Category: pictures

I have evidence.

When we moved into Talbot, Angela had a good idea. Give Abby (and baby to be) a place to play and have as their own. Thanks to Jenny for showing us the way it could be done in a closet or under-stairs space like she did for Lucas and Lexi. Talbot has it’s own under the stairs storage area and it looked perfect. Just a little paint and then…well…the idea took on a life of it’s own.

Then we would have to put a rug in it, because it is so cold in there.
Yeah, and we could put her bookshelf in there.
Yeah! And then we could paint the bookshelf…in fact Abby could pick the colors herself.
And a beanbag chair!
And all her toys!
And her own mailbox!
Yeah and her own Address!!
And what about a gate, like she always wants from Dorothy (Wizard of OZ)!!!Yeah!!

Yeah, well it wasn’t as easy as all that but as you can see we have somehow succeeded!

Abby picked Pepto-Pink and Gonzo-Green. Angela found the WayOut-Rug at “Paikea” and I found a gate amongst all my scraps I have kept over the years. The gate only took about 6 hours to complete and the whole thing only cost a few bucks and perhaps several thousand color receptors whilst painting the base coat.

Okay, Angela and I were commenting on differences and similarities between Amelia and Abigail.
In the vigor of our discussion we went “back to the tape” and what we found surprised us.

Let’s just put it this way…if we had them at the same time we are SURE we would be able to tell them apart.

So, would you like to take the Pepsi challenge? Both of these pictures have one of Abby and one of Emma. Just guessing and you have a 50% chance of getting each one right…but I want to know why you make your choice.

THAT title is sure to get me on some list somewhere. 🙂
What I have for your viewing pleasure is no ordinary beauty but rather the fair lines of a 14 day old (bili)rubenesque brunette.

Amelia is a bit jaundiced, which is Dr. Jargon for “her liver isn’t breaking down a red-blood cell by-product called bilirubin quite as fast as it should”. Something like 40% of babies have it but premature babies have it a tad more often. Her bilirubin levels are not high by any stretch (13-14 units when 22 is considered high) but the nurse has recommended about 10 minutes of photo-therapy each day to help break down the bilirubin. Funny what the sun helps us do, funny we should need THE SUN!

Which, by the way, I have heard a new term in my late-night/daytime TV watching: Global Dimming. This is what happens when too much man-made particulate matter gets into the atmosphere and actually masks the effects of global warming type gases. To read more, check NOVA. It has been recognized since the 1980’s and proposed as early as 1783 by none other than Benjamin Franklin. He never ceases to amaze me. The man was a genius and socially capable to boot.

While I am thinking of it. How is it that Benjamin Franklin isn’t labelled as the Greatest American? Ben is right next to GW and Clinton in this list from a poll on The Discovery Channel? And Reagan is #1? Who do you think should be number one? I think Benjamin Franklin should be first AND be on this list about 5 times, before some of these “greats” should even be talked about.

But I digressed. Amelia is doing wonderful, Angela and I are tired just about every day (some of “us” more than others) and Abigail is learning to love having Daddy at home.

That isn’t a typo, that is what Abby calls her, Amelia Maple.

I told you that I didn’t have the wherewithal to actually get a picture of Emma when she wasn’t nursing or when I was holding her so I made an extra effort and got this one whilst holding the sleeping Peep.

Later, she was awake, and not taking kindly to the chilling experience of yet another bath. At only six and a half pounds there isn’t a lot of biomass to go around for heat retention and such.

However during the bath, seemingly, the most enjoyable thing next to a milk-drunk nap is the scrubby on her little weathered round head.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”
Who knew Dickens was talking about bath-time.

I know there isn’t a lot of stuff here yet regarding Amelia but there is a good reason for that. Rather there are quite a few good reasons.

1) She is usually sleeping
2) When she isn’t sleeping she is most likely nursing
3) When she isn’t sleeping and she isn’t nursing I am holding her

1) When she is sleeping she is swaddled and at best you can see her from the nose down.
2) When she is nursing, well, let’s just say it is really hard to get a picture of her that doesn’t include Angela, and I don’t think Ang would appreciate THAT picture on the web.
3) When I am holding her the last thing on my mind has been taking her picture mostly because her little tiny rib cage and squeezed up legs and nearly inaudible squeaks and coos are very distracting.

Lastly, Amelia has been spending a lot of time with Momma and Abigail has been spending a lot of time with me. Yesterday we went to Ballet class, and then to drop off some film and then for some dinner…

…quick sidebar: The Daddy still hasn’t learned the limited extent of a little girls bladder. I offer Taco Del Mar in Parkway Plaza as proof.

Daddy! I peed!

And she was right…all over her ballet clothes. The ever-prepared Daddy didn’t have a thing to change her into (or so I thought) and we had just sat down for dinner so we quickly went into the restroom, dried off what we could, finished our meal and then dried off her pants in the heater vent of the car. Daddys car and Abby’s pants now smelled like Taco The Mouse. end sidebar…

After dinner we shopped for Amelia’s preemie clothes, hats, diapers, etc. Then we got some new computer hardware (case fans), and then back to pick up the film. We got home at 7PM.
All that to illustrate that The Daddy and The Peanut have been spending a lot of time together.

It is reflected in the pictures below:

We picked Dandelions until our hands were black with Dande-sap.

Then she was so happy to dye some easter eggs.

I helped with the heavy lifting, but by the end, she could do it herself.

Barbie wouldn’t talk so we were forced to take more extreme measures.

Here she is, Ms Amelia Mabel Zimmerman
Born April 11, 2006 at 06:57 and weighing in at 6lbs 7oz

Amelia is snuggled into Momma, staying warm and fending off the whole “cruel world” thing.

Here is Amelia (Emma) under the lights of the inquisition.

Now her big seester, Abigail gets a chance to hold her baby.

Abby is going to be a great big sister. She is very tender and has already helped wherever she can.

Many of you have been asking for a picture of Talbot and I finally made some time to swing by and snap one. Click here for some zoom.