Inside the great wall

Our hero . At the Hero's Stone

Our other hero, fearless guide Tower

On Saturday, our hosts for the day Tower (Wan Chong) and Stephen (Lian Guan-Hua) took us to the Great Wall where it crosses the mountains about 1.5 hour's drive north of central Beijing. This is probably the #1 tourist attraction in all of China, and it is easy to see why. The wall, built in the 1450s to protect against invasion from the North, stretches east to west for about 6,000 km (3,700 miles) across all kinds of terrain. The most famous sections of the wall are those that cross the mountains, rising and falling with the landscape no matter how steep it is. The wall is built of stone and brick, and averages about 10-20 feet tall and about as wide at the top, with a nearly continuous walkway all the way along its length. Many sections of the wall have deteriorated over the centuries, but large areas have been restored to attract tourists like myself.

The weather was spectacular on Saturday, clear, sunny and warm.

It really was this crowded, all the way up

In Chinese the wall is known as The Long Wall, or chang cheng, and is sometimes referred to as the wall of 10,000 Li ('li' being a unit of measure of about 500m).

Chairman Mao Zedong wrote a poem about Chang Cheng, which I won't even attempt to remember or translate, but the gist of it was that "You are not truly a man until you climb the Great Wall". So I suppose I can now say that I am a real man. Thank you Chairman Mao.

The easy way down -- don't tell Mao

After the Great Wall we visited the Ming Tombs, or in Chinese, Míng cháo shí sān líng - the thirteen tombs of the Ming Dynasty. These are the underground burial chambers of the emperors and their families who ruled China from the 14th to the 17th century. They are about 7-8 floors underground in enormous chambers, really underground palaces. It is difficult to imagine how much work it took to dig these monuments. Only three of the 13 tombs are open to the public. Chinese archaeologists are actively working on many others at the site.

One amusing note about the tombs is that the original builders apparently left several tablets of instructions to future explorers. In the 1950s when archaeologists began to excavate, they found little markers as they went, saying essentially "The tombs are this way", or "just another few feet below here, and to the north about 5 meters". It seems that the emperors planned ahead, and left a good instruction manual.

Although the tombs themselves were fascinating, the most memorable thing for me about the visit was the gardens surrounding the tombs. This was easily the most serene, peaceful, and beautiful place I have visited in China yet. Surrounded on all sides by hilly peach orchards for miles and miles, the gardens are full of little courtyards and quiet promenades where you can sit quietly for the afternoon and just relax and think about life.

I'll add more shortly, right now I have to get to work!

Hit the Ground Running

Sunrise as seen from my hotel window this morning

Me in front of the Hall of Unity and Peace in the Forbidden City

I arrived in Beijing Friday morning at 5:30am, only to discover that my luggage had not done the same. Fortunately, finding cheap clothing is not a problem in Beijing, and there is a chance my bag will arrive sometime this weekend. I am not happy with United Airlines, but it is all a great adventure nonetheless.

Beijing's central business district is like Manhattan on steroids with a bad coffee buzz. More people, more cars, less room and less freedom. It is exciting, but I am still way out of my element.

Our host yesterday, Cindy, took us to the Forbidden City for an extensive and exhausting walking tour. The weather was very foggy all day, but after a bit under 6 hours' sleep on the flight, the muted grey light all day was a relief. The Forbidden City is the historical center of Beijing and the seat of government for the last epoch of dynastic rule in China, for 500 years up to the beginning of the 20th century. It is enormous, covering perhaps 200 acres and consisting of concentric walled and gated inner sanctums. Passing through each gate takes you farther and farther into the complex and deeper into the privileged realms of power of the emperors. At present the entire City is a museum, and puts the Louvre to shame in extent, if not significance. Particular highlights in our very abbreviated tour included the gallery of clocks and watches, a collection of hundreds (if not thousands) of timepieces from the 17th and 18th century both imported and Chinese. One of the emperors in the Qing ("Ching") dynasty was apparently a huge fan of elaborate clocks with minutely detailed mechanical novelty movements, and started a craze in the imperial court for ever more intricate and ingenious mechanisms. One remarkable example was a 6-foot tall piece that featured a little 4-5 inch tall scribe sitting at a table who actually writes Chinese characters on tiny slips of paper when the clock strikes. Another great example was a huge chest-sized clock of mahogany. At first we thought it was just a linen chest or something with a little clock built in. It turns out it is an entire mechanical orchestra in a box - with perhaps 20 or 30 different miniature and fully functional instruments from bells and strings to percussion and wind, all driven by a monstrously complex clockworks and cam system driven by a pegged and divotted cylinder that "programmed" the tune being played. I figure it is probably the earliest "clock radio".

Don't mess with these guys... [guards at the Forbidden City]

We also saw a gallery of "everyday utensils and implements". Apparently "everyday" meant something different to the emperor than you or me. The palace routinely used intricately detailed gold cutlery and the most remarkable bone china and carved cups and bowls.

My colleague Chuck closing the doors to the city (we actually did get kicked out at the end of the day, and were among the last to leave)

In 6 hours of nonstop walking and gawking we truly just scratched the surface of the Forbidden City. After that we headed for the silk market, a 5-story indoor bazaar with all manner of cheap knock-off name-brand and designer clothing, bedding, electronics - almost anything, really. The market is arranged in aisles of stalls, each about 10 feet by 10 feet. Each stall or cubicle specializes in a particular thing, men's jackets or ladies traditional dresses, kids clothing, shoes, etc. And in each stall are 1 or 2 salespeople who are extremely aggressive. The name of the game is bargaining and these people are pros. They will accost you verbally and physically as you walk along the aisles, asking you if you are looking for dress shirts, shoes, perhaps something for your girlfriend or wife. Given even the smallest inkling of interest, they will pull you in and give you the HARD sell. They put US used car salesmen to shame. They start you off with an outrageous price, perhaps full or even double the street price for the genuine article in the USA. Then you might spend 10 minutes haggling, knowing that the actual cost of the item is a few percent at most of that initial price. It is by no means an insult to counter their initial offer of 700 RMB (Chinese Yuen, local currency) or about US $90 for a silk tie with an offer of, say, 10 RMB (US $1.50). And more than likely the lower offer is far closer to the actual cost. I must admit the first tie I bought, I paid almost US $15 and in my own estimation, as well as Cindy's, got "fleeced". But the haggling alone was worth the difference! Now I know better. I think I'll go back this week for a hand made suit.

The silk market was an absolutely amazing example of full-bore, no holds barred capitalism at its best. These hard-working sellers have embraced the free market with wild abandon. I just wish all shopping could be this much fun! And bear in mind, this is still communist China (at least in name).

A more sobering dose of reality hit me when I came back to my room last night and tried to do some reading on the English Wikipedia. That site is blocked here in Beijing at least. Apparently the content is just too controversial. Fortunately through my corporate VPN I am still able to see everything, uncensored, but I need to remind myself while I'm here that I am definitely not in Kansas anymore!

Man in the City

We've discovered a wonderful thing about Alex: He sleeps like a baby when we take him out to restaurants. He gets fussy at home, even in the car -- where everyone told us he'd just fall asleep like magic -- but when we take him out to a restaurant, with the gentle sussruss of voices, music, plates and glasses clinking, etc... It's fantastic!

Today Alex lost his bellybutton too. It just kind of fell off while Dana was playing with him. There's a little bit of goo in there still, but we figure that just needs a day or two to dry out.

He got a tiny bit of diaper rash, but we've got him on some diaper rash cream.

Sorry Blog Readers!!!

Dear blog readers,

Dana just pointed out that this blog did not allow anonymous comments. I did not realize that this feature was turned off, and that anyone wishing to post a comment had to have a Blogger account. I have just enabled anonymous comments, so anyone can post anything now, just by clicking on the link at the end of the post that says "0 comments" or "1 comment" or "2 comment", etc...

My apologies for this oversight. I'm sure now I'll get hundreds of thoughtful comments. :-)
Dan

Scrub-A-Dub-Dub

Dad and the new tub...


We bought a new tub to replace our old tub downstairs that was cracked and chipped beyond repair. The repair cost was nearly the same as the replacement cost, so I guess you'd say the old tub was "totalled", except of course that we do not have comprehensive tub insurance, so we're stuck with the bill.

I want to have a functional tub downstairs, because the shower upstairs is on its last legs too, and if I'm forced to replace the shower this summer, we sure as heck better have a functioning bath/shower somewhere in the house! Hence the new tub.

So it was shipped to us in a big-ass crate, which the Yellow truck driver courteously helped me muscle onto the driveway. After I had a chance to inspect the porcelain for any cracks or damage, I was then faced with the challenge of moving a 400 lb tub somewhere out of the way.

I hate calling my best buddies over just to help me with some thankless manual labor, even though they always seem happy to help and happier still to have beer and burgers afterwards. But I was still trying to overcome my shame for never inviting them over for any other, real occasions when an idea popped into my head.

In the course of removing the ancient gas furnace from the attic this winter as part of the bedroom remodel, I found myself with about 50 feet of perfectly good, but perfectly useless 3/4" metal gas line. I was all set to just chop it up into little bits and toss it in the ol' Dumpster. But I realized I could use 3 foot sections of it to roll the crated tub almost anywhere I wanted to move it! I thought to myself, "surely this idea is just too dumb to work - my life is not a cartoon!"

Well friends, as the pictures above attest, my life is a cartoon after all. About half a dozen lengths of gas pipe suffice for a crew of hungry men. Someday we'll all be replaced by gas pipe.

... And yes, unfortunately, my garage really is that messy right now. I blame Alex, because he's too little to speak up for himself.

Wednesday night I leave for Beijing via LAX. I'm all packed up!

Learning To Crawl

The other day we set Alex up on the couch and he started trying to crawl. He's pretty good at it, but it's hard when your head is so darn heavy.

He starts out so optimistic...
Now just move those legs a little...
...And a good push...
But those little arms just can't seem to keep up, can they?
And now we're getting discouraged...

By the end of that kind of workout, you just need to crash in Dad's arms for a few minutes...
Gee, Dad looks pretty tired too.

We had a ball last night having dinner up at our friends Robin & Anne's house. It was Anne's birthday as well as another friend Rin, and Anne cooked dinner for us all. She is a fabulous cook and we left stuffed to the gills on lamb and the best red velvet birthday cake you can imagine. We have the best bunch of friends you could hope for, and they all took such a shine to Alex, especially Alex's new girlfriends, Moriah and Marianna. [and we may have recruited some new babysitters, too!]

Updates

I'm up late again, can't seem to get to sleep before midnight these days. I tried watching a PBS documentary on John Denver, but they kept interrupting it with a pledge drive. Dana and Alex are fast asleep.

I looked through the old blog posts, and thought I should provide some updates on past postings.

Dana's Speeding Ticket: This past Thursday afternoon, Dana had her day in court here in town. I was able to get off work early and come along for moral support. We ended up talking to the Town Attorney, Bruce, who we've met before. In fact, we almost hired him to officiate at our wedding back in 2004, but elected to have our friends Tyr and Martha lead the ceremony instead since we had such strong personal ties with them. Bruce's father remains one of the most influential people in town well into his nineties and the central park in town is named in their family's honor since they donated the land.

We talked to the Attorney to plea bargain. Dana had no problem paying the fine, but the offense carried a 4 point traffic record penalty that seemed outrageous given the minor speeding infraction. We thought we would have to give 'em hell and pull out all the stops. As it happened, Bruce offered us a deal: a reduced infraction that carried the same fine but no points. We gladly took it. The town gets some much-needed revenue, Dana doesn't get a ding to her driving record, and nobody gets hurt. Case closed. We even took the opportunity to bring up the the idea with Bruce of a possible summer legal internship for Dana.

Alex's Maladies: Alex is getting over his cold. His nose sounds much better when he is asleep, and he seems to be in better spirits overall. His eye infection has also completely disappeared thanks to the erythromycin gel.

This Old House: Earlier this week I finally worked up the courage to examine my mudding and taping fixes upstairs in the new bedroom, and assess just how much work remained to be done on the walls. It turned out that things aren't so bad after all. By letting go of a tiny bit of my obsessive nature, I think I can overlook the minor blemishes.

The truth is that I could easily spend weeks and weeks correcting every little bump in the walls, and even then not be 100% satisfied with the end product. One advantage of having poor eyesight is that I won't notice most of the nicks, and Dana told me she doesn't mind at all even if she does see them.

So tonight I spent a couple of hours doing a little sanding and some follow-up mudding to clean up a couple of problem spots. Tomorrow I will sand that mud down, and then apply texture. All due respect to my pal Sterling, but I'm not a drywall pro, never will be, and I'm just not going to lose any sleep over it.

Well, ok, I'm losing a little sleep over it tonight, but not because I'm stressed.

With any luck I'll have the paint on the walls by Sunday night.

Dana & Alex's Labor: Several people asked about Dana's labor, and I don't think I ever summarized my earlier comments. She had Alex after 6 hours of labor. According to her accounts and my observations, only the last 3 or 4 hours of that were very intense, and only the last hour or so was approaching the moving-mountains kind of maternal experience that you always hear about. She had no drugs, no interventions whatsoever. She was amazing. I have never seen her in such an intense situation, and never before knew how strong and graceful she is.

Those are all the updates I can think of right now, but I'm sure more will come to me once I hit "Publish". I wish I had a good picture to post tonight. I'll take some tomorrow of the bedroom and the baby.

This morning the three of us went out for breakfast at Grandpa's Cafe. Our favorite waitress Pauline didn't even know that Dana was pregnant despite our frequent visits over the past 9 months. Grandpa's has the best, cheapest blueberry pancakes you will ever try. Good, plentiful coffee too. The place isn't much to look at, but you can't beat it for value & friendliness.

Grumpy Baby

Last night Dana went to class by herself and left Alex and me at home to bond. I intended to get some work done, but Alex had other ideas. Almost from the moment Dana left until she got back, he was crying, fussing, and upset. I tried everything. We had some milk, we changed diapers, we swaddled, we cuddled, we talked, we played guitar, we watched TV, we tried to nap. Nothing made Alex happy, or even calm. His pacifier at least allowed me to relax a tiny bit, but I was merely putting a cork in a bottle of very agitated baby emotions. Clearly I have a lot to learn!

When Dana got home, everything was just fine again. Moms have some sort of hidden magic. We went out and visited with our friends in the Breathless in Berthoud Border Morris team, who were all dying to meet Alex. They had just finished their dance practice, so we all went out for a beer. It was really nice catching up with everybody, and I got to hang out with my "girlfriend", 4 year-old Marianna, who gives me great confidence that little crying babies eventually grow up to be cute, highly-interactive toddlers.

Healthy Checkup

Today we had Alex's one-week pediatric check-up appointment. His doctor said he's in fine shape. Also, he weighed in at a hefty 7 lbs, 10 oz! That's a gain of almost 1 1/2 pounds since he was born. Yikes . I guess he's only getting bigger from here on out.

The doctor also said he'd be over his cold soon and just try to bulb suction out the goo from his nose whenever possible. His chapped lips just need some TLC and lip balm. She pretty much said, 'Don't worry, he's a baby."

We're back at DU tonight, hence the picture at right. I'm so annoyed at DU's network security policy, which is preventing me from connecting to my company's network. We are going to try to petition them to let me connect so I can actually get some real work done while I'm here.

Schmoozer

Alex is already learning how to network like a pro. Although Dad was at work all day, Alex was busy making connections, getting his name out there, getting lots of exposure.

First he had a power lunch with our good friends Helen and Dana (Dana the doula). They came down to see Dana (Dana the Mom) and Alex and apparently just had a wonderful time, really hit it off. I wouldn't know, because I was busy shovelling coal for the Man. Alas...

Then, we headed back down to DU for another night of heavy duty schmoozing. This time, Dana's Lawyering Process class got to meet the little guy. Her professor Amy just melted when she saw him. I guess she has a soft spot for younger men. After his introduction, Alex and I left class in search of food. We walked all over campus as it was another gorgeous afternoon. Alex didn't even wear his hat for part of the walk! He's kind of a daredevil.

We ended up getting some curry at Tokyo Joe's on Evans. Dad even had a brewski, which was ever so refreshing. Mmmmm... Sapporo... And the ultra goth cashier chick who normally ignores me came alive when she saw little Alex. It was cool. She was like totally friendly.

Then we came back to campus just in time to meet back up with Dana. The Intellectual Property Society of Denver was having a meet and greet reception in the lobby. Since IP is what Dana is going to law school for, we thought it would be worthwhile to stop and chat. Alex met several practicing IP attorneys and several more students about to graduate. He was a big hit, and a major ice breaker! He may even have secured an internship for the summer! [Honestly, Dana was a big hit too and made some good contacts]

Finally we headed home, exhausted. Now it's time for 90 minutes of sleep, then feeding, then 30 minutes of sleep, then diaper change, then a couple hours of sleep, then feeding.... you get the idea. Sorry, no pictures tonight, will get some tomorrow.

Alex has had really chapped lips for the last several days. You probably noticed in some of the pictures. We've been using some all-natural chapstick, but it doesn't seem to fix the problem. He doesn't seem to be too bothered by it though, so we'll just do what we can for him. Chapped lips are part of the equation of living in the arid Rocky Mountain west, so he's going to have to get used to anyhow.

Two Good Eyes

Today we went to see Alex's pediatric ophthalmologist (eye doctor). My family has a long history of congenital cataracts, going back past my Grandfather (who is also Alex's middle-name-sake). There was at least a 50% chance that Alex would be born with cataracts too, thanks to my genes.

But upon inspecting him this morning, Alex's eye doc said there was absolutely no sign of cataracts at this time. He did not rule out the possibility that Alex may develop them later on, but this is much less likely.

I am relieved. I am very happy that Alex will not have to suffer through the same hardships that I endured growing up with low vision. He can literally do anything he wants, with a clean bill of health. I will help make sure he doesn't take his good eyesight for granted.

Our suspicions that he has a mild case of conjunctivitis in his right eye were also confirmed. But the doctor prescribed him some eye gel that should clear it up in a couple of days. He doesn't seem to mind having weird goo spread on his eye.

We're writing tonight from the law library at DU. That's right, Dana has returned to classes this week. Alex has been able to sneak in a couple of snacks during breaks in class, and he and I have been further exploring the nooks and crannies of the Sturm College of Law building. Also thanks to the gorgeous, sunny 70+ degree weather this week and the time change, we had about 2 hours of delightful time outside in the warm afternoon sun together while Dana was learning all about Property law.

Right now the little guy is asleep in my lap while I type this. He has gotten all kinds of attention and compliments tonight from the students and faculty here.

Hard Weekend

It was a tough weekend this weekend. Or at least really busy.

On Friday we went to visit the lactation consultant at the hospital. She told us that we're doing great and keep up the good work. Alex weighed 6 lbs and 13 oz on Friday when he was weighed. We also learned how to use a breast pump.

After that, we went to a store for nursing mothers where Dana found a couple of nice nursing bras. We also stocked up on diapers over at Babies R Us.

On Saturday we slept. All three of us caught a cold, starting with Daddy, then Mommy, and finally Baby. It's mostly just congestion and sneezing, but still a pain in the neck.

I finally had time on Saturday to move Alex's crib downstairs to our bedroom. We've had the crib the longest of almost all our baby stuff. Alex's Grandma and Grandpa Leite (Michael and Moira) bought it for us in late January when they came out to visit and help us make a massive quantum leap ahead on the house project. (By the way, Thanks M&M&M!) I even had it put together several weeks ago in anticipation of the little guy. But he came before the upstairs was ready, so I had to move it. It's too wide to fit through our little Victorian doors or down the stairs in one piece, so I took it apart to move it. Fortunately it is super easy to take it apart and put it back together, just a couple of screws and a couple of latches.

Although Alex is primarily co-sleeping with us in the bed, on his own little contoured pillow, we use the crib for naps, quick deposits, and any time we need a safe, secure place to set him down for more than 5-10 seconds, which it turns out is quite often. After a couple of months we will transition him to sleeping in the crib full time at night, once he's figured out that Mom and Dad aren't going anywhere.

Incidentally, another Michael and Moira gift that has gotten a lot of mileage is the changing table. In fact I'd venture to say that it has received the most use of anything so far, as Alex goes through at least 6 diapers a day, usually more. I won't post a picture of it just now, but it's lovely and matches the crib, and yes, it's even clean at the moment.

I made a lot of progress last night on cleaning the living room. I dusted the bookshelves and polished Dana's grandmother's good silver. I found a bunch of books that I forgot we had and naturally got sucked into one of them. I'm still reading it today, a fascinating history of the New York City subway system's network of electrical substations, with lots of really cool old photos. I guess I should know better than to clean forgotten bookshelves.

Today, Sunday, we slept again. But our good friends Sean and Christine came over for lunch at noon, so we didn't sleep for too long. We went out to lunch at Henry's Pub in Loveland, one of our favorite places. They stock Strongbow cider imported from England, which is extra tasty. Alex had the milk. Christine & Sean were a welcomed return to civil engagement with the outside world. I hope we did not come off as too starved for adult company, but it was a nice break. They're about our age and social status, with similar interests and views, and are even contemplating the baby idea themselves.

It occurs to me that we need to be nurturing and cultivating our grownup relationships well in the coming years, since we'll need all the company we can get, I'm sure. Also, folks we know who have just had, or are thinking about kids, are nice since they'd make automatic play dates, not to mention sympathetic ears. I remember very fondly my parents' closest friends, the Hammonds and the Densmores, each of whom had two kids roughly the same age as my sister and I. We would go on camping trips all summer together, the 12 of us (give or take 4-6), have birthdays, dinners, outings, etc., etc. I don't know if Sam and Maryo or Bob and Verva knew how significant these experiences would be growing up for us, or how reassuring it has been to have two "spare" sets of loving parents in my life, but I would very much like to replicate the environment for our new family. Campfires just aren't the same alone.

On Wednesday I will be returning to work. I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things, but I sure wish I could spend more time with Alex. That being said, I work for a remarkably accommodating corporation, and have an even more amazing boss in terms of being fair and flexible. For that I am most grateful - it is as far from a Dilbert strip as an IT company can get

A week from Wednesday I leave for a business trip to China. I will spend 10 days in Beijing, primarily in meetings with our counterpart engineering team there, planning for future projects, reviewing past projects, and spending more time getting to know the talented men and women we work with on the other side of the world. I'm fortunate to have a three day window of sightseeing, when my colleague Chuck and I will be gallivanting across the Peoples Republic, or at least one tiny part of it. I just wish that I could bring Dana along, as is my habit on these far-flung business trips. Alex doesn't have his passport or full immunizations yet, though, so "the fam" will stay behind this one time. With any luck, our relationship with the team in Beijing will blossom even further and I'll have future opportunities to visit, and work on my abysmal Mandarin.

Sleepy Baby

Today I got to spend some serious 1x1 time with Alex. Dana was feeling especially tired, since Alex has been waking up about once per hour during the night for a snack. So after he finished a big meal and got his diaper changed, I took Alex out to the kitchen for some bonding time. We had fun checking email and trying to figure out how to do newspaper birth announcements. He sat right next to me in his car seat, attached to its stroller, so that he could see me the whole time, and I could reach right over and squeeze his hands or brush his hair.

He did really well for the most part. He doesn't really focus on anything right now, just kind of looks all over and waves his arms around and occasionally smacks his lips when he's hungry. I wonder how soon I should worry about providing more substantial visual stimulation for him, but I figure that for now he's just happy to be breathing air and eating milk, so all's well. Anyway, most of the time his eyes are closed. Close to noon, the UPS guy came and dropped off some packages. Then I remembered that I had to cycle some laundry through. So I picked up Alex's car seat & carried it to the laundry room. I set him on top of the dryer.

Remembering something that one of the nurses said, I decided to turn on the dryer underneath him. He fell right asleep! It was magic. The low pulsating white noise and the gentle vibrations of the dryer were like a long, comfy car ride for him. Sitting there in his car seat he was perfectly safe and happy. I didn't leave him there, but after a couple of minutes carried him back to the kitchen. I have to remember this little trick for later!

After he started to stir again, I got out my guitar and played a few songs for Alex. I played "Blackbird" by Paul McCartney, and "Country Road" by James Taylor, and "April Come She Will" by Paul Simon. He seemed to really dig it. During the last few months of Dana's pregnancy I made a point of playing guitar close to her tummy once in a while. I can only assume he heard some of that. Who knows?

Expectations

Before Alex was born, I had a lot of expectations rolling around in my head. I expected that one of the worst parts of being a new Dad would be changing diapers, and even before that I expected that the actual birth would be hugely traumatic for everyone involved. I expected that I would cry at the birth. Above all else I expected that I would have no idea just what to do with a fragile little life in my care. I didn't know what he would need, or want, or how to hold him, or how to watch him, or anything!

Well, four days into it at least, I'm happy to report that most of my expectations were wrong. Changing diapers is really not so bad. I've even gotten pretty good at it, and Alex doesn't even cry most of the time, just kind of mumbles or gurgles to himself until I'm done, kind of a gentle protest.

Dana was incredible during her birthing time. As I mentioned earlier, her water broke Friday morning at about 5:30am. We were lying in bed when Dana woke me up and simply said, "I think my water broke". This is going to sound stupid, I know, but I was caught completely off guard. I guess I just had not thought through the whole process, or at least I wasn't expecting it at such an early hour. But those five words got my day going right away, and I haven't looked back.

We had a scheduled OB appointment at 2pm on Friday, but we called the doctor's office when they opened, and were told to come in any time for a check-up. Dana was in no discomfort at all, except for some leaks, so we were in no hurry. I cleaned the kitchen and baked a loaf of chocolate-chip banana bread while Dana got some things together, packed for the hospital. We sat down together and finished our birth plan. Then we headed down to Longmont. The doctor put her on a fetal monitor for 30 minutes and discerned that the baby was in fine spirits and Dana was having tiny contractions, but nothing much big going on. They told us to check in at the hospital within 24 hours.

So we left and had lunch at Noodles and Company, stopped over to Dana's work so she could set her email out-of-office auto reply, and went to Borders to get a few magazines to read at the hospital. You can probably imagine how surprised Dana's coworkers were to see her after hearing the news about her bag of waters. "What are you doing here?!? Shouldn't you be at the hospital??" After our little shopping errands, we decided to try walking around. It was bitter cold outside -- sunny, but very, very windy and in the 30s, so Dana had the great idea of going to the local nursery (the plant kind). Inside the warm, humid, blossoming greenhouses, we had a delightful time walking through the greenery, smelling the herbs, roses, and citrus trees. By this time, around 4pm, Dana was still comfortable, but noticed twinges of cramps, or something.

We went home and I repacked our bags, since we had packed in a bit of a rush in the morning. We watched the Simpsons and had a bite to eat. By this time, Dana was starting to really notice the crampiness, but was still not really uncomfortable. They were about 8-10 minutes apart and about 30 seconds in duration. Over the course of an hour of the Simpsons, they got progressively more intense. Dana decided to take a shower, and we discussed heading for the hospital. By the time Dana was ready for the shower they were definitely noticeable and she had to sit down for each one. By the time she got out of the shower, we were ready for the hospital.

We arrived at Longmont United around 9:30. The main door was locked, requiring us to use the Emergency Room entrance about 100 yards away. As evidence of Dana's overall condition, she suggested we walk over there.

When we got up to the maternity unit, they ushered us into the triage room for a check-in check-up. But a kind, matronly and wise-looking nurse named Laurie swooped in from nowhere and said, "Hands off, this one's mine." She escorted us to our room, which was all ready for us, and began to make Dana as comfortable as was possible by then (around 10pm).

Laurie and Dana talked for about 40 minutes, and worked on positions that were the most comfortable. Laurie drew a bath for Dana in the huge in-room jacuzzi tub. Meanwhile Kelly, our doula, had arrived from Fort Collins, and also began ministering to Dana's needs.

Between 10pm and about 11:30, the contractions got much more intense, but still Dana was talkative and breathing through them like a champ. Her doctor showed up around then, and as soon as she saw Dana, she said, "OK, let's get ready to have this baby". She was almost there.

I won't lie to you, Dana was not a happy camper. But she just breathed and panted and whimpered and pushed her way through it and before we knew it, Alex's head slid out and he was all there! What a miracle!

I have to get to sleep now, lest I miss the window of opportunity afforded by Alex's nap. More on this later...

Before I forget -- the picture above -- last night we wanted to weight Alex, so we tried him on the kitchen scale. We discovered that it only goes up to 5 lbs, hence the "Error". Our little "Error".

Mr. Clean

Dear Sears Holdings Corporation and Unilever,

I am writing to offer my sincere thanks and gratitude for your fine Kenmore washing machine and All Free & Clear brand laundry detergent, respectively. The Kenmore washing machine has been operating almost non-stop for the past 72 hours, and we have nearly exhausted a full jug of All in the process. Both have worked beautifully cleaning up after our little newborn poop and spit machine, Alex.

Kind Regards,
Dan Stangel

A Life In Slow Motion

While my best friend for life and my son sleep peacefully in the next room, I have a chance to step back and consider what has happened.

Everything has slowed down to the pace of just one tiny heartbeat, one little bundle of nerves learning how to fire in sequence, one eternal bond igniting ever so gradually. I started out the day with a list of tasks to accomplish, and managed to get about two things done. The balance of my time was spent in changing diapers, swaddling, rocking and shushing, cuddling and napping. But I'm not regretting things left undone. There will be time for everything, in due course.

For fun late this afternoon, we bundled up Alex and took him for his first walk around the neighborhood. It was an absolutely gorgeous afternoon, sunny, calm, up into the high 50s at least. All of the snow from the last three months has melted away and many of the smaller trees are beginning to bud. Birds were chirping and squirrels were scampering around looking for snacks.

We saw our next-door neighbors Bob and Marian on their front porch, and stopped over for a visit. They had seen us leave for the hospital on Friday and were delighted to meet the little reason why. Their kids are all grown up, and they even have a new great-grandson, and they are the kind of people who love to see little babies.

Continuing South, we walked along enjoying the fresh air and change of scenery. Between law school and our ridiculously harsh winter this year, Dana has not had much opportunity to just walk around outside. Kids were out riding their bicycles and playing, parents and seniors were out tending their yards or enjoying the sunshine.

We walked to the Jumping Bean Cafe on Mountain and decided to stop in for a snack. Alex lay peacefully on the couch next to us while we ate our cookies and drank our steamed soy milk (yes, we're yuppies...). Our original goal in taking the walk was to wake up Alex so that he'd sleep better tonight. Silly first-time parents... you should know better than to expect the baby to wake up when you take him for a quiet, soothing, bouncy walk in the afternoon sun! He slept like a baby the whole time. Oh well. We'll figure this guy out sooner or later.

On our way back home we ran into Courtney, the girlfriend of one of Dana's coworkers, who had heard about the new arrival through the grapevine. We chatted with her for a few minutes while she cooed over the little baby.

Our walk today reminded me of what a wonderful little town we live in here, with our tree-lined streets, happy little downtown, and friendly neighbors. This might be just the place to raise a little boy.

Home Again, Home Again

We got home from the hospital last night at about 5:30pm and started to get settled in. I had no idea how unprepared the house was! I spent about 2 hours straightening things up and making room for the changing table in the downstairs bedroom. The new room upstairs is not ready yet -- carpet is going in on about 3/12 and the heat around the same time. Meanwhile Daddy still has to prime the walls. I think I'll be calling back my drywall & carpentry friends this week to get the ball rolling -- I think I'm going to be pretty busy.

We think Dana's milk has started to come in and Alex is really going to town with eating. He's doing what they call "cluster feeding", where he eats for 2-3 hours straight, then takes 3-4 hours off and just sleeps. Somewhere in there he tends to poop.

We're generally not sleeping all that much. Alex hasn't figured out that night = sleep. We'll be working on that one.

Also, now that we're home, feel free to give us a call if you want to. If you don't have the number, you should be able to look us up, or ask somebody (I don't want to post the # here on the wide open web).

Also, since a number of people have asked recently, here is a link to our baby registry. Gifts are not necessary, but of course would be welcomed gratefully.

The registry is here: http://www.findgift.com/cgi-local/Registry.cgi/dmstangel

It's a general-purpose registry, not tied to any one store. To use it, just pick something you like on the list, and then check it off the list to mark that it was bought. Also, there's plenty of stuff we could use that isn't even on the list, so if you have something else in mind, go for it. Don't forget - we've never done this before :-)

Love, Dan & Dana

Dana and Alex, Day 2

These two are quite the inseparable couple these days.

We just ordered lunch. The chocolate shakes are especially good here.

Happy Baby, Happy Parents

It looks like we'll be checking out of the hospital this afternoon. Alex passed his hearing test with flying colors. We just finished watching "The Happiest Baby on the Block". This is perhaps the best baby video ever, that teaches you the "Five S's": Swaddling, Side/Stomach position, Swinging, Shushing, Sucking. This advice is absolutely priceless. Last night was pretty tough for Alex... we think his stomach was just beginning to fire up the whole digestion process, and it took a little time for everything to settle down. He was crying and fussing for about 2 hours straight, with no consoling him. The nurses came in and helped us use a few of these techniques, and I think they're going to work beautifully. Definitely something to share with the Grandmoms who come to visit.

Alex's First Day

All's well in Longmont as Alex's first day winds up. He fed continuously for about 90 mniutes tonight, then Dana took a bath. Alex fussed the whole time Dana was in the bath despite Dad's attempts at consolation. Now we're getting ready for our first good night's rest as a family. Right, Alex??

The First Morning

Things got off to an early start today at around 7am when I awoke to about five nurses bustling about the room doing something. I think it was a shift change. Our first nurse, Laurie, from when we checked in until this morning was absolutely fantastic. She helped Dana through the thick of it, and then took stellar care of her afterwards. She even helped me out a bit.

This morning our nurse Suzie is cheerful and friendly. She showed us how to change a diaper.

Dana lost quite a healthy bit of blood during the afterbirth, so she's on an IV this morning. She can't get up and walk around just yet, but probably by the end of the day she'll be tottering around.

The staff pediatrician came by this morning and gave Alex a thorough once-over. Everything looks fine, including his eyes, which don't have any obvious signs of cataracts. (Cataracts run in the Stangel family).

More after a shower, or nap, or food... I'm beginning to believe that sleep is a precious commodity. I'll find out when I get some.

Alexander William Stangel

Alex was born at 12:27am on Saturday March 3. He is 6 lbs 5 oz and 19 inches long. He has healthy lungs, and has already figured out that Mom = love and lunch.



We're tiiiiiired.

Hurry Up And Wait

Twelve hours have passed and there's not much to report. We saw Dana's OB at about noon today, and the baby and Dana are fine, but labor is not going anywhere fast.

Dana has been extremely comfortable all day (for somebody who's water has broken). We spent the afternoon running errands in Longmont, and now are back at home. She's begun to have little contractions, or tightness, but it's not very regular or intense.

It's really cold & windy today, but no snow. We went to the nursery (the botanical kind) to walk around in the warm, sunny, humid greenhouses this afternoon and play with the plants.

We'll probably be at the hospital later on tonight. The maximum time that Dana's OB will wait before inducing is 24 hours, after which the infection risk goes up.

The hospital does not have in-room broadband, but I'll try to keep the blog updated as I can.

Water Broke

Dana's water broke this morning at about 5:30am. No birthing waves (contractions) yet. We're just puttering around, finishing packing. We're ready & well trained. We listened to the Marketplace Morning Report as usual. Dana has a scheduled OB appointment today at 2:15pm, but we will call her doctor and our doula in just a bit to let them know.

Ha ha - we just heard there was a 4.2 quake in Lafayette, CA about the same time. This reminds me of a Paul Simon lyric, "The planet groans every time it registers another birth"

Baby Stuff Smells Weird

Last night I decided it was time to inventory the baby clothes. Before I say anything else, I want to express how grateful we are for all of the love and generosity we've received from friends & family. We have been given a ton of great baby clothes, and I expect we will use most of them in the course of the first 6 months. And once we're done, I expect we will pass many of them along to friends and family in turn.

But baby stuff smells weird. There is some kind of industry standard baby smell that manufacturers and retailers have apparently agreed upon as "The Smell" for babies. It's the smell of baby powder, or baby shampoo, or baby laundry detergent, or baby clean-up wipes, or baby air fresheners -- OK, I made up that one. At least I hope I did.

For the longest time, I assumed that that was just the odor that babies have, like an infant B.O. that just smells kind of sweet and dusty. Now I'm coming to realize it is merely a perfume. I am guessing that the baby himself will smell considerably different on his own.

Although I have not decided conclusively, I don't think I care for the industry baby smell that much, and I think it might even aggravate my allergies a little bit. I've decided to wash the baby clothes using All Free & Clear detergent, and set the washing machine for a second rinse. Hopefully this won't get me in trouble with Child Protective Services, or any seasoned Moms.

The other thing I'm not sure about is etiquette for receiving gifts of baby clothes. We've received several boxes of really nice stuff from Robin & Anne, Meghan and Shannon, and my Mom too. Particularly with the used baby clothes, should we plan on keeping the clothes or passing them along to other new parents, or should we return them when done, or if we end up not needing all of them?

I have no first-hand experience with baby clothes, but I would guess that at least some percentage of them don't survive infancy, what with the spitting up and the crawling and the general baby-ness. Probably the thing to do is just ask the giftor.