The Straight Jacket

The days of Anika sleeping anywhere and everywhere are waning.  And it's becoming very clear that her temperment is a function of her tiredness or lack thereof.  We have friends who swear backwards and forwards that swaddling is essential to good sleep.  But as soon as Anika got past her first couple of weeks, she fought against the swaddle, always breaking her arms and legs free.  We figured swaddling just wasn't her thing.  Here is a picture of Anika's typical escape from the standard swaddle.

Anika breaking free

But Alicia and I have since discovered a new solution.  No more wrapping her in circles tightly with an ordinary swaddling blanket.  No more child's play: introducing the straight jacket. 

It looks like a normal swaddling blanket, but don't be fooled, this is no ordinary receiving blanket

It comes equipped with special flaps built in to immobilize your baby's arms (I find comfort in the fact that she'll never remember I did this to her)

And there's a nice little pocket for her legs and feet (by this point Anika realizes this will not end well for her)

Now the wrapping begins (good thing Anika is not claustrophobic)

Around and around we go (Anika is now resigned to her inability to flail her arms and legs about)

Wrapped like a little burrito

The best thing about the straight jacket may not even be how well she sleeps in it.  The best part is the way she stretches all around after she is finally released.  Sometimes this goes on for 10 minutes or more.

Free at last, free at last

Right arm

Left arm

One happy baby

I hope and pray this constant desire to move her arms and legs around doesn't mean she destined for something like rhythmic gymnastics or synchronized swimming. 

Introducing Hockey Wild Style

Tonight was another milestone in the life of our daughter.  Anika attended her first ever hockey game!  Unfortunately, the Wild (I'm still disappointed the team chose what's first and foremost an adjective for its name) couldn't win one for Anika.  (Really, what's wrong with just picking a scary animal for a name? And why something in the singular?  "The Wild" might be one of the worst five names in all of North American professional sports.) 

Anika was a trooper all night long.  For the most part she was entertained by a pretty fast-paced game.  But eventually, the Wild's lack of scoring punch put her to sleep. 

Anika is disappointed in the Wild's lack of offensive punch by the first intermission

Anika is dreaming about a Wild team that gives its devoted fan base something to cheer about

For the most part, the fans around us seemed as interested in watching Anika as the game.  Things really got interesting for Anika when the Wild finally mustered a goal and got on the board in the second period.  The horn that gets blared every time the Wild score gave her quite the scare; it's quite a bit louder than even the worship music at Hope.  The picture below is Alicia trying to muffle the sound of the music later in the game.  (Wonderfully, Anika not only saw her first hockey game tonight, she also heard Metallica's "Enter Sandman" and Gun's and Roses "Welcome to the Jungle" for the first time--two classics that are better the louder they are played.) 

Anika insisted on dressing the part tonight

It was quite the education for Anika Joy tonight!  Target Field and the Minnesota Twins are up next.

Firsts (of the not-so-important variety)

Anika is all about firsts these days.  We've had: the first time sleeping for four solid hours, first nap in her own bed/crib, and first Twins ticket draft with the Freeman family, among other things, recently.  Today, we knocked some other important things off of Anika's list--first trip to OPH (the Original Pancake House), first trip to the movies (to see, and by that I mean sleep through, the Hunger Games), and first stroller ride around the neighborhood.

First trip to OPH--one of the best breakfast spots in the Twin Cities!

Waiting outside with her best friend Evangeline--dreaming about pancakes and hoping they are worth the long wait

Starting to really get hungry

The girls at OPH--Julie's first time!

Sitting with Dad and still thinking about pancakes--when will they be here!?

Anika after we broke the news that there would be no pancakes for her--just milk (and not even chocolate milk)

Luckily, Auntie Julie was there to save the day

Next it was off to Anika's first movie.

Anika not knowing how to feel about The Hunger Games being her first trip to the movies--what's that book about again?

Don't worry.  With Anika we're still sticking to Cat in the Hat, the Bible, the Giving Tree, and a healthy dose of the Great Brain--Alicia's favorite childhood series of stories.  Amazingly, the original Great Brain box set now goes for ~$400!?  How can this be?  We'll need to wait until at least middle school until Anika's old enough for The Hunger Games. 

Family pic at our first trip to the movies--one of our favorite hobbies (movie-watching counts as a hobby, right?)

Turns out that taking a newborn to the movies is not all it is cracked up to be.  Before we'd even gotten to the District 12 reaping, Anika started crying and I was relegated to walking around with her near the door of the movie theater, trying to lull her back to sleep.  I got her to sleep by the time half of the tributes were gone and then watched the remainder of the movie in the second row near the aisle.  Welcome to parenthood I suppose.  This is only the beginning.

More adventures awaited Anika when she got home.  Mom took her on her first stroller ride around our neighborhood.  All indications are that she loved it. 

Before--a bit perplexed by Mom's makeshift support system (and what is this new contraption anyway?)

After--a very happy baby

Spring Has Sprung

Spring has sprung and Anika is loving it.  We've been taking in the beautiful weather, enjoying the great basketball (go UNC!), and having fun with our baby girl.  This morning, Anika woke up and was clearly inspired by all of the March Madness basketball:

Playing good defense and keeping those hands up and out wide

Reaching out for a steal

Watching her three-point jump shot---swoosh

Landing on her feet after a big slam dunk

As you can see, she's striving to be a multi-dimensional player.  Coincidentally, we learned at the doctor this week that Anika's height--21.8 inches--puts her in the 17th percentile (not accounting for her pre-term birth).  It doesn't look like she'll have Uncle Rob's height.  But since she's demonstrating so much basketball promise, we've chosen not to tell her she'll probably be short.  We don't want to burst her bubble.  Plus, there are some pretty short players out there in the NCAA tournament.

After practicing her basketball moves, we went for a long walk to Lake Nokomis (and to the Grand Ole' Creamery Ice Cream Shop).  Anika was quite the trooper.

Anika pre-walk, getting ready to go in the Ergo carrier

Anika in the carrier--she promptly went to sleep

Many miles and two hours later, Anika was quite hot and a bit dazed

And she got quite upset . . . when she found out that I spilled ice cream in her hair

Luckily, getting ready for a bath (and thinking about basketball again) cheered her right up

  Here are some other recent shots from the last week:

Enjoying the 70 degree temps with Dad

Hanging out with Aunt Jen and the girls

Meeting Uncle Craig for the first time!

Just looking cute

Being smiley and happy in the morning

Posing for the camera with her hand behind her head (this may be too provocative of a pose for a 9-week year old)

Ch-ch-changes

Slowly Anika changes.  Small changes, but changes nonetheless.

She's becoming much more expressive:

Smiles

Laughs

Curiosity

Contentment

Looks like a face of dislike, but it usually means she's hungry

She's also LOVING her play mat--particularly Mr. Owl, which makes a bell noise.  I think she knows that owls are smart.  Thankfully, she doesn't show any interest at all in the hanging squirrel, which is the worst of the hanging animals and (fittingly) does not make any noise at all. 

She now smiles almost immediately after being put down in her play mat (wise Mr. Owl is on the right)

She's also starting to move her arms and legs around a lot more.  It's like she finally realizes that she's the one moving them.  How fun!

Disco moves already?  (Maybe she's going to be a hippy)

Scrunching up her legs and waving her arms around--this must be a dance move from the future

Maybe her Olympic sport will be the luge?

Oh, and one more thing happened this week.  She started shopping.

Looks like we're already going to have to have a talk about healthy choices