Sunday best

Argh! Sea dogs!

Peter doesn't really have many "dress-up" clothes. I'm sure this would be different if he were a little girl, but we aren't complaining. He really has very few reasons or opportunities to dress up, and the few times we have tried, he has rewarded our efforts with prolific "splounching," Davis-Ross family nomenclature for baby spit-up.

But it seems appropriate that Peter actually makes an effort when going to church, especially if he's going to be an active participant.

So, we pulled out this completely adorable and just-starting-to-fit outfit from Kevin's cousin Marcie and her family. Along with this outfit came a gorgeous and personalized blanket for Peter. And with the blanket? This note, which I opened before opening the package:

My first thought: Oh, no! They sent the wrong package to us!
My second thought: Oh, sweet. I can totally use some new wineglasses. Or maybe camping gear. Or travel gear. Who knows, but Barry and Jana sound like our kind of people.
My third thought (after opening the package): Yeah, I definitely wanted the wineglasses.

Just kidding! The blanket is really quite special, and will get a serious workout when our evening walks start turning chilly.

But, back to the outfit: adorable, right? Even though I buttoned Peter's top button, an action to which Kevin "strenuously objected," and caused him great regret when he realized we snapped all of these shots of Peter looking, as he put it, "like a dork."

I say, "like father, like son."

Note: Yes, I buttoned his top button.

Check out that nice drool-pool on the front of Peter's outfit.

weekend updates

Like most babies, Peter changes constantly - something that you think is a routine is just a passing fad, while other advancements hit you before you know it.

Passing Fads:
- Morning is "happy time." For the past few weeks, Peter's been a real charmer in the morning. Now, he's sleepy.
- Liking the carseat. Before: a fun place to take a long nap. Now: a cruel torture device.
- "Holding it in" at night. Just what it sounds like, which was pretty smart. Bye, bye diaper rash! Now, Peter lets it all go, like last night, when he gave Kevin an unprotected Holy Trinity. (Again, pretty much what it sounds like, with protection being a diaper.)
- No more golden showers. They're back. Three times in 12 hours.
- Those 8-hour-asleep nights. We're back to 7 hours. Not that anyone is complaining.
- Having hair. Now, he's going bald.

New Fads:
- Babbling. Peter has extended conversations with us, with himself, with his favorite blankets, and with his fists. He's particularly vocal in the morning.
- Complaining. Hand in hand with his babbling feat comes a new form of conversation: complaining. Not quite a cry, it's our little guy's way of letting us know he is not happy so we better hop into action.
- Falling asleep before the bedtime routine is over. For now, it makes parenting seem so easy.
- Making music. Peter's discovered both Kevin's toy piano and a rattle, and he's thrilled that he can make even more noise.
- Staring at things. For minutes!

Peter gives Grandpa's Carolina basketball logo a serious stare-down.

- Doing his exercises, singing his theme song, or any other number of silly games we've created to keep him entertained. (For now.)
- Dimples! We saw them for the first time when we picked up my parents two weeks ago.

Continuing Projects:
- The Hand Project. Still at work on finding his fingers, Peter seems content enough to jam his entire fist into his mouth.
- The Tongue Project. Alternately Gene Simmons and a lizard, Peter's really enjoying feeling his tongue.
- Drooling. Lots of drooling.
- Going for walks. Either in the Bjorn or in the stroller - Peter doesn't care, just as long as we are out of the house.
- Rolling over. Every time, it takes less and less effort.
- Watching TV. Sigh. It's time to turn off the tube.

yay for...

...milestones...
Peter has been rolling over like a champ in the past few days, all from stomach to back. His past few flips have been particularly cute; he will flip over in one controlled motion right after being put on his stomach for "tummy time."

Post-flip. It was so fast, I couldn't work the camera.

He's also been furiously at work on what we've called The Hand Project. Yep, he's looking for fingers in earnest. He has two main approaches. In one, he uses one hand to stabilize and guide the other into his mouth area. In the other, he will suck on a pacifier for a minute, then spit it out, stick out a finger, and plop it in (the general area) of his mouth. Alas, his grasping reflex lingers just sightly, so he's unable to keep anything in his mouth for long, but it's days away from happening.

Success! for a minute...

Peter's also able to entertain himself for what must been an eternity for a newborn; today, he spent a happy half-hour just babbling away in his new crib.

He's also made the transition to out-facing baby in the Bjorn, which he LOVES. Peter really enjoys looking around and being part of the action, so we weren't surprised by how much he likes his new Bjorn position.

Peter's just beside himself checking out the world.

AND, he really has been sleeping through the night for the past week! It's glorious. So, not only is he an awesome sleeper (going down without any problem at all), but he stays asleep for hours upon hours.

...adventures...
Peter really enjoyed his trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. He particularly enjoyed looking at the jellyfish. They're like nature's television. He didn't really like the crowds or the noise, and after a few hours it was a bit overstimulating, but he was such a good baby during our trip there.

Eyes on the prize.

Transfixed.

Peter also really enjoyed his first boat ride, a ferry to and from Alcatraz Island. It was a little windy for the baby while we were walking around the island, and there weren't many places to breastfeed or change diapers while on the tour, but he happily went along for the ride. He did NOT like the drive home, however...

Cruising.

Island living.

Peter was NOT such a fan of our trip to Big Sur, however; it was just a little too windy for his tastes.

Peter'd already visited the McWay Waterfall...

...family and friends...
Peter's loved getting to know his Grandma and Grandpa Davis and aunt Kimberly this past week.

Two true-blue Carolina fans

And, he really enjoyed meeting his new friends Maverick and Mariella.

Born on 7-7-07, the 6th and 7th members of the Underwood family

...new homes...
After a ridiculously protracted and arduous ordeal, Peter has a crib that isn't broken. And he LOVES it. Even if it does look like baby prison.


...babies!
Peter changes so much everysingleday it's amazing. Some of my favorites, today:
- he's such a charmer! With those gorgeous where-did-he-get-them eyes, how could he not be?
- he's such a good baby. Really. We could handle a rougher baby, but it's so nice that we don't have to.
- he loves us so much. (But, too much?)
- the cute startled-curious look he gets when you blow on his feet.
- how, when he's done with his pacifier, he will spit it out.
- his fake pout.
- how big he is. (According to our week-by-week, he's roughly the size of a 14-week-old baby.)
- his growing vocabulary. We've started having little conversations with him.
- how he folds his hands like a little old man, or C. Montgomery Burns.
- how strangers will come up to stroke his cheek, comment on how well behaved he is, or otherwise lavish love and adoration on our baby. Bring it on!

big and little

My dad is so in love with Peter it's heartbreaking. When we met my parents and sister at the airport yesterday, it was my father who was eagerly awaiting a chance to hold his new grandson, and that excitement continues - like a little kid who has just received the most awesome, exciting, and completely adorable toy ever, and who just doesn't want to put said toy down.

a 5,000 mile hello

Peter wanted to tell his Gram and Pop hello, and he hopes they're enjoying their trip in Ireland!

a very good boy

I want to make this point very clear: Peter is a very good baby. To wit:

He sleeps well. For the past two weeks, he's given us 6 hour stretches at night. For the most part, he goes down very easily as well, and if he DOESN'T go down easily, he's just wide awake , not fussy. When he wakes to eat at night, he doesn't cry or scream, but simply sits in his bassinet, grunting away, until someone comes to pick him up. In fact, he's only flat-out cried at night only two or three times (one of which, you may recall, involved nuking Russians).

He eats well. He'll take a bottle from Kevin just as greedily as he'll take milk from me. (My favorite noise he makes, by far, are these hungry, excited grunts that he makes when he is "lowered into position.") He's really good about self-managing his intake as well, which means that, while he does spit up, he doesn't do so often.

He's a really happy boy. It's easy to get him to break into a smile, or to distract him away from fussing. He loves people as well; I'm really kind of proud of how willing he is to hang out in a stranger's arms. He's also incredibly tolerant of his parents' sad attempts at parenting.

He's possibly the most adorable baby ever created, garnering the attention and devotion of all who meet him. Beware the powers of this baby, lest you be enslaved by his charms.

milk drunk

Feeding Peter is one of the most satisfying experiences I think I've ever had, if only because it's one of the most satisfying experiences he's ever had.

Dainty eater.

Milk drunk.

Post-lunch nap.

dreamland

Peter sleeps with the fishes...and the tortoise, and the shark.

Last night was an interesting one. First, we tried to go to the drive-in for Peter's first movie, but he was...passionately uninterested...in getting into his carseat. Next, Peter was also uninterested in what had become his "normal" bedtime zone, which is 8:30 to 9 p.m. He was, as we like to call it, Baby Alive (a state of almost eerie alertness), mixed in with some unusually persistent fussiness to boot. Thus, we had a pretty unpleasant and late bedtime of around 10:30.

Finally, Peter woke at 6 a.m.

Yep. That's 7.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep from our little tiger. We tried to recreate the rich alchemy that lead to this little miracle tonight - was it the weak swaddle? The fussy last feeding? Uncle Shaq on TV? Only time will tell if last night was a fluke or if it was for real. I'm suspecting fluke, if only because I don't want to get my hopes up.

The only thing that would have made last night even more dream-tastic is if I'd actually been asleep the entire time. Alas, my internal clock forced me awake at 3 a.m. (typical feeding time), and then again at 4 and 5 a.m. I have a feeling I'll be much more prepared to sleep through the night along with Peter tonight, though.

goodbye, Gram and Pop and Aunt Brey

Peter said goodbye today to his grandparents and aunt, as they returned to NJ after visiting with him for about a week. I think he handled the loss well; both he and I spent pretty much the entire day sleeping. While it's great to have visitors, it definitely exhausted us both - we're used to a few more naps during the day!

I think I can speak for Peter when I say he's looking forward to seeing his family again in December. Who else can spoil him like this?

Don't tell Sean, but Aunt Brey may have a new man in her life.

A very mature-looking Peter hangs out with his Poppy.

Gram steals a kiss

Grandparents! (and an aunt)

Peter is getting to know Gram, Pop, and Aunt Brey this week while they're visiting from New Jersey.

Peter's surpisingly large family

Tomorrow, Peter will finally have a chance to meet his other Grandmother, as well as his Grandfather Ross and Aunt Bridget.

You may think that our little guy is bereft of family, being so far from everyone out here in California. Ha, ha! Peter actually has more aunts and uncles than one could think possible. For example:

Great Uncle Al. That's Al Gore. Yep, the love affair with Mr. Inconvenient Truth continues. We find ourselves referencing Great Uncle Al when walking around the condo, turning off lights, or lamenting the fact that we keep a radio tuned to static on all night. (Note: sometimes, he's Grandpa Al Gore, which kind of makes us Cosby Show-ish, in that Peter may end up having 15 grandfathers.)

Uncle Homer. Mmmm, doughnuts.

Uncle Larry David. Because Peter really likes the Curb Your Enthusiasm theme music, and because we find ourselves saying, "pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty" more that we'd like to admit.

Uncle Charles. Because Peter and the Round Mound of Rebound have so much in common.

Uncle Kari. Peter's waiting for some guitar lessons, or at least for Sammy Soil to come perform at his birthday parties.


Semi-Aunt Jen, or Should-Be Aunt Jen. She should technically be Aunt Jen (especially if Charles Barkely gets an upgrade), but we're hoping to throw a celebratory party when it becomes official. (Ahem. Hint hint.)

It seems that everyone we know out here has claimed to be an uncle or an aunt of some sort as well, including Uncle Father Bob and Uncle Father Oscar. Really, Uncle Father Oscar is far, far too much to resist.

smiley mcsmile

For his first month birthday, Peter decided to show us the trick he's been working on for a week now: a big, happy - if fleeting - smile.

I've been the recipient of both of the observed smiles. It's a benefit of being, unquestionably, his most favorite person in the world.

Peter's also making a few new noises, including an adorable half-cry that means (we think) hey, what's going on? Do I like this? I'm not sure. He also makes what might be his coo, or at least a happy sound, which is remarkably quack-like.

So far, no photographic evidence of these smiles, but they look a bit like this:

Golden Slumbers

I might be having an emotional affair with Dr. Harvey Karp. I'm really in love with the man and his witch-doctor baby-sleeping ways. It's almost like kiddie heroin.

Last night's achievement? Bassinet sleeping for almost the entire night.

Here's some video evidence of the magic mojo of this baby wrangler:

family walks

Family Walk time is perhaps all of our favorite time of day.

naptime

brought to you by the swaddle, the suck, and the side position

do babies dream of lambs?

(Insert deep sigh of relief.)

My mother left this morning on an early flight, so the Gruntster and I remained blissfully in bed while Kevin dropped her off at the airport.

I was not entirely looking forward to my first day alone with Baby Boy, as his mornings haven't exactly been the most pleasant time of his day - he's been eating every 30 minutes with 15 minutes of fussing in between. And, it still breaks my heart to put a crying baby down in his bassinet, even if it is so I can dash to the bathroom.

Well, Peter was a trooper! He was very content to sleep peacefully in my arms for hour-long stretches, waking to peacefully feed and then drift off to baby sleep again. I was able to watch a few episodes of Martha, finish this week's Entertainment Weekly and make some progress on the most recent Backpacker. This pattern was continued when Kevin came home, during our walk to the library, and again while we were eating dinner.

Actually awake, at the library.

Which makes me a little wary for what tonight may hold. However, simple math tells us that happy Mama and happy Baby equals happy Family. (Sorry, Papa Bear - you're kind of a negligible part of the equation right now.)

detente

So, it turns out our Old Dude and Girlfriend fears are for naught, as they very generously gave Baby Peter this Peter Rabbit dish set:


Nary a negative word again will cross my lips about our neighbors.

family photos

We took advantage of a rare moment of calm to snap a few family photos:

a series of unfortunate events...and a few good tips

Our friends from Chapel Hill who've also relocated to the Bay Area visited last night, with dinner, hand-me-downs, and their two adorable children in tow.

They also brought a whirlwind of...well, not chaos so much as activity, as their toddler daughter vomited all over herself, her car seat, and her mother, just minutes from arriving. They were able to (mostly) clean the car seat, and clean Theda's clothes as well.

Luckily, the baby ducks were out and about, and there were plenty of rocks to throw in the ponds to keep Theda occupied. Stephan was able to fall asleep (ouch! pangs of jealousy!), and delicious pies were enjoyed (both of the shepherds' and the fruit varieties).

And, it might have been just what the doctor ordered, since we were able to spend several hours together, rather than a quick drop-and-run. I was able to ask some questions that doctors don't seem to answer (like, what's up with those night sweats?), and learned a few important lessons on the way - like, ALWAYS bring a back-up shirt for Mom. And all children. And always buy a car seat that can be cleaned without being taken apart.

Some questions still remain, such as: how much can the baby spit up on my shirt before I have to change it?

wonderful suprises

Some really thoughtful people decided to give BDR a fun surprise party Thursday. (And I thought I was going to hear a Powerpoint presentation about a mission trip to Brazil.)

Alas, as it was a surprise, I was without camera to capture some of the more classic moments. I hope some pictures will be coming my way, but until then:

The bounty of baby presents.

Kevin was excited to see these among the cache.

It was at this party that Kevin decided to challenge and then destroy a 5th grader at a cake eating contest. Both boys ate a huge piece of cake with these huge icing booties on top. (It may be safe to say that neither won, really, based on Kevin's insomnia later that night.)

The booties are enough to give you type-2 diabetes.