Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Tobin's Second Video

Tobin and I just finished editing his second internet-ready video.

You can watch it here (or click on the picture above). Please feel free to download it to your hard drive and watch it whenever you'd like [edit: moved to YouTube]. We had fun making it. And since we're getting better at putting video together and uploading it, maybe it won't be four weeks until video #3.

Monday, June 26, 2006

This music makes me sleepy

Lately, Tobin has seemed to be resisting sleep more after feedings or after being up for a while. One of his amusing/frustrating habits is the timing of his startle reflex. He'll be newly asleep, maybe a light sleep, and then startle as if he was being dropped off the bed. I know it's natural (yes, I looked it up), but the timing of it is uncanny. It looks like this if I try to put it into words:
Peaceful, sighing, drifting, drifting, peaceful -- I'M FALLING OH MY GOSH! . . . two minutes elapse.
Sighing, peaceful, calm, I am a cloud floating on the -- WHOAH! AM I BEING DROPPED OR WHAT?! . . . two minutes elapse. And so on for between four and twenty minutes.
Today, after one of those sessions, I brought him into the living room and put him in his bouncy chair. I was reorganizing some CDs and put the final movement of Brahms's first symphony on while I was doing it. Tobin was calm and peaceful almost immediately; he was asleep by the time the woodwinds took over the main theme. I like to think he's processing the music personally and finding it soothing, but I know it may just be a confluence of other soothing factors, one of which is probably the ceiling fan that was directly over his head. At the very least, it was nice to associate a piece of music I really like with him finding the rest that had eluded him for a while.
chillin'

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Height and Weight, Please

At Tobin's checkup today, he weighed in at 12 lbs., 12 oz. He's been gaining about an ounce a day since we brought him home. He's 23.25 inches long. His doctor assures us that he's 97th percentile and above pretty much across the board -- not that his parents are surprised. In fact, if he maintains his current pace, he could rival the Colossus of Rhodes (pictured) by the time he's 20.














Yes, we know his dad is a nerd for thinking of the Colossus at a pediatric appointment. And yes, you can click on the picture to learn more about the Colossus (the Toblossus?).

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Father's Day

I have a history of being a little let down by "milestones." When Grandma, Papa, Sarah, and I crossed into Canada (my first time in a different country!), I was struck by the sameness. Maybe if our family trip had been to, say, the Gulf of Oman I might feel differently, but I remember being a little disappointed that Alberta looked just like Montana. I also remember distinctly my tenth birthday (a decade!), my thirteenth birthday (I'm a teenager!), and my eighteenth birthday (I'm legal!) more for how I felt the same than any feeling of a milestone reached or passed.

The only time I had really felt the milestone-ness was on our wedding day. That felt like a real, significant event -- a line of demarcation at which I knew that everything after would be different. So as Father's Day approached, I may have been guilty of a little skepticism. But there was something really magical about the day. Tobin and I didn't really even do anything. I spent most of the morning and afternoon with him on my chest while I watched World Cup matches and the US Open. His naps were punctuated by diaper changes and feedings, which means that it was really just any other day for him. But for me, there was a different feeling to the entire day. And maybe most remarkably for me given my history of over-anticipating "milestones," it was a really special day. I felt a heightened sense of the blessing that Tobin has been in his month here with us, and humbled at the role I've been given on this side of Father's Day.
one month old
Tobin on Father's Day, the day he turned one month old.

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Archives Fixed

There hadn't been any great clamor or anything, but I noticed this morning that our archives for the Toblog weren't working. I fixed them. You can now review all the way back to the beginning of the Toblog by clicking on the drop-down menu on the right ("The Time Machine") and selecting the date range you'd like. Toblog posts never die, they just get archived on our webserver. Hey -- it's like a scrapbook that I can get into.
[insert witty title here]
What? The archives were down? Get with it, Dad!

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Dad is home

Yay! Tobin and I are very happy because today marks the first day of summer break for Matt. Tobin's glad to have an extra person around to hold him and nap with him. I'm thankful for the help, which means I can eat my meals and shower at more regular intervals. I also was able to start studying for the bar today. Ughh.

i think i like this music.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Word association with Tobin

"B" is for . . .

naptime with dad

Baseball = Dad.
Breastmilk = Mom. (Yum.)
Blue-gray = my eyes.
Buddha belly = mine.
Big beautiful baby boy = me.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Some random reflections

Four weeks ago today was a rough Tuesday for me. I had not slept well because I was having early labor contractions, but they weren't regular enough to make me think it was time to go to the hospital. I was uncomfortable, confused, and frustrated. I remember crying as Matt left for work--which certainly didn't make it easy for him to go teach all day and then coach a playoff game (which, sadly, his team lost). My friend Danielle stopped by and spent several hours with me, which was a tremendous help. (Thanks, DMW.) Tobin came two long days later.

So here I am on this Tuesday, filled with gratitude about the present state of things. Tobin is about to wake up from his second nap of the day (and it's only noon--what a life!). I feel that Tobin, Matt, and I are growing more in sync with each other with each passing day. I am feeling more confident in my role as Mom and, consequently, enjoying it more. Tobin is helping a lot by sleeping really well. Most of the last week, he has only awakened once between 11pm and 5am. He seems to be developing more of a routine with his sleeping and eating habits in general. The amazing part about all of this is that we haven't tried to "train" him to do this. Mostly what we've done is try to figure out what he needs or wants and give it to him--regardless of the time of day. My baby books say that babies fuss a lot during these first few weeks because they're getting used to life outside the womb. I'm hoping that Tobin is feeling more and more comfortable out here each day. Matt and I sure like having him in our world.

Tobin's great-aunt Louise just left after a five-day visit, which was really nice for all of us. It looks as if we won't have another visitor until June 30, when his Grandpa and Mamaw Walsh stop by on their way to a mission trip in Kentucky. It's been really wonderful to have so many family members visit our corner of the world and we look forward to more. In the meantime, we'll enjoy a nice stretch of alone time as a family.

Saturday, June 10, 2006

This smile is a gas

Allison took this quick snap of Tobin smiling the other day. Everyone we talk to seems to say that at three weeks old, it's probably just gas. But then, not everyone has such a strong genetic disposition for wry humor and knowing grins. Me? I think he knows more than he's letting on. Maybe he's smiling at his gas and the reactions he's about to generate with it. There's just too much evidence in this picture for me to chalk it up to gas alone.

a wry smile

Friday, June 09, 2006

Three weeks and a day

So it's been 3 weeks and a day since Tobin joined our family. These past 22 days have gone by quickly but have been filled with so many different experiences. It's hard for me to recall what it feels like to sleep through the night. (Honestly, I don't know that I did much of that after my seventh month of pregnancy.) For some reason, nights haven't been that rough for me. It seems late evening is the tougher time, which we've read is a classic fussy period for young ones. It's also hard to believe that Matt was quite nervous about holding a newborn and sqeamish about changing diapers (the latter of which he had never done before Tobin was born). He's now quite adept at both.

We continue to be amazed by and so thankful for our strong, healthy boy. At his doctor's appointment this week, Tobin weighed in at 10 lb. 14 oz., which means he gained 2 lbs. over the last 2 weeks--about double the target rate. Already an overachiever, I suppose? Seriously, his healthy weight gain was happy news for me, because breastfeeding is such an inexact science. After reading so much about breastfeeding and all the different feeding philosophies, it's easy to be nagged by some self-doubt. Empirical evidence is always reassuring. :)

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Product Placement

For a long time, I've heard commercials in which a person writes in and says "I love your product . . ." I'm pretty skeptical about whether people can really be that passionate about Gold Bond Medicated Powder® or some kind of slow-cook rotisserie, but I think I'm ready to make my first endorsement.

I love our Baby Björn
®. I'm not as cool-looking or fashionable as the guy in the official ads, but I love strapping Tobin in and taking walks or hanging out around the house. I'm looking foward to when I can turn him around in it. He's probably looking forward to it more.