Grandma Nan's Update

A Fairy Visit

2010-10-17T13:06:00.000-07:00

Recovering from a flu and respiratory infection, Saraphina has requested multiple visits (via the big screen TV) to Pixie Hollow where Dinkabeau lives (Tinkerbell). This morning, as a surprise, the fairies left a present at our front gate.

A web filled with diamonds!

Here they are up close.
We suspect that the spider is out shopping for a wand and a tiara while the sun is shining.

Baby Smurf

2010-06-24T10:34:00.000-07:00

These small footprints are not difficult to track to the drawer where I keep (used to keep) my powdered concentrated food coloring. Saraphina asked her mama to scramble her an egg for dinner. After a few seconds at the stove, Kris turned to see Saraphina fingerpainting in food coloring on the floor. She had blue feet, blue hands, blue legs, etc.

Worried that the color blue would spread throughout the house, I began cleaning before I grabbed my camera. The trail of baby footprints was followed by a trail of mama footprints when Kris chased Saraphina across the kitchen towards the footwashing sink.

By the time this event was over, we all had blue feet, blue hands, and smudges of blue on our clothing.

She's Here!

2010-02-26T20:45:00.000-08:00

Lillian Anna Quimby

Lillian Anna Quimby made her entrance on 1:29 am on Thursday, February 25th. She weighed in at 6 lb. 10 oz.

Mom, dad, and baby are doing well and expect to go home from the hospital tomorrow.

Link to more photos!

The Doll Hug

2010-02-09T15:13:00.001-08:00

Fifty-five years ago my mother-in-law Muriel, made two dolls and an octopus for her niece Cathy. Mom was the kind of woman who would make square dance skirts for her daughters out of her bedroom curtains if she couldn't afford fabric (yeah, square dancing was pretty cool 50 years ago.)

Anyhow a box arrived this week containing two handmade dolls and an octopus. Cathy wanted Muriel's great granddaughters to have these dolls. Once the box was opened, the hug fest began. Saraphina also sings to them. It's a really loud song that includes words like "mommy, daddy, bug" (bug is the generic name for our dogs) and "wawa," which means water in the currently decipherable Saraphina lexicon. It also includes some dance steps before the dolls fly through the air in the grand finale. After the applause they are quickly gathered up in preparation for the next song.

I'd never seen these dolls before. Mom had made clownies for her kids and a Snoopy version for my kids, all made out of Dad's socks.

Aunt Selene's Version of Clownie (Ballerina Clownie)

Most likely Dad never knew why he had so many mismatched socks. Back when Mom was making the Snoopy dolls, she would steal the stuffing out of Dad's pillow and then sew it shut. It was our secret. Since Dad never replaced anything that still had a potential use, I suspect he chalked it up to normal pillow compaction and just folded it over to sleep. But I was always curious just how many stuffed animals mom could extract before he decided it was time to head to K-mart for a new pillow.

Mom made everything on these dolls, the bodies, the faces, the hair, the dresses, and even the underwear. I can see her sewing late at night, combining bits of fabric and lace to create a doll that would last 55 five years to enchant three generations of her family.

Update on Tiny Miss Quimby
Soon to appear on the scene, Saraphina's cousin Miss Quimby is queuing up for her birth day, possibly in the next few weeks. Michelann has the nursery prepared and ready for the transfer from womb to room. Watch the blog for updates.

Learning to Speak Saraphina

2009-10-19T07:17:00.000-07:00

In Saraphina's World everything is a drum. "See that box grandma?" It sounds like a drum when you hit it with a drum stick.

Saraphina is teaching us to talk as well as drum. She patiently points to things and tells us the words for them. She shakes her head no if I choose the wrong object, such as the stuffed dog instead of the stuffed monkey.

Here, she tries out a few dance steps in preparation for the Saraphina Show. You can see that our dog has grown accustomed to these practice sessions. Amber's job today is to guard the exit that leads to the eternal bliss of walking up and down the very dangerous stairs. Amber acts as the doorstop reminder that one must not run toward stairs.

On occasion, Amber will agree to have her photo taken with superstar Saraphina.

Grandma Nan News Alert!

Saraphina is expecting a baby cousin in early March. This is the latest photo of Tiny Miss Quimby, currently weighing in at about 12 ounces. Her parents Michelann and David Quimby will be here for Thanksgiving. I understand that Miss Quimby is already practicing her dance steps in anticipation of the Baby Quimby Show. By Thanksgiving we may be able to see some of her rhythm kicks. We'll keep you posted.

Exploring Grandma's Room

2009-06-09T15:09:00.001-07:00

Hey Grandma we really need to clean this place up!

Saraphina has been crawling for a couple of months. She moves fast but crawling is only a means to getting to someplace where she can stand up. Standing usually involves taking some risks like holding onto wobbly objects... and then letting go with both hands. So she has been practicing falling.

When she comes upstairs to visit, she goes first to the toys, visits the fish (pronounced "ssshh"), and then heads off to search the files. I'm glad she is getting familiar with the file system. I'm hoping this means something.

Nana, I want that book!

2009-03-07T15:19:00.000-08:00

This could be the world's cutest baby.

At 7 months, Saraphina knows her name, recognizes her grandmas, holds her hand out for Grandpa Dave to kiss, and drinks water out of a glass. She's also waves hello whenever someone enters the room.

She almost has a tooth and looks at our food hungrily when we eat. Her favorite snack right now is avocado. Banana ranks up there pretty high too. She has tried out some pureed fruits and eats creamy cereal for breakfast.

She has figured out how to make her toys make sounds, so her playroom is a filled with toy sounds and squeals of delight. It's pretty hard not to smile when she is around.

Textures, reflections, and new smells

2009-01-02T17:49:00.000-08:00

Saraphina is beginning to make sense of the world. She recognizes people and reaches out to touch everything.

We think this is because she is brilliant. Plus she's really cute. She especially likes her own feet, which are quite fascinating and can be put her in mouth. This is awesome to anyone who has ever done yoga.

She likes to visit the baby in the mirror. The other day she discovered the baby in the colander. That was just before she tasted the colander. Most items must be tasted to be understood.

In our household, this is not surprising.

For Christmas she got a rocking horse. Our golden retriever sat down across from it and began to growl when she noticed it sitting in the dining room. To reassure her, we pressed the button that makes its muzzle move, as it whinneys and swishes its tail. Being a friendly sort, she got up to check it out further.

It seems to have passed the test.

Fathers

2008-11-06T08:04:00.000-08:00

Behind father Shaun is a couple of photos of Shaun's grandfather, who passed away before Saraphina was born. Perhaps it's no coincidence that his image has been captured in this photo. He would have been very proud of Shaun and of Saraphina.

Vote Today

2008-11-04T08:01:00.000-08:00

Do it for Saraphina!

Grandpa Time

2008-10-01T08:42:00.000-07:00

Saraphina has been delighting all her grandparents this week. We've all been lucky enough to have a little time with her while Kris and Shaun try to get a little work done.

Here she is snuggling with Grandpa Dave.

Outgrowing Everything

2008-09-14T17:08:00.000-07:00

Kris and Shaun found the perfect Halloween costume for Saraphina. But then we realized that by October, she will be too large for it so she is wearing it now in anticipation of Halloween.

You can tell she really likes it. During happy colic-free moments, she makes baby gurgling sounds and focuses on near and distant objects. Her favorite focal point is anything with lights.

She recognizes Mom and Dad and has given Grandpa Dave a couple of really big smiles.

Kris and Shaun are getting longer periods of sleep at night. That means Grandma Nan gets a little more awake time with Saraphina during the day.

Team Seraphine

2008-08-26T14:14:00.000-07:00

Oldest cousin visits youngest cousin. What a lucky girl Saraphina is to have her two cousins closeby.

I have 12 cousins and a sister on my mom's side and every one of them is a special friend because we spent a lot of time together as kids. We played together and got into trouble together. Sixty years later, we still laugh about how clever we were.

I see some really fun family celebrations ahead.

Buddha Baby

2008-08-26T14:11:00.000-07:00

I don't think this one needs any explanation.

Saraphina's Song

2008-08-22T10:12:00.000-07:00

Shaun has already written a children's story for Saraphina and has composed a couple of songs. Here he is sharing his latest song with his musical inspiration.

While Shaun's dedication awesome, it's providing fodder for a lot of teasing from his friends... some of who are awesome fathers themselves.

Picture of the Week

2008-08-19T18:01:00.000-07:00

This was the week of the bath. Saraphina handled it well, as did her parents.

A visit to the pediatrician confirmed that Saraphina is progressing nicely with a healthy weight gain of one pound. He also noted that in addition to being lovely, she was very tolerant while he examined her.

She has had many visits from friends and family, during which she coo'd adorably. Each day her awareness of her environment is growing. She likes light, especially if it blinks like the rubber ducky Grandma Rose got for her bathtub.

She giggles in her sleep and she has a big dimple in her left cheek.

She is sleeping a bit longer at night and entertains us with longer wakeful periods during the day. Right now she is pretty much the center of our Universe.

Saraphina Sleeps

2008-08-15T06:58:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Saraphina's 1 week birthday. She spent the week sleeping and getting to know the Oster household. Shaun has taken her out to smell the mint and given her jazz appreciation sessions.

Kris has spent the week feeding her, holding her, and sleeping whenever possible.

The dogs think she is interesting and smells nice.

She met her cousin this week and had visits with her aunts and more grandparents.

She has been trying on some of her new clothes but mostly she's happy in her onesies and sleepers. She, of course, looks beautiful in everything because she is the most beautiful baby in the world.

Settling In

2008-08-10T09:08:00.001-07:00

Saraphina watches patiently as Mom looks for fingers in the sleeve of her going home outfit.

Everything checked out fine with both Mom and baby so they were released from the hospital yesterday afternoon.

It didn't take too long to get settled at home. Dogs Amber and Ladybug got quick introductions to Saraphina. Amber is especially interested. Dave thinks it's because she hopes that Saraphina will spill things when she eats so that Amber can lick them up.

Shaun says no good kitchen would be complete without the Amber 2000 to clean up splatters and spills.

Speaking of Amber. Shaun invited her out into the living room for a closer look. After sniffing Saraphina, she sat down to watch Saraphina's new learning toy.

We figure by the end of the day she will be able to recognize several different animals... well maybe not the actual animal, but cartoon versions anyhow.

Shaun has put a sign on the front gate requesting that you call our cell phones before ringing the bell since Amber and Ladybug love to greet visitors in their own special way... lots of barking. This way we can put the dogs in the hall before they realize you are there. Thanks!

Coming Home Today

2008-08-09T06:44:00.000-07:00

If all goes as planned, Saraphina and parents will be home this afternoon. Then we will get our camera back and get to post more photos.

I spent yesterday driving back and forth to the hospital with supplies (really I just wanted to visit with all of them). Saraphina had bonding time with all her grandmothers and grandfathers yesterday.

The maternity ward was completely chaotic because so many babies were born yesterday. We were warned that c-sections and inductions had been planned so that babies would be born on 8-8-08. I guess it was true because the nursery was packed and the nursing staff was stretched pretty thin. I took a batch of sticky buns and some chocolate chipotle brownies which Kris and Shaun gave out to the nurses. The news spread pretty fast and some nurses came back for more.

Shaun especially is looking forward to getting home to a proper bed and better food. I think Kris is looking forward to being in her own private space again.

First Release

2008-08-08T07:04:00.001-07:00

Prepare for many more photos. She has glowing skin, red cheeks, and dark eyes. I'd write more but I want to get back to the hospital to see baby and family.

Whew! She's Here.

2008-08-07T21:08:00.000-07:00

Saraphina made her grand entrance at 4:20 pm this afternoon. She is beautiful! Unfortunately you will have to take my word for it because Shaun has the camera with all the pictures on it at the hospital. I suspect he won't get them downloaded tonight.

Kris did not need a c-section. Both she and Saraphina are doing well and resting happily. Saraphina weighs 7 pounds 6 ounces and is 21 inches long. She looks a bit like Shaun and I see glimpses of Dave's mom in her right now. She absolutely has Kris' fingers, feet, and hair. It will be fun to see how she changes as the days pass.

Shaun sang Saraphina's song while they checked her out in the nursery. She is bright-eyed and curious. Mom and Dad are glowing, as are all the grandparents. We are so lucky... and very very tired.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll have photos.

Thursday Morning

2008-08-07T09:36:00.000-07:00

It's morning. No baby yet but Kris' contractions are 3 minutes apart and getting harder. Not much sleep last night for Kris, Shaun, or family but we're in good company. Kris' doula, Kim, is awesome and the nurses have been nurturing and attentive.

Keep Kris in your thoughts, she's doing great with all your love and support.

At the Hospital

2008-08-06T20:42:00.000-07:00

Kris is now at Cottage. Shaun is massaging her feet and we are listening to birds and flute music. Her water has broken but her labor is still fairly easy. At 5 pm she was almost 5 cm dilated. Saraphina is on her way.

Post for Cindy

2008-08-06T16:04:00.000-07:00

Update of the hour. Kris' contractions are still erratic. She came back from the beach walk tired out and took a rest. No contractions for about an hour. After a sticky bun and some roast, she felt a bit better and started having contractions again (I think it was the sticky bun). The range seems to be 7 to 10 minutes apart when they get going. Since the magic number is 5 minutes apart, we aren't quite there yet, but we're getting closer.

A Good Day for a Birthday?

2008-08-06T10:34:00.000-07:00

Kris' contractions restarted about midnight. She is timing them now and then going out for another walk with Shaun. When she comes back, we plan to bake muffins.

Walking Coach Danielle

2008-08-05T19:41:00.000-07:00

Well Saraphina's due date is here but Saraphina is still enjoying her birthfree existence. Today is also Kris and Shaun's anniversary (note the beautiful necklace Shaun gave her).

Kris had a relatively contraction-free day so her sister, Danielle, came over to take her for a real beach walk. Off they went with Kris' mom and Danielle's youngest daughter (who was born soon after just such a beach walk almost three years ago).

Well as of tonight, there are still no contractions. Saraphina has now officially entered the Leo phase of the Zodiac and we think making us wait for her grand entrance is certainly Leo behavior. Although she is not really late, we're just very anxious to meet her.

Shaun and I have made an anniversary dinner lasagna with homemade basil pasta and pannini-grilled eggplant. At their wedding we served gnocchi, polenta, and mystery meatballs. Hmm, I think I even have some chocolate chipotle mousse cakes in the freezer we can add for dessert.

Yes, this baby is going to come, just maybe not today.

A Day of Rest

2008-08-04T22:25:00.000-07:00

Contractions slowed down during the day today so Kris is looking a lot more rested this evening. Looks like Saraphina is not one to be rushed. Tomorrow is Shaun's and Kris' 2nd anniversary and Kris' due date. Maybe a birthday too, we'll see.

Amber Alert

2008-08-04T13:51:00.000-07:00

On the readiness scale, I think we are at Amber (since I'm writing the blog, I get to make up the scale). Kris was at 3 cm this morning after a night of some hard irregular contractions. Her doctor confirmed this morning that Kris is in early labor. That could mean two days or less until delivery. She told Kris to rest now, while she can. That's what she is doing... except for when we wake her up to see how she is feeling. The doctor says she will dilate more easily if she is relaxed and rested.

Grandma Rose and Grandpa Bill were just here delivering some snack foods and will be stopping back in later. We are charging our cell phones and finishing up our baking tasks so we'll be ready for the welcoming.

A Quiet Sunday

2008-08-03T21:09:00.001-07:00

Kris had harder contractions this morning but they went away. She spent most of the day resting but was feeling much better than yesterday.

Dave, the roast master, went out to Costco to get a beef roast. We called up Rose and Bill to join us for an informal dinner.

No contractions during dinner, but we are all expecting to be together again real soon.

I made an apple pie for dessert with apples from our tree and Shaun's homemade pistachio toffee ice cream. (I'll spare you the photo this time.)

After dinner, Kris and Shaun looked at an album of Kris' baby pictures to get an idea of what Saraphina might look like.

Kris and Shaun are out walking, in hopes that a walk might restart her contractions. She was beginning to have some again when they left.

Time for us to get some sleep in case we have to get up during the night.

A Tired Day

2008-08-02T21:28:00.000-07:00

Here's the dress we promised to show you. Kris hemmed it last night.

Kris woke up this morning feeling a bit dragged out, so Shaun took her for a quick visit with her doctor. Turns out her blood sugar was low. Hmm, we can fix that. (Click on photo below for more detail.)

Sticky buns are probably not exactly what Kris' doctor had in mind when she mentioned the blood sugar, but we plan to do some baking for the hospital staff, so we're doing a little testing in the meantime.

While some women crave pickles and ice cream, Kris has been craving Chicago-style pizza. She found her favorite Chicago pizza on the web and showed Shaun what it should look like. Shaun has been trying to recreate it. This was tonight's version.

We're hoping that he doesn't get it right too soon, as we are happily enjoying the experimentation.

When Kris got home this afternoon, she was still feeling pretty tired and uncomfortable. The doctor said the baby is definitely moving into position and Kris' contractions are rhythmic, but not close enough or regular enough yet. So this is probably a good time to be resting.

Here is a photo of Kris' resting companion.

Frankie (named after Old Blue Eyes) lives next door with Molly, but Frankie likes to spend some of her outdoor time in our secret garden with Kris and Shaun. Today was a good day to have a cat purring next to you. Thanks Molly for sharing her with us.

A Day of Walking

2008-08-01T19:02:00.000-07:00

Kris started the morning off with contractions but they were about 12 minutes apart. Labor is defined as 5 minutes apart (lasting about 1-1/2 minutes) for at least 2 hours. We went out shopping (mall exercise). When we got home, she timed her contractions and they were still 12 or more minutes apart (lasting about 1-1/2 minutes).

I ran across the street to find out how Barbara's daughter was doing. Hmm, we're still racing towards grandmotherhood. They both have the same doctor who is predicting soon for both. We may be walking the halls together.

I took Kris for a beach walk this afternoon. Maybe that will help. If not, I don't think Barbara has a trampoline... but I do.

Grandma Rose is on call, but Kris' doctor says even when labor officially begins, Kris can stay home a while since we live so close to the hospital. It's Grandma Rose who has to get a head start since this is Fiesta weekend in Santa Barbara and the traffic into town is pretty horrible.

Stay tuned.

P.S. I'm working on that dress I started last night. If I get it done soon, I'll post a photo. It's pretty sweet.

Visit to the Doctor

2008-07-31T18:54:00.000-07:00

Kris and Shaun went to the doctor today. The baby's head is down. Tired of predictions, Kris is resting up and just enjoying herself. She will see the doctor again on Monday... if not before.

So while we're in a holding pattern, we thought we'd share some pictures of a couple of dresses we've made.

Fluffy Bunny couldn't wear the hat, so Henry graciously offered to be our model. A little note on Henry. He is a child of the 70s. My sister gave the first Henry to my daughter Michelann. He eventually fell apart after too many visits to the washing machine. We found this Henry in the attic. We unstuffed him, ran him through the washer and breathed new life into him. Anyhow, Henry looks quite cute in our hat and jumper.

Not to be outdone, Fluffy Bunny agreed to model one of our first dresses... one that doesn't have a hat. This is a Frieda Kahlo type fabric that Kris bought on Olivera Street in Los Angeles.

As you can see, Saraphina is going to be a very well-dressed baby. In fact, the longer she waits to come, the more clothing she will have to wear.

There are lots more fashions to model, but we'll save them in case we need to fill in more blog space while we wait for Saraphina.

In the meantime know that Kris is doing fine.

P.S. If Shaun makes me a latte tonight, this will be a dress by morning.

Fluffy Bunny Acts as Stand-In

2008-07-30T11:21:00.001-07:00

After pacing a bit, Kris decided to try out the baby sling. Turns out Fluffy Bunny is just about the right size. Hmm, okay, that's done. Maybe we should wind up the mobile or play with the light-up rubber ducky.

Waiting, waiting, waiting.

Waiting for Saraphina

2008-07-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

Yup, we're still waiting for the miracle baby. Actually Kris' due date is next Tuesday, it's just that "they" said Saraphina would probably arrive a lot earlier. Guess they were wrong... again.

As you can see, Kris is in good spirits and Saraphina is growing nicely. Kris and I have been sewing clothes for her. If she doesn't arrive soon, she will have more clothes than she will ever be able to wear in the first six months. We should probably move on to size 1. As a part-time quilter, I have lots of fabric to use up.

At the last doctor's appointment Kris was 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced, the same as the week before. She has been having contractions, but they are irregular. Next doctor's appointment is tomorrow so we'll find out if Saraphina has moved into position.

Kris may or may not have a c-section. A lot depends on the fibroid near the birth canal. It could move out of the way. Kris will likely go into labor first and then the doctor will decide.

Turns out Kris is at about the same point as my friend Barbara's daughter and they have the same doctor. Barbara lives across the street, so we're thinking maybe the grandma's can carpool to the hospital. We're taking bets on who will become a grandmother first.

Kris says she can't re-organize the baby's room one more time, so maybe we'll make a blanket today. We also might do a little baking... just in case we need something to eat at the hospital.

I'm planning to post a daily update to let our friends and family know what's happening here in babyland.