Kitchen Project Update

Sandra and I went back to our house this morning to grab a couple things and check on the kitchen. With Markus' arrival, we tend to forget that the rest of the world continues to operate normally. The countertops have been installed and the cork floor has also been installed. We can really start picturing the finished product now. The next steps will be to put the hardware on the cabinets, install the appliances, and finish the electric/plumbing. Finally, we'll be finishing the backsplash/walls with Venetian Plaster, which my brother will help complete.

Photo update:

Happy Thanksgiving

Here is Markus getting his diaper changed (don't worry, it's not in the video) earlier today. He normally hates this process, but he was pretty calm about it in this video. Maybe he knows he's on camera and he doesn't want to let other people know he cries!

Markus and The Bobo (Pacifier)

Here's a quick video of Markus a little over a week old. It was taken with our digital camera. I have a feeling that Santa will bring us a digital camcorder for Christmas.

Frozen Foods!

One thing about completely redoing a kitchen is that you won't have a kitchen to use during the renovation! During the last few weeks before Markus was born, Sandra and I set up a little area in the livingroom to use as a kitchen. The microwave and crockpot were our choices, so we either cooked for 6 minutes or 6 hours! Anyway, we started to shop in the "taboo" Frozen Foods section of our supermarket. We were both newcomers to this aisle and were pretty surprised by the selection. We decided to pick up a few items that were on sale since we didn't have any particular brand preference. We started with Oscar Meyer Deli Creations Flatbread Chicken Sandwich and Honey, Ham & Swiss sandwich. They cost about $3.43 regularly, but they were on sale for half price. We were pleasantly surprised as we liked these sandwiches. The portions were a bit small though. Nonetheless, a good value for the sale. And so it started.... Here's a list of what we tried (at least what I wrote down):



In short, we really like the Stouffers brand foods, especially if its on sale! Also good were Ms T's Pierogi's. Although the Boston Market food ranked high, it was pretty expensive. At no point in your life should you ever eat anything made by Banquet. The nuggets, corn and mashed potatoes all tasted like water. Also not on the list was some Barron's Pizzas that were decent, but coming from New York, I really have a hard time eating home cooked pizzas. Compared to a good slice from a New York Pizzaria, they're crap.

Also, just about all of the portions on these meals felt too small. Although, that could be a problem with us, not the meal! At the end though, we're not as opposed to grabbing a few of these meals (on sale, of course) and having it in the freezer as a quick backup. They can really be a convenience.

Pediatrician Visit

This morning we took Markus to the pediatrician for his follow-up visit. The main thing that the doctor wanted to check was his weight gain. Markus' birth weight was 6 pounds, 15 ounces, his visit roughly one week later was 6 pounds, 12 ounces, and today he weighed in at a nice 7 pounds, 4 ounces! The doctor said that Markus looks good and his next visit will be in 2 months for his immunization shots.

Markus' 8 ounces in one week was a 7.4% weight gain from his previous weight. If you were a 200 pound person, that is the equivalent of gaining 14.8 pounds in a week. Good for babies, BAD for 200 pound adults!

Here's a picture of Markus and his 7 lbs 4 oz:

Markus first full bath

Last Tuesday, Markus' umbilical cord fell out! It was a pretty mild event. I was always apprehensive about this happening...for some reason I thought it would be..., well, weird. Nothing to it...it was just off in the morning.

Since his cord was off, we decided to give him his first "full" bath. The nurses told us to just sponge him every few days when his cord was on, and to wait to use water when it was off. Markus, as expected, cried during his bath. We tried singing, but to no avail. Anyway, we managed to get him cleaned up and smelling fresh! Here are some pics of the aftermath (no public naked photos!):

1 week old

As of 4:49 a.m. this morning, Markus is one week old! What a week! Sandra and I are very appreciative and thankful for all the love, support and kindness that all of our family, friends, and everyone we know has shown.

Here are some of my observations on the first week of being a parent:

• One week doesn't make sense to me as I'm sleeping, eating, and bathing irregularly. I'll look in the mirror and say, "when the hell did I grow this beard?". Sunday football was a surprise.
  
• Anxiety is awful! I have had random bouts of anxiety, but it seems to be getting better each day. My friends Sara (who has two beautiful children) tells me that's normal and it goes away, so I feel better.
• Markus is pretty clear in his demands. He cries when he's hungry. He fusses around and cries a little when he needs to be changed, or wants to be held, or needs to be burped. Right now he's eating around 2 ounces of formula every 3-4 hours. Sometimes he puts down 3 ounces, but most of the time it's two.
• I was terrified of babies before Markus, but now I just want to hold him all the time. I understand that this can be a problem in the future as he will need to learn to sleep by himself.

Well, that's pretty much all I know for the first week. Markus is doing great and mommy is doing well. As much as the focus is on Markus, Sandra is still recovering from surgery!

Anyway, here's a picture of Markus' first manicure: