This has been an incredible few weeks. Harper seems to be acclimating to the world well. He is now weighing in at about 10 pounds carrying most of the weight in his lips, nose, hands and feet. He is sleeping through the night, waking only to eat. His patterns during the day are changing, but for the past week or so he sleeps most of the day until around 8:30. From 8:30 to about 10:30/11:00 he sings songs to his mother and me about wanting to eat and about wanting to pass gas and about not wanting to sleep. I have a number of tricks for these hours. Swinging him in his Moses basket works sometimes but is physically tiring. He has passed out a number of times lying on my knees, stomach down or over the shoulder. It seems like he really likes to be burped, although he doesn't love to do the burping part.
The end all of tricks is the old pinky in the mouth bit. Add a rocking chair to this or a bouncing Mommy and its lights out Irene.
He is growing very quickly. He smiles occasionally and although this smile is scientifically not authentic, it feels authentic enough. It's incredible how a smile from that little boy makes you feel. Today he smiled while I was dancing with him and it literally made my day. The Land Rover broke down on my way home from Mother's Day shopping and I was just crushed. We don't have any money and the idea of now fixing a never inexpensive Land Rover was painful. But man, that kid smiles at me while we're dancing and...I don't know. I don't have words poetic enough to say.
Here's a picture of a very happy Ja Ja (Czech for Grandpa) holding his first grandchild. It is quite an experience to see your Father hold your newborn and know that one day, those big hands held you. It doesn't seem like my hands could ever be that big. Perhaps Harper feels the same.
This is Andrew Johnson. He was a Professor of mine at Buffalo, who I admire greatly. He came to visit the baby. We talked about painting and school, the world of academia, and the baby. We talked about the colors in Harpers face, greens and yellows, grey blues and bright pinks. I didn't hear him say this and I don't think anyone but Harper was meant to hear it but MaryJo overheard him anyway. He said to Harper in a voice made for small students to hear, "I couldn't paint you because people would accuse me of not being subtle." MaryJo told me after he left. I thought that was a beautiful thing to say.
More soon... I promise to take some pictures when his eyes are open.