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.

Watch that last step!

So, while Jessica, Morgen and Grendel are off on their exciting adventure at Camp Lovett, the non-food-providing parent is slaving away in dreary old ... France. 

Yes, it's a tough life I lead, traveling to Europe at someone else's expense, trying out the local food and wine, and visiting picturesque and historic locations. To be fair, though, the pictures above don't really capture much of my trip. Actually, they were all taken during the same three hour walk through the city centre. Much more typical of my time here in Strasbourg so far are the pictures below. One, of course, is the reason I came here, the second page of a letter from Strasbourg reformers Wolfgang Capito, Martin Bucer, Caspar Hedio and Matthew Zell to the bishop, dated March 18, 1538. The other is something that I walk past twice everyday. It is on my way to and from the archives. It's not exactly Notre Dame, and I'm not quite sure what to make of it. I mean, who decides in the middle of the demolition of a building: 'I know, let's leave this stone spiral staircase to nowhere just standing here in the middle of an empty field.' 

Lap of Luxury

Not much to say: life at Camp Lovett is such a good life. Between Great Gramma, Gramma, and the oversized furniture, Morgen is very happy. This helps her display her rapid development even further, of course. We've also been having lots of fun with the large mirrors here...even though we miss our daddy.

Uncle Eric at Camp Lovett

Now that Gavin has gone to Strasbourg for two weeks, I've gone to Camp Lovett in Wellesley, Grendel and Morgen in tow. We've been staying in style, as my parents have given up their master bedroom so that their grandbaby will be most comfortable - have I mentioned before that our little girl is very lucky? She is. She also looks like a tiny tiny person when she is stretched out on her grandparents' football field-sized bed.

Yesterday, Morgen met her Uncle Eric for the first time. She only squirmed a little bit...

We'll be away from Toronto for about two weeks, but will try to post from time to time. Hopefully we'll have a post or two from Strasbourg as well! 

Canada Day

Last year, Gavin and I shared a bottle of wine, then slung our portable, folding beach chairs over our shoulders and walked down to the lake to view the expensive fireworks for free - albeit at a distance and so without the exciting boom, crack, and sizzle. We watched the moon, orange and gigantic, come up over the water, and then when it dwindled to it's normal size and pearly colour we walked home in the dark amongst a crowd of other happy Canadians. We had sand in our toes and no plans to start our family. What a difference two months made for us! By August our thoughts about that had totally changed.

This year's Canada Day was as different from last year's as it could possibly be. I put Morgen in the only outfit of the right colour and size (unfortunately, it said GAP right across her chest and sort of made her look like a little boy), and we both tried to entertain her as she spent a very wakeful day cooing and gurgling. We pulled our stroller out and took a walk around the block. We ordered pizza, taking turns eating or bouncing and walking our baby, who still didn't want to take her nap. The sounds of neighbourhood fireworks filtered in through the windows. Morgen somehow forgot how to go to sleep, I think, and didn't settle until midnight. With all the fussing and bouncing and resultant sore knees and parental angst, it was still a beautiful day. Sorry to be so sappy - but I am a new mom after all!