Baby Weekend

Here's what we did this weekend...

We got professional newborn portraits taken by Sarah Tew, the talented photographer who did our maternity photos. She was actually on call to photograph Lucy's birth, but ended up being at our friends' home birth instead! You can see more of the newborn photos here, and the maternity photos here. Let me warn you though, don't look at the maternity photos if you're not interested in seeing me naked!

Lucy's hair is ridiculously adorable in all the pictures!

We were feeling brave, so we took the train home from Sarah's studio. It was Lucy's first time on the train! I'm not sure if I'm confident enough yet to attempt this alone.

I'm thinking of starting elimination communication with Lucy. I'm not too committed to it yet; I just like the idea of using less diapers! We'll see how it works, I guess.

Apashka and Atashka brought some precious baby girl clothes for Lucy. She's still too small for most of the clothes, but the hat already fits.

We think it makes her look like a baby in a fairy tale!

40 Day Party

Lucy is 40 days old today! If she had been born on her due date, her 40 day birthday would have been our wedding anniversary. It ended up being on May Day though, which is almost as good.

It's a Kazakh tradition to have a special party for the baby when she turns 40 days old. Traditionally, the baby and mother would have stayed in the house for the first 39 days after birth, so this is the welcome to the world party where everyone else gets to meet the baby.

I think this is another lovely Kazakh tradition. (That's one of the aspects I love of marrying into Kazakh/Russian culture--new traditions!) The family elder spoons 40 spoon-fulls of salt water over the baby while each member of the family gives her a blessing. Lucy received wonderful blessings: to be healthy, wise, cheerful, lucky, smart, fabulously rich, and surrounded by love.

Lucy was as happy as a mermaid in her new baby tub. She smiled and watched us intently the whole time she was being blessed.

Lucy and Apashka are such a pair, aren't they? It tickled my heart to watch the two of them smile back and forth at each other. (And can you believe Apaskha is our family elder? I think she looks way too young!)

After the blessing bath, someone cuts a lock of the baby's hair to save forever. Karima was a very brave and careful hair cutter! I'm going to put the tiny envelope of Lucy's hair in her baby book. Then the baby is rubbed with sheep fat, or in our case, fancy Swiss baby lotion.

Grammi and Great GranE were able to watch the ceremony from St. Louis over Skype. This was the first time Great GranE got to see Lucy on video chat. I loved being able to show my daughter to my family's matriarch!

Lucy sure is sleeping well after all those blessings and a relaxing evening in her luxurious bath.

A yay day!

Today was so much better than yesterday. In the morning, I bounced Lucy to sleep after a crying jag. Then I figured out how to tie the Moby wrap on around her. This is big--up until now, I had to tie the thing on (and it's SUPER complicated, like 18 feet long or something ridiculous like that) and then try to get Lucy in. It seems that Lucy likes BEING in the Moby and the Hotsling, but not GETTING in them. So this is awesome, I can wait for her to fall asleep on me and then put in on around her! And better yet, we can even breastfeed like this!

I'm extra excited about this because it means I finally found a comfortable way to wear Lucy around the house for extended periods. I'll be able to use two hands again! And breastfeed at the same time! Just imagine what I'll be able to get done!

(Quick, what's my favorite color?)

Later today, our friends from home birth class (and fellow MDC mama!) came over. Their baby and Lucy have the same birthday, and they even look alike with their long, dark hair and gorgeous brown eyes.

We bounced our crying babies, breastfed, and changed diapers while we talked about life with new babies. It soothed my soul to be with a mama who understands! In real life! I really need to build a better real-life mama community here, I need a village to help me raise a Lucy.

Ok, I should really just make a separate blog of Foods I Can Eat While Breastfeeding.

Today's highlights include...

Garlic knots!

Veggie burger!

I'm getting much better at not getting food on Lucy. Although I should probably admit that while brushing my teeth today, I spit a little toothpaste on her head. Hey, at least I managed to brush my teeth!

Not Such a Happy Lady

Both of us crying in front of the window.

Lucy's been having screaming fits lately. We're still trying to figure out why, so we can fix her. Sometimes she screams because she's about to poop. Sometimes she screams because she's tired but needs help falling asleep. And sometimes she screams because...who knows?

It's tough to be a patient mom when your baby screams and cries for hours. I think the lullabies I sing her are mostly to calm me down, and the bouncy dances I do are mostly to soothe myself. I feel so much despair knowing that Tim won't be home for hours, that I have to do it alone until then, and that I have to do the same thing tomorrow, and the next day, and the next.

Being a stay at home mom is hard.

Happy Lady

Lucy is happy today!

Maybe it's because things went so well with the lactation consultant.

She said that Lucy's tongue works now, and so she can finally breastfeed effectively.

Look at my baby chunk-a-lunk! She weighs almost 10 pounds now!

Hooray!!!

More Things I Can Do While Breastfeeding

More things I can do while breastfeeding:

Eat ice cream!

Take a taxi to Manhattan!

Make my placenta into pills to help prevent Postpartum Depression!

Yeah, can you believe I did that? ME, the squeamish almost vegan? OH MAN. I really think it will be worth it, though. I actually had a smoothie made out of raw placenta right after labor, but it wasn't as gross as this.

Yep, placenta doesn't smell too great when it's cooking.

Baby Magic

Lucy is getting so much protection! Uncle Malek gave her a hamsa to wear whenever we leave the house to protect her from the evil eye. Great GranE sent a guardian angel medal for her. We pinned them both inside Lucy's sling, so she'll be protected when we're out and about.

Tim's parents made ancestor pancakes for us last night. It's a Kazakh tradtition--once a week they make pancakes for their ancestors, and ask the ancestors to protect all of us. I really love this tradition. Hopefully Alla and Aidar will teach me how to make ancestor pancakes for our new little family while they're here.

Isn't it wonderful that Lucy is being protected through the customs of all these different cultures? She'll be the safest baby ever!