The Fuss Patch

Wow, it's been a month. Hannah says it's the fastest month of her life, to me it feels like the slowest. Time is definitely upside-down or inside-out or something. Or maybe we're just closer to baby time, with no perspective at all except hungry, tired, fussy. And for both of us, life before Alma seems like a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

For those who are keeping track, we proudly boasted a few weeks ago that we had figured out how to get her to sleep longer at night. That wonderful three-day period is long gone, I'm afraid. Alma Noor is constantly changing, and keeping us on our toes. You'd think the variables of eat, sleep, poop, look around, and cry are few enough to make life pretty predictable. But it's more like an ever-changing puzzle.

A big part of the puzzle is the "fuss patch," a new term we've learned that complements the "cute patch." That is, baby gets into a patch of extreme cuteness or fussiness for no apparent reason. The fuss patch lasts from around 4-9pm, and we are trying every trick in the book(s) to mellow her out, but coming to accept what they all say -- some babies just go through an evening fuss patch.

Fortunately, the cute patches keep rolling too, and our ongoing delight is watching Alma's face change. Her new facial expressions are endlessly fascinating, ranging from the adorable to the absurd. There are hints that a smile may be coming soon! So stay tuned!

With love,
- Sohrob

We slept!

Hello friends, it's been an exciting couple of days for the new family. Where to begin: most importantly, we figured out if we keep baby up during the day, she sleeps better during the night. So the last couple of nights we've enjoyed a new level of sleep, which sort of makes everything easier. ("You won't sleep and your life will be totally different" is something I heard countless times before Alma arrived, but it's the kind of thing you can't know until you know.)

Big step in Alma's gradually increasing incarnation: her existence is now acknowledged by the state!! Alma experienced her first dose of bureaucracy in a tiny county office with awful fluorescent lighting as we signed off to the state of California that our baby is real. Next door people applied for medical marijuana licenses (gotta love CA). The birth certificate is coming in the mail... and even as Hannah and I tried to cast a spell of protection from the bad lighting and atmosphere of office drudgery, we were thankful we can so easily obtain this paper which will make a lot of things easy in her life. Lots of people work their whole lives for papers that she is born with. Next step: registering her with Canada!

Another big step: first doctor's appointment!! In short, everything seems to work properly, she is gaining weight nicely, and our doctor is a nice lady with funny hair.

What else, here's a picture of us on the porch, I bought Hannah these earrings. Ok, maybe not but this strange state of new family-ness does feel quite holy, and to me Alma's smile looks like an elephant's smile. BTW she definitely does smile, and she has even flashed us a few very self-aware "I know I'm cute" looks which really took us by surprise.

The transformative journey of fatherhood is moving along. I notice my brain is still occupied with the same predispositions: arcane kitchen projects (e.g. making plum jam), superhero movies, the standard range of anxieties and whatnot. What is different is that my heart has grown a size or two like the Grinch who stole Christmas. Mostly I'm too sleepy to notice but in the moments of alertness it's pretty amazing to look down and find my heart expanded. Many thanks to the power that expands hearts!! Love and good wishes to all,

- Papa Sohrob