margaretyagan

Sorry, readers, yesterday should have been an official “Poop Watch.”  And since I didn’t poop yesterday, this marks the longest I’ve gone without pooping in the modern (post-meconium) era.

Today started with more midnight madness, as I got hungry for a bottle at 2:30 am.  Maybe I’m going through a growth spurt and Mom and Dad just need to get used to this new schedule — until I come up with a new new one.  I woke up again at 5:30 and ate with Mom (can’t draw down the milk reserves!).  I stayed up and played until I fell for an hour at 7:00.

We had plans to meet Aunt Ali and Uncle Ryan at the park so I ate a real meal at 8:00 and then a quick snack at 9:30 to hold me over.  Aunt Claire and Maddi met us the park with bagels.  The bikini girls were out en masse!  When do I get a bikini?  And what’s up the the Speedo guys?  Ewww!

It was so hot in the park.  When we got ready to head home, Aunt Claire and Maddi went to meet up with another friend.  We picked up Dad at Starbucks (who went there to get some work done) on our way home.  I ate lunch and then Mom tried to skip to yoga, but Dad was pretty persuasive and so she took off as soon as I was done eating.  I was kind of fussy so Dad tried to get me to sleep.  I calmed down, but amused myself in my bassinet for about 45 minutes.  I cried a bit and Dad calmed me down again and moved me to his bed.  I fell asleep pretty quickly.

Mom got back from yoga and was surprised that I wasn’t “starving” since my morning feedings were not as long as usual.  Maybe she forgot that my abdominal region was full of, um, “outbound traffic.”  Anyway, I finally got up and ate at 2:30 and finally, at 4:30, I let loose with a diaper full of miky-way-nougat.  Dad gave me a bath and then I got to wear one of the new outfits that Aunt Sarah sent me!  I like my new wardrobe and am excited to try them all on.

I took a nap around 4:30.  I got up and was in a super-good mood all evening — one of my happiest evenings in recent memory.  I danced around with Mom and Dad and made lots of giggly sounds during dinner.  It was really fun!

I fussed for much of the night, which caused Mom and Dad to keep getting up giving me a pacifier, and turning on my rainforest noises.  Finally Dad woke up, took a shower, and fed me (in bed, next to Mom, so as not to wake up Aunt Claire and Maddi).  Dad put me back in bed, but of course (like Dad), once I’m up, I’m up for the morning.

Mom got up and played with me on the floor of the bedroom while she pumped.  I fell asleep (without eating again!) around 6:30 and I slept for quite a while, until 9:00 (so late that it caused Mom to miss yoga!) and ate.

While my sleeping improved — for the second time in the last few days, I consolidated all of my daytime sleep into three naps — my spitup reverted.  I went through three outfits today.

Around 3:00, Mom and I went to the park.  I was in a really good mood and played with Maddi and Aunt Claire (on their way back from Little India) until I got pissed and fell asleep in Mom’s arms (without being rocked or swaddled — pretty rare!).  We got home (and ate) just before Dad got home.  I took a nap until around 7:00.  Dad was so excited to get me out of the bassinet.  Mom and Dad were in the middle of dinner, so I sat in Dad’s lap while they finished.  Then Dad and I played on my blanket for quite a while. 

For the first time ever, I grabbed one of my toys with two hands and moved it.  Mom and Dad were pretty excited.  Dad also started getting pretty aggressive about trying to make me use my arms to support the weight of my upper body (and ginormous head).  Mom actually thought it was a good idea — which is pretty rare.  I ate again and fell asleep around 9:30.

I broke with tradition and woke up at 2:30 for my overnight bottle.  This is the first time in recent memory that I’ve gotten up so early in the night that Dad actually went back to sleep after feeding me (if it’s after about 4:00, he’ll just shower and go to work).  I never fell back into a particularly deep sleep after that, but I slept until about 6:00 — just after Dad had left for work.  I ate and played with Mom until my first nap of the day, around 7:30.    I slept for about two hours.

When I got up I was pretty hungry, so I ate and then Mom gave me a bath.  I ate, took a one-hour nap, and ate again.  Then Mom and I went for a walk and ran some errands.  First we went to the post office, then Mom decided to walk through all of the restaurants and shops at Columbus Circle.  We walked by a piece of art at a modern art shop that listed for $255,000.  I don’t know much, but it seems way cooler than a college education.  I slept for part of the walk, but seeing the Christopher Ries piece really piqued by artistic curiosity and got my mind racing.  Eventually, though, I got pissed and was ready to go home and eat.  I napped for a quick hour and then was up for the rest of the night.

While Mom was at yoga and Aunt Claire and I met up with her friend Maddi who’s staying with us for the weekend.  She’s so nice and brought me two cool books.   I’m so excited to learn about Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel!  I’ve done some research on this dubious book and found that it is pro-cannibalism!

I didn’t get to see Dad before falling asleep, but I felt him kiss me while I was sleeping.  He was at some kind of exclusive  “networking event.”  (Dad, I assume it’s ok for me to wear that outfit Alison’s wearing?)

The big news today was that I consolidated all of my daytime sleep into exactly three naps, just what Mom and Dad have been trying to get me to do for almost two weeks.

I knew it was going to be an exciting day when — right after my early morning bottle — Dad and Aunt Claire packed me up and took me out in the rain.  Dad carried me down the steps into the Columbus Circle subway stop and we headed down to Dad’s office (with the requisite stop at Starbucks).

I was quite a bit fussier than usual at Dad’s office, but luckily no one else was at work for the first few hours I was there.  I sat with him (in the Baby Bjorn) at his desk for a while and sat on his desk (in my car seat) and even got some time playing around on the floor.  Dad gave me a mini-bottle and then put me to bed on the couch in his conference, which also doubled as Aunt Claire’s office for the day.  I got up around 10:30 and had a bottle.  After Dad and Aunt Claire were convinced that I wasn’t in a playful mood, Aunt Claire and I walked home together.

I napped from 12-1 and 2:30-6:00.  Around 7:00, Mom’s and Dad’s friends Christian and Reshma came over to meet me and they brought me a really nice blanket.  I wasn’t very nice to Reshma as I cried as soon as she held me.  And Christian had a bit of a cough, so he looked out for my best interest and just waved at me.  They all went out to dinner and I hung out with Aunt Claire — but I got fussy pretty quickly so she gave me a bottle and I fell asleep.

 I woke up really early this morning and had two half-bottle feedings before taking a quick nap in the morning.    I’ve been way fussier recently, which Aunt Claire and Mom keep calling “pissed.”  Usually going for a walk calms me down pretty well, but today I screamed like crazy when Mom took me out.  I’m getting really hot in my stroller, first because Mom insists on harnessing me in using all 87 straps and also because I think I’ve outgrown the newborn insert in my stroller.  Speaking of my stroller, I think my stroller/car seat/base set just got recalled!  That’s not safety first at all.

So, I totally lifted my head during tummy time!  Mom was so excited and tried to grab the camera to capture the moment.  Sadly, all she captured was a face plant.  I also took a nap with Mom, which was fun (apparently she found it funny, too).

I had a hard time falling asleep this evening.  Dad put me in my bassinet for a while but I cooed and cried and until he came back in.  He took me out of my bassinet and put me down on his bed and laid down with me for a while.  I calmed down and fell asleep in the bed until Dad moved me back to the bassinet when he and Mom turned in.

Oh, and G’Obama! 

I made some cooing sounds around 3 and 4 in the morning, which Dad has gotten very good at addressing by the strategic use of a pacifier.  Mom and Dad are very anti-pacifier during the day, but some parenting website must have told them that it’s good when I sleep.  Anyway, I think Dad was hoping to slip out to work before I got up, but as soon as he got out of the shower, sure enough, Aunt Claire had just picked me up out of my bassinet.

Dad gave me a bottle and then couldn’t resist playing with me a bit since I was in my usual early-morning good mood.  After Mom got up and while he was putting his shoes on, I looked over at him across the room and he was so sad to leave me!

I took my morning nap from 8:00 to 9:30 and then — I know you’re all on the edges of your seats — I pooped!  Mom described it as “denser” than usual (Mom: I think you mean, “more dense”).  These cheap diapers that Dad bought can’t compete with the good stuff I was using before.  Not only did the fudgy goodness flow out of the Luvs, but I’m also getting an annoying diaper rash because the diapers don’t really absorb moisture very well.  Dad, spring for the good diapers next time?

I took my midday nap frmo 11:00 to 1:00 and then made a half-hearted attempt at a third nap that only ended up lasting an hour, from 2:00 to 3:00.  Mom and Aunt Claire and I went on walk to the park.  On the way there I was in a really, really, really bad mood because it was so hot outside!  I was burning up in my stroller — and of course, Mom strapped me in with all 72 harnesses.  I could barely breathe.  Once we got to Central Park and I was released from my entrapment I was in a much better mood.  On our way back home, we realized that there’s a movie being shot outside our apartment: Bride Wars.

Uncle Marty made the long drive into New York to see us.  Unfortunately, my bedtime keeps getting earlier and earlier, so I barely got to spend time with him.  Dad waited for Uncle Marty to arrive to give me my bath.  After my bath I hung out with Marty and then I disappeared for supper and my miracle-blanket bedtime wrap. 

There were four pretty cool parts of my day today.

First, I hung out with three friends today.  We had brunch at Fairway Cafe with two of Mom’s and Dad’s friends, Alex & Kate.  It was pretty cool to hang out with them, especially because they are such avid readers of my blog.  They made one of the very first comments on my blog and even subscribe to my RSS feed!  That’s so cool!  Unfortunately, I was pretty tired and it was kind of crowded so they didn’t really get a chance to hold me.  Oh well, next time.  Aunt Ali also came by and hung out with us for a couple hours and during her stay poured pickle juice on her skirt. 

Second, Fairway Cafe wouldn’t let us take the stroller to our table.  Instead they made us take the car seat out of the stroller and set it in an upside-down high chair.  It was definitely the least secure I’ve ever felt, but I have to admit that it’s pretty cool and whoever thought of that idea was pretty smart.

Third, we saw two famous people at brunch.  The first was Frances McDormand and the second was Joel Coen.  Ok, so, maybe the fact that they’re married makes it less impressive, but still, pretty cool.

Fourth, I must be pretty advanced, because I seem to have skipped the whole three-naps-a-day thing.  I took two really long naps today- one from 7:00 to 9:30 and 1:00 to 4:00.  I slept around 8:45; we’ll see if the nap schedule changes my overnight sleep pattern.

 Unlike most mornings when only toss and turn a bit before announcing to Dad that I’m ready for my bottle, I bobbed in and out of sleep for a couple hours.  Twice Dad got up and started warming my bottle, only to come back in to the bed room to find me fast asleep.  Finally, around 5:30, I was ready to eat.  Dad was clearly pooped, but we got through the bottle uneventfully.  Dad tried to play with me for a while, but by 6:30 I was screaming loud enough to wake Mom up in the other room (and poor Claire must have already been up for a while!). 

Mom fed me again and then all three of us took a nap (Dad was asleep as soon as Mom came in).  I woke up at 8:30 to eat and then I ate again at 9:30.  Dad was on a mission to clean the apartment (for the last time this summer!) and in his exuberence he woke me up while mopping the floor in the bedroom.  Aunt Claire went out to interview for a babysitting gig and Mom had yoga, so Dad and I went to Starbucks so I could nap and he could get some work done.  We met Mom after yoga and then headed home to wait for Uncle Steve to visit us.

Uncle Steve finally got here a bit after 3:00 and he obviously has held lots of babies before because he was super-comfortable holding me.  Mom and Dad put me to bed for an afternoon nap at 3:30 but I was up by 4:15.  So much for that attempt.

Finally he and Dad left to have some guy time and Mom, Aunt Claire, and I went to Patagonia to exchange a jacket that Aunt Claire accidentally screwed up.  Then we went to Therapie for Aunt Claire to look around but we ended up buying a $23 bottle of baby sunscreen.  Wow, I’m expensive.

We met Uncle Steve and Dad in Central Park and walked back to the apartment.  Mom, Dad, and Uncle Steve had dinner plans and Aunt Claire was nice enough to stick around and take care of me.  Mom fed me a bit earlier than usual and Dad put me to bed around 8:00.  It’ll be interesting to see how long I sleep tonight!

I know what you all really want is a new photo album, so we’ll get started with my most recent photo album, covering the time between my getting out of the hospital and until my two month birthday:

http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf

I got up a bit earlier than usual — around 4:30.  Dad was happy to get up, feed me, and get an early start on the day.  It was a bit more painful for Aunt Claire, who wanted to head out with Dad, but who didn’t come back from her date until after midnight (but she was up and out on time)!  I overheard Dad saying something about how I wasn’t going to be dating until I turned 30.

My day was pretty uneventuful, though it’s beginning to be an issue that I don’t always take an afternoon nap.  I’m getting into a pattern where I wake up and have a bottle pretty early in the morning.  After that, I’m in a great mood for an hour or two and then I get hungry (hey, don’t forget I’m sleeping nine hours without a snack!).  After I eat with Mom, I’m ready for my first nap, which usually lasts for an hour or two.  I’m hungry and playful and generally pleasant to be around again until my second nap, which usually starts around 11:30 or so.

Then all bets are off.  I haven’t settled in to a routine for an afternoon nap and I often end up fussing the afternoon and early evening way taking only little cat naps if Mom’s lucky.  So, I think the goal is that by the time Mom goes back to work, I’ll have settled into a three-nap-a-day routine.  Who knows if we’ll get there, but if I’ve learned one thing about my parents — they’ve always got a plan concocted.

 I got up earlier than usual today — around 4:30 — after tossing and turning for about an hour.  I was so restless that Dad got up a couple times in the night thinking I was ready to eat.  Dad made the mistake of checking his email while he fed me and got so distracted that he couldn’t fall back asleep after I drank about half of my bottle.  After Dad left, I whimpered for a while before Mom got me up.

I ate a lot today and slept much less than I have been, especially less than yesterday at Dad’s office.  I pooped twice — making Mom’s day, and peed on my changing pad while Aunt Claire was changing me.  I took a bath and then took a walk with Mom in the Baby Bjorn — the first time I’ve been in it with Mom since I rejected it several weeks ago.  I love being able to see in front of me while we go out for walks.  I overheard a lot of strangers saying nice things about me, which always helps!  I ended up going on another walk with Aunt Claire, but this time in my stroller where I couldn’t hear the passers-by.

Dad didn’t come home for dinner (he was at happy hour – but what’s more happy than me?), so it was just me and Mom at home (Aunt Claire was on a Crazy Blind Date!).  Just as I was finishing supper with Mom, Dad came home and slobbered kisses all over my face.  I was still hungry, so Dad gave me a quick mini-bottle before putting me to bed around 9:30.