Outings

Brynna has been out and about quite a bit for a three week old! She goes out with us to walk Jasper in the evenings, as long as her feeding schedule allows it.

We also went to a class party on Friday where she was much admired by all. She did get a little alarmed when 30 people started screaming at Michael Phelps on the TV, but other than that had a nice sleep, then some food, and then an awake period where some friends were able to hold her.

On Sunday, we went to a free concert in the park: Tommy James and the Shondells. Here is Brynna in her car seat, where she hung out snoozing quite happily for much of the concert:


Then she woke up for awhile and we danced a bit:


We also went for a nice walk to the library last week:


And we went (briefly) to the mall. Here I am figuring out her stroller.

The stroller is actually a "stroller frame," a nifty contraption that the car seat snaps onto. It is much lighter and easier to haul around than the usual sort of stroller. It also doesn't require moving Brynna from car seat to a stroller seat and back again, a particular bonus if she's sleeping. Once Brynna outgrows her carseat, then we'll buy a different stroller, but by then we'll have a better sense of what sort of features we need. Or maybe we'll just get by with a jogging stroller, which we already have!

And here's Brynna all dressed up for the La Leche League meeting a couple of nights ago:


I had a couple of specific breastfeeding questions, and got lots of tips about learning to do the side-lying position (thus letting me sleep while Brynna eats) and getting started with pumping when we are ready to introduce a bottle in a week or two. I will need to start building up a supply of stored milk before I head back to rotations!

Brynna is doing very well. My parents left on Monday morning, so Brynna and I have been alone during the days this week. I'm getting used to the lack-of-routine and learning to be less ambitious about what I get done each day! Today, other than the sleeping and eating that take up most of the time, we read a bunch of Sandra Boynton books plus The Little Engine That Could. Brynna seems to be starting to focus on—or at least look in the general direction of—the pictures. I also watched some Olympics and did some reading of my own...currently Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith.

Jasper and I have also been having a little outing of our own each morning. After Brynna's breakfast (usually between 6 and 7:30), I put her back down with Alex and take the fuzzy puppy out for a half hour or so. For the last week, I have been running—yes, running!—a tiny bit. The first day it was just a quarter mile, and it's been about a half mile every day since. We just walk the rest of our usual route. It's not much, but something. Besides, Jasper has to get back into training, too!