Suddy-duddy

So, what's your best caption for this photo? Leave it in the comments section below and I'll add them to the blog.

-- Before discovering music, Amadeus had a passion for bubble baths." -Scott
-- "Donald Trump's parents have a similar picture." -Rob
-- "She looks as though she would serve me well by supplying me with a fresh batch of shaving cream..." -George
-- "If you add a pineapple, banana, some cherries and a bunch of grapes to the bubble hair piece, you would have the youngest chiquita banana baby wishing you Happy Cinco de Mayo!!" -Jay and Patrice

'Round face' debut

Since Anni's more willing to sing publicly than I am -- karaoke being the only exception -- we bring you the debut of the "Round Face" song, something Anni came up with while holding Elise at the hospital. The song stuck. Now we know why -- it gets someone to smile.

Week 7 workout

Eyes

Me 'n' E

I have a big head.

A fist of fury.

I was unaware that she was trying to feed.
She was unaware that I don't produce Guinness.
And yet, Guinness has quirky ads,
so maybe I'm onto something with this shot.

Windmill arms

Six weeks

What's in a nickname?

If our daughter goes until age 6 before realizing her name is "Elise," we will be to blame.
After only six weeks, this poor girl has more nicknames and phrases used to describe her actions than we can keep track of. Most come from Anni, who often gives people nicknames.
Here are some that have been used so far:
-- Hen-pecking: When Elise is really hungry but is getting burped or held on Anni's shoulder, she will jerk her head back and forth in a pecking motion, her face hitting Anni's shoulder repeatedly.
-- Zombie Arms: When Elise is getting burped in Anni's lap, she sometimes will hold her arms out in front of her, slowly raising them up and down. It's pretty funny. (See above picture to get an idea.)
-- Frownie Brownie: This is a new one. She gets called this when she is just about to cry. She purses her lips and gives us a big ol' frown.
-- Falcon: Ever heard the screech of a falcon? We have, and it came in the middle of a really hard cry.
-- Jennie-O: I've written about this one before, but it still is used when we give her a bath or rinse her in the sink. Holding a wet, naked baby is not unlike gripping and rinsing a raw bird during Thanksgiving dinner preparation. (They don't tell you that in the "What to Expect..." books.)
-- Power to the People: Occasionally, while in her bouncer or even while being held, out of nowhere Elise will raise an arm and clinch the fist.
-- Lobster Face: After Frownie Brownie and before a hard cry, Elise's face gets as red as, well, a cooked lobster.
-- 'Lil E: When she's rollin' gangsta-style. Every once in a while she'll hold an arm out in front of her, fingers bent as though she's flashin' signs. We hope this practice doesn't continue.
-- Count Dracula: Sometimes Elise's cry sounds like Count von Count's laugh. Pretty funny.
--Italian Sunbathing Beauty: Right after a feeding, Anni will lay Elise across a pillow in her lap. Elise proceeds to assume the comfortable, sprawled-out position of somone enjoying a hassle-free day in the sun.
-- Fists of Fury: She gets feisty if a feeding session ends sooner than she wants. Her reaction is to start swinging clenched fists at Anni's chest. It is not unlike my reaction were someone to yank the ice-cream bowl from me.
There are other, less interesting, nicknames we have affectionately given her, but maybe it's time we start calling her Elise.

Splish. Splash. Scream.

A morning workout

Easter

Elise made it through Easter Day without spitting up all over the outfit Anni picked out for her, a real feat considering the amount of dirty laundry she typically produces. (What they don't tell you before the baby's born: You soon will do three times as much laundry and generate twice as much garbage.)
Here's a bigger feat: She made it through an entire Westminster Easter service -- trumpets, loud choir, etc. -- without howling. Anni joked that that must mean she's a presbyterian. Or maybe she just likes music.
Anyway, some photos from Sunday:

Easter egghead

The work of Elise's cousins, Randy and Jacob. Wonder what her payback will be years from now...

The ladies

23-10-38

Sprawled on the examining table in the doctor's office, Elise started her recent check-up by having a good cry and peeing all over the table.
Couldn't blame her. She was stripped naked and laying on that crummy butcher paper.
After that introduction, Elise warmed to the new pediatrician. She weighed in at 10 lbs 14 oz. That is more than a pound over her birth weight and, according to the fancy "weight-for-age percentiles chart" we were given, puts her in the 95th percentile. I'm not too worried about percentiles; she's eating just fine and looks healthy.
She's growing in other ways, too. She measured 23 inches, a full two inches longer than her birth length. She's long, but that does not mean beans for determining her height years from now, so we'll wait before enrolling her in hoops. Her head circumference was 38.5 cm -- whatever that indicates.
Two other interesting observations: The pediatrician is convinced Elise has my ears, which I guess is OK because I have normal ears, I think. Also, she has long fingers and the doc said that's a life-long trait, which I guess is OK because long fingers are better than nubbins.
Most importantly, the doc said Elise appears healthy and with a happy demeanor.
"This is a great baby," the pediatrician said.
We think so.

Five weeks

Save a diaper, use the tub

Elise got her second bath in the tub tonight -- we still use the sink for quick, drive-thru baths -- but it was the first one I was involved with.
Everything was going swimmingly -- until someone had a bowel movement in her bath chair. I told Anni that we're definitely parents now when we have an exchange like this:
"There's crap all over the bathtub," I said while cleaning the tub.
"Well, it's one less diaper to change," she said.

4.8.09

Four weeks old