Jamie Chew's Web Log: Vol. 0 No. 3

2003-11-25 24:18 (Kristen writing for once) Jamie slept almost the whole day away today: I think that he was going through a bit of a growth spurt, which explains his long periods of wakefulness over the last few days, and is spending today in recovery. I was worried that he wouldn't sleep tonight, but he's doing very well so far. We'll see when he wakes up next...

We woke up this morning to see snow on the ground, and so Jamie got to see his first snowfall as we walked Daniel to school after lunch. John had Jamie in his sling, and since his snowsuit comes up to his nose, I'm not sure how much Jamie actually saw. He may have opened an eye once or twice. We also went over to Michelle and Tom's for dinner tonight for the first time since the Thursday before Jamie was born (he's two weeks old today!). Everyone was very happy to see him, and Daniel spent a good deal of time talking to me and to Jamie as Jamie nursed before dinner. Tom showed his true baby junkie self as he asked, moments after coming home, if I needed a "break" from holding Jamie! It felt good to return to old routines, and to introduce Jamie to them.

2003-11-26 22:36 (Kristen writing again) Busy day today. I was feeling pretty good, and celebrated by doing a little housework and going for a walk on the Danforth, running errands with my two favourite guys. We met up with Alison Motluk at Vive Cafe on the Danforth, and felt like normal people as we drank lattes and sipped soup while Jamie slept.

A big package arrived in the mail today addressed to Master Jamie Chew, and it was full of wonderful frog-themed clothes from my mother's long-time friend, Randi Thompson. There was a green frog bathrobe, a frog bib with a squeaker in the frog's mouth, some frog toys for the bath, some lovely newborn nightgowns, and a hooded frog bath towel (everything in a lovely shade of green) that we are looking forward to using on Jamie very soon. Thank you, Randi!

This evening, we took Jamie to his first session at the Toronto Scrabble Club. He didn't play this time, but he certainly was a hit. It was wonderful to introduce him to everyone, and he was very civil to all the new people that wanted to make his acquaintance. We got to spend some time talking with Lisa Kessler afterward as Jamie nursed in the lobby and got changed (twice!). I got a chance to play a game at the club, while John watched Jamie and took some challenges. Next week, John gets to play and I'll watch Jamie.

(John writing) Jamie's connected a few more neural pathways today. He's figuring out how to move his head and eyes in tandem to direct his attention, and more things are catching his attention (the row of stuffed animals on the headboard, the baby toys around the change table, etc.). He's also figuring out that he can move his hand to interesting objects and affect them: he grabbed Lisa Deift's Sea Tales book from its place on the change table and bashed himself in the face with it. (The book is made of padded cloth, don't worry.)

Kristen got to practise her Japanese when we stopped to pick up takeout pre-Scrabble sushi at Ichiriki for the first time in months. I gave her a quick vocab# lesson en route ("Caesarian section", "was born", "my son") and then dropped her off as Jamie and I looked for parking, or at least less illegal stopping.

Jamie's also made some sort of quantum leap in bladder capacity. A newborn cloth diaper is no longer sufficient, as he proved three times today. Not that we're slow learners, we were just out and had the diaper bag stocked with what he had been using until today. And to be fair, we didn't really put two and two together ourselves; it was Michelle who told us that we needed to upgrade his diaper category. Tomorrow, we have to call ABC Diapers and switch our order to smalls, and buy a few more small diaper covers. Jennifer offered the very helpful alternate suggestion of using two nested newborn diapers, which may hold us until we can get the smalls.

2003-11-27 24:00 (John) Mostly a quiet day today, after the vast excesses of yesterday (walking all the way down to the Danforth, then driving all the way up to the Scrabble club). I had to go down to the Ontario Club for a CNSC site inspection, but was back in time for our midwife Ren Barrett's house call. Among the many excellent and unexpected benefits of Jamie's arrival was finding out about midwives - imagine, in this day and age, a healthcare professional who will come to your house just to see how you're doing, and who has time for a cup of tea and a chat!

The biggest news of the day is Jamie's weight. (Cue drumroll...) Eight pounds, one and a half ounces. He was 7 lbs. 10 oz. on day zero, left the hospital down to 6 lbs. 13 oz. on day three, 7 lbs. 6 oz. on day nine, and this is day sixteen. That means he's gaining a little over 1.5 ounces (44 g) per day, and will at this rate catch up to his dad in about five years. Good work, Kristen and Jamie!

We also booked our annual flight to the Yucatan today, taking advantage of a seat sale that Lisa Kessler alerted us to. Or tried to, at least. We're currently in Air Canada's technical problem queue, because after trying unsuccessfully to book our flight through their web interface (which does not implement children under two), we called their reservations line (which also does not apparently implement children very well). We're waiting now for Air Canada to call us back to tell us that they've found a way to charge us $72 in taxes for a seatless ticket for Jamie.

2003-11-28 13:00 (John) Jamie slept for 4, 3 and 3 hours last night, which is fine. The surprising thing is that he went for 12 hours without a bowel movement, and then had a Really Big one. Which is also more than fine with us, as it's a good habit to get into. On the other hand, he's started trying to roll himself off the change table (bad), and this morning kept himself amused while lying on my chest by turning himself 90 degrees from being parallel to me to being perpendicular, then using his powerful leg muscles to push himself all the way over my chest until his head hit the mattress and he got stuck.

2003-11-28 15:00 (John) Jamie can make it all the way up my chest now in three good leg pushes, where I let him brace his feet against my hands on each push. We measured him on the change table, and he's now 22 inches (56 cm), an inch longer than at birth.

2003-11-28 24:15 (John) He sure is getting bigger. Kristen's heart is excited and breaking at the same time. He's no longer a beautiful newborn, but a beautiful infant instead. He can wriggle and squirm enough to risk harm, and he knows that when his attention is attracted to something he can act on that attraction.

We had a lot of fun with a frog-themed set of outfits and bath gear that Kristen's family friend Randy Thompson sent. Oh boy. We're just getting started with the pictures, but take a look at the one of Jamie in the hooded towel.

In the mail today, a gorgeous blue hand-knit "snowsuit" from Carolyn and Alex Jopling. Wow. I'm actually looking forward to the colder weather now, so he can try it on.

2003-11-29 09:45 (John) Kristen is delighted today: Jamie slept from 02:00 to 09:00, waking up twice just long enough to suck on her little finger for a few minutes. I'm delighted too: I'm not sure if it's connected, but he got a good long physical workout from 01:00 to 02:00. For several days now, I've noticed that if I put him face down on my stomach and put my hands on the soles of his feet, he'll push hard enough with his legs (in alternation) to shove himself up to my chest, in two or three shoves. Last night, he figured out that his right arm could help pull him forward, if he pulled with it as he pushed with his left leg. He did that on three runs before figuring out that if he did the same thing with his left arm, he could move at quite a clip. Fast enough that the rug burn was really uncomfortable on his face, so he used his well-developed neck muscles to lift his head up about 30 degrees.

Putting it all together, I think this form of locomotion is called "creeping" or "wriggling". It looks just like those adorable images of hatchling turtles making their way down the beach to the sea. He kept at it another dozen or so times, pausing for lavish praise after each run up Mt. Dad, getting more excited each time, before we called an end to his workout. He'd probably still be doing it now, but it was 2:00 A.M. and we were getting tired. He nursed for maybe all of thirty seconds and turned out like a light.

Kristen shot a short video clip of this, I hope it turns out and is worth posting to this site.

2003-11-29 26:00 Big family dinner at my parents' house, my aunts Nobuko and Tomoko, my brother Ted, his wife Alissa, their kids Ian and Amy meeting Jamie for the first time. Amy gave Jamie a pink pig. Or maybe a pink hippo. The family is still debating.

Too tired to write, it's been the usual busy Saturday full of shopping and errands, followed by the aforementioned dinner, and I have to sleep so I can get up a bit early and clean house for the baby shower which (see above) has been moved to our house because Michelle's son Ross is ill and likely contagious. Jamie is bigger, cleverer, and cuter today.

2003-11-30 25:30 Leapt out of bed at nine, got the house ready for the baby shower with help from my brother Ted, Michelle's parents Ken and Tami, and Tom. First guests arrived early, Heather, David and Rissa, possibly to balance Kristen's having arrived half an hour late at Heather's for her own bridal shower? Food, presents and guests proceeded in a crescendo of happily screaming children, parents exchanging advice, eating and drinking.

Let me see if I can remember who else was there: Alice, Ian, Amy; Michelle and Daniel (Ross wasn't acting sick, but was still quarantined); Chris Szego; David Barker; Jeff, Gail, Jennifer and Megan; Luisa (Michael and Ronnie were sick); Debbie; Andy and Elspeth (Christine was sick); Sue, Patrick, Maggie and Paula (Tracy was working); Peter, Laura and Jon; Justin (for ten minutes). Please tell me if I left anyone out. I took a fair number of photos, the best of which can be found at my math site.

Jamie's been gassy today, possibly as a result of Kristen's diet. He set a personal best at "Number of bodily excretions emitted during one diaper change" (13), and also managed to pee in his own ear, which impressed his dad. Kristen has received a lot of helpful advice on the subject. The most effective technique seems to be the one pictured (put him stomach down on her knees, pat his back), though it has to be used in moderation to prevent vomiting.

We're actually too tired to open the presents, but will do so tomorrow when we can appreciate them. Except for the presents from Gary and Ayami and Ayami's sister Yasuyo, which they wouldn't let us sleep without opening. :) We do very much appreciate everyone coming and sharing the immense joy and pride we feel in Jamie. Just don't anyone call tomorrow morning!

2003-12-01 22:00 (John) A busy day for me getting ready for the Canadian Scrabble Championship; a long, sleepy day for Kristen and Jamie; a sad day for my best friend Justin, whose father passed away last night; a happy day for our tenant and friend and Ayami, whose permanent residency card arrived in the mail today.

We're back from a walk (Jamie wore the outfit his aunt Jennifer knit for him, under his big blue snowsuit, and I carried him in the sling) through snow flurries to our local Dairy Queen and celebratory ice creams, and have put on Joni Mitchell's Blue on for Jamie while we open the presents he got yesterday. (Kristen, don't forget to mention what the first book you read to him was last night!)

Already opened: a squeaky shark hand puppet from Heather, David and Rissa, and the aforementioned pink hippo/pig from his cousin Amy. Opened first, the Fisher-Price Peek-a-Blocks Ark set from Elspeth.

Peek-A-Blocks are standard-sized transparent blocks, the ark comes with four blocks containing animals, which you have to put in four slots in the ark, which wobbles unless you balance the weights. Cool.

Next, from Debbie and Jeff, a Lamaze PuppyTunes plush dog, which honks harmonica-like notes at different pitches when you squeeze each of its paws, along with a little songbook. Gary is trying to play "Happy Birthday" on it, I think. Jamie's eyes are wide open. I don't think he's heard it massacred so badly before. Debbie and Jeff will receive the special thanks that only parents whose child have received a noise-making gift can express.

From Jennifer Kesner, a very sweet, soft, green Eden stuffed bear that rattles. Gary dubs it Wong-Fei Bear, and is attacking the pink hippo-pig with it. I'm not sure we'll keep the name. From her sister Megan, a "Baby Shakes" lion that rattles when you put t on the baby's wrist or ankle. From Jeff, Gail, Jennifer and Megan, a Winnie-the-Pooh photo album and baby keepsake box. To paraphrase Eeyore, "A box for putting things in!" I can finally get the hospital ID bracelets off my bedside table. :)

From Sue, Tracy, Patrick and Maggie, a baby calendar and growth chart (I guess I can copy the spreadsheet to it, though I don't think it'll help with the linear regression), and a diaper bag. A really well stocked diaper bag, including three sleepers (a yellow newborn, a slightly larger Gymboree newborn with blue and yellow stars, and a larger Baby Bellyellow one with ears and a tail), two (Disney) receiving blankets, and everything you might need to change or amuse a baby.

From Chris Szego, a beautiful green striped Kooshies outfit with adorable little booties.

From Luisa, Reid, Michael and Ronnie, an emergency bag full of things Luisa said she'd wished she hadn't had to run out in the middle of the night to get for her kids (a nasal aspirator, tylenol, an oral syringe, etc.), along with a cute teething ring, panda mitten clips (cute!), electrical outlet caps, zinc oxide, and... engraved ("jjciv") containers for Jamie's first tooth and first lock of hair. Awww....

From Jonathan (and Peter and Laura), the Boynton "Going to Bed Book". Books are always good, and bedtime books doubly so. Thanks!

Finally, from Paula (and we strongly suspect her mom), a hand-knit three-piece blue outfit. I had no idea we knew so many generous and talented people.

Thank you very much again, everybody!

2003-12-01 23:30 Jamie's gassiness has largely passed, and Kristen will avoid chickpeas for the next several months. He's been lying in our bed for the last half hour listening to Joni Mitchell, whom he adores. "Little Green" absolutely blows his mind: he doesn't know whether to laugh, cry, sing along (it's the first time I've heard him say "aah" that didn't involve an intestinal grunt at the end), dance, burp or poo, and tries to do it all with a blissed out look on his face. The rest of the album isn't bad, he says, but he protests mildly at the end of "Little Green" unless we rewind it to the beginning of the track.

Back to Vol. 0 No. 2, or up to Jamie Chew's Web Log Archive. or forward to Vol. 0 No. 4.