The Wise Old Man

It was another long night Monday night as Mr. Liam again was awake and hungry through most of the wee hours. We are working to turn his sleep schedule. It can't happen soon enough for Savannah and myself.

Kimberly Beppler, a good friend, mother of two small children and professional doula, stopped by and helped out today. She is very knowledgeable about things like proper feeding position, different ways to hold the baby, and how to make humbau, an Asian bun filled with yummy veggies and cheese. I had many while in Japan. She made us over a dozen from scratch. Wow.

While Kimberly helped with laundry and did other things around the place, Savannah was able to get some sleep and I ran a few needed errands. And the humbau are divine. Thanks, Kimberly.

Later in the day, Savannah, Liam and myself drove to Core Source, where Savannah has an office but today had an appointment with Amy, her chiropractor. Having a natural childbirth is akin to being in a car accident for most women, and Savannah was helped greatly by Amy.

Liam also got a check from Amy, who is a state certified pediatric chiropractor. He didn't need anything in the way of adjustments, she just checked his hip motion and such and suggested some gentle movements to keep his development on track.

It was while we were waiting to see Amy that the following photo was taken (I always carry a camera). Babies in general sometimes go into a state called 'quiet alert,' a short span of time where they soak in their surroundings while remaining fairly still. They may do it a few times a day, but only for several minutes each time. It is a neat behavior to observe.

During quiet alert, Liam's eyes open wide (unless he's in bright light), and his hands and feet come to rest. He has strong neck muscles (our pediatrician even commented on it) and likes to look around a lot, especially at lights. If you are seated in front of him, he will stare right at you.

This young, most babies have little control over their facial expressions, and run through them moment to moment. No big smiles yet, those come later. But you still get a sampling.

We've spotted a trend of sorts. My mom, Mary Alice, said he looked "wise" when she first saw him. Since then, several other people have said the same thing. One of our more hippy friends commented that he was an old soul, back for another journey through life. He seems to have a strong sense of calm about him.

Frankly, it kind of freaks me out a bit, they way he looks at me sometimes. Liam does not yet blink much, so those dark blue eyes just kind of bore into you.

I stare right back, but I get the distinct feeling I'm the one being closely watched, not the other way around.

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A couple of other photos from today: