A little different topic here:
I had this thought this morning in the shower. I was wondering about the different religions that people have had, the belief structures and more importantly, the objects of their belief. (Reading "Pyramids", another pratchett novel.)
That got me thinking about God, the modern Judaeo/Christian God, and how we conceive of Him as having made us in His image. Or we think of ourselves as being made in His image.
Spent a while lost in that thought, and then I started pulling that one apart and wondering about the differences between God and man.
The leading characteristic of us I had been struck with through this whole thought process was our need or at least compunction to believe in something. And I got stuck on this: Belief is one of the most basic characteristics of people. Even the most devout atheists are firmly married to their belief in logic, reason, and the validity of their sensory experiences. How is that any different from believing a giant dung beetle is pushing the sun across the sky?
Which brought me around to the question, if we are made in God's image, and we so fervently Believe in stuff, what does God believe in?
Got me for a while.
Then I thought, it's Us.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
Monday morning
I just re-read the first line of my last post. I'm going to claim sleep deprevation.
Which is getting to be less of an issue now. (Knock on a forest.) It's a combination of adjusting to less sleep, a wife who generously takes the 12 to 5 or 6 shift, and a baby that is sleepig for slightly longer stretches.
And she's getting to be more fun. Almost a full hour of playing with her, making her smile or just stare in random directions without crying; diaper changes that have her grinning and pumping her little frog legs, bath time when her hair sticks to her head, she sticks her little tongue out in a thoughtful manner, and looks adorable; just plain cuteness that comes with extra baby-fat.
Finding time to spend with my partner is now the leading project. It's hard to even hug without having the child between us, and I don't foresee a time in the next few months when we'll sleep through the night alone in our bed. SIDS is far more prevalent in the States, and there are some leading theories that this is because of our practice of having babies sleep by themselves before they're ready. The theory (pretty widely proven) is that baby's learn much of their basic bodily functions by mimicing what their mother does: breathing being the most important. If they're sleeping in contact with something that is taking breathes regularly, they're far less likely to stop (breathing).
So the theory goes, and we're not taking any chances.
Pair that with my renewed energy for my building project, driven by the deadline of the end of this year, turning the corner to creating instead of ripping and throwing out, and a general desire to untie ourselves from this particulat location, and quiet time spent curled up with my wife hasn't been happening nearly enough.
I've got some posts I'm planning for a late night when Annaliese is awake but not crying. Disertations on being a father, cloth diapers, natural childbirth and midewives, and general thoughts on my experiences over the past few months. I don't know if they'll ever get writtten, but here's to giving myself some external pressure.
Which is getting to be less of an issue now. (Knock on a forest.) It's a combination of adjusting to less sleep, a wife who generously takes the 12 to 5 or 6 shift, and a baby that is sleepig for slightly longer stretches.
And she's getting to be more fun. Almost a full hour of playing with her, making her smile or just stare in random directions without crying; diaper changes that have her grinning and pumping her little frog legs, bath time when her hair sticks to her head, she sticks her little tongue out in a thoughtful manner, and looks adorable; just plain cuteness that comes with extra baby-fat.
Finding time to spend with my partner is now the leading project. It's hard to even hug without having the child between us, and I don't foresee a time in the next few months when we'll sleep through the night alone in our bed. SIDS is far more prevalent in the States, and there are some leading theories that this is because of our practice of having babies sleep by themselves before they're ready. The theory (pretty widely proven) is that baby's learn much of their basic bodily functions by mimicing what their mother does: breathing being the most important. If they're sleeping in contact with something that is taking breathes regularly, they're far less likely to stop (breathing).
So the theory goes, and we're not taking any chances.
Pair that with my renewed energy for my building project, driven by the deadline of the end of this year, turning the corner to creating instead of ripping and throwing out, and a general desire to untie ourselves from this particulat location, and quiet time spent curled up with my wife hasn't been happening nearly enough.
I've got some posts I'm planning for a late night when Annaliese is awake but not crying. Disertations on being a father, cloth diapers, natural childbirth and midewives, and general thoughts on my experiences over the past few months. I don't know if they'll ever get writtten, but here's to giving myself some external pressure.
Monday, February 4, 2008
More of my daughter
My inlaws have a strange propensity to assign immense import to possessions, particularly pieces of clothing, that have been around for a while. There was the case of something very important from the family history that Alexe was meant to wear on our wedding day. The various important baby things that Annaliese will be wearing at her Virginia christening. (Who knows what she'll be wearing at her Vermont christening.)
I generally believe these sorts of traits can skip generations, and thank my stars that my wife has only shown this sort of attachment to a tank-top she had in high-school, and possibly one of her mother's sweaters.
Then I walked into the living room today, and came upon my darling wife, and my darling daughter, holding a photoshoot. Annaliese was wearing this little number that apparently both Alexe and Eliza wore when they had their pictures taken on their one month old anniversary. Or is that one month old birthday? Anyway, it was actually only her four week old aniversary, and though I haven't broached this topic with Alexe, I'm pretty sure this should be celebrated on on the 6th to be accurate.
Anyway, enjoy. This is my family. (The pooches are lurking somewhere.)
I generally believe these sorts of traits can skip generations, and thank my stars that my wife has only shown this sort of attachment to a tank-top she had in high-school, and possibly one of her mother's sweaters.
Then I walked into the living room today, and came upon my darling wife, and my darling daughter, holding a photoshoot. Annaliese was wearing this little number that apparently both Alexe and Eliza wore when they had their pictures taken on their one month old anniversary. Or is that one month old birthday? Anyway, it was actually only her four week old aniversary, and though I haven't broached this topic with Alexe, I'm pretty sure this should be celebrated on on the 6th to be accurate.
Anyway, enjoy. This is my family. (The pooches are lurking somewhere.)
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Friday, January 11, 2008
Day 5
Everything is great.
The day has been beautiful. We have all the doors open, and the sun has been streaming in. After yesterday's incredible day-long storms, with Tornadoes flying by in surrounding counties and NPR constantly interrupting their programming to extend the warning periods and read off the counties effected, it's a very pleasant change.
Alexe is doing very well. A few hours after my last changing session, I started to notice things around the house. There are these throw rugs that I really can't stand but Alexe insists on putting in front of all the exterior doors; in the big house clean up I did on Monday I laundered, folded, and hid them in the closet. This morning they found their way back to the floors. My alarm clock was repositioned on my night stand, the crib which has been functioning as my convenient changing station had been completely re-organized, (mind you I'm the only one changing diapers at this point, you would think I would get to do it my way) and the love seat had been plumped.
So Alexe is doing just fine.
Annaliese is also doing very well. She was having some eye goop problems with her right eye, but after a day of breast-milk, it's cleared right up. (Amazing stuff, this breast milk.)
She's sleeping for longer periods of time, and also staying awake, without crying, for longer periods. Her nose is growing out from the flattened state it was in right after birth, and her eyes are lightening. (I'm putting a nickle on Blue. One nickle, that is, for all of you to split if I'm wrong.)
Since her massive cleansing of the bowels that activity has slowed down, and she is pooming up a storm. (Pooming seems to be an unfamiliar term to some, it means "pooting", or if you must be so vulgar, "farting".) She's doesn't seem to mind, and it's really amusing to carry her around and feel the little bubbling on her butt.
She's making up for it with lots of pee.
I've got a little video I'm going to try to upload here. It's a little long, and may give you motion sickness, but I really wanted to catch one of her yawns. They're adorable.
OK, the upload failed (the file was almost 90 mb), so click on this link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/alexe.pvb/AnnalieseUpdated
The day has been beautiful. We have all the doors open, and the sun has been streaming in. After yesterday's incredible day-long storms, with Tornadoes flying by in surrounding counties and NPR constantly interrupting their programming to extend the warning periods and read off the counties effected, it's a very pleasant change.
Alexe is doing very well. A few hours after my last changing session, I started to notice things around the house. There are these throw rugs that I really can't stand but Alexe insists on putting in front of all the exterior doors; in the big house clean up I did on Monday I laundered, folded, and hid them in the closet. This morning they found their way back to the floors. My alarm clock was repositioned on my night stand, the crib which has been functioning as my convenient changing station had been completely re-organized, (mind you I'm the only one changing diapers at this point, you would think I would get to do it my way) and the love seat had been plumped.
So Alexe is doing just fine.
Annaliese is also doing very well. She was having some eye goop problems with her right eye, but after a day of breast-milk, it's cleared right up. (Amazing stuff, this breast milk.)
She's sleeping for longer periods of time, and also staying awake, without crying, for longer periods. Her nose is growing out from the flattened state it was in right after birth, and her eyes are lightening. (I'm putting a nickle on Blue. One nickle, that is, for all of you to split if I'm wrong.)
Since her massive cleansing of the bowels that activity has slowed down, and she is pooming up a storm. (Pooming seems to be an unfamiliar term to some, it means "pooting", or if you must be so vulgar, "farting".) She's doesn't seem to mind, and it's really amusing to carry her around and feel the little bubbling on her butt.
She's making up for it with lots of pee.
I've got a little video I'm going to try to upload here. It's a little long, and may give you motion sickness, but I really wanted to catch one of her yawns. They're adorable.
OK, the upload failed (the file was almost 90 mb), so click on this link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/alexe.pvb/AnnalieseUpdated
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Day 4
(These are probably going to be pure "what's been happening" kinds of posts.)
Everything's going well.
Alexe is getting a couple hours of personal time while Annaliese snoozes in her sling on my chest. She's been eating up a storm, but miraculously is also sleeping for hours at a time. This phenomenon didn't start until around 7 this morning, so the night wasn't the most restful.
The little one was fidgety most of the night, and by 5 in the morning Alexe was long overdue for a break. I took over, and must say, nothing feels quite as big an accomplishment as getting a very upset bundle of lungs to fall asleep. She yelled at me for almost an hour, but when those little eyes closed, I vaulted for the bed and got in a good hour of sleep with Little A lying next to me in the crook of my arm. (A and I are making use of the guest bedroom for taking care of the crying little one. It allows the other one of us get some sleep even at the loudest of times.)
An hour later the little mouth was searching for something to suck on again, so Alexe took over, and miracle of miracles, on a full stomach Annaliese fell asleep again and A and I had a nice couple hours rest.
Turns out Shadow is afraid of Annaliese. I tried another bonding moment between the two of them, and Shadow very quickly exited the room.
I've been to the local library, and Alexe is well stocked with mystery novels. (How might Alexe be stocked with books, kinda a stretch of the grammatical rules, you might say? Oh shush.)
Also bought some walkie talkies for me and Alexe, which turned out to be worthless, so they're going back to Fred's. While our house is not all that expansive, it's not so easy to hear Alexe calling me from the guest room over the sound of crying baby, NPR (silence just wasn't working for our tired brains), the never ending laundry and dishwasher cycles, and me clanging pots and pans or sweeping. Oh yes, the house is spotless.
I'm feeling some squirming in the sling, so I'm off.
Everything's going well.
Alexe is getting a couple hours of personal time while Annaliese snoozes in her sling on my chest. She's been eating up a storm, but miraculously is also sleeping for hours at a time. This phenomenon didn't start until around 7 this morning, so the night wasn't the most restful.
The little one was fidgety most of the night, and by 5 in the morning Alexe was long overdue for a break. I took over, and must say, nothing feels quite as big an accomplishment as getting a very upset bundle of lungs to fall asleep. She yelled at me for almost an hour, but when those little eyes closed, I vaulted for the bed and got in a good hour of sleep with Little A lying next to me in the crook of my arm. (A and I are making use of the guest bedroom for taking care of the crying little one. It allows the other one of us get some sleep even at the loudest of times.)
An hour later the little mouth was searching for something to suck on again, so Alexe took over, and miracle of miracles, on a full stomach Annaliese fell asleep again and A and I had a nice couple hours rest.
Turns out Shadow is afraid of Annaliese. I tried another bonding moment between the two of them, and Shadow very quickly exited the room.
I've been to the local library, and Alexe is well stocked with mystery novels. (How might Alexe be stocked with books, kinda a stretch of the grammatical rules, you might say? Oh shush.)
Also bought some walkie talkies for me and Alexe, which turned out to be worthless, so they're going back to Fred's. While our house is not all that expansive, it's not so easy to hear Alexe calling me from the guest room over the sound of crying baby, NPR (silence just wasn't working for our tired brains), the never ending laundry and dishwasher cycles, and me clanging pots and pans or sweeping. Oh yes, the house is spotless.
I'm feeling some squirming in the sling, so I'm off.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Day 3
Alexe gave me the greatest gift last night. (After her love, hand in marriage, and a cute little baby, of course.) Almost 7 hours of sleep!
We have all been pretty well fried since Saturday.
But as of today:
Alexe is feeling much better, able to walk around with little A, and looking less pale, and emotionally feeling much better. Her milk has come in, which has pleased everyone. (This morning little A's face, all snoozy and looking like she had a question on her mind, was covered, nose cheeks and chin, in dried milk. Super cute.)
The house is finally caught up, laundry done, everything mopped, dishes and kitchen clean, bathrooms bleached down, compost out, trash out, last minute necessities and prescriptions picked up, and I think things should ease up a little bit. (We knew there wouldn't be much rest once she came, but we didn't think the starting point was a sleep starved 38 hour marathon. If we had been handed a new baby without that first step, who knows, so all you not-yet-parents, don't forget that slippery little fact.)
My chores are to keep everyone other than Annaliese in food, drinks, and doting attention. Shadow has taken to staying outside most of the day; she seems very uncomfortable in the house. (Cannot thank our landlords enough for that dog door and fenced in yard.) Dido, on the other hand, is fascinated and worried sick over the bundle that smells funny and cries periodically. She's in almost every picture I take, peeking over the side of the bed, sitting at attention staring up at wherever little A is, or, when she can reach, trying to lick any exposed part of little A.
Alexe is feeling much better. We've made improvements with the latching on, and with milk flowing, Alexe's worries and self doubt that had piled into her exhausted, fragile mind have eased a bit.
We've started to work out a process: Alexe is resting whenever she can. The feedings take a long time, and there isn't much time in between, so that's her sole job, along with consuming whatever food, tea, etc. I put in front of her.
When little A has had her fill, I swoop in and put her in a sling, where she snoozes while I do the dishes, sweep, take out the garbage, and generally act like Alexe did while little A was still in the womb. It's amazing how she'll sleep through me mopping, with her knocking into my chest, or clanging garbage can lids, or running water in the tub, or doing dishes. She seems to be more peaceful at these times than when I sit still.
Whenever that delightful odor drifts up to my nose, the sling is perfectly shaped to funnel it straight up, we visit the changing station and yet again break the 2 hour old record of ginormous amounts of poo. I had been using her cloth diapers without the plastic liners, but the amount of laundry that little bundle was producing was mind boggling. On one fun occasion she managed to thrust a poo covered leg into a clean stack of diapers. Rookie mistake, keeping clean diapers within reach. So, we're in plastic liners, and that seems to be containing things nicely.
Eventually little A starts seeking with her mouth for something to suck on, and will attach herself to anything within reach. Her hand and the cloth wraps will keep her happy for a few minutes. My pinkie, nose, neck, shoulder, will do for no more than a minute. Then it's back to her mama, who has mastered the side by side feeding method, and is sleeping right now while little A is snacking away.
It's all quite fun, and helps that she's so cute.
(I don't have any pictures downloaded to this computer. Those will certainly come later.)
We have all been pretty well fried since Saturday.
But as of today:
Alexe is feeling much better, able to walk around with little A, and looking less pale, and emotionally feeling much better. Her milk has come in, which has pleased everyone. (This morning little A's face, all snoozy and looking like she had a question on her mind, was covered, nose cheeks and chin, in dried milk. Super cute.)
The house is finally caught up, laundry done, everything mopped, dishes and kitchen clean, bathrooms bleached down, compost out, trash out, last minute necessities and prescriptions picked up, and I think things should ease up a little bit. (We knew there wouldn't be much rest once she came, but we didn't think the starting point was a sleep starved 38 hour marathon. If we had been handed a new baby without that first step, who knows, so all you not-yet-parents, don't forget that slippery little fact.)
My chores are to keep everyone other than Annaliese in food, drinks, and doting attention. Shadow has taken to staying outside most of the day; she seems very uncomfortable in the house. (Cannot thank our landlords enough for that dog door and fenced in yard.) Dido, on the other hand, is fascinated and worried sick over the bundle that smells funny and cries periodically. She's in almost every picture I take, peeking over the side of the bed, sitting at attention staring up at wherever little A is, or, when she can reach, trying to lick any exposed part of little A.
Alexe is feeling much better. We've made improvements with the latching on, and with milk flowing, Alexe's worries and self doubt that had piled into her exhausted, fragile mind have eased a bit.
We've started to work out a process: Alexe is resting whenever she can. The feedings take a long time, and there isn't much time in between, so that's her sole job, along with consuming whatever food, tea, etc. I put in front of her.
When little A has had her fill, I swoop in and put her in a sling, where she snoozes while I do the dishes, sweep, take out the garbage, and generally act like Alexe did while little A was still in the womb. It's amazing how she'll sleep through me mopping, with her knocking into my chest, or clanging garbage can lids, or running water in the tub, or doing dishes. She seems to be more peaceful at these times than when I sit still.
Whenever that delightful odor drifts up to my nose, the sling is perfectly shaped to funnel it straight up, we visit the changing station and yet again break the 2 hour old record of ginormous amounts of poo. I had been using her cloth diapers without the plastic liners, but the amount of laundry that little bundle was producing was mind boggling. On one fun occasion she managed to thrust a poo covered leg into a clean stack of diapers. Rookie mistake, keeping clean diapers within reach. So, we're in plastic liners, and that seems to be containing things nicely.
Eventually little A starts seeking with her mouth for something to suck on, and will attach herself to anything within reach. Her hand and the cloth wraps will keep her happy for a few minutes. My pinkie, nose, neck, shoulder, will do for no more than a minute. Then it's back to her mama, who has mastered the side by side feeding method, and is sleeping right now while little A is snacking away.
It's all quite fun, and helps that she's so cute.
(I don't have any pictures downloaded to this computer. Those will certainly come later.)
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