Smiles

Proof! Finally!


Self-respect made me delete the video in which I was performing an MJ medley for her. It was good, but I didn't want to intimidate anyone.

Latest in cooking exploits on the food blog.

Berkshires

Headed out to Western Mass and the Berkshires on Saturday. We planned to check out Mt. Greylock, the tallest "mountain" in Massachusetts, and go to the Norman Rockwell museum in one of the little towns. Great day, but we never made it to the museum. Despite three different GPS units, we couldn't find it, but instead decided to wander around the lovely town of Stockbridge. We were happy just to be out, and overall Grace did awesome. She had a few moments when she seemed sick of being in the car, and she HATED Mt. Greylock and let everyone at the summit and in the surrounding valleys know it. Not sure if the thunder storm or her screams cleared the parking lot.

At the top of Mt. Greylock

Church in Stockbridge


Steve and Gracie hoping for a US victory in the futbol match. Too bad. (And not in the Berkshires)

Siete

Woah, that's right. Seven weeks! Already! She's no longer the youngest in the mom and baby group.

It has been a good week. Gracie Mae is full of smiles. And wiggles. She saves the wiggles for the camera so I cannot get a shot in focus and reserves the biggest smiles for immediately before or after the camera comes out. Remember how she had to be forced into position for birth? Well, she continues to have a mind of her own.

She had her first bottle. I had heard lots of babies will fight a bottle at first, won't take one if the mother is around, or won't take one from the mother. We worried for naught - this girl likes to eat! Steve gave her the first one while I was across the room, but talking to him. I walked over to look at her at one point and she gave me this look like "well, that's weird but not enough to stop sucking." I have given her a couple of bottles now, too, with no problem. And it seems to be helping her sleep longer if we give her one before bed. The n is small, but we're happy with the results so far!

She's starting to look so much more like a baby than a newborn, too. Her neck is getting stronger and stronger. She also really likes to use her legs to stand in our laps. Her startle reflex is dwindling, but still so cute. And she's begun to notice her hands. Pretty much don't need to get her any toys for a while!

I left her for the first time yesterday. My fabulous Aunt Mary came up for a visit (and let me tell you, Grace was thrilled with all the cuddles and attention - she couldn't stop smiling and cooing), and I went to the market. I thought I would feel major pangs of anxiety, and then felt a little guilty that I didn't. I knew she was in good hands, though, so had no reason to worry. What I actually felt was totally different than expected. It was the first time I had gone anywhere in months where I was neither enormously pregnant nor with a newborn. I saw approximately a thousand strollers and pregnant people in one shopping trip and I felt like I was masquerading as someone other than myself. I wanted to say, I'm not really foot loose and fancy free at WF on a Thursday afternoon - I have a baby!

This weekend we're trying a day trip to the Berkshires. We have a list of New England places to see before moving. Since, Grace likes to sleep in the car, Steve and I might have a few hours to talk. Maybe about grown up things rather than diapers. Maybe I'll make a list of topics in case we have forgotten how, such as: current events, the cost of housing in San Francisco, and of course, Michael Jackson. On that note, I need to get back to singing Billie Jean.

Fathers Day (and stuff)

Unfortunately, Steve had to celebrate his first Father's Day at work. In fact, he had to work all weekend. Gracie helped me make biscotti (by chilling in the moby) for him. I've never made biscotti before, but he really likes it so this seemed the best time to give it a shot. Hope it's good! If not, I'll blame my helper.

Gracie is so blessed to have a wonderful father, just like Steve and I do. I can't wait to see what the years bring in their relationship. And, Happy Father's Day, Dad and Gary - we miss you!

Gracie dressed up and waiting for her dad to get home.

The biscotti.

Gracie's version of helping.

Celebrated Miss G's sixth week with a visit from Rachel, Nate and Molly.

One of the best camera smiles so far. I'm still trying to capture her big, gummy grin on camera - hard since she smiles mostly at faces and the camera distracts her with it's fascinating edges. Woah, I swear she's giggling in her sleep as I type.

Added photos here.

UC pride

So we don't have any UCSF gear yet, but here's the spirit! I added a few more pix to June, although I haven't been great with the camera lately.

Open up that golden gate!

It is official! Steve matched to UCSF for his fellowship. We are SO EXCITED.

I was going to make a video of me singing and Gracie waving her arms to my fave Cali song, but I'm sparing you. However, I have been singing it to her all day (and no, I did not technically "start" from California). So you can imagine us, here are the words:

California here I come,
Right back where I started from,
Where bowers of flowers bloom in the sun,
Each morning at dawning
Birdies sing an' ev'rything:
A sun-kiss'd miss said, "don't be late,"
That's why I can hardly wait,
Open up that golden gate,
California here I come
(Al Jolson, B. DeSylva, and Joe Meyer, 1924)

I thought we would agonize endlessly over where we wanted to be, but when he was there for his interview, he emailed me saying "pack your bags, we're moving back to the west coast" and I started crying tears of joy. It was a much easier decision than med school or residency. Probably because the Bay Area is so awesome. In no particular order, reasons we are excited in capital letters:

UCSF is a terrific program. Plus we have hard core UC pride.
We have dear dear family and friends in SF and around the Bay Area.
We are blindly guessing there will be good career opportunities for me (lots of health policy happening in the BA).
San Francisco is a fabulous city.
It's just a 14 hour drive to my parents' and brother's homes and less than eight to each of Steve's parents (read: no more 6 hour, exorbitantly expensive flights; replacing them with modestly expensive flights or all day drives). Gracie will get to know her grandparents!
The Sierras, Yosemite, Mammoth, Big Sur, Tahoe, and lots of NorCal places we haven't been.
Saying hella all the time without embarrassment.
Still being ostracized for our sports loyalties (yes, that means go Dodgers).
The cost of living and excellent economy in Cali.
Mexican food! (Didn't I show great restraint in not putting that first?)

All this is not to say that we are happy about leaving Boston. That, for sure, is bittersweet. We have built a life here and I'm glad we have a whole year to savor it. All the reasons I'll be sad to leave will be another post.

On birthdays

The headlines are true. I turned 3o yesterday.

Yikes, seeing it typed like that is different than I expected! It's one of those milestone birthdays about which I feel like I should have deep thoughts. But I don't really because I'm not bothered. I guess my deep thoughts go along the lines of this: my twenties were great - I learned a lot, Steve and I traveled and had a wonderful time in our pre-parent world; I formed terrific new friendships and nurtured old ones; grew in my relationships with my family; accomplished a lot professionally and academically; and I generally feel happy with the person I am, flawed as I may be. Sure, I'll never be as skinny as I was at 20 and drinking tequila is just going to make me sicker probably as I get older, but these things are so unimportant. I guess my deepest thought is that I'm psyched for what the next decade brings.

Tomorrow, we find out where Steve matches for fellowship and this is most likely where we'll settle for longer than a few years. I'm looking forward to putting down roots someplace, having a sense that we'll be wherever we go for a while and will raise a family there. Rooting myself in a community as an adult, I guess, is what my thirties seem to be about. That and learning to be the best mother I can be.

Oh, and my other birthday thought - it's so special to hear from so many people from different phases of life on one day. From celebrating with my grad school friends to hearing from childhood friends, college friends, young adult friends, and my family (of origin and in-law), birthdays give such a wonderful perspective on how it's the people in life that matter.

Redeemed

They did it. Kobe without Shaq. Phil set the record. Love them or hate them, you can't deny that the Lakers are it. I think their newest, tiniest fan brought them luck. I don't know anyone who isn't ambivalent about LA's charms, but on a day like today, this song is a fitting tribute.

And just for kicks, this is from when I made Steve take me to the tourist spots.

Bookshelf: I See You Everywhere

I finished Julia Glass's latest novel, I See You Everywhere, yesterday. It was a very enjoyable and would have been a quick read in the pre-Gracie days. It tells the story of two sisters and their relationship as it evolves over about 10 or 15 years. Although I empathized with both sisters, I found myself not really sure I liked or would want to be friends with either of them. Nevertheless, the themes were compelling and I would certainly recommend the book. Relative to her previous work, I think it was better than The Whole World Over, but not as good as Three Junes.

My baby girl the old lady

With her long nightgown and big thick socks...
The only thing breaking up the image is her male pattern baldness with comb over. Couldn't be cuter.

New mother's best friend: a love letter

Dear iPhone,

You light up my life. You are the perfect companion for hours spent nursing and rocking a tired, sometimes even sleeping, baby. I can read the Times (both of them) and all the blogs I lurk. I can check the basketball scores in the middle of the night and keep up with the Kaiser daily reports. You have that lovely Notes app so I can keep track of Gracie's input and output and make lists of neurotic questions for the pediatrician. I can figure out the best time to go for walks with the weather app. I can at least read my email, even though I may not always be able to type a reply with one hand. I can download my podcasts and use the fab public radio app to listen to news and programs from all over the country. And I can play music for Gracie - so easy to switch between the rap and country she favors! All in one tiny, slick device. Oh, and the camera means I can snap yet another picture of my sweet baby. iPhone I LOVE YOU. I would be so disconnected without you. Thank you for coming into my life.

Forever yours,
Kate

P.S. It's important to note my husband was right. I didn't want to get you, iPhone, thinking you were a waste of money and totally unnecessary and excessive. I was wrong. Steve was right.

One month old

Hard to believe Grace is already a month old! She has been cooing and flashing lots of smiles today, but they were hard to get for the camera. They are the most beautiful sight, and we're looking forward to more of them, some perhaps even on purpose (more attempts to capture smiles here).

Overall, things are going really well. We're figuring out her eat/alert/sleep schedule somewhat (sure, it could change so I say all this while knocking on wood) and she's been letting us get reasonable amounts of sleep. If only I could actually sleep more than three hours rather than lay in bed waiting for her to wake up.

We had a great weekend. Ran errands and had a picnic at the river on Saturday evening. Sunday, Gracie was perfect at church (only a few shouts) and then we took a long walk to have lunch and go to REI. It was just over 80 degrees, which was perfect for ice cream and a stop in the Garden on the way home.

[Interestingly, we visited one of the large suburban malls and REI and the stores were nearly empty! Granted, it was gorgeous outside, but it was almost eerie how few shoppers there were. However, as Steve pointed out, nearly everyone we did see had shopping bags. I guess I hadn't been shopping in quite a while so I hadn't realized that all this business about the ailing economy wasn't just a media ruse.]

Rubber duckie, you're the one!

Gracie wasn't wild about sponge baths, but now that she can get all the way in the tub, she seems to love bath time or at least is very calm and relaxed. Again, a clip from a much longer video and editing accidentally cut out the further efforts to eat the duckie. Unfortunately, no audio because we had the dishwasher running and it muffled most of our hilarious commentary.

Play time

Grace was in a good mood the other night so we took a video of her playtime. Lucky you, this is just the highlights of a much longer video. When she picked her head up completely, Steve and I were shocked! She hasn't done that before, but she does have public and private personas so perhaps she knew there would be an audience. We go out for a walk or take her some place and she is all sweetness and wide eyes. We step into the elevator at home or into the apartment door, and she starts to cry. I could practically set my watch by her six o'clock meltdown. But she's a doll and greeted us with real smiles this morning.

Miss Gracie had her 4 week pedi appointment yesterday (has it really been four weeks?! In some ways, yes and in others, I can't believe she's barely a newborn anymore!). Her growth is good and the doctor pronounced her "wonderful". We think so, too. You can see for yourself!

Bathing beauty

We haven't had a chance to take Grace swimming yet, but she's modeling her 2009 swim collection here. I could not resist a quick fashion shoot, especially for Kristie and Katy, because the suit, hat and glasses are too cute!








These photos could also double as "before" pictures for her Neutrogena contract. Poor thing has quite the case of baby acne. More pictures for June here. Blame the photographer, but also the wiggly subject, for so many of the pix being slightly out of focus!

Groupie

Grace attended her first concert last weekend (and this post was supposed to go up Monday...). Three weeks old seems like the right time to start. We went to EarthFest at the Esplanade and had a great time wandering around and collecting organic food give aways. Whole Foods and lots of other vendors were giving out food. We got packages of organic cookie dough, Indian food mixes, etc. - perfect for new parents without much time to cook! In the photo Gracie is enjoying Soul Asylum with her dad. You can tell she was totally into it. Steve and I were dismayed to realize that Runaway Train was released not when we were in high school as we thought, but we were in middle school! We of course knew all the words and felt so old among all the teenagers in the crowd. I guess it fits now that we're with the stroller crowd.

Bookshelf: It Sucked and Then I Cried

While Steve was on paternity leave, we read It Sucked and Then I Cried: How I Had a Baby, a Breakdown, and a Much Needed Margarita by Heather Armstrong together. Armstrong is the famous dooce blogger, and this book chronicles her struggles with post partum depression following the birth of her first child. It was a great book to read during the newborn weeks because it is hilarious and it reminds you that you can at once love your child fiercely and be completely overwhelmed and that you're not alone in your ambivalence. I have heard that the book mostly has material that was already on her blog, but since I wasn't reading her blog back when she went through this, it was new to me. It was good to read together, although poor Gracie probably got jolted a bit during feedings while Steve was reading aloud and I was laughing uncontrollably.