my first bath

I gave Emerson his first bath today. He really enjoyed it! He cooed and cooed, and kicked!

(I've made three posts today - make sure you scroll down!)

down by the river

My cousin Mark visited us this weekend, from his current home in Long Island, NY. We spent the day down by Clear Creek in Golden. Emerson was asleep, so he didn't make it into any pictures! Sofia enjoyed playing with Mark.

their mama's for obama

On the 3rd day of the DNC, Sofia, Emerson and I rode the bus downtown to take part in a MomsRising.org march. Moms Rising works for women's issues, namely:

Maternity & Paternity leave

Open and flexible work

TV we choose & after school programs

Healthcare for a kids

Excellent & affordable childcare

Realistic & fair wages

(MOTHERS).

It was a nice gathering, and just enough for us! I think the best part for Sofia was riding the bus! But, I enjoyed the energy and the people watching as we sat in a Starbuck's cafe. It was great to feel I actually got involved in the DNC in some minor way. I wish I could have done more, but with two small children, one of them being only 6 weeks old, I just didn't feel that I could. I am envious of the 84,000 people who saw Obama speak at Mile-High Stadium on Thursday. What an amazing energy!! Everyone I've met who was there was just so taken by his speech. I have such high hopes!!

mamas for obama

While Sofia was at school this morning, Emerson and I went to a "mamas for obama" rally at the Children's Museum, which was organized by a delegate from California. It was inspiring, and I am so hopeful for Obama to win this year! I truly think he is the change and the challenge that this country needs to resolve so many of our problems. The Republican party touts "family values", but Obama VALUES the family! (OK, enough from my soapbox!)

I bought a onesie for Emerson and a t-shirt for Sofia, that reads "My mama is for Obama!" We'll join in a march tomorrow afternoon organized by "MomsRising.org", which supports basically anything mom-child related (family leave act, equal pay for equal work, childcare, healthcare, etc.). When I showed Sofia her new shirt, she said, "I don't like it, take it back to the store!" I asked her why, and to my dismay she replied, "Because I don't want Barak Obama to win for you!" [SHOCK!!!] I chose not even to respond to that one!

On the ride home, she asked me, "Do you not want McCain to win?" and the big "Why?" I explained to her that if Obama wins, all children like her would be able to see a doctor when they are sick, and all children would be able to go to preschool. What else could I say to a curious three-year-old?

We loved watching Michelle Obama's speech yesterday, and are watching with anticipation Hillary's speech tonight. This election is the first one I've been excited about since I heard my mom and Grandpa discussing "Ron and Jimmy" in the kitchen when I was only two! It is even more so having the DNC here in Denver, literally 2 miles from our home!! Oh, I have such hopes for this election!

second day of school

This morning, I spoke to Sofia about the two new rules she had to learn yesterday (only one snack, and not to run into the hall when she sees me at dismissal), and she told me "I don't have patience to learn new rules." Well, good. I'm glad she can express what she is feeling!

But, when I picked her up, she did wait until Miss Rachael said she could go. And, later that afternoon, she smiled and told me she learned that rule.

first day of school

Sofia is growing up!!

She starts the ECE (Early Childhood Education) program at Valdez Elemtary School this year. It is a bilingual Montessori program, and will be in a class where 1/2 of the children speak Spanish as their first language. She will be in a class with 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds. We are very excited for her, and think this program will be great! It is bittersweet, as I'm not quite ready to let her go for 5 mornings each week. I will definitely miss our mornings together, trips to the zoo, library, or playground. Sofia is very excited to go to school, but I anticipate after a few days she may be ready to stay home again.

Monday was Sofia's first day. When I dropped her off, she walked right in and got busy, just as if she knew what to do!

When I picked her up, it was a bit different. Sofia saw me in the hall, and started to head towards me. Her teacher, Miss Rachael, called her back in, saying she couldn't leave until Miss Rachael dismissed her. Our sensitive little girl of course took this as a punishment, and her smile quickly turned into a frown. Her poor little ego was hurt! When she was dismissed, I asked her how was school, and she replied, "I don't want to talk about it." We walked outside and she got excited telling me about the playground she played on. When we got to the car, she said, "I'm a little bit angry." I asked, "Was it because you had to learn some new rules?" She said yes. Then I used an analogy from her book Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots? and asked, "Oh, do princesses have to follow the rules?" She smiled and replied, "yea" and I added, "That's one of the things they learn at school!" (Thank you aunt Barbara for giving us that wonderful book! It has become an amazing tool for us in learning the rules of life!)

Later I asked her to tell me about school, and she said, "I don't know about that school!" [sigh] I think we'll be processing what school is all about for a while! Today, though, she did tell me they sang a song about dinosaurs. Little by little I'll find out what happens in that new place!

Hi from Kent

You know, it's not that I don't want to post anything to the blog. It's just that...we're kind of busy. The typical week routine has me attending to Fia in the mornings as I get ready for work, with a handoff to Kristen at some point before I head out the door.

You might know, I switched jobs. This switching jobs is getting kind of old, but it is also common in IT. In any case, the first 2 weeks at the new company have gone well. Cachematrix has an interesting niche. It's a money market trading system for institutional investors. My manager described my job by saying "You own the database", so it will be what I make of it, within the structure of the culture and workload.

That's the 7:45 - 5:30 of each weekday, and then I'm home and again on some form of Fia duty. I walk in the door, I hear a big, happy "DADDY!!!!!" in about the sweetest, happiest voice you've ever heard. My heart melts every day, it's a highlight of each day.

Like raising any kids probably, Fia is always throwing us curveballs; she's teaching us a lot, all of the time! :-) She starts school tomorrow, and I'll be glad for her to get in a rhythm. Kristen did a lot of research to find out about this school, so we're excited.

But what I started to write is that Fia is such a wonderful little girl. Lately, if we're trying to give Fia some parental guidance, she'll say "But dad...that's not useful to my heart". And I'll have to say, "But Fia - walking on the coffee table is not useful to my heart" (an example from earlier today...). She's funny, and she sings and dances, and I just love her a ton.

Emerson (aka "big guy") is doing great. Fia, Emerson and I read Leo Lionni stories today, and Emerson was really listening and looking at the pictures. At 6 weeks, his eyes are just waking up to the world and are very, very big. He's lucky to have such a great mom, who does such a good job of taking good care of him.

We have the DNC going on this week, so it'll be interesting to see how that affects our days. I don't like politics, but I can see why folks have hope for Obama. He's a charismatic, very likable guy. Like anyone in a role of power like that, you hope for them to try to do what's right given very complex scenarios, and to demonstrate grace and composure under pressure.

Well, this has prattled on long enough. I wish everyone a good end of summer and start of fall, and I send to you our love from our family's little world here on Osceola Street.

birth in the 1%

Who ever thought I'd be in the 1% margin in anything? I just heard a statistic that only 1% of women in America give birth at home. That's amazing to me, considering that 99% of the entire world's population alive today was born at home! These numbers are important to me considering that 1 in 3 babies in America are born via cesarean section (more in some hospitals and regions!) - that's the highest number in the world! ** The World Health Organization studies recommends a cesarean section rates of only 5-10%, and states that rates above 15% seem to do more harm than good.** It makes me wonder what our culture is missing?

I am greatful that hospitals exist, and I realize they are necessary in some - many - cases. I am also greatful that women today have the choice to give birth the way they need to feel safe, whatever that means to the individual. But I question why have we removed ourselves so far from believing in what our bodies were created to do? How did we lose that trust? When did we become afraid of something so natural and so beautiful as giving life to a child growing inside of us?

I am ever greatful that I was able to experience Emerson's birth in my own home. It wasn't easy at all, but the one fleeting thought I did have of wanting to be in a hospital quickly passed with the next contraction, with the realization that in the hospital I would have medical interventions (asked for and unasked for!) that eventually would prevent me from giving birth naturally, just as they did with Sofia's birth.

And, having to be in the NICU at the hospital for Emerson's first week of life made me realize how glad I was that his first few moments were at home, in a calm, safe and warm environment, with Kent and me, and not being rushed away by some nurse who would flip-flop him around to wash and test and poke. I heard so many newborn babies and their cries, and was happy that while at home, Emerson never cried like they did. Of course, I was sad for what he had to go through while in the hospital, but I also new that it was necessary, and Kent and I did all we could to be present with him as much as physically possible.

** I must enter a disclaimer here. Emerson's "aspirated pneumonia" is a condition that happens to babies both at the hospital and at home. Our homebirth in no way contributed to his having to transport to the hospital. **

Having experienced the birth of Emerson, I have a new respect for all birthing women throughout time and spanning the universe. It is a feeling that I was unable to have with Sofia's birth, since she was born via cesarean section that I am sure was the result of unnecessary medical interventions which prevented my body from doing what it needed to do within the time limit the hospital imposes on a laboring woman.

For further reading on cesarean rates and hospital politics in America:
http://www.childbirthconnection.org/article.asp?ck=10456

reunion

Yea! My cousin Lyle, his wife Jade, and their daughter Rylie, returned home from 5 months in Minnesota, where Rylie had a bone marrow transplant. Rylie is doing well, and we got to visit all of them Tuesday evening. It was a happy reunion for Sofia and Rylie, and Rylie's personality just shone! We're so glad they are home.

i'm one!! (month)

Emerson's first picture with the teddy bear - a tradition we started with Sofia, and continued through her first year. We'll attempt to do the same for Em!

Ahhh... sleep, beautiful sleep!

Sofia's an artist! (I don't know why this picture is sideways...)

free of the o2!

The respiratory therapist came yesterday (Thursday)and monitored Emerson's oxygen levels while awake, nursing and sleeping. His levels stayed between 93-97%, which is great! They want it to stay above 90% to come off oxygen. The RT said Emerson did so well, he was within the range of a baby who had never had pneumonia! Yea Emerson!!! I'm so glad that part of his new life is over, and feeling so free not to lug around an oxygen tank wherever we go, not to mention getting the tube tangled on everything!! Sofia was also very proud of this fact, and wanted to be the first to tell Daddy on the phone!

We can now enjoy looking at his sweet baby face without that cannula covering it!!

MY mommy

Yesterday, Sofia said to me, "You're MY mommy. Emerson doesn't have a mommy." I said, "So who is Emerson's mommy?" She replied, "I don't know. We have to call somebody."

10 days young

Here are some more pictures, taken by Kjirsten, of Emerson at 10 days. This is the day after we returned from the hospital. (Thanks Kj!)