Here is a video of Jonah doing the only thing he does besides eat, sleep, and poop: holding that little head up. Sophie can be heard in the background giving commentary. She likes being a big sister; she just hates sharing her Mommy.
I found myself in the dense jungle. The heat was oppressive and the humidity was worse. From all around the cries of macaques could be heard. While I couldn't see any of the monkeys I could see the foliage shaking all around me. Gradually the jungle scene faded and I realized I was lying in bed. There were no monkeys just one screaming newborn. He does, however, sound pretty simian; perhaps ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny in vocal development as well.
After listening to his screams for what must have been hours even though my clock only moved by one minute I decided that something had to be done. I considered replacing the clock but I figured that could wait until morning. Instead I staggered around to the other side of the bed and picked up my son. That didn't stop his crying it only made it louder.
After about five minutes of pacing the room, cooing, shushing and bouncing he drifted to a nice little slumber. I laid him gently in the crib. After two children I've learned that you can't just place a child in their crib. Like a migratory bird detecting magnetic north, babies know when they are being abandoned to the gulag that we call a crib. In order to trick this innate reckoning one must simultaneously rock and lower the child until they are firmly on the mattress. At this point it is safe to start removing your hands but you cannot stop the rocking. It is imperative that the rocking continues until the shock of the abandonment wears off. We used to manage this by putting our hands on the chest and giving it a little jiggle but we've borrowed a rocking bassinet (thanks Esther and Eric) so this is quite a bit easier.
Once the child is safely asleep it is safe to creep - I can't stress the creep strongly enough - back to bed and hope nothing wakes him. Inevitably this won't work the first time and you'll have to repeat some of this process. How long before the crying starts again is anyone's guess: you may have not even reached the bed or worse you may have gotten into bed and are settling the covers or worse still you could have gotten into bed, settled the covers and started drifting to sleep. No matter how you slice it the baby is awake again.
At this point you ask yourself: "Have I done my parently duty and is it time to wake my spouse or is it still my turn and this is still a single incident of a woken child?" Certainly if you're not in bed or are still settling in the answer is obvious but not so when you've started drifting to sleep. You've not really paid attention to the time on the clock when you set them down perhaps you have been dozing for longer than you think and maybe it really is their turn. On the other hand, your spouse has been snoring since you first picked up the baby so they have no idea how long you've been up. Perhaps you can get away clean by pretending to be fast asleep.
You could also just suck it up and drag your tired butt out of bed for another 10 rounds with the flyweight champion of the house
Carrie's parents have been visiting us this week and someone usually accompanies me while I shuttle Genevieve back and forth to her daily activities. On Wednesday Carrie's mother and I were driving back from school. I was trying to get G to tell us about her day. Usually she pleads ignorance about anything that may or may not have gone on during the day. Sometimes she'll tell me it is a secret so that she won't have to tell me. In the past this has worked as they sometimes do work on secret art projects to bring home as a surprise; lately it is just a ruse to stop the harassment.
This time I decided to be silly and ask her a series of questions about unlikely possibilities to see if perhaps she would rebut me with some actual information, hilarity ensues.
Did you learn to juggle? No. Did they teach you about space travel? No. Did they let you color on the ceiling? No. Did they teach you about international finance? Oh! Speaking of international finance......
Carrie's mother and I were so amused that we didn't quite catch what she said next because her matter-of-fact tone threw us for a loop. However, I realized later in the day that it turns out she has no clue what that phrase means. She knows that you need something to go from one topic of conversation to another but isn't quite sure of the finer points.
At dinner that night we had this conversation.
Genevieve did you do anything interesting in school today? Speaking of school, is that a real spiderman on your shirt? What does that have to do with school? Nothing, I just want to know if that spiderman is a real person.
Yesterday was Jonah's bris; we had some trouble getting him to sleep as the mohel told us not to let him sleep in the car seat and he doesn't really like his cradle but we eventually found a position that worked for him (read: nestled on my lap in the rocking chair against the boppy pillow). Carrie and I traded off on rocking chair duty but most of it fell to her. I'm not really sure why he doesn't like the cradle in our bedroom as he likes the cradle in the dining room just fine. Perhaps we'll be swapping those tonight because another night in the rocking chair will probably finish us both off.
Below is the speech I attempted to give before emotions overwhelmed me and I had to pass it off to Carrie to finish.
What's in a name? Parents often consider many factors when choosing names. They may want a name that sounds bold or unique; some choose a family name that has been passed down for generations; others choose names that aren't easily turned into taunts at the school yard. Carrie and I chose our son's name to help inspire him towards a great future but at the same time help him remember where he is from by honoring the past.
For our son we have chosen the name Jonah Wolf or in the Hebrew Yonah Zev.
His first name, Jonah, was chosen to honor Carrie's Great-Uncle John. Uncle John was one of the toughest men I've ever met. As a young man he was a tank commander fighting in World War II under General Patton. He returned from the war to a life as a dairy farmer in rural Georgia. I'm not sure which job is harder, but both require the stamina and fortitude we hope Jonah will inherit.
My favorite story about Uncle John is the time when a bull decided to charge at him and try to run him down. Your average person would run but not Uncle John. he stood his ground and punched that bull square in the nose.
He worked as hard as he could every day of his life, but always with a smile. We hope that from his namesake, Jonah will inherit the confidence to be comfortable with himself and a surety of action in everything he does.
Our son's middle name, Wolf was chosen to honor my cousin Wolf. After his parents' attempt to save their only child was foiled by treachery and duplicity, Wolf, a young boy, perished at the hands of the Nazis.
I knew Wolf's parents, my Great-Aunt Etta and Great-Uncle Israel. Sadly, they were unable to have another child after they were liberated from the concentration camps. My Aunt and Uncle were loving and kind people; Wolf would have been as wonderful as they were. We hope that our son's life will be full of the happiness and joy that was senselessly denied his namesake.
Uncle John and Wolf are connected by circumstances. As a tank commander in World War II, Uncle John discovered a concentration camp and became a witness to the horrors which befell millions of Jews; he recounted his experiences throughout his life. Our son's name, Jonah Wolf, honors those innocents who perished in the Holocaust, those fortunate enough to survive and those who so bravely served.
In the Book of Jonah we hear the story of G-d's willingness to forgive those who seek it. We hope that Jonah will have temperance of mind and compassionate judgment to help him through his life.
It is said that a man has three names: the name he inherits, the name his parents give him and the name he makes for himself. Well, Jonah Wolf, we've given you the best name that we can: the rest is up to you.
The third weigh-in was yesterday morning and he was back to his birth-weight of 7 lbs 10 oz. The doctor told us that everything is fine and we don't need to come back until he is one month old.
Jonah had another weigh-in today to make sure that he is gaining weight like he should. He's gained almost a half a pound in less than 48 hours (back up to 7 lbs 2 oz.) so we are pretty sure that he's getting the hang of this whole eating thing.
We will be taking him for another weigh-in on Monday to see if he is back up to his birth weight. The doctor says that he looks great and is very healthy. I'll be happier when he's fatter. Just something not right about a skinny baby in this family.
Apparently there is a medical term for ruining our sleep. It is called cluster feeding. I'm not sure that having a name makes it any better; it is still pretty annoying.
He was born 7 lbs 10 oz but his second weighing (2 hours later) was 7 lbs 6 oz. The pediatrician considers that odd; the assumption is that the initial birth weight was probably high. When he was released from the hospital the weight was 7 lbs 2 oz and his most recent measurement is 6 lbs 12 oz. This explains why his diapers keep falling off. We've got him in newborns and they are still too big. Last night the diaper slipped off entirely and he wet his swaddlings and sheet.
Since his weight has dropped since he left the hospital (this is normal) they want us to come back Friday for another weigh-in. If the weight hasn't stabilized then there may be reason to be concerned. They'll probably recommend supplementing with formula. Carrie thinks her milk is coming in so nutrition is on its way. Anyone who has seen the growth rate of the other two can testify that Carrie has super milk.
We knew that we weren't looking forward to the sleepless nights of dealing with a newborn but at the same point in time we figured we were quite prepared. Sure, the construction on Genevieve's room isn't finished so she and Sophie are still both sleeping in the nursery but we still felt we were quite prepared. Sure, our bedroom is full of furniture from Genevieve's room but we really felt quite prepared. Sure, Carrie had been given clothing and baby gear from three separate people who had boys of varying ages so we didn't need to buy anything certainly we were justified in our feeling of preparedness. Beside, we already had two kids and knew everything that was in store for us so clearly we were ready.
*BZZZZ*
Wrong!
We both assumed that Carrie would need to be induced and the baby would be coming at the end of this week or the beginning of next week consequently nothing was really setup in the house. Not only that: we had gone apple picking and to the farmers market the day she went into labor. I was in the process of making fresh pesto and apple butter when Carrie notified me that we were heading to the hospital. I spent half of the first day cleaning up the mess I had made the day before. There were filthy pots and dishes all over the kitchen. My apple butter ended up as just apple sauce because for some reason I felt spending 1.5 hours reducing the sauce wasn't a good use of my time. It was also Columbus day so both girls were out of school leaving me no free time to really do stuff. With the help of my parents I was able to get enough space cleared in my room for a cradle. We cleared my desk off as a temporary changing table and voila instant nursery. Carrie on the other hand was abandoned at the hospital. Sure she had a team of nurses to help her out but I didn't come and visit her until 3PM the following day. Boy, what a crappy dad!
The following day I didn't visit until Carrie and Jonah were released from the hospital as I spent my time bathing the kids bringing G to school and buying last minute baby needs. Sophie was pleased when Carrie came home as she was able to put her down for a nap. Carrie and Jonah spent an easy afternoon at home while I ran around trying to step into her shoes. Pickup G from school, get the CSA produce, go to ballet class (not mine) however this is all just build-up to the first night.
We put the kids to bed a little earlier than usual (they needed it) and proceeded to get ourselves ready for bed. Although there was the need for a full outfit and crib sheet change as he is so little his diapers keep slipping off. By 9 PM we were in bed feeding time lasted until about 10 PM. I, fortunately, was half unconscious. The next 2 hours are a blur of screaming and crying. I'm not sure if it was Carrie or Jonah as I was dozing but my money is on the boy because I'm pretty sure I heard the sounds of a wounded pterodactyl.
By midnight Carrie's given up as basically he feeds, passes out and then wakes within 10 minutes of being put in the cradle. I take over and walk him around for a bit. That puts him right out. Clearly I'm a great dad. I put him in into the cradle and crawl into bed. Before I can even pull the covers up the wailing begins. I try this process again but with the same results. Clearly this kid needs more attention. So, baby in arms I sit myself down in front of the computer and type for the next 2 hours with the iTunes blaring a mix of lullabies and Pink Floyd. He sleeps until a little after 2 AM when it is time for another feeding. I tag Carrie in and by 2:30 I'm out. Around 5 AM I hear crying and Carrie tells me that it is my turn again. So, here I am with probably about 4 hours of sleep and the other kids are bound to wake up in another 60 minutes or so to start it all over again.
The painter finished yesterday so I can spend half the day moving furniture around and getting my room back. Perhaps the nursery will be ready by next week though if this is going to be the schedule for the next few weeks I'm pretty sure he'll be staying in our room. At this point I really understand why people have co-sleepers or sleep with their baby.
I'd like to welcome a new member to the increasingly inaccurately named blog "babygeneveive." At 11:46 PM on October 11th 2009 there was a new member added to our family.
Weighing in at: 7lbs 10oz.
Length: unknown. Really, they didn't measure him until he went upstairs and I didn't get a chance to ask the nurse.
Name: Jonah Wolf
The whole labor and delivery process went pretty smoothly. Carrie didn't need to be induced this time. Though we did check in to the hospital with some minor pain issues but by the time the doctor came around it turned out to be true labor.
Here he is clearly unhappy about something:
Problem solved it was the hideous hospital gown that he didn't like.
We've recently switched Sophie to chewable vitamins. She doesn't like the taste of the ones we have. I can't really blame her the iron in them makes the taste pretty gross. Genevieve solves this problem by chewing them while drinking her strawberry milk. There is no taste that can overpower the hyper-sweetened syrupy pink goo that comes out of the Quik container.
At first Sophie would happily chew them and then let vitamin slurry dribble down her face. After much reprimanding this behavior has stopped. Now she just hides the vitamin in her cheek and doesn't actually chew it. I'm pretty sure if I look hard enough I'll find a cache of them in the play pen where she has been secreting them after breakfast. Saturday morning I decided to wait her out. I would ask her to open her mouth to show me that she had finished her vitamin. At first she opened her mouth wide but after several repetitions she realized that perhaps she shouldn't show me the vitamin. After that point she would open her mouth just enough to show me her tongue but kept the vitamin firmly between her cheek and gums. Her poker face isn't very good because I knew she was bluffing.
We eventually waited another 20 minutes at the breakfast table. I'm not sure she ate the vitamin but it wasn't in her mouth anymore and I couldn't find it on the floor or table. Maybe she ate it or maybe she's been learning prestidigitation.
Well, the today Carrie wasn't quite as patient as I was. I got up late as the kids were finishing breakfast. I sat down just in time to finish Sophie's oatmeal and jelly toast as the kids ran off to play. I spent the next 45 minutes getting the car and our lunches ready for our day picking apples. After that was all done I headed upstairs to make sure the kids were ready. Carrie informed me that they needed to brush their teeth and get their shoes on and they will be done.
Into the bathroom they marched and Genevieve dutifully brushed her teeth. Sophie however refused to brush.
"Sophie, brush your teeth." emphatic head shake. "Please brush your teeth." "No!" "Ok, Daddy do." I pick up the tooth brush and start to put it in her mouth when she says, "No, vitamin!" "Open your mouth." She opens incredibly wide and there tucked into the back corner of her mouth was the vitamin. I suppress my giggle and ask her to eat it up. She mostly does and we are on our way. I don't know what to think: perhaps she fooled me yesterday; she certainly fooled Carrie today.
To top the story off, this afternoon she is sitting on the potty pretending that she has to poop. I finally pick her up to take her off. She grabs my ear and pulls a plastic quarter out of it. I'm totally serious...she had a plastic quarter in her hand. Now I'm pretty sure she did some sleight of hand and made the vitamin disappear the first day.
Tonight after dinner there was a special treat; the girls got to have cake for dessert. Now, now, don't get all upset. They get treats all the time. In fact, I'm pretty sure they eat ice cream for snack just about every day but they usually don't get it with dinner as that is right before bedtime.
While Carrie was off getting cake, Genevieve decided that it would be a good idea to start a little chant. "Cake! Cake! Cake!" She was like a one person cheering squad for a pastry themed athletic club. Sophie joined in the chant a bit too. "Cake! Cake! Cake!" I tried to quiet them down but they were having none of it. Soon the chant morphed into something else. Genevieve started shouting letters, "G! H! M! B! R A! L!" huh!?!? "Ummm, what are you doing?" I sheepishly asked. "Oh, I'm pretending that I know how to spell." she replied.
