There are two people in the world besides Simon: the human who has milk and the human who bounces him up in the air. They are different people; they even smell different and deserve different smiles. Milk human is warm and snuggly; bounce human is fun to play with.

Simon vocalizes a bit more these days with "ahhhh" and "aaaa" and "uh". He gets to sleep by 10:30 pm but is sleeping for four hours, feeding for one, sleeping for two hours, feeding for one, wanting to play for one, sleeping for three hours.

During the day there are about two two-hour stretches without feeding. The rest of the time Simon is pretty much eating every hour or every half hour. Hava can't predict when a two hour stretch will occur which makes doing anything outside the house mighty difficult (Simon has nursed in some of the Bay Area's finest parking lots). Sitting still 80% of the day isn't fun. Hava is completely devoted to nursing Simon but, so far, if she were totally honest with you, she would say that nursing really sucks (no pun intended). Playing the role of "Dad" seems like SUCH a better option.

Hava hears that he'll eat less frequently when he gets older.

Simon spent his first entire day out yesterday at a friend's wedding. He slept the entire day (and still slept the entire night too!). This week's photos are of sleeping Simon; when he's not sleeping, he is usually eating or we are spending the few moments he is alert and not hungry to play with him (instead of taking photos).

This week Simon noticed his Mom's fingers and very briefly seemed to care about his own. He also spent some time actually playing in the baby gym (as opposed to sleeping).

We haven't put Simon in the crib yet because he is too cute to banish to another room. The bassinet is getting another chance.

Because Simon is now almost an entire month old, we are attempting to prepare him to be on a schedule; a walk, bath time, story time, feeding time, and then sleep. The grand plan is complicated by the fact that Simon typically falls asleep for the night around 11:30 or midnight and the schedule has him attempting to sleep around 8 pm.

If getting him to go to sleep at 8 pm weren't challenging enough, Simon hasn't slept alone for nearly a week. Simon thinks the bassinet is great for about 30 minutes a day during which time he loves to watch the bear mobile go 'round and 'round and study the check pattern of the material, alas, he will no longer sleep in it. We can wait until he is completely out and he will awaken within moments of being placed down. On the other hand, when placed next to Hava in bed, he sleeps deeply, soundly, and makes Hava proud that she suffered through eating fish high in Omega 3's once a week in the third trimester. Unfortunately, though it is painful for all of us, Simon needs to learn to sleep on his own or we will all suffer later when he has to be broken of the habit.

This is being written in Simon's room next to his crib in which he is sleeping for the very first time. It isn't night time so this is just an experimental nap and he had to be placed in the crib while still on the boppy pillow which was removed from him after 20 minutes but he is definitely, totally asleep on his back, without pillows and without his mom (one hour and counting). Now we need to make this happen tonight and tomorrow and forever after.

Less sleep now means more sleep later, right?

(Silently repeat after me: this is only a phase, this is only a phase, this is only a phase ...)

Simon gained half a pound this past week so he graduated with high marks from the newborn club (this means he doesn't have to go back for weekly weighing). Just in case you're trying to do the math, if Simon continues to gain half a pound a week he will weigh approximately 475 pounds by his eighteenth birthday (currently he is 9 lbs. 3 oz.).

Main Entry: si·mo·nize
Pronunciation: sI-mon-Ize
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): -nized; -niz·ing
Etymology: from Simoniz, a trademark. Also Simon, the baby:
1. to polish with or as if with wax; 2. to bond with baby Simon; 3. to be covered in spit-up
I've just been Simonized; will you Simonize while I shower?

Little things that are worth a moment of thanks: the ability to ... tie one's own shoes, run up a flight of stairs, lay down on back (or stomach!), breathe uncongested, get close enough to counter to reach glasses in cupboard, hug spouse, not get overheated by merely stepping outside, dance/move with reckless abandon, fit into clothes, get to sleep in 5 minutes or less, desire more foods than peanut butter and jelly.

Hava would just like to say that though little Simon is a lot more work than imaginable, she is SO incredibly thankful not to be pregnant and, just so you know, has NO desire to ever get that way again. Simon is perfect; why push our luck?

Things that Hava misses: work (I know, how sad), friends, alone time with Matthew, 10 pm bedtime, working out, having time to look presentable, reading (it takes two hands), running errands/getting up to go somewhere at will, her pre-pregnancy shape.

Simon decided that turning over has been done so he doesn't need to do it anymore. He is getting really good at holding up his head and he actually smiled back at his Dad this morning.

A few days ago we wondered: "what will happen if we place the Simonizer face down?" We tried it. He rolled over to his back. We tried it again. He rolled over again. And again, and again, and then he got tired and did push-ups instead.

Other silly Simon tricks: he has the Elvis one-sided smile down (only while sleeping), night-time squeaks occasionally turn into chuckles (also while sleeping), and he is getting mighty good at grabbing and sticking his hands in his mouth (but only when it is really inconvenient, like while trying to feed him).

Last night was the first night Simon went to sleep before 1 or 2 am. We are hoping that last night's 10:30 pm bedtime will become routine. Maybe he is starting to appreciate the difference between night and day? In any case, it was very appreciated. Thank you Simon.

Simon is going through what is officially known as a "growth spurt". For the past two days he has eaten non-stop from around 5 pm to 2 am. Hava didn't get any sleep that first night and was very cranky yesterday. Last night she knew what was coming and was mentally prepared for the Simonator's voracious hunger. Sadly, he went in for his weighing yesterday and had gained very very little over the past week. Look here next week for stories of the overfed baby (before his next appointment).

But DAD I hafta gooooo! Simon exploded this morning. Simon's diaper didn't have a chance and failed. Matthew and Hava decided that another bath was in order. Matthew held naked Simon to his bare chest while Hava filled the tub. Simon went. And he went. And he went. It took Hava and Matthew a while to clue into what was leaking. By that time, Matthew was soaked and there was a large puddle on the kitchen floor.

In other news, Simon giggled for the first time this morning. He was asleep at the time so we'll never know what was so funny ...

Last night was bodily fluid night. Hava laid Simon down next to her in the bed for a while after feeding him and he wet the bed, had a poopy diaper, spit up, oozed mucus out of the eye with a clogged tear duct, and bled a little when he lost his umbilical cord stump. To celebrate the night of bodily fluids (and the new belly button), Simon was given his first official bath this morning. Luckily, Simon saw this as a good thing.

Relatively new things for Simon: he turns over onto one side and rolls back (usually to look at something or be chest-to-chest with Mom or Dad), he squeaks while he sleeps, he smiles quite often (but it looks like he is still practicing at this point), and he can grab and pull Dad's glasses from his face.

He is allowed to sleep one four hour stretch every night before Hava must wake him up to feed him. After about an hour of feeding, he goes back to sleep for another three hours (he only eats for 40 minutes -- the other 20 are spent trying to keep him awake). Seven hours of sleep is really really nice so we shouldn't complain but it would be even nicer if Simon wanted to start the seven hours before 1 am.

Last night a very large limb of the very large pine tree in front of our townhouse broke and came crashing down on us. Luckily, we didn't sustain any damage but the unit next to us wasn't so lucky. The funny thing about it is that at the first cracking sound Hava yelled "tree!" and ran for the other side of the house with Simon in her arms. Matthew and the other neighbors thought the sound was firecrackers. Hava knew it was a tree falling because this is her second tree-almost-falling-on-house-where-she-was-living experience. Alas, the trees keep missing by mere inches which is just fine with her.

Simonrificus Lucasby Kagledom is getting cuter by the minute. Hava thinks his best feature is his little pointy chin. Where did that come from anyway?

Simon went out to his first restaurant yesterday: the Palo Alto Creamery at the Stanford Shopping Center. He slept through the experience.

Simon, also known as Breast feeding Boy! has gained back almost all of the weight he lost after his birth. Nurses at Kaiser think this is miraculous. Hava knows how miraculous it isn't (effort + lack of sleep = healthy baby). Simon hasn't allowed his parents a good night of sleep since his last bottle (of breast milk) last Sunday. This is probably just a coincidence since the nurses proved to Hava and Matthew how much more milk he gets out than the pump in the same period of time (they weighed him before and after a feeding). Alas, Hava and Matthew have joined the legions of sleepless new parents everywhere.

New things for Simon: he focuses on patterns and watches mobiles, he sucks his thumb (when he can get it in his mouth), he has a heck of a lot of dirty diapers, he passes gas like a frat boy, and his hair appears to be lightening in color and his eyes are much more blue than they were before (though we're still not sure they won't turn brown). Simon has now spent time with both sets of grandparents who are appropriately smitten.

Alas, we are now between pooping and feeding (about 40 minutes) so it is time for Hava and Matthew to nap.

One of Murphy's Laws states: "When a broken appliance is demonstrated for the repairman, it will work perfectly." Simon Lucas (not to compare him with the stove or anything) started latching like a pro two hours before the lactation consultant arrived. She did provide some helpful information but must have thought Hava was a nut for thinking her baby had a latch issue. *SIGH*

Thank you very much for your opinions and advice. After careful consideration, Hava made a date with the La Leche League tomorrow morning and a private lactation consultant will be visiting tomorrow afternoon. Watch out Simon, here come two boobs! (It is amazing how fast Hava's inhibitions about boobs left.)

Simon had his first stroller walk around Mountain View this afternoon. In true Simon fashion, he slept the entire time. Simon wakes up a few hours each day and spends this time investigating his surroundings and his parents. We feel very lucky to have an infant that is so easy to take care of. We actually have to wake HIM up during the night to eat. Matthew thinks this is because of his insistence that Hava eat salmon or trout each week during the third trimester (we saw a study once that supported this theory).

Simon slept for nearly 24 hours after his birth. Lactation nurses trying to wake him for feedings decided that he would eventually be interested in food and, low and behold, he started to get hungry around dinner time on day two. Unfortunately, because he remained a sleepy baby, he didn't get enough food and by day three he was awake but inconsolable (especially during night one at home during which Hava and Matthew even called the advice nurse because he just wouldn't stop crying). Day three he was weighed and he had lost 1.5 pounds! Simon was put on a strict feeding schedule and by night four (last night) Hava and Matthew and Simon were up every 2.5 hours to pump milk and feed him from a bottle. Today he only wants a bottle and not the boob, alas he gained a half pound over night! The new decision in the Kagle house is whether to continue using the bottle and pumping milk out of Hava or to continue trying to make Simon miserable (and Hava frustrated) by attempting to force him to latch and drink from tubes and a syringe. Hava would welcome advice on this matter. Is there any evidence that feeding breast milk from a bottle is less healthy than feeding from a breast? Hava loves the pump and Simon loves the bottle but Hava wants to do the best thing for Simon.