ZONK

babywearing

We often find that we need an extra hand while also being able to hold Ian. The best solution is our Peanut Shell baby sling. I love it because it's really easy to put on and I can still snuggle with Ian while getting chores done around the house. Ian loves it too, it lulls him right to sleep.

He's still a little bit tiny for the pocket of the sling, so I always find that I have to move the fabric away so it's not covering his face too much, but he doesn't seem to mind.

Joe complains that I bought a girly pattern, but he is a good sport and will wear the sling outside to play fetch with Clipper.

Pen and Coin Holder

Even with the new baby I have found time, in between feedings and with Alison's help, to get into my workshop and play. This project was to fill a need to wrangle up the coins and pens I had strewn all over my desk at work. I also wanted to use some of the short cuts of bubinga I had bought the last time I was at Exotic Lumber Inc.

I don't have a lathe so I improvised. I made the cup by creating a hexagon and cutting most of the waste away with the bandsaw (including the interior waste). Then I slowed the drill press down as slow as it would go and built a makeshift lathe with all thread, two plywood caps, and some nuts and washers and sanded the rest away.

I used "salad bowl" wipe-on finish because it was easy and I always like the way it looks.

Tummy Time

I'm getting pretty good at tummy time!

I can't decide between looking at Mommy, napping, and tasting the Boppy, so I'll just do all three at once.

Bath Time!

Our friends the Farrers inspired us to graduate Ian to a real bath instead of his regular sponge bath. For the first attempt, we did pretty well and he loved it! Not a peep the whole time, and he didn't even pee on me.

A Day at the Park

To avoid another boring day of sitting on the couch watching Ian nap and catching up on old episodes of Burn Notice, we decided to take him out and about.

First, we went to a locally-famous hot dog stand which turned out to be a trailer in the parking lot of our local garden center.

Joe loved the Chicago-style hot dog (yes, there's actually a hot dog buried under all those bizarre toppings), but I wasn't a fan.

Ian slept through the whole meal.

Then we headed to Algonkian Park, where we found a bench with a lovely view of the Potomac River.

We also made our requisite weekend trip to Home Depot. Predictably, Ian slept through that too.

1 Month Old

Ian is one month old today! It's hard to believe a month has gone by already. Every month of Ian's first year, we will take a photo of him in a plain white onesie sitting in Mommy's green chair. It will be fun to see how much he's grown!



At one month of age, Ian:
* is just now fitting into his newborn-sized clothes.
* drinks 3-4 ounces at every feeding and eats every 3-4 hours.
* weighs 7 lbs 12 oz.
* can lift his head off a shoulder or the floor and hold it up for a long time.
* can follow objects with his eyes.
* can grasp objects tightly, especially Mommy's hair and earrings.
* can inch his way across his play mat during tummy time by pushing up on his tip-toes and straightening his legs.

Ian and His Best Friend Clipper

Ian: "What is this big scary furry thing that's always in my face??"
Clipper: "But WHY can't I lick the baby??"

This baby swing is kind of nice.

Our first trip around the neighborhood in the stroller.

Uncle Tom puts me right to sleep.

Daddy, the news is boring ... turn on some cartoons!

I am staring intently at "Empire Strikes Back" on TV. Daddy has already turned me into a geek.

More photos

Clipper likes to give Ian kisses. He doesn't seem to mind.


Watching TV with Dad

Ian's Nursery

After 6 months of work, Ian's nursery is finally finished. Joe did all of the woodwork in the room, including the custom built-ins, wainscotting, and all of the mouldings.