“I’ve given him two doses of Pharmax neonatal probiotics now: one yesterday and one today. I think that it’s really helped minimize his spit up. So now we get the joys of the other side, and maybe we’re working on a blow-out here!”

“I’m concerned about his healing ubilicus, though. I’m not sure that we’ve escalated to page the midwife status yet, but I’m unclear on what the parameters of normal are here. I know it’s supposed to smell like ripe cheese. But if it smells like… fetid… could be a sign of infection. It was doing so well, it was all dry and perfect, but then it got wet. I know I can’t be the first mother to get an umbilicus wet during the first two weeks, but now it seems like it just can’t get ahead. And when it’s like stinky cheese, drying out, then I worry that if it dries out it will give him a weird belly button. Maybe I’m just assigning myself fault and this is totally normal. Maybe I didn’t even get it wet; maybe it’s oozing a bit all on it’s own. Hard to say, being that I’m all new to this! But I liked it better when it was dry and didn’t smell.”

“The nursing staff was really strong on us using disposable diapers until the belly button heals over. It seems highly unlikely a necessity since disposable diapers have not been around since the birth of man. But maybe it’s the best thing to try out now. I really like the diaper service diapers and his little wool diaper covers. He seems so cozy in it, and no skin irritation or anything.”

“Well, at least he’ll have a belly button. Proves his origins. He’s the real deal 100% organically grown baby! …Do test tube babies have placentas? Maybe they have IV port scars instead of umbilicals…”

“Ok, let’s get you some more food huh?”
Scribe: “He really enjoys his arms.”
“He used to push them around inside of mama. One of my coworkers called him super baby, because I was always drinking the Health Force Nutritionals vitamineral greens drink with warrior food protein powder. It’s true: he’s a super strong baby!”

“Lake is very charming, even when he is not.”

“I’m so hot! Whew. Maybe I should take the heating pad off.”

“Lake had several visitors today. Several walking buddies. We’re developing this pattern where after I feed him, really good, and change, we stuff him in the sling. Then Nana takes him out for two hours so I can sleep. We both sleep for two hours. Nana got three walks in today. They walked with Laura Ng in the morning to Gasworks Park. And Lake got to go up to the Ave with cousin Laura and check out the scene, and came home with some takeout from Thai Tom’s.”

“Looks like he’s a lady’s man!  You know what they say about tiny babies with big feet! They like to eat, so they can grow into them just like puppies.”

“There’s a spit up coming on, Lake. You think you’re just a bottomless pit but you’re not!”

“I just have one final joke about breastfeeding. You know you’re in deep when dried spit up and breast milk leaks in your hair.. And you decide that it is giving it texture and body.”