Flesh Wounds

It was a busy day of work for Bryce and I today. We both have big design projects going. Link slept most of the day. When we were finally done with stuff and I felt like I had a break, Link and I went for a walk. Within 3 min we were attacked by a dog. A little domestic one named Lacey, but she ran at us and I realized my instincts now are to just drape myself over my child when I am in danger. The owner yelled for her to come back and said "Don't worry she won't hurt you" just as I felt her claw enter the back of my leg. It looks pretty bad, but I of course not wanting to offend them, I pretended that nothing happened.
Link also finally got his fingernails clipped. He was born with long fingernails but I was too afraid to cut them so I said whenever he scratches himself I will. Well, he tried to take his nose off today with three very large slashes across his baby skin. So off went the nails.
My parents came over and took us out for ice cream.

3 weeks Link

Lincoln at three weeks has long curly lashes, baby acne that disappears in his sleep, and nursing chub cheeks. He has started to coo but he also started to scream. He is starting to show great signs of strength in his neck and legs and he can see pretty far for his age. He doesn't like the stroller but he does like the moby. He has no schedule and is pretty unpredictable. He loves to be swaddled (even in his pink swaddling blanket). This is the only pink he has worn. Although he has only worn blue just as much as any other color. Link is a fabulous night sleeper and loves our bed. His head sweats so much at night it leaves puddles on our sheets. We are a lot more mobile but I am starting to realize life is never going be the same. There is a lot more scheduling and figuring out how long things take now.

Link meets the Durbins

Lovable Link and Aunt Kate, originally uploaded by Shannon Marye.

Grandmother and Grandpa Durbin came from Ohio on Sunday evening. Aunt Kate, not having anything planned also came along as an added bonus. They were a joy to have. Jim and Betsy stayed at my parents the first night and Kate with us. They were full of updates and lots of positive supportive about breastfeeding and cloth diapers. The only lack of support (which also revealed itself in my own parents too) is choosing to only have one child. If Bryce and I do decide that Link in all we need we are going to have to cop some sort of physical excuse like "Bryce went in for a colonoscopy and they accidentally gave him a vasectomy." We also got loads of great gifts from them and friends and family who sent them with.
On Monday we went to Treats for lunch followed by a visit to the Buttery and Fennely's for dinner. That morning Trisha Finely took some pictures of Link, but he was really in a bad mood so after a few hours we took what we could get. In the evening we went to Grandma and Grandpa Dallenbach's for the first time with Link. Lots of conversation and some sad goodbyes. Bryce and I were really impressed with Jim's holding techniques which seemed to mesmerize Lincoln.
Betsy brought the photo album of Bryce's year of birth. It was great to see his baby pictures. There are definitely similarities but not exact replicas between the two. Betsy also reminded me that at Bryce's birth, even though it was a home birth, she did go to the hospital right away after he was delivered, which made me feel a little better about my own transfer. I also found out during that time Jean was like a wet nurse to Bryce, which is super cool. I never realized the length Betsy nursed nor thought about the fact that she used cloth diapers and had a diaper service. Man, I am so jealous of diaper services. We are struggling to keep going with cloth, basically because of a lack of supplies. Oddly enough every time we tell people we are using cloth diapers, the next time they visit they usually show up with a bag of disposables. I am not sure what these well meaning people are trying to say but it sounds a little like "give up." I just look at the package trying to transform it into the two nice all in one cloth diapers it could buy or the couple dozen prefolds. We have, however, had tremendous success with the flannel baby wipes and are no longer seeking out packages of throw aways. The flannel is so much better than the disposable in cleaning up. Even if we did go off cloth I don't think I will give up the wipes.

Sleepy Boy

Knock on wood I won't be up for the rest of the night, but Link slept from 11:00 to 6:00 last night and didn't even cry when he woke up. I just heard him lip smacking. Then we fell asleep again and he didn't wake up until 9:30. It was fabulous. He was such a good boy today. We did a meeting with Jackie O about making me an employee of Bryce's design business which would make our health insurance tax deductible. We also went to Cedar Falls to get yarn for the Halloween costume Bryce is determined to knit for Link's first Halloween. We may be farming out pieces though so if you are interested in contributing please let us know. http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=315663.0


I also wanted to get more of the red I was using for the sweater I have been making Link since before he was born but the shop I got it from was completely closed, done. I didn't have the project with me to match yarn at the new store.

Bryce and I had a meeting with dishntunes.com and then we came home where I have been doing work for a agriculture newsletter. The project is quarterly and I hope it continues because it is well financed. Link has been asleep since 9 and it is now 11:30. Wait for tomorrows post when I write about my horrible night, right?

So, I also figured out how to nurse while Link is in his car seat. Is this terribly illegal. I can keep both of our seat belts on, just takes a little bit of contorsion on my part, but I'm big enough that it works and it is awesome, because I don't have to find anywhere to go and sit or hide. I don't have to take an extra 1/2 hour out of our routine, etc. The only thing I can think of is in the worst of cases I could lose a nipple and Link could choke on it and die, but seriously I need to know if this is legal or not. The only thing is I can't take him out to burp him, but he doesn't seem to mind.

Also I will be posting tomorrow about our great weekend with Grandma and Grandpa Durbin and Auntie Kate. I haven't had much time to write lately or upload pics, but I will back post as soon and I am able.

Mac and Cheese

When Link doesn't smell like baby poo I think he smells like mac and cheese. Bryce says it is because he is making cheese curds in his mouth.

i sentence you to the chair

in the chair, originally uploaded by Shannon Marye.

link loves the chair liz and jazz bought him. the only thing is it takes a ginormus battery that we have yet to purchase so thus far my foot has been doing all the work. i will be an excellent base drum player by the end of the week.

My favorite line from the doctor's visit yesterday: "He could grow up to be president. Or a mass murderer. Or both, as the case may be."