Grendel vs The Usurper

Our formidable pet Grendel has been strangely silent lately. Skulking, sulking around, tentatively checking out the being we know he thinks of as "the Usurper". He seems especially upset that Gramma Lovett doesn't seem to want to play with him any more...cheer up Grendel. It's just one step down in the pecking order. One, teeny tiny little step.

A Hot Day And Cool Bloomers

Today the temperature in Toronto reached 33 degrees Celsius (around 91 Fahrenheit for those from non-metric backgrounds), so we decided it was time to put Morgen in one of the several cute summer outfits we received at our showers and head to the backyard. We decided on this unusual tube top/bloomer jumpsuit. Unfortunately, no one was around to see how cute the outfit was, so we have to satisfy our parental pride by posting these shots here.

Bath Time All Around

Just two pictures for today: one of Morgen, looking serious after her bath in a new pink sleeper, and one shot of Gavin just seconds before he realized that our little girl's diaper had just spilled on to his jeans. What can I say? He's a bit of a magnet. I promise that I will include fewer gross postings in future...or I'll try at any rate.

Barracuda Baby Exceeds Birthweight in Six Days!

If only I weren't so modest. As Gavin points out, the perfect accompaniment to this post would be a video of me breastfeeding Morgen to the strains of Heart. The lactation consultant we visited on Monday dubbed Morgen the "Barracuda Baby". She feeds so well that she has regained her birthweight about seven days ahead of time...dare I say it? Ok: our baby is soooo advanced. Unfortunately, she also likes to dive at me, with her tiny, toothless (but still sharp) jaws snapping. I've got a very small window in which to assess whether or not she is going to 1) add to what the consultant called "excessive trauma" to the portions of my anatomy that will not be gracing this blog, or 2) keep her mouth open long enough to latch on in a more or less pain-free way or 3) miss entirely - at which point milk gets all over her as she instead changes course in mid-dive, choosing to suck on her hand or my wrist, or whatever else might make a likely nipple. Options 1 and 3 result in Barracuda Baby wagging her head from side to side and flailing her limbs until I reposition her. Option 2 is thankfully becoming more frequent...but is still outnumbered by the other options. I'm sure that this will pass - I'm a fast learner. Let's hope Morgen is too. I'm sure she is - did I mention how advanced she is??

We've been busy the last few days, but haven't taken many pictures. Time to step back and consider the cuteness has been scarce. Instead, we're experiencing the cuteness, including making the transition into our cloth diapers and gently encouraging Barracuda Baby to spend some time sleeping in her crib. My mother came to town yesterday and helped me manage my first day without Gavin - she cooked and cuddled our little baby and laughed everytime Morgen had a meal. So, there aren't any really recent pictures to offer today - but here is one from the hospital that pretty much sums up the way Morgen spent her time with Grandma Lovett.

Morgen's First Walk

Today, Morgen accompanied her mom and dad on their first post-delivery walk. She, of course, traveled in style in her leaf green Peg Perego stroller (a gift from Grandpa and Grandma Hammel). Mostly, she seemed unimpressed with the outside world, though that may have been due in part to the fact that she slept through the whole thing. Here are a few pictures.