So, You Want to Visit and/or Hold Ellie

wickline on 2006-01-07T17:08:24

Laura and I are zombies. We have not had enough sleep and so cannot think properly. Whenever we hold or look at Ellie, our brains turn to emotional mush and we just think warm fuzzy formless thoughts.

We have trouble remembering to take care of ourselves. It just doesn't occur to us to offer to hand Ellie to someone else. However, if you ask to hold Ellie, we'll be happy to let you share the joy we feel holding her. You just have to ask, because we won't think of it.

We're first time parents, so you'll want to wash up to relieve our anxiety. If you want to use a finger as a pacifier, please use Purell (we have plenty around) to sanitize the digit and put the nail side on her toungue to avoid scratching up the more delicate roof of her mouth.

If you want to visit, please just tell us. We're too brain-fried to be thinking up lists of everyone in town who may want to drop by and call folks. However, we'd be over-joyed to see you. Please just call and let us know you'd like to stop by. Suggest a couple of times. If we're changing diapers, sleeping, or whatever, we may not get to the phone as you call, but we'll return your call and most likely let you know that your suggested time is fine. If we have a doctor's appointment or something, we'll throw other times your way. We want you to visit!

If you're out of town, we want you to visit even more! Why? Well, because that means you'll be staying the night. In addition to your wonderful company, we may be able to get a bonus bit of baby-sitting. Just watching Ellie while we go on a walk together for half an hour would be a special treat.

Just as we're bad about inviting local folks to drop in, we're also bad about inviting out of town folks for longer stays. If you're intersted in swinging by, please let us know. We'd love to have you here!

(more Ellie info)

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Why you turn to mush (in part)

Alias on 2006-01-08T11:28:44

One of the few human pheromones that still actively work is one that's poured out by a baby's skin for the first little while.

It's also known as "that new baby smell".

It compells you to pick here up and hold her, and specifically to hold her up near your face. From memory I believe the goal is for baby to be near its parent's (or any adult's) face/breath.

This helps it to pick up anti-bodies or something from people, to help it's new and defenceless immune system get trained up against the basic bacteria floating around the place.

So while doing the basics of cleanliness like washing hands and such is Good (some very bad nasties she isn't ready for get on hands) don't get too paranoidly clean all the time, or her immune system isn't going to learn as well.

We didn't evolve in a germ-free environment.

But what do I know, go look this stuff up on the internet and find better sources.

Re:Why you turn to mush (in part)

Tami Boccaleoni Hild on 2006-01-22T17:43:03

Hey there Matt and Laura -

Just killing time, reminiscing and googling old friends and came upon you two. Congratulations on the new one. The pictures are gorgeous. My husband of seven years, Andrew, and I had twin daughters 2 years ago and it just keeps getting better. Their names are Anna and Greta. You can see pictures at smugmug.andrewandtami.com if you are interested - probably still too sleep deprived from Ellie to care! :)

I would love to hear what else you are up to these days. Email when you get your heads above water.

andrewandtami@yahoo.com

Love, Tami from UCSD