learned recently, though, is that I can prop her on my leg at the dinner table, bounce her up and down while holding her with one hand, and she seems to enjoy it. She takes in a lot of air when she's gulping down milk, so she gets pretty gassy as a result, and is really uncomfortable if she doesn't get burped. The knee bouncing seems to help move things around, and it lets Rebecca and I enjoy a few minutes of sanity too. It's a regular family dinner!

Other than new baby developments, the big news is moving into a new place this weekend! Yippee (once it's over)! It will be nice to get out of a basement and into the wonderful world of daylight. Our pediatrician counseled Rebecca that it was important to get Phoebe on a day/night schedule by putting her in the light during the day so that she would sleep better at night... she clearly hadn't seen our apartment :)

And now for the all-important baby photos!

Yook at da cute widdle feet!

In a good mood after snacktime.  

 Catching some z's at dinner on daddy's lap.

 Her famous 'furrowed brow' look.

 Phoebe the couch cushion!

 I think that she has a rather Mona Lisa-ish quality in this photo.

 More furrowed brow. "Whatchu talkin bout?!" 

Ill-fated diaper excursion

Last week, Rebecca and I decided to embark on an adventure into the wonderful world of cloth diapering. There is a large philosophical and cultural divide between those who use conventional ("paper") diapers, and those who use cloth diapers. Paper diapers (actually usually a mix of paper and plastic) are very convenient, both because they're single use, but also because they wick moisture away from the baby's skin so they are more comfortable for longer (you don't have to change the diaper as often). This also means that you generate a lot of diaper-related waste, and that you don't change the baby as often because they don't fuss - leading to a higher likelihood of diaper rash, and longer periods of time in diapers (cloth diaper kids tend to potty train earlier).

For these reasons we decided that we want to use the cloth diapers. We inherited a bunch of inserts 'prefolds', as their known in the jargon to use. The basic process is to take the cloth, put it on with a 'snappi' - a modern safety pin - and wrap the outside with a waterproof cover so the baby's clothes don't get wet when she pees. Which, it turns out, she does very often. Our first foray was challenging. We were going through about 15 diapers a day, including as many as 4 at one time! In that instance, I changed her, and she immediately peed, then I changed her, and she immediately poo'd, then change, then pee, then change again. As an added bonus, she wasn't use to the feeling of wet cloth against her skin, so she wasn't sleeping very well at all (neither were we). Last night, we made the decision to strategically retreat, and try again with the cloth diapers when she's using the loo a bit more regularly. On the plus side, we now know how to administer the cloth diapers, and we not grossed out very easily by the handling of soiled fabric. I'll save the across-the-room blowout story for later.

Now for some photos!

One month old!

Phoebe was born one month ago today! Hard to believe that it's been that long, but she has already changed so much. She has been packing on the pounds of late. Literally. She's up to 9lbs 5oz (yesterday), and the folks in the know reckon she's adding a pound a week at this point. Imagine what she could do with a little toffee! In other news, we are doing some renovations on the new house, and hope to be moved in by the middle of January (or thereabouts). It will be nice to be living in a location with some sunlight again. I think that it will do wonders for my disposition, and will help Phoebe get on a day/night schedule too. 

Babies are fascinating to be around. Lying next to one, trying to sleep at night, it sounds like you are sharing a room with an asthmatic old man who is hyperventilating and has some gunk in his lungs. Turn the lights on, however, and you realize it's a cute little growing baby girl, trying to swallow a big batch of mom's milk. All the squirms and dinosaur cries make her seem so fragile - it boggles the mind to think that every person on the planet started out as a fragile little package like this one.

So, things are going well and we are enjoying our time with the little miss. Less so in the middle of the night, but still.  Rebecca has been handling the night shift, and seems much better able to cope with 3am feedings, diaper changes, and spitups than I do.  After a night fussing and fitfully sleeping, it is difficult to not be a total zombie at work the next day. A few times, I've retreated to the living room in the middle of the night to try to get a few hours of sleep, but that hasn't always worked.  I've unplugged the alarm clock on my side of the bed because I didn't like seeing times of the morning that I had no business being awake to see. I think that has helped. In any event, a few minutes of holding Phoebe makes all of those troubles go away.

We've had a few visitors in the past few weeks, mom over Christmas, followed by Rebecca's brother Gabe, who left just yesterday. It was nice to have all the help and company, notwithstanding a few episodes of sickness. All folks are better now, and we're looking forward to more visitors (after we move, but that's another story for another time).

And now, ze photos....

On dad's lap while he tries to get a little work done.

 Deep asleep. Those are her toes up there next to her face. I tried moving here, but she was sound asleep

 On Grandma Debi's lap

 Wearing her cute new sweater with mom

 Matching stripes with dad

 On Uncle Gabe's lap

reflections on daddyhood (of many)

So, my life got a lot better this past week....

We'd like to introduce you all to 6 lbs, 15.1 oz of Phoebe Evelyn Wai Yun Gans.
She was delivered early last night with a full head of hair and a few cute but restrained baby cries. She and mom are both very healthy. Mom handled everything so well that the midwife immediately suggested we plan for 5 or 6 siblings. Dad did not faint.
Her favorite things to do so far involve eating and sleeping, but she does these in a very intelligent and stylish manner.
She's looking forward to meeting you!
-Will and Rebecca

 Previously, I had never understood why women go totally crazy over newborns. Rebecca would show me photos of babies and ask: "isn't she cute?", to which my response would invariably be 'looks like a baby'. But there is a lot of magic in holding such a fragile creature in your hands, especially if you are her dad! A tumultuous cocktail of emotions come flooding over you - the love, anxiety, responsibility, anticipation, and a deep feeling of gratitude and contentment. It really is surreal. And hard to describe without sounding like a prologue to 'chicken soup for the soul'. But, it is pretty much the best thing/moment/experience in my life.

Since then, we've been getting to know our new housemate and build an understanding with her. By 'we', I mostly mean Rebecca. Dad is still very much in the extraneous stage at this point. No milk production = not very helpful when baby is hungry. Thus, I've been relegated to diaper changes and the occasional burping session. Not that I'm complaining, but I am definitely looking forward to more parenting opportunity.

Sister-in-law Sabrina was with us for nearly 3 weeks, both before and after the birth. She left on Saturday, and we're still finding our way without her guidance and delicious cooking. It really was SUCH a wonderful help to have her around. We'll be working hard to find a way to repay her kindness! Thank you Sabrina!!!!

And now.. a few more photos from the first few days.

Rebecca in the delivery room (round 1, before we were sent home -- notice the relaxed look on face)

And a few short hours later... baby!! at the weigh in.

During a happier moment on Mom's lap

 Post feed sleepy smile

Thanksgiving

What a flurry of activity in the last few weeks! We didn't think that baby would hold out until thanksgiving, but, lo and behold, she did! We enjoyed a delicious meal with our friends' John and Carrie. We contributed turkey and sweet potato dumplings to the meal, which were pretty tasty. Our pre-dinner cocktail (cranberry collins) was also enjoyable, perhaps a little too much so for some (like yours truly). There was sage ravoli, fennel encrusted pork, lots of fresh bread, wine, roasted vegetables, pie...yummy.

Unfortunately, I was so caught up stuffing my face that I didn't adequately photo-document the hours-long meal, nor the annual viewing of a cheesy movie that took place the next morning (we had a slumber party). This year's movie was 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter". It was...unique. 

Anyway, here's a handful of photos. 

Cheese plate detritus

 Mid-dinner cameo

 Rebecca at the dinner table. Notice the empty plates.

The Tuesday after thanksgiving, Rebecca's sister Sabrina arrived to help us out with the baby and cooking and helping around the house and being all the things a good big sister should be. It's so great to have her around! We've been going out, eating really good food, and just enjoying each others' company now that we're in the home stretch. It sometimes feels like we're all holding our collective breath waiting for the baby to happen and 'our lives to change forever.' It's still rather abstract at this point, at least for me, but we know that the launch date is getting closer every day! I may just discover that changing diapers is really fun when you're sleep deprived. Unlikely, but you never know.

Below are the two ladies prior to going to the movie theater.

 Rebecca and belly, relaxing on the couch

 Rebecca, belly, and Sabrina, getting ready for bed

 Rebecca and belly, trying out new stroller (thanks mom and grandma!)

squeals on wheels

We finally got some wheels! It is with mixed feelings, as I alluded to before, but we decided to take the plunge and put too much money into a depreciating asset so that we can pay insurance, registration and excise fees (6% in DC!!!), and just generally worry about dings, scrapes, parking, and getting keyed. Wait, why are we doing this!?!

Anyway, some good friends of ours in DC, George and Maggie, were giving us crap for following in their footsteps by trying to buy a house and a car at the same time as the baby was due. Not true! Now, it's just the house! :)

Now come the hard decisions. (1) what to call it, and (2) what bumper stickers to put on it?

For names, a partial list is:

• Miguel (the name of my old car, mostly here for sentimental reasons)
• Thor (a personal favorite)
• El Guapo (made in Mexico, hence the theme)
• Gunnar (it is of German extraction)
• Scorpio (it just sounds tough, even though Rebecca says "that's a dumb name")

Like I said, it is a partial (draft) list. I've put a little more thought into the bumper stickers.
Some of my personal favorites:

1. Campers are in tents
2. Little lebowski urban achiever
3. If you can read this, turn me over (printed upside down)
4. there's no right way to eat a Rhesus
5. Learn Spanish! Jesus is coming
6. Be alert! The world needs more lerts.
7. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on the list.
8. My drinking team has a bowling problem.
9. Without ME it's just AWESO.
10. Your stupid!

As you can tell, I find the play on word things amusing. Feel free to vote and/or offer suggestions in this decision of great importance.

We're expecting!!

Yeay!! baby!! Okay, this is old news, I know. But I've been a slacker about putting photos up. Or, perhaps, I've been waiting to encapsulate the whole arc of pregnancy and show you photos at the end (5 weeks before the end).

The pregnancy has been really smooth so far; very little morning sickness, very little in the way of bad surprises....just the usual (we hear) discomfort and difficulty sleeping. The hurricane yesterday was rather exciting, and we were both relieved not to be trying to rush to the hospital in the middle of it!

Well, here's a few thousand words:

~ September (in Renwick Museum)

 ~ September

 ~September 23rd, at birthday dinner Korean bbq (those are photos of meat on the wall behind us)

 ~October

 ~October

 ~2 weeks ago

 last weekend

 yesterday (yes, Ipad is resting on belly!)