Things they didn't tell you...

Can you see this? It is just one of the things that I'm learning about as a first time parent. Yes, if you suspect it, but can't quite make it out, it's cradle cap! Infamous...to those who know about such things. But, not being a baby crazy person before about a year ago, this is totally new to me. Why didn't I notice this on babies before? My friends tell me that their babies had it. Now I'm slicking up my pretty girl's head with olive oil on a daily basis and trying not to pick at the yucky yellow flakes when she's nursing or sleeping. And she's happily going about her baby business (pictures below), despite her smelly hair do and flakey hat.

I might as well tell you that Morgen also has baby eczema (not baby acne as we'd been initially told), a red rash that creeps across her face and has made an appearance on her arms and hands as well. We're treating it all according to the doctor's orders, and in the grand scheme of things these are very minor issues...still, I'm a nervous first time parent! I keep wondering: what if Morgen's cradle cap never goes away? What if the cream we've got for the eczema doesn't actually relieve the itching? Poor baby! Your Mommy has got to relax!

Moo, Baa, La La La!

Nothing calms you down quite like a warm bath, a sleeper covered in blue whales, and book time with Daddy.

Hands

Morgen has found her hands, her smile, and her voice. We're working on getting a good video of her cooing and grinning at us...for now, her are a few shots of her new friendship with her fists.

Au revoir, Strasbourg

The time has come to say farewell to my erstwhile home here in Strasbourg and return to my life of domestic bliss (i.e. diaper changing, interrupted sleep and the occasional, but worthwhile payoff of a little girl's smile) in Toronto. I have had a very nice time here, sampling the local cuisine and seeing the sights, but it is time to go back and see if I can still lift our incredible, growing baby, who, Jessica tells me, now tips the scale at over 12 lbs.! I guess that's just one more piece of evidence that our child is - say it with me - so advanced. 

How to Pose Like a Pro II

As promised, here are some scans of the professional photo shoot Morgen indulged in when she was just three weeks old. Now she weighs in at twelve pounds, and would definitely not put up with all of these poses if we had the shoot today.

Although I like one or two of these (especially the diaper shot and the pink hat shot), there is something a bit disturbing about them at the same time...my mother thinks that some of the pictures make Morgen look much older than she was at the time - I think she might have it right.