This was a big week for Zoe…after her 5 month checkup at the Dr. (her platelets were great), we found out that it would be a good time to start her on some solid food! The Dr. recommended starting with rice cereal. So, of course I ran out to the grocery store that night to find her some. We bought her Gerber’s rice cereal with bananas. (I know, sounds delicious!) It was too late that night, but the following night, we mixed some together and let the fun begin.

Here she is day 1 getting ready for her first bite:

Here she is after her first bite:

Needless to say, we didn’t realize how messy feeding would be…we had to change her and wash her off. So, by the second night, we made a few changes. We made the cereal a bit thinner, so it was easier for her to eat and we didn’t get her ready for bed BEFORE she ate. Turns out by day 2, Zoe was a real pro at this…

She was very excited to start her food on day 2:

Zoe, the eating pro:

As a treat (no pun intended), here are videos of both nights.

Day 1:

Day 2:

Jon Q

I’ve been back at work since the end of Feb., but I haven’t shared too many of my thoughts about life as a mom with multiple jobs. (I hate the term “working mom” – because *every* mom is a working one!) Here are a few observations:

-You know that saying that youth is wasted on the young? I’m often reminded of that when I think about maternity leave and how it’s wasted on the baby’s first few months of life. In the beginning, babies do little but sleep, eat and cry – and it isn’t until three or four months that they develop real personalities and become so much more of a joy to be around. How cruel that this development coincides with most moms’ return to the office!! A co-worker and I once commented that there should be daycare for teeny-weeny babies – and moms should get to take time off to spend with their happy, adorable three- to six-month olds. We were only half-kidding!

-The *thought* of being away from Zoe for several days each week was a lot worse than actually being away from her. This isn’t to say that I haven’t missed her like crazy (see below); it’s just that it wasn’t as heartbreaking as I thought it would be. Maternity leave was such a strong bonding experience that I once reached the point where I couldn’t even THINK about going back to work and leaving Zoe without bursting into tears. (And this from a woman who really likes her job!) Once I left her a few times and started getting into the groove with things, though, I realized it was going to be okay – and I actually *felt* okay. (It helped, of course, that Zoe seems so happy with Elena – and that Elena seems to really care about her.)

-Although it might sound surprising, I don’t necessarily feel *guilty* about leaving Zoe during the day. I love my job and career, I feel like what I do is important, and I believe that Zoe is happy and safe even when we’re apart. In addition, I think it will be good for an older Zoe to see first-hand that women can play many different roles (both inside and outside of the home). With that said, I do sometimes feel sad for *me*. This is very selfish, I know – but spending time with Zoe is a great treat, and I often feel bad to be missing so many fun, gratifying moments with her.

-Since I’ve been back at work, I feel like I’m constantly moving at 100 mph. It seems like there’s always something to do (e.g. write a press release for work, do a load of Zoe’s dirty clothes at home) or to remember (e.g. bring milk, blanket, bib, etc. etc. to Zoe’s daycare). I’m fairly good with organization and time management, which helps keep me sane, but a little breather from time to time might be nice. (Then again, maybe I won’t get one of those for another 18 years or so!)

-Due to what I just wrote above, I often wish I could be two people (“work Michelle” and “home Michelle”) or have twice as much time in the day to do everything I want/need to to do. I know this isn’t a unique thought, though – what parent wouldn’t want more time to spend with their kids?

-My biggest struggle with being back at the office is keeping work-life and home-life separate. If I have a busy day or a looming deadline, I often bring my work home with me (if only in my head). Especially now that Zoe has an early bedtime and we only have a few hours together some of the evenings, I want to be better at leaving work at work – and just enjoying *being* with Zoe. This is something many people struggle with – whether they have a kid or not – and I find it one of the most challenging things to combat.

-This is probably a given, but now that Zoe is around, I always have something to look forward to in the evenings. Nothing makes me happier than reaching Holloway St. around 5:30 each night… Once I make that right turn, I’m only a few blocks away from a smiley, wiggly baby – who often greets me with a sloppy, open-mouth kiss!

-M

The recommendation has changed over the years, but these days doctors believe it’s best for babies to sleep on their backs. Each night since Zoe was born, we’ve put her to bed on her back like good parents – and each morning for at least the last month, we’ve found her lying on her stomach (usually in a completely different part of the crib and usually happily gnawing on her thumb.) Now that she’s learned to flip, there’s really nothing we can do: if I turn her over when she’s sleeping (which I frequently do before going to bed), she just later flips over to her tummy. I do still worry a bit about her preferred sleeping position (and wish she wouldn’t be such a rebel), but I have to admit that seeing her on her stomach – with her head held up high and a big smile on her face – is a super fun way to start the morning. How can I stress after seeing a face like this??

-M

Not only did Zoe spend time with Safta this past week, she also got visits from her Uncle Dan, Tonja, and Jack! She also fit in some time to take a bath or two and to have some good old fashion play time with Mommy. Here is the rest of her week, in a fun pictorial.

Jon Q

Bath time:

Our little ducky:

Hi, T!

Can’t seem to get off Uncle Dan’s shoulders:

Nice to meet you, Jack:

Check out my new friend, Jack:

Play time with Mommy:

As you know, Zoe’s Safta was here for the past week. Zoe had lots of fun running around and doing lots of fun things with her. This is the first morning that Safta is not here and Zoe misses her. Below are a bunch of photos from Zoe’s fun week!

Jon Q

Fun in the sun with Daddy:

Picture time with the Family:

Where’s the camera?

A quick bite at Girl and the Fig:

I can fly!

Playing football is fun…and nourishing:

Good night Safta:

There is nothing more fun than sitting in the grass and having a family picnic. Here Zoe gets to play a little with Uncle Dan.

Jon Q

Zoe got to spend a sunny day in Napa yesterday. Zoe with her Mom, Dad, Safta, Uncle Dan, and Jenny all got to hang out in wine country. She loved the Gamay Rouge, but loved shopping more. Check out the sun hat she bought!

Jon Q

Zoe loves the mornings. She is always so happy after her morning breakfast and before her morning nap. Today she got to spend time with Safta, which always makes her happy. At this point she recognizes her and smiles every time they are together. Check out the picture below!

Jon Q

Zoe has reached an age where she seems to change every few days. We haven’t posted in several days (‘busy week!), and I’ve noticed new things about her in just that short time-period. The biggest development is that she’s adopted a new squeal – which she now uses all the time (and for no apparent reason). She has also seemed extra happy lately, although that could be due to the fact that Zoe’s Safta is visiting!

Zoe wasn’t feeling well last weekend, and she passed her little bug on to me this week – but thankfully both of us felt better by the time Q’s mom arrived. She’s been spending lots of time with Zoe, and today the three of us enjoyed the gorgeous weather by shopping and wandering around… A true girl’s day! Tomorrow, six of us are heading to Napa for a little day-trip. Zoe is a big wine fan (an off-dry Riesling is one of her faves), so I know she’s super excited about our plans.

-M

This past weekend, the New York Times ran an article discussing the rise in infant mortality rates in Mississippi and a few other poor, Southern states. It described women who go their entire pregnancies without getting prenatal care, and it told a heart-breaking story of a 4-month-old with breathing problems who died after receiving subpar care. The article was amazingly sad, and what was described was so very different than my experience. Towards the end of my pregnancy, because of my blood disorder, I was getting weekly ultrasounds and going in for twice-weekly appointments with my OB – and yet there are thousands of pregnant women (and babies) who receive no care at all! This makes me feel both incredibly blessed and incredibly guilty – and I can’t get over the fact that nothing is being done to address the health care disparities in this country.

A few years ago, I wrote an article for work on our health care system: how messed up it is, and how universal health care could fix many of its problems. I’m hoping the health care issue plays a big role in the 08 presidential election; it’s about time we fix this thing!

-M

As Michelle mentioned yesterday, Zoe is now 5 months old. She also mentioned that we were excited to see her head up while on her tummy. Well, I thought I would post a picture of her playing with her toys. First comes her head up while playing with toys, then comes crawling! You’ll be the first to know if she does make the move…

Jon Q

Zoe is five months today and I’ve got to say that this is a thrilling and fun age! Zoe spends most of her awake time smiling, squealing or opening her mouth VERY wide – as if she’d like to swallow everyone and everything that crosses her path. She puts almost everything in her mouth (or tries to), and her interest in toys (and playing around with her parents) continues to grow. She is pretty equal-opportunity when it comes to her toys, but she does seem particularly fond of a cube-shaped Lamaze toy that rattles, crunches and does other fun things; she also really likes this interactive book that lights up and sings nursery rhymes to her. (The latter is a favorite of her mom’s, too.)

As mentioned above, Zoe loves to laugh – and she’s been doing a lot of it in the last month or so. Two things that get her going every time: tickling her in the tummy and oinking (yes, like a pig) at her. We found out about the oinking last weekend; Zoe’s Aunt Sandy and I were laughing so hard that we wound up crying after a particularly funny laughing session with her.  

In terms of physical developments, Zoe has gotten quite good at holding her head up when on her stomach, and she can now sit unassisted for short periods of time. She’s also able to roll both ways: stomach-to-back and back-to-stomach. She continues to show an interest in standing up – although she’s been able to bear weight on her legs since she was just a few weeks old.

Zoe is still a good little sleeper – going to bed around 8 PM and waking up at 6:30 or 7 AM. (We adopted a stricter bedtime and nap schedule around the Week 17 mark, and Zoe took to it right away.) She usually lets us know when she’s ready to go to sleep by rubbing her eyes and sucking her thumb, and she often puts herself right to sleep when she hits the mattress. (Check out the picture below; doesn’t she look content in her bed?) Once in her crib and even when sleeping, she’s constantly squirming around: doing 180s and flipping between her stomach and back. (Elena, her babysitter, said she’s never seen a baby so young move around so much in the crib.) She continues to take three daytime naps, with the longest starting at 1 PM, and to eat four times a day. She hasn’t started on solids, yet, but Q is anxious for that big step.

We haven’t been to the doctor in a month, but a quick step on the scale tells us that Zoe is between 15 and 16 pounds. Where did our little 7-pounder go??

-M