Week 2

I started checking out a website called "Rookie Moms" (thanks for the link, Luther) that has 500-some activities for new moms & babies, and oneidea I really like was taking a series of pictures to show growth. Basically, you find a solid colored piece of furniture to prop the kid on, and snap a photo at regular intervals to track their progress, with the hope that the end result is kind of like that cool, time-lapse photography of a flower opening in a film from your 8th grade science class. So here's photo #1, at 2 weeks. Brennan didn't tip over, but I do think he looks a bit like a very tiny drunk at the end of the night.

We made our first trip to the farmers' market at

the Ferry Building and it went pretty well - as long as we kept moving. A baby stroller turns out to be a pretty handy place to stuff all your purchases and the coats you thought you needed because it was about 15 degrees colder at your house and foggy.

We also survived a dinner out where Brennan didn't sleep through the meal. I had to take him outside and swing him a bit, and his daddy had to rock him through the main course and dessert - but we weren't thrown out, given dirty looks, and the universe didn't collapse around us. Hooray. (The staff at RNM was actually super nice about everything.)

We also had a little pre-Labor day picnic in Golden Gate Park with the dogs. It was a very pretty day, and the dogs enjoyed finishing the sandwiches.

Week 1

Brennan is closing in on one week on the planet (well, yes, he was already on the planet before he was born, but he does often have this inquisitive if moderately baffled look on his face I like to call his "welcome to earth" face) and we've had lots to do. When you're this young, it's easy to have plenty of "Baby's First" photo ops - that is, when I remember to bring the camera, and when the resulting photos don't fully reflect how exhausted and blown-out looking the adults are.

We came home from the hospital on Tuesday morning. We could have stayed

until 5 pm, but to be honest, the hospital is kind of drag once you're back on your feet. Another 8 hours in a tiny room, staring at the view of the parking deck, getting woken from a perfectly good nap for a blood pressure check, and

eating hospital food - versus my own bed, and take out from the Boulange de Cole, and the dogs, who have never woken me to check my blood pressure - hmmm, tough choice. Plus, we wanted to introduce Brennan to his new home and all the things we do here - like shopping online. Here he is helping his daddy spend one of the gift cards Kara was nice enough to give him.

Grandma Mary arrived Wednesday afternoon to spend the week playing with her first grandchild and fending off the forces of chaos. Given that I came home from the hospital with a list of restrictions that limit me mostly to breathing, eating, and feeding the baby, she's been pretty busy. She helped with the first bath at home Wednesday night, and also Brennan's first shopping trip,

where she treated him to a bouncy chair. We're not sure yet what he thinks of it, but he looks pretty good in it, especially in the green blanket.

His first check up was Friday, where he was given a clean bill of health - but sent home with orders to eat as much as he can to regain his birth

weight. Also, he peed all over Dr. McMahan. Sadly, no photos.

I've been having a small amount of success at getting him to sleep in his bassinet, mostly from about 6 to 8 or 9 am. I'm starting to look at that thing the way I justify an expensive dress or pair of shoes - sure, it cost X dollars, but divided by the number of times I use it, it's really only Y dollars - but maybe he'll like it more later. At least this gives him a chance to show off the lovely blanket Brandy made for him. In other exciting news, my rings and some of my shoes are starting to fit again.

We went out for brunch today at Just For You in Dogpatch. I asked him if he wanted a beignet, but he wouldn't wake up. Since brunch wasn't a disaster, we're going to try dinner out, at Old Persons and Babies Dinner Hour, which is fast approaching. Brennan needs to get his pants on, and his mom needs to put on some mascara or something so she doesn't look so tired.

Introducing... Brennan Marshall Petersen

The Birth Of Brennan Marshall Petersen

Guest Blogger: Mr. Brennan Marshall Petersen

On August 17th, 2008, 5:18 PST, I was finally born! There were a number of false starts, beginning a week and a half ago when my mommy ate Indian food and mistook those symptoms for me trying to make my way to land.  Silly Mommy.  Oh well, I got her back by beginning my slow, drawn-out descent this Friday and depriving her of sleep for 48 hours until I was ready for my debut on Sunday. After 3 hours of being pushed, I came into the world weighing a whopping 8 lbs 5 oz.!  This caused my mommy much consternation, but she should have known better since my daddy had been wishing for something in the 9 to 10 pound range and I certainly looked like I was going to explode out of her little belly these last few weeks.  We received further confirmation of my size when our favorite nurse, Ms. Collette, guessed that I was 8 lbs 2 oz. and told my mommy she would definitely be able to handle me since she has "big feet".

Proof of my size below:

As you can see, I am also quite long, coming in just shy of 21 inches.  I hope to grow up tall, like my daddy, so I can see above the crowd.

That's about it for this post.  I'm getting tired and need to eat.  Only thing I would add is at this point I like to grunt and make funny noises, alternating between those of a little piggy and a pack crazy monkeys.

I'll leave you with a few pictures of me and mommy:

P.S. Big shout out to my Godmother Kris - I cannot wait for your wedding to Uncle Tim!  Can't wait to see my Grandparents as well, so please come see me soon!

BMP

The Watched Pot

My mother reports both my brother & I came early. Cousin Ian came early. So when I arranged the start date of my maternity leave, I don't think I fully grasped that I could actually be waiting for my due date (Aug. 16) or beyond. It will probably come as no huge surprise that I find I am ill-equipped for this much unstructured free time, particularly when it requires being within a 30 minute radius of a bathroom at all times. On the positive side, it has given us time to do most of the stuff "they" say you get done before the baby arrives. The car seat has officially been installed and inspected. (Whether or not I can operate it, con bambino, remains to be seen.) The little clothes are all laundered in baby-safe detergent and folded away in their drawers. It only took an hour for two college-educated adults to put together the "travel-friendly" bedside bassinet. And the second bedroom has been transformed from a sort of office/guest room/wardrobe staging area into something that looks surprisingly like a baby's room. Except, you know, cleaner.