Not that it’s a particular surprise or anything. We’ve known when it was going to happen for the last thirty years or so. Doesn’t really feel any different, except my elbows hurt more than they did when I was 29.
I’ve gone back to work, which is good and bad. KrisDi has been figuring out how to take care of Chilkat unassisted for 10 hour stretches or so, I’ve been trying to remember what my job actually is (without letting on to all my co-workers that I’ve forgotten what my job actually is). On the first day back, I was pulled in six directions simultaneously before lunch. So, a normal day.
Chilkat’s growing. Based on our home scale, she’s probably 9 pounds or a little bigger. So, pretty solid hamburger size, but definitely no worthwhile turkey. She’s become very alert, she spends surprising amounts of time awake and looking around. She fascinated by ceiling fans and by the owl mobile on her Pack-n-Play. KrisDi and I suspect she will someday marry a ceiling fan repairman who owns an owl.
She’s recently started playing a “game” — sometimes, when she’s on the verge of crying, I cover up her face with a blanket, and then uncover it. And repeat. Think of Peek-a-boo, without the theatrics. She usually stops crying, remains alert, starts to thrash, and tries to throw the blanket off of her. Every once in a while she lets out a coo. I think I’ve seen her flash a smile while awake (meaning it might be an actual smile, rather than a REM twitch).
She continues to show off her inhuman neck strength.
We took her on a play date to Outback with the family that gave me my false alarm, hoping that she’d sleep through the whole thing (which she did).
The day before my birthday, we went to Fremont so Pixel Chick, KrisDi, and Chilkat could hang out together while P Dubs, E Dubs, and I went to the Hard Liver Fest. I had a great time, but I probably would have enjoyed it even more with better than three hours of sleep to go on. That was the first visit Chilkat made to another house, and still her longest so far. First thing we had to do was deal with Catastrophic Bowel Movement Class III (defined as “large and/or forceful enough to significantly exceed diaper capacity with slight agitation, soiling parent/caretaker garments before changing sequence commences”). That was part of my birthday present. Not the BM, the barleywine. Weirdo. Incidentally, a Pack-n-Play is not the right height for me to change a kid’s diaper. I was bent over double, and my hamstrings burned when I was done. I’m old.
I remember that night, after I finally got Chilkat to sleep, I walked into the bedroom and I saw the clock read 12:01. I thought to myself, “Oh, I’m thirty. I’m going to bed.”
On my actual birthday, we packed up Chilkat and went out for a nice breakfast downtown (a place I never get to go to, because KrisDi likes to go with her family on weekdays while I’m at work).
Sleeping is still the biggest issue (at least, for me). Chilkat’s getting enough food (and it’s been 100% breastmilk for maybe four days now — go KrisDi!), and consequently going through diapers like a frat boy goes through weak beer, but also generally sleeping pretty well. She still has her moments. KrisDi’s in the tough spot of having to get up over the course of the night no matter what, but generally I try to get up and do the feedings. KrisDi’s been taking the 1-3 AM feeding on the weeknights so I can put on a slightly more convincing consciousness act at work. But, as was pointed out today, KrisDi hasn’t slept more than two hours in a row in a month.
Believe it or not, this is the cut down version of the pictures.
Professional pics from when Chilkat was 10 days old.
Mom visited, and took some pretty nice pictures (this is a mixture of hers and ours).
Pictures when we visited E Dubs and Pixel Chick.
A couple more pictures. Because she’s cute.
This morning, I woke up dreaming that I was methodically documenting the existing connections of a Navy electrical cable, before tearing it down and rebuilt it. Make of that what you will.
KrisDi, anything to add?
Oh! I almost forgot! Delicious food cooked by KrisDi in February!