Pearly Whites

Sadie's first tooth broke through her gums today!! This is all very exciting for us! It's on the bottom left side of her mouth. Her doctor was spot on. She said it would come though in a day or two, and it came the very next day. Who-hoo!!!

Here's a totally unrelated video from a week ago...

Mark was testing her standing ability. The doctor was also quite impressed with her leg strength, and she's showing it off here...

Big Girl!

Sadie went to her 4-month appointment today. The most surprising news was that she has a tooth breaking through! The doctor said the little bugger should rear its head in the next day or two- wow!!! So early! She has been drooling a lot lately and has taken to chewing (not just sucking) on her hand, two indications that she's teething. Mark and I felt her gums tonight and it's jagged at a point on her bottom gum...that's where the tooth will be! This is very exciting. My little girl is getting old so fast!

Here's a summary of her growth percentiles:
Weight: 15lb 9.4 oz. (82%)--- she was born at 35%
Height: 25" (69%)---born at 82%
Head Size: 16.73 in (83%)---born at 48%

I just want to give a shout-out to breastfeeding! Sadie has had my milk exclusively (except for a little formula during her 24hr stay in the NICU), and she is so healthy! I love that she started out smaller than average, and breastmilk has fattened her up! I also love that it's all she needs to eat for the first 6-months of her life...how crazy cool is that?

zoning out...time for a nap!

It's finally bedtime after a long day with plenty of vaccination tears. She's sporting her big girl teething ring.

A Change for the People

In the paper this morning (yes, we still get one of those), was an article discussing the history of healthcare reform. In 1966 LBJ passed Medicare after a long struggle with legislature, providing healthcare for the elderly. After other healthcare reform attempts by Nixon (a rebublican!) and Clinton, Obama stands alone with LBJ making healthcare reform a reality, and not just a failed battle in congress. So, this is a historic moment to be savored. I know many are against this bill (e.g. tea party people), but many more are for it than against it. Decades from now we will all praise the passing of this bill. Who's down on Medicare or Social Security? Very few, indeed. Most everyone realizes that these programs are essential for our nation's well-being. LBJ went to Independence, Mo. to sign Medicare into law. And the very first person to sign up for the program was Harry Truman. How cool is that?

The video is from the White House's website, showing a family's struggle with our current healthcare system.

Goodbye Charlie!

Today I'm mourning the end of a favorite TV series...The West Wing, joining ranks with The Gilmore Girls and The Wire. This political drama has been my faithful companion throughout my maternity leave, and today I finished the final episode of the seventh season. I calculated that I spent 6622 minutes of my leave watching West Wing (an embarrassing feat). I liked the show because it fills you in on life in the white house. The more and more I watched it, especially in the last 2 seasons, I had the sinking feeling that Obama and his team got a lot of their ideas from this show. I lift my glass to you, my friends, I will miss you!

Cheers to Josh and Donna! Thank you for FINALLY hooking up--geez you were stressing me out for a while! May you live happily ever after and have 15 fictional children!

Cheers Charlie! I guess you decided to change paths and join Psych (TV show), rather than going to law school. Best of luck!

Oh Sam, why did you leave us so early? You were the highlight of the show! Thanks for coming back in the end. Cheers to you as you navigate the white house as Josh's underling.

Mr President, we'll miss you-- Cheers!

We raise a glass to you CJ! May you have many beautiful children with Danny.

Leo, Toby. I tried liking your characters. But Leo-- you always had a creepy smile. And Toby-- you need to be nicer!

Thanks Anne for getting me hooked and letting me borrow all your DVDs. What's next? I like the new show Parenthood. Thomas Schlamme the Executive Producer/Director of Parenthood worked on the West Wing, and Lauren Graham of The Gilmore Girls is in Parenthood. Oh, and did I mention, my favorite part of Parenthood? It's set in Berkeley/Oakland. One of the families went to Fairyland in the 1st episode. I'm quite impressed that I watch all this TV without even having any TV channels...the beauty of Dvds and Hulu! Happy Viewing! 

It's (unofficially) Spring!

The entire fam was out in the yard over the weekend, enjoying the beautiful weather, and getting a kickstart on our garden. Dad weeded, I prepped the soil for planting (but probably not as thoroughly as I should have), and Sadie looked on--giving us advice now and again (see video). This week I've snuck outside during some of sadie's naps to water and finish the planting. Here are some of the yummy things we have out in the garden this year (hopefully they all grow well!):

Summer Squash

Strawberries

Snow Peas (whoops! I meant to get regular peas)

Tomatoes

Corn

Lettuce

Oregano

Basil

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Family Naptime: We took a long nap together this weekend. I think there was a good 45 minutes when we were all alseep. This was definitely one of my favorite moments of the weekend. Sadie was so content in the crook of mark's arm. so sweet.

Sadie looked on while I did the dishes this week. I'm loving her new chair we got Sunday...I can plop her almost anywhere! This chair is also supposed to develop her sitting skills. I tried to train her to use her burp cloth to dry dishes, but alas, I'll have to wait a few more years for a sous dishwasher.

We finally weighed Sadie. The last time she weighed in was at her 2-month appointment; she was 12lbs. On Sunday, at 4 month and 2 days, she was 16lbs ...quite big indeed! This happy girl likes to eat. She still seems long to me, and we'll find out at her appointment next week just how much she's grown.

Sadie's 4 Months Today!

Sadie is 4 months old today!

What a big girl! She celebrated by laughing while she was playing! She's been having a lot of laughs to herself lately, and it's a blast to see her having so much fun. We love her so much, especially those cheeks!

Happy 4 months, sweet sadie!

Learning to Sit

I've read that it's good to have your baby practice sitting, so that she can get the feel for it. Babies usually like the new perspective sitting offers, too. Here's a sequence of shots of Sadie sitting, then gracefully and gradually falling...

hmm...my pants are cool...

oh look, what's over here? It looks cool too. I think I'll lick that cool thing.

Hey Mom!

Oh, I found a nice soft spot. 

Mmmm this soft thing is good for sucking.

Oh I fell. But this is nice too.

Back up again. Mommy stop taking pictures of me!

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, by M.T Anderson and White Noise, by Don Delillo

I promised myself that I would do a review of every book I read this year, and I'm a bit behind.

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, by M.T. Anderson was a unique read and brought lively discussion to our book club last month. Set in Boston and thereabouts in the 1760's, the narrator, Octavian, and his mother, Cassiopeia, have been bought as slaves to live in an academy of experimentation. At this academy, The Novanglian College of Lucidity, Octavian and his mother are part of a grand scientific experiment to discover the capabilities of peoples of African descent. As a specimen, Octavian measures his feces, masters the violin, and learns latin. His mother, a supposed queen from Africa, entertains guests of the academy with her beauty. The unspoken question of the experiment is: Is the African able to accomplish what the white man can accomplish with comparable training? The world the characters inhabit feels surreal, yet it is based on schools of thought that Jefferson and Hume themselves adopted. As Octavian becomes more and more educated and capable, his freedoms become stripped away.  The results of the experimentation are used against him to limit his learning. Everyone at our book club was eager to read the sequel to find out what happens to Octavian after an attempted escape. Check out the NY Times Book Review here. I would definitely recommend reading this book. 

                                               

This is now a modern classic, White Noise by Don Delillo (Mr. Post-modern himself). Set in the 1980's a American family experiences a toxic event that forces them to flee town. Everything in this book screams 1980's: pill addiction, references to Diet Coke, broken families with multiple marriages, and the novelty of the microwave. It does give you a glimpse of the decade, but to me it felt blah. I read it because it is supposed to be good, and I thought it was just okay. You don't love the characters, probably because you get a sense that the characters only care about themselves and the fear they're wrapped up in. It's quintessentially post-modern-- not my cup of tea. 

I Love My Grandparents!

I had a great weekend with my grandparents! Grandma Sally was nice and warm-- she took me on a long walk in the ergo. Grandpa V was so silly! He played a lot of games with me. He also read me my favorite stories and swaddled me up at nap time. They both cuddled me so nicely and made me laugh out loud with their silly antics. I tried to convince Grandpa to let me watch the Oscars, but dad said, "No watching the TV." Instead, I sat near grandma and did sit-ups to stregthen my core (I'm getting a little pudgy). I can't wait for June when they'll visit me again! I think I may surprise them and show them that I'll be able to sit up, roll over, and eat solid food. Well, better get training for their return!

Love, Sadie Fern

Little Songbird

Sadie has been experimenting with her voice... her coos have become sing-songy, and quite a delight! Check out the videos!