2 month round up

We are still here! The past two months have been a whirlwind of activity. I got up to speed with my work, Wyatt started his job, we all went to visit Great Grandpa Stoltzfus and life is happening. Rather than bore you with words let me share our last two months pictorially.

happy i'm 3 months old!

hands are FASCINATING!

Molly got herself a sweet rocking chair

family photo for daycare purposes

Molly meet your Great Grandpa 

Happy Birthday to me!

splish splash

Molly's first selfie!

I can't believe you are 4 months either!

exploring the mundane.

Helping Nancy win Rook.

I'll leave you with a hope and goal of blogging more regularly,
Jeanette

Diary of a Stay-At-Home Dad

Jeanette went back to work on Monday, which meant Molly and I got to hang out all week.  I'll be home with her for 6 weeks until my new job starts in September. 

So, what does a stay-at-home dad do all day?  I'm glad you asked.  Here are some highlights from the past week, reconfigured into a typical day.  And yes, if you're wondering, these are all things that happened this past week.  For convenience I've left out a lot of eating, sleeping, pooping and staring at mobiles. 

9 am:  I sing Molly a medley of a bunch of James Bond theme songs, culminating with her providing some key background vocals on "Nobody Does It Better" and joining me for the full duet on "Goldfinger".  She already has good taste in Bond songs!

11 am:  It's not too hot, so I strap Molly into the ergo and take a walk to the library.  Here we are ready to go.

We have a nice walk.  Also, women seem to go out of their way to be very nice to me.

2 pm:  Molly and I watch Antiques Roadshow.  She seems very interested in a stunning Rockwell Kent painting of a Greenland landscape.  We decide that when she gets $150K she can buy it.

4 pm:  It's time for some interactive play, so Molly and I do a dramatic reading from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (which I've been reading).  In light of her dramatic range, I offer her the part of Brutus.  Here's a scene from Act 5, with me taking the parts of Antony and Octavius:

ANTONY
Make forth; the generals would have some words.

OCTAVIUS
Stir not until the signal.

BRUTUS
Ooooh, ooooh,  uuuuuuuhhhhh.

OCTAVIUS
Not that we love words better, as you do.

BRUTUS
Aaaaaaahhhhhh.  Oooooooooh.  aaaoooouuuuhhhh.

ANTONY
In your bad strokes, Brutus, you give good words:
Witness the hole you made in Caesar's heart,
Crying 'Long live! hail, Caesar!'

5 pm:  Jeanette gets home.  My work here is done for awhile.  It should be an interesting 6 weeks!
 

Ode to the VIsitor (Round 2)

In the last month we've had two more rounds of visitors, and Molly and her parents have been really grateful for all their help!

On June 14, Molly's aunt Julia arrived on the train all the way from Indiana.  She stayed around until we all went to Pennsylvania the next week to see the bigger Stoltzfus clan.  Molly had a great time with Auntie Jules, who was just a little apprehensive at first, but was a baby pro in no time.  Julia also helped weed the garden and cooked a bunch of meals that are waiting in our freezer til we go back to work.  Here she is with the Mollster:

On July 4, Nana and Papa Feeler arrived from Florida for a weeklong visit.  They spent their days with Molly -- sitting on the porch swing, taking her for stroller rides, and making up silly songs.  Papa got lots of great photos of Molly, which have already been shared far and wide, and Nana got lots of rocking time in and made us a nice dinner.  Here are some pics:

Life before google (a 2 month round-up)

Molly is officially 2 months old. Go us!!

For those who don't know, I'm a notorious googler. I google EVERYTHING. Need a recipe? google. Can't remember where that actor is from? google. So naturally my solution to baby quandaries is google, google, google. A few days back Wyatt jokingly mentioned looking back at our google searches for the past two months. Boy oh boy do these searches bring back fond memories of tired nights and a bit of desperation. I think that's what most people call new parenthood!

Care to read between the lines and dive deep into Molly's first two months? Proceed with caution and a bit of humor. Prepare yourself for lots of searches regarding breastmilk, pooh and crying.

• one day old nursing constantly
• Cluster feeding
• how to heal from c-section
• Recovering from a cesarean delivery
• when to start pacifier
• What should I know about giving my breastfed baby a pacifier?
• newborn won't stop crying
• nausea after c-section
• how much do week old babies eat each feeding
• orange dehydration crystals in baby's diaper (multiplied by 6 searches)
• similac newborn amount
• pumping breast milk only
• got pump
• medela pump bra
• medela pump washing instructions
• bottle or nipple to prevent hiccups
• How do i stop my 1 week old babies hiccups?
• best nipple to prevent hiccups (multiplied by 6 searches)
• sid stastics
• awkward pregnancy photos
• does a stronger suction on a breast pump get more milk?
• breast pumping tips
• breast pump rentals
• homemade diaper solution
• nipple cream for breastfeeding moms (multiplied by 7 searches)
• one week old doesn't like to sleep on back
• signs of silent acid reflux in infants
• how to wash babykicks prefolds
• best detergent for cloth diapers
• how to wash thirstie pocket diapers
• how to treat stretch marks from pregnancy
• first father's day gift
• newborn dairy allergy
• attachment parenting
• do you have to warm breast milk before feeding
• exclusively pumping breast milk pump schedule
• how to wrap a moby
• breastmilk infant poop
• How to freeze and unfreeze breastmilk
• how much milk does a six month old drink
• average length to breastfeed
• how long do americans breastfeed?
• when do baby start being colic
• infant green mucus pooh (multiplied by 4 searches)
• how long do newborns sleep

You get the idea. Obviously google has helped because Molly is growing and happy! Her head is big, due to her awesome brain, she's not the tallest of kids but she is plumping up quite nicely. 

Here's a few of our favorites...

Throw a tutu on it....

Yes, for all you Portlandia fans, that's play on "Throw a bird on it".

Anyways, this past Sunday Wyatt and I were a bit undecided about walking the two blocks to church. Molly was battling a bit of a cold, Wyatt was recovering from a cold and, well, I was just lazy. In the end we....

threw a tutu on it and ventured out.

Not too shabby for a last minute decision.

Short commute to church...yet another reason why I'm loving living in Hyattsville!

A means to an end

While sitting, yet again, in traffic on 270 this past Sunday afternoon I was struck with an epiphany- I like car traveling the same way as I like being pregnant.

Let me explain.

My pregnancy with Molly was not riddled with problems or scares. It was relatively easy and I'm thankful for the ease but I didn't love it. I know there are women who glow and adore growing the bulging bump. For me, I wondered at the miracle growing in my body while also wishing the parasite (yes, I am a horrible mother for saying that) would allow me to have a beer with dinner or buckle my sandals. So I didn't love pregnancy but I knew I would love what was growing- Molly.

Now for traveling...This past weekend Wyatt, my sister Julia, Molly and I set out to meet up with the rest of my immediate family at a sweet campground in Pennsylvania (shout out to Shenango RV Park). The 6+ hour trip really stretched Molly's previous car rides of 30 minutes. The outbound trip was trying. There was traffic, there were tears and screams, Google maps guides us in the wrong direction, blah, blah, blah. In the end we arrived and had 3 wonderful days surrounded by family (see pictures below). Looming in the very near future was the trip back. The trip back was a different story for Molly. She slept most of the car ride- yeah!! However the traffic was horrible. So as I sat in the backseat thankful for a sleeping baby while Wyatt so patiently navigated the bumper to bumper traffic two thoughts spun through my head:

1. Why don't they widen these darn roads from 2 lanes to 4 lanes?
2. My epiphany- I enjoy traveling in a car the same way I enjoyed pregnancy. The journey isn't much fun but it is the mean to an EXCELLENT end.

I explain this knowing that I will travel many, many miles to thoroughly enjoy the vacation at the end of the journey and, who knows, may even endure another 10 months of pregnancy for a Molly sibling.

For me the end is so much sweeter when there is a bit of uncomfortableness in the journey.

As promised here are some photos from the weekend. Enjoy....

 

Swinging with the Happiest Baby on the Block

So Molly has been alive for over one month. Score one for the parents!

Over the past four weeks we have grown to know our little nugget... when she's hungry, has a dirty diap, needs a nap and so on. At the beginning of the month we had no idea what we were doing but I think we are getting better because of these.....

Molly enjoying her swing.

Welcoming the early morning hours in style

Let me explain. About a week ago, Wyatt and I were dumbfounded when Miss Molly Mae would freak out for 1-2 hours at a time. Sometimes the freak out happened in the morning, sometimes in the evening. Thankfully never over the night time hours. We thought it was gas- so we bought some baby gas relief medicine (didn't work). We thought it was because she was hot or cold- so we added or subtracted layers (didn't work). I'm blaming the sheer desire for mental relief, I broke down and bought a swing.

You may say, "But a swing is a good purchase, Jeanette!" Indeed it is but in my bullheaded nature I was bound and determined to not be bombarded with baby things throughout the house thus no swing. It's amazing what a lack of sleep combined with mental and emotional anguish can do to bullheaded, and I admit a bit ridiculous, beliefs. So we have a swing and Molly enjoys it.... when she is already sleeping.

However we still need to endure the freak out to get to the sleep. We were getting closer....

She still freaked out and again with my bullheadedness I refused to believe this had to her's or our life for the next 2-3 months. So thus started a quest for solutions. Through research I stumbled across a resource, "The Happiest Baby on the Block" which laid out the 5 S's plan for calming an infant. The 5 S's are based on the belief that humans are born 3 months early, due to head/brain size, which means to calm them it is best to mimic the environment in which they should still be a part of, the womb. (Sounds like hooey, eh?) Written by a seasoned pediatrician gave it some credence but I remained skeptical UNTIL we tried it and IT WORKED!  She freaked out and we calmed her, and calmed her quickly. It was amazing and energizing. She freaked out again and we calmed her again.

As a new parent, it's empowering to have the confidence to calm your babe.

Oh and the second swing purchased last week was a great porch swing. Every morning the first rays of sun tell Molly- WAKE UP!! thus it's time for one of us to join her as she welcomes the day. When it is my morning to start the day with Miss Molly, I find myself drawn to the porch swing. We swing, she smiles and enjoys the breeze. It's growing to be my favorite time of the day. Our neighbor, Judy, has named the swing the Mollyfier. (hahaha, get it? That Judy is so clever!)

So that's how the Feelfus family is swinging into having the happiest baby on the block. It also doesn't hurt that we are the only ones on the block with a baby so defacto we have the happiest one!

Oh and not related to this post... here's a few of my favorites from our one month living room photo shoot. I'm told she is cute but obviously I have mom-goggles on.

Scenes from the Life of Socrates (and Molly)

Molly got a Socrates doll last week (thanks Barry & Amber!).  So of course, I (Wyatt) had to create a new post -- great moments from the life of Socrates (and Molly):

This is Socrates:

This is his disciple Molly:

Socrates asks Molly "Do the gods do good because it is good? or Is the good good because it is what the gods do?"  Molly is dumbfounded:

Socrates and Molly discuss the nature of love over wine at the symposium:

Socrates and Molly hanging out in Plato's cave:

Where they are making shadow animals on the wall:

But soon Socrates is arrested and sentenced to death:

Molly is upset:

Following Socrates' dying wish, Molly delivers a rooster to the god Asclepius:

Molly achieves Socratic enlightenment, knowing that she knows nothing:

Ode to the visitor

As Wyatt earns his best-dad-in-the-world stripes and continues to rock Miss Molly to sleep (we are going on 90 minutes, people) it prompts me to write a special note of thanks to the visitors we have had thus far. Both my sister, Jacki, and my mom were such an immense amount of help with actions and support.

Molly's first visitor was my sister, Jacki. She flew all the way from Portland, Oregon to be with us less than a week after Molly was born. She held Molly for endless hours allowing me to physically recuperate and begin the steps of comprehending how different my life has become. She worked outside on our sad, sad garden. But most of all she listened and supporter both Wyatt and I as we muddled through the first week. This was a common scene when Jacki was around....

Aunt Jacki and Miss Molly Mae.

She left and three days later my mom showed up. My mom or what she now proudly labels herself- Grandma Stoltzfus- spoiled us. She loved, loved, loved holding and caring for Molly. Raising four children herself, she is a seasoned expert and it shows. She reassured me that Molly was not sick whenever she cried (because yeah, I always jump to the worst) and told us we were doing a good job. She worked hours outside cleaning up the crazy jungle foliage surrounding our house. After eight glorious days she left to return to the farm. Here's a quick shot of Gma, Molly and Big Phil.

Grandma Stoltzfus, Miss Molly Mae and Big Phil

So now it's just us... and it's hard sometimes. It's hard when she cries and we don't know what to do. It's hard when we are tired, she is tired and we all just need to take a week-long nap. But when she is happy, when she gives a little gas or milk-coma induced smile it's easy to remember where the patience comes from.

She's our little Molly Mae. We created her and we love her.

Why I think of my baby like a Hebrew National Hotdog or "If you were a hotdog, would you eat yourself...?" or "Oh I wish I were an..."

I like hotdogs.  They can be pretty great.  And, if I'm in a hotdog mood, they might just be amazing.  For a hotdog you can buy at the store, all beef is definitely the way to go.  That means the Hebrew National just might be the greatest cook-it-yourself hotdog.  Put it in a potato roll and smother it in sauerkraut and horseradish and you're ready to go.

But when it comes to a hotdog's place in the wider world of food, let's face it; it's not that high.  Even a quality hotdog isn't BBQ ribs, or sushi, or duck confit.  It's good for what it is, but what it is is still a hotdog.

That's kind of how I think of babies -- and now, my baby.  I should warn you, this is the part of the post where I compare my child to a tube of meat product (though in fairness, when she's swaddled, she does kind of resemble a tube of human product).  So, let's all just agree to accept the inherent limits of any analogy, and go with it.

I'm not really a baby person.  Maybe it's the fact that I haven't been around babies that much.  Maybe it's the lawyer side of me that makes it hard for me to think of non-language communication as... well, communication.  My mom even says that I was never really a little kid -- always just kind of a small adult.  If I could have skipped straight to a later phase of development with my own progeny, I probably would have done it.  (Jeanette probably would have too.) But, now I have a baby.

And I like her.  She can be pretty great.  And, if I'm in a baby mood, she might just be amazing.  And of course, like a Hebrew National Hotdog, my baby is the greatest baby that the world has ever seen (in every conceivable way).

But looking at stages of life, she's definitely still a hotdog.  I mean, if this is lobster roll, I think I'm in for a long ride.  I imagine I'll look back at this stage fondly in some ways, but I doubt I'll want to go back.  I know the future will hold it's own share of challenges, but I've never had any doubt that I'm more cut out for the go-to-soccer-games, teach-her-how-to-play-chess, or help-her-figure-out-how-to-get-into-college stages of parenting (but hopefully not the let-her-live-in-my-basement-after-college stage).  Then again, if the potent cocktail of smart-ass-ness that Jeanette and my genes could produce comes to pass... Well, a hotdog might look pretty good.  For now, I'll try to enjoy her for what she is -- a little baby, yes, but a pretty great one.

Wyatt.

Speedy delivery....

Speedy delivery....

Molly has gotten her first piece of mail... her social security card.

Now let's get her a job and a passport.

"What do you do for fun?" "Well... I've been a dad for about a week."

Jeopardy.

I've been watching -- and yelling answers at my TV -- since I was a kid.  It's been a longstanding dream of mine to be on the show.  I think it would be the ultimate game show experience.

Sure, there are other game shows -- you can win more money on Millionaire or scream louder on The Price is Right.  But Jeopardy is the pinnacle.  The competing, nerdy players.  The tough questions.  The quick format.  The Final Jeopardy music.  Alex Trebek snarkily correcting contestants' French pronunciations.  Jeopardy has it all.

I got really excited about 5 years ago when I realized that anyone can take an online test, offered every January, for a chance to be on the show.  I've taken the test every year since, never knowing whether I did well enough to qualify for an in-person audition (they don't tell you how well you did, just that they might call you if you did well).  

So, what does this have to do with being a new parent?  Well, a little over a month ago I got the long-awaited email.  Jeopardy wanted me to come to New York for the second and final round of qualifications, the in-person audition.  I would take another test similar to the on-line one, play a mock round with other prospective contestants, and have a personality interview to make sure I was TV material.  The problem:  they wanted me to come on May 21, one week after Jeanette's due date. 

My initial reaction was, "Well, there's always next year."  But then I thought, "It's a week later, and Molly might come early, maybe I can do this."  I talked with Jeanette, who was really supportive, and we agreed that as long as Molly came early enough that they were home from the hospital, I would go.  Jeanette's sister Jacki even moved up her planned visit so she would be here to help out while I was gone.  (She said it had been her dream for me to be on Jeopardy since she met me...)

As you all know, Molly made her appearance on the 13th, clearing the way for my NYC excursion.  On Monday I headed up on the Megabus, stayed with old friends that night, and showed up bright and early for my audition on Tuesday morning.  The audition went well, everyone was very nice, and I got quite a few answers right (especially in Before and After) -- except in the fabrics category.  Of course there have to be a category on "fabrics" right when I got up to do my mock round... 

Anyway, I knew I needed to do something to help me stand out from the couple of thousand other auditioners.  And what could help me stand out better than the Mollster?  After all, how many other one-week parents could there be among the group?  Plus, what better evidence could there be that I really wanted to be on the show? 

When it came time for my personality interview in front of the room of other contestants, I made sure to bring it up.  We talked about where I was from and my job ("Have you ever had clients you thought were guilty?" "Most of them")  Then they asked what I do for fun.  I said, "Well... I've been a dad for about a week."  Needless to say, Molly was a big hit.  Everyone congratulated me.  The Jeopardy folks asked all about her.  And they even said "Take good care of Molly" as I was leaving 30 minutes later. 

I don't know if I'll get on the show or not.  But if I do, I'll have to think that being a brand spankin (but not actually spankin) new parent helped.

Pumping Rally...

So it has been almost a week since life has changed forever. The first two days were trying. Those hormones are no joke. I was emotional waking up and seeing a little creature beside me- shit, I'm a mom. I was even more emotional when on the second day of Molly's life, she was attached to me like a bee on honey for more than 12 hours. At the time I thought... "great, she's getting what she needs and because she's a bit of a chunckster she needs alot." After a day of sucking, latching and then screaming like Wyatt and I imagine the sounds of a swooping pterodactyl we were at our wits end trying to figure out how to soothe our growing babe.

Yet she wasn't growing. In fact, she continued to loose weight and she was angry about it.

What struck as heartbreak at first has blossomed into a blessing.

When we were told she was not getting food our nurse sensitively and kindly introduced the idea of pumping. Reluctantly, due to pride or hormones or all the above I agreed to pump with the hope of feeding baby girl. Tears ran down my cheeks as I internalize my lack of ability to feed this little human but....

I pumped and drops came.

I pumped again 3 hours later and a few drops dripped. Again and bit more. Fast forward five days and the knowledge from the pediatrician that Molly has a "tight tongue", I'm happy to report the situation is much better than the second day.  I'm pumping and pumping enough to feed my milk to her but through a bottle. A bottle that is held my her adoring father, excited aunt Jacki and all the other visitors yearning to connect and nourish her little being body and soul.

For me it's the best of both worlds. I get a little me time when I pump (I'm actually writing this blog and pumping) and others who love her get to connect with her as she drink her sweet milk gold. It's working for us!

And being familiar with the milking process (what, what dairy farm upbringing), I have to smile a bit every time I'm hooked up to my milker. :)

from a mother for a almost a whole week,
jeanette

Oh here's another photo of Miss Molly hanging out with Aunt Jacki! She kinda looks like a crazy bag lady and we love it!

(be sure to check out more pictures by clicking the link to the right titled- Check 'em out!)

She's here!! Molly Mae has arrived!

It was a long day and a hard journey. Having been told that Molly was going to be a big baby, a planned induction was put into the books for Monday, May 13. Obviously, we hoped that Molly would arrive on her own before that date but we all know hopes don't always turn into reality. So bright and early on Monday, May 13 we were on our way to Holy Cross hospital. Labor started around 9:30 am and Jeanette was told to start pushing around 5:30 pm. And push she did, she pushed for not one, not two but three hours. Pushed with all her might but Molly was content to stay right where she was, warm and safe inside. At the same time, Molly started showing signs of slight distress which prompted us, our doctor and nurse to make the hard decision for major surgery, otherwise known as a c-section. So off to the OR we went. Within 20 minutes of starting the procedure we heard the mighty lungs of our stubborn, vocal and quite fetching baby girl. I got to hang out with her as she was weighed, measured and wiped clean. I was able to carry her over to Jeanette as she got stitched up. Jeanette was super exhausted but was happy to hear Molly's strong cry as she entered our bright and cold world.

So that's sums up our story. We have since been getting to know each other and enjoying the first day of parenthood.

Oh in case you missed it, below is a Molly's e-announcement. See I told you she was cute!

Make your own announcement

From a tired new dad,
Wyatt

Just the beginning....

Greetings all,   This is Jeanette writing with Wyatt hovering above. We have decided to start a family blog. Why you may ask? Well tomorrow, bright and early, we head to the hospital and when we return we will have Baby Girl Molly. Yes, a baby.

Although we have no idea what we are really doing we have spent the last few months of parentfreehood preparing (each in our own way).

Big Phil tested out some essential baby accessories (thanks mom for the sweet homemade bibs)....

Wyatt caught up on some scholarly reading....

And I, or rather my belly, just grew and grew and grew some more. It's a bit ridiculous really but hey I hear it's part of the process.

So here we are on this surreal eve of parenthood. Ready? eh, maybe but she's acomin' and it shall be an adventure.

Oh, just in case you wonder this used to be my blog of my travels and pondering. Feel free to read previous posts, if you dare. :)

Over and out,
Jeanette, Wyatt and Phil (who's hanging out with his best buddies Coby, Ben and Nancy).