It’s 80°F, but I’m cooling off on a small grassy slope in Columbia Park behind the library. A breeze rustles the leaves overhead. Sophie’s snuggled in her sling. The neighborhood Wi-Fi network is strong. Now why didn’t I think to pack a thermos full of margaritas into Sophie’s diaper bag?
Baby’s woken and spit up, but I have a towel. She’s fallen asleep again.
Replied to a good chunk of my brothers’ emails.
Met cousin Nam’s new family in Tacoma. It was my first time seeing his wife, Thao, and their preemie, infant twins, Sarah and Hannah. What eyes those twins had, such big dark irises. Cute.
Lunch was Pho Bac with Mom, Luna and Sophie. Rushed. I had the Special.
Saw “Princesses” at the Fifth Avenue Theater. It did not suck, at all. Too bad I was an exhausted Dad: that big dark theater virtually beckoned sleep. I slurped down coffee before Act Two. First time I’ve seen musical theater alone. When Sophie started wailing 10 minutes into Act One, Luna ditched the theater and headed to Nordstrom. I joined her afterward for excellent salads at the Cafe.
My favorite spot for a Vietnamese meal has to be Lemongrass Restaurant. The nearby Tamarind Tree is well-reviewed, with its creative takes on Vietnamese classics and sheer atmosphere. By comparison, Lemongrass doesn’t list a lychee martini on its menu. On the other hand, I’ve never had a disappointing meal at Lemongrass. Food and service are consistently good and a fantastic value. The room is more relaxed. I come away hugely satisified.
We went to celebrate. I survived my first week home minding Sophie. I poured myself a Red Hook, and together we shared a mango-tofu salad, a savory chicken dish, and canh ca. Desert was flan for Luna and for me fried banana in coconut milk.
Why do new parents put a “Baby on Board” sign on their cars? As a caution to other drivers? The narcissistic nitwits who can’t drive without a mobile dangling from an ear (cell phone suicide bombers) are not—on seeing the sign—going to place both hands on the wheel and drive safely.
I like driving with Sophie in the backseat. My guilty pleasure is hopping into the HOV lane, zooming past traffic, knowing that my “second passenger” is the itty-bitty there in her carseat.
Stunning. Sophie slept through the day today. Babies are changeable little things, but I thought that I knew her schedule after minding her since Saturday. She’s fun and lively most mornings, nappy in the afternoon, and fussy in the evening. And in fact Sophie was a joy midday when my Mom came by to spell me while I catnapped.
But then, after taking the bottle, Sophie fell prostrate for hours at a stretch. I mean long, worrisome hours. She never even woke to fuss, as I’d expected her to. It will be remembered as the day of Sophie’s Long Sleep.
I’m feeling great about this blog. Blogging with WordPress is tons more fun since I installed a few, key plugins and cleaned house a bit.
Statistics: Who’s hitting my blog? What’re they hitting me with? Install ShortStat v0.36b and PathStat and understand what addiction is about. While you’re at it, sign up for StatCounter.
Minding Sophie—all day—is exhausting. I’m downing cheap wine as I write this. During the day she’s a pleasure; it’s evening that brings out her fussy inner-demon. If this presages a colicky phase, well, I’m done for. Luna said it first: “She doesn’t like you at night.” Do babies really intuit body language? Maybe she’s reacting to my utter exhaustion. My very smell sets her off (handing her off to Luna calmed her down at once). I showered this morning, yes? But already I feel something like a garbage man.
We just bathed her. This always calms her down a lot.
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