If only I had learned to touch type...

Never having learned how to touch type - I hunt and peck with the best of em - means this dinnertable will always a few steps behind our lives. Two days before Sylvia arrived and put a guillotine drop on our free time, Aurelia and I ventured out into our backyard to record the beauty of her pregnancy. I had every intention of posting these images quickly (and some people could question my decision to write about Timber Jim that night instead of my beautiful wife but in my defense how was I supposed to know the due date was "give or take a week") but Sylvia's arrival changed everything.

Now that things have quieted down a little here are a few images of that special spring day.

Yes, Sylvia, your parents are total nerds...

Hot Tamale

The last week went by in a blur. Right after the holiday I flew down to Sacramento California to attend the pre-construction meeting for the building I've been working on for the past two years. The pre-construction meeting is an opportunity for the owners, contractors and design team to sit down together before the start of the project and work out routes of communication and team responsibilities. All in all the meeting went well and I'm excited for the ground breaking around the beginning of next month. Once construction starts I will be travelling down to the project site about every other week for the day.

The days I travel are long for all of us. My absence means Aurelia has Sylvia all day. Ian has been great, taking Sylvia so Aurelia can get a break and cooking meals. Sylvia seems to enjoy the attention.








Her recent fussiness has inspired us to revisit the paraphernalia that didn't seem to appeal a few weeks ago. And..we're happy to report that the pacifier, known as the "binky" (this is Aurelia's term but it has a certain ring to it and will probably stick) , is now something Sylvia seems to enjoy. She happily sucks on it and even - gasp - falls asleep. Anything that inspires spontaneous napping is worth its weight in gold (or crude oil).





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When not napping Sylvia can be found on some sunny Friday evenings at the Broadway Grill and Brewery. While no epicurean fantasy, the pub has generous portions of decent, mostly fried, food that taste good when accompanied by their in-house beer. Ian sampled a beer called "Hot Tamale" and was pleasantly surprised by its crisp spiciness.










On a side note, Portland is starting to see the next generation of small cars on the street. While we were eating a "smart car" pulled up and parked (see bike for scale). It was cute but lacked a back seat so Sylvia will just have to wait.

Fussy State of Mind

Sylvia's fifth week finds her in a fussy state of mind. Perhaps it's the increase in gas prices or the long waits at the box office that has her diaper all in a bunch. Or, as one of our books says, the fifth and sixth week is just when babies get the fussiest and we best just buckle down and quit complaining. The speed with which she can move between content and cranked is remarkable as shown by the images below.

3:34 PM

3:35 PM

(no babies were pinched in the production of this image).

What this fussiness has meant is the broadening our of search for things that calm her down. Swaddling her tightly while making load "shooshing" noises is remarkably effective as is bouncing on the rubber exercise ball we purchased for Aurelia's labor (and never used).

Combining these strategies is doubly effective and is part of the techniques Aurelia found in the book "Happiest Baby on the Block" that seems to have a cult following in some circles. Since it seems to work and Sylvia spends a bit less time shouting in our faces I suppose you could consider us acolytes.

Perhaps connected with her increased fussiness is a marked increase in her engagement in the world. Evidence of her new emerging awareness is the interest she showed in the mobile that hangs over her crib (that she never sleeps in because reclining in your parent's arms is more fun even if they do make occasional whining noises). Before this week the mobile didn't seem to grab her attention. Now her world seems to have expanded a bit. (At this rate I fully expect her to begin playing the violin soon).











And, because movies are fun, here's one of Sylvia diggin' on the mobile.

What is it with kids and cows with fuscia udders?

"The San Francisco Kid"

We are ecstatic to report that Meg and Brick welcomed Ayla Rose Conway to the world today. The "San Francisco Kid" was born on May 25th (I think) and weighed 6 pounds 13 ounces. Definitely a contender.

We can't wait for our two little ones to meet and as Brick put it, "Tell Sylvia to get her jump rope and tea set ready." Huzzah!!!

For those who know Brick and Meg and want to keep up with their new family, you can check out his blog (though give him a few days to update it, he's busy).