What's Wrong with This Picture??

Mommy here.  After a long absence from posting -- and way too many "daddy posts" -- I had to sign on to share a certain photo with everyone (see above).  What's wrong with this picture?  Hm??  I'll give you a hint just in case your monitor is on the fritz or you've developed a sudden case of color blindness: in a certain baby's room, there's a closet full of BROWN ... and 2 pink frocks! (courtesy of Auntie Susan and Miss Jackie)  Although daddy may have boasted about his paint job in outfitting the nursery, mommy notes that he surprisingly never 'fessed up to our loyal readers that he's commandeered poor little Chiara's closet!  In the spirit of full disclosure, this is daddy's closet #2 (he also has clothes in the "guest room")... Better make way, daddy -- pink's not your color!!        

New Twist to an Old Remedy

A hot water bottle is a container filled with hot water and sealed with a stopper, used to provide warmth, typically used while in bed, but also for the application of heat to a specific part of the body.             

     

Containers for warmth in bed were in use as early as the 16th century. The earliest versions contained hot coals from the dying embers of the fire, and these bed warmers were used to warm the bed before getting into it.

An electric blanket is a blanket with an integrated electrical heating device usually placed above the top bed sheet. This modern version of a hot water bottle was developed in 1912 by American physician Sidney I. Russell. Electric overblankets were introduced in the United States in 1937. In 1970, the Thermega company brought a blanket heated by the circulation of warm water to the market.  

A Chiara is a cute little baby girl filled with gas and food.  When she is not getting rid of said food in her pants and not strengthening her vocal chords by letting us know she needs more food and/or for us to make room in her pants for her to get rid of her next meal, she can also be used to provide warmth and comfort for either parent.

This precious bag of heat has only been in use for a few weeks.  However, there are already signs of some considerable advantages to the Chiara over the electric blanket and the hot water bottle.  Chiara maintains a steady temperature of approximately 98 degrees Fahrenheit, you do not have to plug in the cord used during her manufacturing to operate Chiara, and there are no risks of minor skin burns or catching clothing or bedding on fire.

There is also a random massage mode (usually to the eyes, throat or ribs) and the Chiara can shift along with or even assume the same sleeping position of its operator a.k.a. exhausted parent.

Greetings from Chiara!

This week was bittersweet for Dad. Chiara is wearing the very first outfit she grew out of in this clip! Looks like a trip to the newborn clothing department is in order....

Look Who's One (month)

Well, our little girl turned one month!

The doctor was very happy with her progress and gave her a clean bill of health.  Mom and Dad passed their test too.  No blow outs at the doctor's office this time, but  her new parents were up for the challenge ;-)


The first month has been nothing short of wonderful.  Full nights of sleep may be a bit harder to remember, but spending time with our little girl is such a joy....even if she makes appointments at 2:00 a.m. or 3:00 a.m.

So far we've learned:

• Chiara's first bath without screaming her head off was just a fluke
• You can set your watch to her belly (like her Daddy's)
• She must be getting plenty of fiber
• She is not as fond of the swaddle as she was at say...two weeks
• We have very generous family and friends
• It is difficult to place a value on a delivered homemade meal
• A dry bottom and plenty of hugs keeps our girl pretty happy
• It is not possible for us to hug or kiss her enough

Time is certainly flying, so we must be having fun.  When you have a preemie all you wish is for them to grow.  Once your wishes begin to come true you realize just how fast babies grow and you kind of want to slow things down....

Chiara may not forgive us for sharing this photo, as she was not quite ready for it.  However, this is one of only two we took on her actual one month B-Day!

Here's TWO you Chiara!

In Chiara’s first TWO weeks we’ve learned TWO valuable lessons about number TWO!

The first lesson we learned is that changing a diaper not only tends to give her the urge to do number one, but also number TWO! As if changing a diaper isn’t already one of the lesser joys of having a baby.  Add to that the bonus of your child doing her best to project number TWO at you and you have really reached a defining moment.  As an aside, we also learned our dainty little girl has a nice little arc to her number one.  Dad felt that during one of his attempts to fasten those cute little diapers.

The second lesson took place during Chiara’s first doctor visit.  We actually learned that sometimes TWO can equal four! As her proud new parents got situated in the exam room, we realized our little girl had a greeting in her diaper for the doctor.  Well, we were determined to leave the doctor with a better first impression than what Chiara had in mind.  So, we quickly removed her diaper to discover her number TWO was more like a six! It was her first official blowout.  A real sock filler. Right after the nurse finished explaining the ban on disposing dirty diapers in their office, we realized the value of those TWO awesome diaper bags we had back at our house!

Luckily, the number TWO did not soil the swaddle blanket and we only live a few minutes away from the doctor’s office.  Who knew our little one was able to produce so much number TWO?

Ready for Another Feeding and Nap

We had a specific request from Chiara’s Auntie Elizabeth for more video clips.  You can’t imagine how much opportunity there is for riveting video of a two week old preemie!  So, for Auntie Elizabeth and in celebration of Chiara’s two week Birthday, let’s roll the tape….

What's In a Name?

We have had a few questions about Chiara’s first name.  The first one is usually, “How do you pronounce her name?” There were also questions about the meaning and origin of her name.  Well, that sounds like a great subject for a post to our blog....

Her name is pronounced (key-yar-ah) with a bit of a rolling “R”.  The “key” sound is exactly the same as in the word Chianti (for you red wine enthusiasts), as it is an Italian name.  The direct English translation of the name is Light.  As in, “Light of our Life.”   :-)  The name has also translated to Clearness, Brightness and Brilliance. The name is equivalent to the English name Clare.  We really liked the name, because it sounds pretty and is less common.  Not quite as unique as Ringo, but just different enough to grab a little extra attention!

Speaking of Ringo… Chiara’s Dad was introduced to the name almost ten years ago when he performed in an Italian production about the life of Saint Francis (San Francesco) of Assisi.  Perhaps the most famous Chiara, was actually a close friend of San Francesco in the thirteenth century.  Chiara was a beautiful Italian noblewoman who joined San Francesco in ridding themselves of material things to pursue a life of rebuilding the church and caring for the poor.

This is a great point to address Chiara’s middle name Palma.  This is also an Italian name, which translates directly to Palm Tree in English.  Palma was chosen as Chiara’s middle name in honor of her Bisnonna (Great Grandmother), Gina’s paternal Grandmother (Nonna).  Nonna was the sweetest and kindest woman and we dearly miss her.  We were fortunate enough to let Nonna know what we would name our child if we had a daughter before she passed away.  She was the only one to know Chiara’s name until we sent our announcement. 

Chiara Palma winds up being a perfect name, because it was on Palm Sunday in 1212 A.D. that Chiara found her calling to lead a spiritual life.  It is said that on that day during a high Mass, the congregation pressed forward to the altar rail to receive a branch of palm, but Chiara remained in her place as if rapt in a dream.  All eyes were upon her as the bishop descended from the sanctuary and placed the palm in her hand.  From there she went on to join San Francesco and eventually start the Order of Poor Ladies, which is commonly known today as Poor Clares.