My days

Yesterday we followed the schedule pretty well.  Little e went to sleep about 8AM, and I finished cutting my scraps into usable sizes (squares of 1 1/2, 2, 2 1/2, and 3 1/2 inches, then little logs 1 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches).  She woke up, took a bottle, then we played till about 11:15 and she went back to bed.  I ate lunch and finished transcribing a Swedish hymn from open score into a form I could play on the organ.  Then it was baby time again, bottle and play till around 3:30, then sleep.  During my third free time I read Invitation to Solitude and Silence by Ruth Haley Barton.  More about that later.  Then E was done with work and I was officially off duty, though I held the baby while supper was prepared.

So for a while I expect to have 3 periods of "you" time, as the EASY plan allots.

Like butter

This morning K and E both went to work, so Dick and I watched the baby.  K returned before noon to take his dad to a spring training game, so I was alone with Little e for several hours.  She took her bottles calmly and slept when placed in her crib.  We played in her "jungle," a plastic mat with several small toy animals dangling from two arches.  What fun to see her swipe at them and sometimes even grab hold.  We did tummy time, when I encourage her to lift her head up a bit.  And when she looks at me and smiles or coos, I just melt.

Home alone

Yesterday we had a houseful!  K's sister and her 2 year old arrived with K's  dad, his brother and  girlfriend Friday evening.  All but his dad, Dick, stayed in the nearby Holiday Inn; Dick slept on the couch since I'm in the guest room.  We all just hung out yesterday, talking, eating, passing around the baby, hunting for diamonds in the backyard (that was little Vivian with her grandpa).  Maegan and Clay made their famous Wapak spaghetti, an old family recipe from their dad's home in Wapakoneta, Ohio, and roasted vegetables.  After we feasted, Meagan's husband arrived from Palm Springs.  About 9 people returned to the motel, though I discovered this morning that Clay returned and played Cribbage with his dad till 3 AM.

This morning everyone else went to the Renaissance Fair about 45 minutes away.  I took a walk then set up the keyboard and played the Hayes Requiem while listening to the CD.  There's a lot of rubato!  I wanted to have some time alone.  After posting this I have a couple of other things planned.  

K will be off work tomorrow, but E will go to her office.  So my first day alone with little e will be Tuesday.  I think I'm about ready.  I have a new app on my iPad called iBaby Feed, which E uses to track Little E's feeding.  We're synched, so when either of us enters data the other one sees it too.  Very handy!  These first few days have been good, an opportunity for me to review infant care and for E to begin letting go.  

EASY

Yesterday's test went smoothly.  The technician was very skilled, apparently had worked with infants.  Little e fell asleep in the car and transitioned to her crib.  E gave me a "schedule" titled EASY, an acronym for eat, activity time, sleep, you (meaning the caregiver), with suggested times for each.  We'll see.  Schedules on paper are one thing, in reality another.

K took today off; some of his family arrives this afternoon.  E is about to leave, to meet up with a friend and go to a spring training game.  I will have to feel my way, to see if perhaps K wants to take care of the baby all day.

I finished reading Water for  Elephants  last night.  I enjoyed it a lot.  Characters were believable, as was the description of life in a traveling circus and in general during the Great Depression.

changing of the guard

Today we began to figure out what a day will look like when E is back at work.  I gave little e 2 bottles of breast milk this afternoon, which she accepted pretty well.  I spent time on the floor with her, helping her reach for toys and turn her head to both sides.  The physical therapist came and was pleased with the baby's progress.  Tomorrow we leave about 6:15 AM to go to the hospital for an EEG.  That may be a challenge, since it requires e to sleep for part of the test.  And how can you guarantee that?

The adventure begins

Here I am, sitting at Emily and Kyle's (E and K) after supper, while they are upstairs putting little e to bed.  Through the baby monitor I hear their low voices and K strumming his guitar.  Very peaceful.

checked off

Last night my piano students gave their "big" recital, held at a local church with a lovely grand piano up on a platform.  It makes parents happy to see their children perform in such an elegant setting.  Everyone played well, even the two little boys who were first-timers.  So this is another item from my list that I checked off.  I've also completed most of their progress reports and will get the last ones in the mail tomorrow.

This afternoon I put in a load of laundry, then began putting things into a suitcase.  I leave Tuesday morning.