Best Napping Spots

These spontaneous baby naps are maybe what I'll most miss when I go back to work next month.

Your Wish Is My Command.

(This wish, at least.)

Here's one of the few pictures of me with Aurora. Truth be told, most of the time since late in my pregnancy I don't feel in any state to be captured for posterity. I'd better go ahead and start requesting pictures whenever I feel halfway presentable -- if I don't, I won't have any from the first part of A's life.

We'll try to get snapping this weekend.

Happy Year of the Golden Tiger

Happy Chinese New Year!

As some of you already know, Sunday was the first day of the Chinese New Year. This is the Year of the Tiger, and is also referred to as the year of the "Golden Tiger," "Metal Tiger" or "White Tiger."  Aurora was born in the Year of the Ox, specifically the Earth Ox.

Our celebration this year was none too elaborate, but Aurora and I did wear red, which is supposed to bring good fortune in the upcoming year. In fact, Aurora wore red through three changes of clothes. She is a stain machine.

And while our pre-New-Year cleaning stint lacked intensity, we were all too glad not to clean on Sunday. Cleaning on the first day of the Chinese New Year might do away with your luck!

Here's a look at red outfits number one and two of Sunday:

Note her long, thin feet. Our little hobbit. Frodita.

A Wet Winter

Aurora has had more snow and rain in her first winter of life than I've ever experienced in my 10+ years in Madrid. Apparently, the rain we got the last week in December (coinciding, unfortunately, with an otherwise delightful visit from Sarah, Dave and Lilah) was historic -- the most in more than 20 years?

So I've pushed the carriage through slush and through rain to get in our daily walk. Today is perhaps the first day I haven't been out with her...it's snowing and looks entirely unappealing. Also, Aurora is pretty different than during her first weeks, and we know each other better now than we did then. It's much more fun even when we're around the house most of the day.

For those of you who haven't met Aurora in person yet, here are some keys to her personality:

- Makes some crazy sounds. Do all newborns do this?
- Seems to be over her male-pattern-baldness phase (new hair coming in strong on top of her head).
- Gets mad when I talk to other people (or on the phone) while she's breastfeeding.
- No longer cries at bathtime.
- Flashes her great, toothless smile more in the morning than in the later part of the day.
- Is wearing a mix of 1-3 month clothing. Some things marked "newborn" still fit, though.
- Weighs in (as of last week) at 5.37 kilos (11.84 pounds). We celebrate her weight gain (unlike mine)....
- Needs to get out of the house before too late in the day or begins to wilt (just like her mom).

A big CONGRATULATIONS to Aurora's Aunt Shivaun, who gave birth yesterday to her son Adrian. We can't wait to meet him.

I'll try to put some pictures up tomorrow.