baker's dozen

Z had his one month check-up yesterday. In the last month he has gained 3 pounds and grown 1.5 inches - that makes him 13 pounds 1 ounce heavy and 21.5 inches long. The nurse joked that I had "bionic milk." :) No wonder I've been sore this week.

J's parents have been in town since Sunday. We've spent the week nourished by MB's fabulous cooking. All of the meals have been wonderful but she went all out for Valentine's Day dinner. She brought red lacy placemats, Valentine's Day napkins, red and white doilies, and a rose candle. For dinner, we ate pasta and salad and for dessert we had a fluffy, pink strawberry cake with chocolate-dipped strawberries. Grandmomma joined us for dinner and brought wine, flowers, and gifts - including a handmade card for Z ("I'm starry-eyed over you." :) The grandmothers took photos of Z in his new Valentine's Day outfit and of the gaiety around the dinner table. I wish I had some photos to add to the blog, but I was enjoying the moment too much and didn't take any photos. (I'll try to add one of grandmomma's photos later - she took a great one of Z propped up by J at the dinner table.)

Before dinner, J and I exchanged gifts - he gave me a beautiful pair of Jasper earrings and a wooden box that says, "Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. Lao tzu" - a wonderful statement for how we've been feeling the last month.

Yesterday, we loaded up grandmomma's van and drove one hour north to Bellingham then headed south on Chuckanut Drive. It was Z's longest trip (6 hours) and allowed us to create a list of "firsts:"

• My first time changing and nursing Z in the backseat of a car.
• Our first meal with Z in a restaurant.
• My first time changing Z in a restroom.
• Z and my first trip to Bellingham.
• Z's first drive down Chuckanut.
• Z's first trip to an art gallery and antique store (with grandma B).
  

Z is 1/3 the size of J but Z's bodily noises are as loud or louder. The only baby-size noise Z makes is his sneeze - the cutest little "achooo." I can't even begin to describe it...this calls for the video camera (I'll try to record and publish a video). As for his vocalizations, he doesn't have many shades of gray. He's either content or he's howling. It's been confusing because the howl can mean "I'm hungry - feed me NOW" or "My diaper's a mess - change me NOW" or "I'm tired - I want to sleep NOW" or "I don't know what the hell is going on but make me feel better NOW" or "All of the above! Fix it. Stat!" I look forward to him figuring out the differences between his butt, belly, and brain so he can give us a better clue how to help him. Until he does, I'll keep up my Sherlock Holmes act.