Oops . . . I'll see what I can do

I just now noticed that the pictures pushed the sidebar all the way down to the bottom of the blog. I don't know what I can do about it, but I'll see. By the way, I post in a font named 'Trebuchet.' Why? Because it looks good and takes its name from one of the most incredible pieces of machinery--ever!

Favorite Lullaby

My favorite lullaby to sing to Paige during fussy or sleepy moments? "Slumber My Darling" by Stephen Foster. (Originally it was 'mother' instead of 'father,' but I don't think Mr. Foster would mind my personal revision.) My favorite recording of the song is from "Appalachian Journey," as sung by Alison Krauss.

Slumber my darling, thy father is near, Guarding thy dreams from all terror and fear. Sunlight has past and the twilight has gone-- Slumber my darling, the night’s coming on. Sweet visions attend thy sleep, Fondest, dearest to me. While others their revels keep, I will watch over thee.

Refrain Slumber, my darling, the birds are at rest. The wandering dews by the flowers are caressed. Slumber, my darling, I’ll wrap thee up warm, And pray that the angels will shield thee from harm.

Slumber my darling, till morn’s blushing ray Brings to the world the glad tidings of day: Fill the dark void with thy dreamy delight-- Slumber, thy father will guard thee to-night. Thy pillow shall sacred be From all outward alarms; Thou, thou are the world to me In thine innocent charms.

Refrain

Second round of pictures

Paige being held by Nana Audra holding Paige during a quiet moment Paige isn't quite sure what dad is up to Just the beginnings of a smile A couple of clueless men trying our best to treat a diaper change like a NASCAR pit stop Paige just after her first bath

Mau, anyone?

When I was in high school I learned to play a card game named Mau. It had some simple rules, some rules that followed an odd kind of logic, and some arbitrary rules. The REAL trick to the game was that you weren't told all the rules when you began playing; you had to learn them by yourself. The last few nights have reminded me of playing Mau. Taking care of Paige and keeping her happy is a learn-as-you-go kind of experience. And of course, she has very few methods of communicating her rules to us. There are easy, no-brainer rules, like:

"check my diaper" and "see if I'm hungry"

There are the logical-if-you-think-long enough:

"I don't like bright lights" or "small things lose heat fast--I'm freezing"

Then there are the completely arbitrary things:

"I will eat, sleep, wake up, and dirty my diaper when and wherever I so choose!" and "I'm fussy and upset, but you'll never guess why!"

So far, I think she's winning.

Labor of Love

Posting pictures took more time and effort than I thought. Oh well--it's definately worth it! So far I've learned two things about getting Paige to sleep: She doesn't like bright lights, and she likes to be moving. This means that we're not using any of the overhead lights in the apartment, just our lamps. It also means that, if all else fails, riding in the car makes Paige sleepy. Note to self: increase gas budget!

Picture Time

Here are some pictures to wet your whistle: Audra and Dot at the Huntsville baby shower Getting ready to go at 6:00 in the morning Ready and waiting for the big event Me cutting the cord Here she is in all her newborn glory! Paige getting some well-deserved rest

Pictures Coming!!!

This seemed like a great way to update everyone on Paige's progress. This keeps me from filling everyone's inboxes with gigantic photos taken of random moments. Sounds like a plan to me! I should have figured out how to get pictures off my camera and into the aether known as the Internet by the end of the week. Enjoy!

Baby Stats

Kathryn Paige Brown was born Sunday, October 10 at 2:37 pm. She weighed 8 lb and 1 oz, and was 20 inches long. Both mom and baby are doing well!

First Post

This site will be about me, my wife, and my daughter. (Although not necessarily in that order.) The title is "My Daughter" in Portuguese. Why Portuguese? Because I know a little, (and therefore am dangerous) and because I like how the title sounds. I don't think this blog will ever be famous, which is fine with me -- this is for my friends and family. If you don't know me, but like my blog . . . that's just a bonus for all involved.