One Month Old!

Okay, so Miriam is technically 5 and a half weeks old, but she just had her one month doctor's visit so we are close enough . Chris hates it when parents discuss percentiles ("My little McKenzie is in the 95th percentile for projectile vomiting!") so I won't reveal here what the actual percentiles are. However, I can say that Miriam (aka The Midwest MAscher) weighs in at 10 pounds 11 ounces and that she is certainly in the superheavyweight division for her age. She is ready to take on any and all who would challenge her!

Above she consults with her coach before her next match -- check out her great robe (thanks, Q Crew!). We are glad she is eating well, and even happier that she can go 4+ hours at night between feedings. We like getting a little bit more sleep, even though it is sometimes interrupted by the cats.

Now that she is one month old, she is awake a lot more than she used to be (mainly during the day). She loves swinging in her swing, looking at her elephant toy, riding in the sling and the car, and being held by her parents. Dislikes include getting woken up to eat and the hours of 7-11PM. She is still on the fence about the baths...it really depends on the day.

To the right is Miriam's one month old picture, with her next to her Miriam pillow (courtesy of Michael Saul). We will take a picture of her each month in the same chair so we can see how much she is growing! We got this idea from Megan (Erica's sister-in-law) -- we have enjoyed watching cousin Chase's pictures change over the last eight months.

Miriam's Naming

We marked Miriam's official entry into the Jewish people on December 7 at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati. Chris' mom (Margery) and Erica's parents (Jean and Bill) joined us for the ceremony, and Chris' dad, Bob, was with us in spirit and in the lessons he has taught us. We will certainly keep his memory alive by sharing his life with Miriam. Rabbi Ruth Alpers did a wonderful job officiating and our friends did a wonderful job of singing, celebrating, and eating!

The ceremony marked the time when she officially received her name. Miriam was a biblical figure, the sister of Moses and Aaron. She was an independent, strong-willed woman who stood up for what she believed. An active part of her community, she was a problem-solver who cared for her people. Frances honors Chris' paternal great-grandmother and Erica's dear friend, Frances Gotkowitz, who died several years ago. Frances had a love of learning, a passion for teaching Judaism, and a commitment to helping others. We hope that our Miriam Frances will embody these qualities.

Miriam sacked out before the naming. In fact, she stayed that way the whole time. She was offered some grape juice during the ceremony, but she adamantly refused to take any (ah, that independent, strong-willed spirit!) and promptly went back to sleep. She has, however, had a little bit of grape juice on Friday evening several times. She even has her own kiddush cup, courtesy of the staff at Wise Temple.

The whole family and Rabbi Alpers in the Scheuer Chapel at Hebrew Union College after the naming. The smiles on the faces reflect the lovely ceremony, the sleeping child, and the food that is about to be consumed!

Joining the Digital Age

Well, we have finally joined the digital age. First, Chris joined Facebook for his work with the Academy, then Miriam got an e-mail address (before she was even born) so we could find things for her on Freecycle, now we have officially created a blog. We thought the day would never come, but thought this would be a good way to keep up with family and friends who are far away. Chris tries to limit his time on the computer when he is not working, so this will mainly be the work of Erica (with occasional editing from Chris--he loves to relive his bygone editor days).

Has it been more than a month since Miriam's arrival?! It has been a blur of eating, sleeping and diaper changing. We have really enjoyed visits from all the grandparents and can't thank our friends in Cincinnati enough for all their support. They have provided meals galore (our fridge has never been so full), taken care of Miriam so we could get some time away (gotta love ice skating in Franklin Square!), and just been there for us to talk with when things have gotten rough ("it's going to take HOW LONG till she sleeps through the night????")

Sleeping like, well, like a baby in her "Miriam basket." It is important to note that this activity does not take place between the hours of 9PM and 1AM, it is a daytime phenomenon only.

Grandma Margery, Erica and Grandma Jean right before eating Thanksgiving dinner. Okay, so it wasn't technically Thanksgiving -- we were in the hospital that Thursday -- but we did celebrate just two days late. (Note the lovely fruit bouquet sent by the Myers family in Worcester. Highly, highly recommended as a post-pregnancy gift!)

One of the most common questions we get is how are the cats getting along with Miriam? Do they jump on her? Do they cuddle with her? Thunder (aka "Big T") likes to use her to make a "Miriam sandwich." She doesn't seem to mind, so we have decided to keep them for now. If we could only get them to stop waking us up at 5AM, which is one time when Miriam is actually asleep!