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Wednesday, June 10, 2009

One day old...

Shutting down the laptop, unfolding the dad bed, now upgraded with a decent blanket and my own pillow. Not that we expect much sleep tonight. Violette is getting this feeding thing down (thank goodness, I've been quietly freaking out about it all day), and we're told tonight begins the cluster feedings. That, and some lab work that needs to be done at 1 AM means we're in for a busy time. We're trying to adapt to baby time though. If she sleeps, we try to as well. We've got the tv on, muted, so we have something to occupy our brains while we wait for sleep to catch up.

Thank you everyone for all the good thoughts. We're so immensely happy to have our little blueberry here with us, and although we've no doubt that we have no idea what we're in for yet, with friends like all of you, we know we'll make it. Hugs to everyone!

6 comments:

Unknown said...

I'm glad you know that anytime you have a parenting question, you don't need to be embarrassed to ask, and I'm honored to share with you any of the insights I've gained over the years. Here are a few:

1) For the first few months, at least until she can be trusted not to pee on the floor, keep her in the kitchen. You can block it off so she can't get out with gates or even some spare plywood. This has two benefits: a) the tile floor is a lot easier to clean up after "accidents," and b) the kitchen is the social hub of your family and the claims adjusting company you run out of the house; she will be surrounded by people all the time, which will socialize her and teach her her place in the "pack."

2) Don't let her up on furniture unless she asks permission. This sounds like a difficult thing to train, but it really isn't. A gentle newspaper swat anytime you find her on the furniture unsupervised will give her the idea, while indicating that it's okay to join you on the couch by patting the space next to you will let her know that there are exceptions, but only when the "alpha" says so. This both prevents soiled furniture and reinforces her place in the social order.

3) Don't be fooled by the advertising. Dry food is just fine. If you switch to canned, you'll never get her back to dry again. Feel free to mix in some leftover meat drippings or grease, though, to make dinner special sometimes. Oh, and don't touch her while she's eating. They don't like that.

4) Finally, especially while she's young, be sure to get out and play with her as much as possible. She needs the exercise, and she needs the bonding time. So do you.

Follow this simple parenting advice, and you will have a loving and cheery family dog for many years to come.

What's that? ... A baby?

Oh.

Never mind.

Unknown said...

Well, since I felt a little over my head in my new role as parental advisor, and because I have access to the wisdom of the mysterious East, I thought I'd go the writings of Pan Chao, one of the seminal female Confucian scholars on parenting, and boy am I glad I did! There is no way I would have known to tell you to do any of this stuff:

On the third day after the birth of a girl, the ancients observed three customs: (1) to place the baby below the bed; (2) to give her a potsherd with which to play; and (3) to announce her birth to the ancestors by an offering. Now, to lay the baby below the bed plainly indicated that she was lowly and weak and should regard it as her primary duty to humble herself before others. To give her potsherd with which to play signified she should practice labor and consider it her primary duty to be industrious. To announce her birth before her ancestors clearly meant that she ought to esteem as her primary duty the continuation of the observance of worship in the home.

Before reading this, I probably would have advised you to snuggle her and make sure she's warm and make sure her environment is stimulating and safe. Yeah, I know! Just shows how over my head I am! Apologies, apologies.

So what kind of offering are you going to be giving the folks? Oh, and where are you going to get the potsherd? If I'd been more prepared, I would have sent you one as a shower gift. Sorry! I guess you're not the only one with some learning to do!!!

What a jackass I am!

Tara said...

She can sleep with the volume on--they sleep through just about anything!

Jeremy said...

Batty, you're killing me.

Unknown said...

Batty, you should really consider writing a parenting book. I'm sure babies of the world would be better for it. ;)

silence was golden said...

minus a few winks of sleep, this is the easy time. enjoy every moment. and as a parent, i have learned teaching them to walk and talk seems like a good idea at the time, but turns out...
like i said this is the fun time :)

Have you read my blog?