ESK Loves Ella Funt

ESK is growing up so fast. It seems just yesterday she was swimming in all her clothes and she was this wrinkled, helpless, little thing. Of course, she's still pretty much helpless, but she is definitely becoming more aware of her surroundings and is starting to put things in her mouth. Like her favorite toy -- Ella Funt. (I got that from the Beverly Cleary "Ramona" books. Remember Ramona Quimby had a stuffed elephant named "Ella Funt" and a baby doll named "Chevrolet"?) She plays with Ella Funt's crinkly ears, pokes at the eyes, bats at the rattle feet, then tries to put the trunk in her mouth.

These days I've been busy with a freelance writing project I picked up. It's a lot harder than I thought it was going to be, simply because it's difficult to get a large chunk of time away from ESK where I can really sit down and concentrate. I've been going on some interviews with ESK in tow and it has worked out for the most part. She's a pretty chill baby.

At an interview yesterday however, she was whining in her car seat and wouldn't settle down. So I had to pick her up to calm her down. She started whining again as soon as her head hit the car seat, so I put a very squirmy ESK on my lap and continued on with the interview. I must have been quite a sight since I was furiously typing on my laptop and then stopping every now and then to grab a hold of ESK who threatened to wriggle out of my lap. On top of all of that, I've had this weird flu the past couple days and had a stuffed up nose and a sinus headache.

I was kinda embarrassed, but luckily, the guy I was interviewing was a father of three and was pretty understanding. I think he probably thought it was funny. At least I hope.

Post-pregnancy Changes

Now that it's been three months, I'm taking stock of my body and seeing what changes are permanent. RBK warned me that things would not be the same after pregnancy and indeed, they are not! Mostly, there are bulges where there were not bulges. And while my feet have not grown dramatically or anything, my shoes do not fit the same, as if my foot bones shifted or something.

And today, I read this in the Wall Street Journal:

"One study suggests that motherhood may permanently alter the brain's memory and learning centers, according to a November 1999 report in Nature. In rat studies, rat mothers did a better job finding food and navigating mazes than rats who hadn't given birth. The theory is that the hormones of pregnancy as well as the powerful sensory events of motherhood, such as childbirth and breast-feeding, may permanently alter the brain, equipping mothers with enhanced cognitive abilities that help them care for their young."

So, it's possible that my brain is also altering! I guess this means that I'm getting better at finding grocery stores and child-friendly restaurants? The rest of the article went on to talk about how mothers are often the ones in charge of a family's health care and how mothers' instincts about a child/spouse's health are uncannily correct. The author brought up examples of mothers who just knew there was something wrong with their child, even though the children had no visible symptoms and the women had no medical training.

I'm just a new mom, but I hope to pick up this "cognitive ability" soon. Sometimes when I'm holding ESK or watching her, I shudder with fear at the thought of any harm befalling her. It's such a scary notion!

And to end this entry on a brighter note.... ESK has been doing her tummy time and is finally showing progress. Yay ESK!

Baby In Training

When it comes to baby ESK, SK and I consider ourselves to be lucky. We had a very smooth pregnancy, comparatively easy delivery, and a quick recovery. And we've heard over and over again that ESK is a good baby -- easy-going and docile.

For the most part, I agree that she is an easy baby. She sleeps well during the day, has no problem with eating, talks (baby talk that is) a lot, smiles, laughs...

But between the hours of 10 p.m. and 1 a.m., she turns into another baby -- a crying, fussing, hyperactive, cranky baby. Arms go a-flailin', cries are piercing and loud, tears are a-flowin'. Once she falls asleep, she's out for a good six hours at least. Which is great, but not good enough. This has been going on for about two or three weeks now.

So starting yesterday, we are putting ESK into sleep training. Our arms and backs can't take it anymore and now that she's 3 months (!!!) we think she's ready to really start sleeping through the night. I talked to my sister yesterday and found out her cousin GMK slept from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. when she was this age.

This means more work for me since I'll need to start logging her sleep/waking hours in spreadsheet-style manner and really start watching her for her sleep cues. But ultimately, I'm hoping this will mean more relaxation time in the evenings for both SK and me! We need it!

ESK Survives The Rock
Our days in the Bay Area are limited, so SK and I are trying to do as many touristy things as possible before we leave. Last week, SK had some days off, so we finally made a trip out to Alcatraz Island (immortalized in the cinema classic "The Rock", starring Nic Cage and Sean Connery).

Sight-seeing with a baby isn't that easy. Gone are the days when we could just grab our jackets and go out the door. We made sure we had an extra bottle of milk, plenty of diapers, change of clothing, extra blanket, etc. And even though we gave ourselves an extra cushion of time, we hustled to make our scheduled ferry trip across the bay and made it just as it was boarding.

All the effort was worth it. It was an interesting tour and made me glad that I did not choose a life of crime! So depressing! This jail in particular seemed especially cruel because the prisoners could see sparkling San Francisco and its free and fair denizens from their jail every day.

Here's a photo of lil' ESK being scared straight. We figured a few moments in a dark jail cell would keep her on the straight and narrow. Alas... she slept through the entire tour!