Soothing Sounds

Baby Joaquin is a mellow baby. He seems to take after Daniel in most ways. But more about that later. He does a lot of sleeping. From what I hear, that's like finding out your in-laws own a place in the Caribbean. Funny thing is that he sleeps best when there is loud background noise. So we have taken to taking the baby out to parties, restaurants, breweries where we know the roar of the crowd will make him conk out.

At the Jupiter Pub last Tuesday, he slept like an angel. At Kate and Luka's Christmas party, he snoozed like a pro. At Friday's couples-with-baby dinner party, he was the picture of well-behaved napping in a bouncer chair as Daniel and I leisurely enjoyed our meal. Yet when we take him home between nursing and spells of complacent observation, he squawks. "Wah!" (translation "I am a baby and my stomach hurts!)"

We need some white noise at home. Daniel and I talked about a white noise machine. But reports from the public say those machines become additive for the whole family. We've heard dishwashers make baby lulling sounds. But how often can we run our dishwasher? We tried putting Daniel's Norelco electric shaver next to Joaquin. He calmed down but the shaver motor isn't designed to be on for hours at a time.
Daniel had the brilliant idea of a baby CD of Soothing Sounds.

Soothing Sounds for Babies
Track 1: Blender
Track 2: Washing Machine
Track 3: Vacuum
Track 4: Fan
Track 5: Car idling
Track 6: Radio Static

I think Daniel is on to something here. When we get some spare time, we'll head to a recording studio with a mess of motorized appliances. I predict it to be a hit, up there with "Happiest Baby on the Block" Dr. Karp's method of soothing crying babies (which we ordered off the internet at 11 p.m. last Wednesday.)

Thank you all

Time out from descriptive writing on pregnancy and new babies.
I want to say a sincere THANK YOU to everyone who sent good wishes or a gift or delivered a meal to me, Daniel and Joaquin. I truly feel loved. Perhaps more so than ever in my life.
I am working on thank you cards but in the meantime please know I appreciate you all.

Love,
Claudia

On the pursuit of milk

Baby Joaquin loves milk. He indulges easily 12 times a day. He slurps, he gulps, he sucks. He also spits a lot of milk back up. The milk goes into his belly. The milk goes into the deep folds in his neck where the sun never shines. I try to wipe it out regularly but nevertheless he makes cheese under his chin. The milk also encrusts daily on his clothes and mine. He's a baby.

Last Tuesday night, walking the six blocks home from our BART station after a visit to the Jupiter Brewery, I notice a cat behind me. When I stop and turn around, the cat stops and ducks quickly under a juniper bush. I walk again and the cat walks again. A few steps later I stop and turn and the cat hides behind a car tire. It appears when I walk, the cat walks and when I stop the cat stops too. Weird, I think. After a block the cat drops from our trail.

Another block towards home and suddenly I notice another cat is following us. A different cat. Again the creeping and hiding. This calico cat stalks us to our doorstep. Should I be frightened? These cats must smell the milk on the baby and me. And are in hot pursuit. Another creature that loves milk.

Suddenly the half heard fishwives-tales of cats sucking the breath of newborns come to mind. In the dark misty night these superstitious tales seem just possible.

Joaquin Rafael Eyzaguirre Sherwood

There is so much I want to write about. But I am enjoying living in the real world and less on the world wide web so I won't write as much as I could, yet.

Yesterday Daniel, Joaquin and I went down to Vital Statistics in Berkeley. Joaquin Rafael now officially exists! We filed the copious paperwork to get his official birth certificate. He was 14 days old. It took me a week to name him. I loved all three of our top choices. (See blog post What's in a name?.)

We like the name Joaquin. I like the soft sounds of it. Daniel likes that it is two simple syllables. My whole life I have introduced myself with the distinctive name Claudia Eyzaguirre. (say Cloud- dee-a Aze-a-gear-ray) I can't imagine going through life without a name the tells a story, hints at your ethnic background and adds mystic to your persona. So I hope the Joaquin prescribes that for my little boy.

Joaquin also comes from an Oakland redwood-filled park named Joaquin Miller. Joaquin Miller was a very cool California figure. He was a writer, an outdoorsman, a poet and an enlightened rapscallion. Read about Joaquin Miller on Wikipedia. In the park Joaquin Miller, I have spent many hours mountain biking and hiking.

So that's his name. Funny how few people commented on our name finalists when I posted them on this blog in August. Yet there were lots of opinions as I checked the name with family and friends last week. Aside from 'how do you spell that?', most people liked the name. I like what my friend Melissa said 'I think Joaquin is a sexy name'.

He has both our last names. Although his last last name is Sherwood and in the good ol' US of A, your last last name is your last name. If we were in a Spanish-speaking country his last name would be Sherwood Eyzaguirre. Daniel and I both want the baby to have our last name. But in the week of total bliss and magnanimity that followed the birth of my baby boy, I conceded this position of honor to Daniel.

Auspicious Beginning

Longer blog post to follow, for now:

Our baby boy was born at 5pm on November 4th, just in time to watch the historic acceptance speech with us. He was 8 1/2 lbs. at birth and came into the world in our bedroom with the assistance of our great birth team: our very competent midwife Cindy, her apprentice Julia, her assistant midwife Tenaya and Claudia's friend Melissa.

Bicycle Built for Two (plus)

By Guest Blogger
Daniel Sherwood

Last month we discovered possibly the best invention in transportation for pregnancy since priority seating on public transit. It sure is nice to have friends around and Claudia has many. Berkeley can feel like a small town, our own little Wasilla, surrounded on all sides like an island in a sea of mega city. It's hard to go to the farmer's market or to see some music without bumping into a few friends.

One of Claudia's long time Berkeley buddies, Kailin, who still lives at his parent's old house behind a huge banana tree in north Berkeley did us the great favor of lending us his tandem cruiser. It's an old school, bright yellow, steel frame, fixed gear ride for two with a large basket on the front handlebars.

I get a sense of what it feels like to be famous when I tow Claudia and her belly around town. We are greeted everywhere by smiles and shouts along the lines of "She's not peddling!" or "That bike fits two and a half!".

It helps of course to have California weather. The Santa Anna winds have been blowing hot desert air out towards the sea for the last several days and consequently the temperature has reached 80 degrees (that's 26 for you folks north of the border).

Yesterday we took advantage, brought the tandem to San Francisco and pedaled through Golden Gate park, past the living roof on the new Academy of Sciences building, past herds of buffalo and the roller skating disco all the way out to Ocean Beach.

I felt spoiled lying on the beach on a beautiful sunny day less than a week from Halloween. Add a couple bloody mary's to the mix, one virgin, one not, and you've got a perfect day that re-affirms the fact that you can still have fun while 8 months pregnant.

Solar Conference San Diego

I spent this week in San Diego at the Solar Power International Conference. It's the world's largest solar conference and a good time. Even with 12,000 attendees I felt like a celebrity as I carried my 35+ week belly around the conference center and in and out of meetings. Being so pregnant actually worked to my favor. At such a large event with solar big shots present, I got more than my typical share of face time as both men and woman asked after my health and due date. So many folks shared a story from their wife's birth or own pregnancy. I was definitely more than another face in the crowd. Plus I think I earned some extra props for traveling, working and smiling with a huge baby in utero.

The solar energy industry and policy world is full of very cool people. The typical solar nerd tends to be eco-minded, forward thinking, adventurous and young. Plus there are a lot of women at the top. Martha Duggan, a VP at SunEdison told me this was in part because when electricity was de-regulated several years ago, a lot of women got out of the old boy queue at utilities and led the way at new companies in a newly competitive market. More than a few leading women in solar have shared both their enthusiasm for being a mother and a kick-ass solar leader. The stories of testifying before the state utilities commission two days before a due date or taking five months off to be with her new baby have both inspired and reassured me. Is there a secret club of professional moms that you join after having a baby?

Many folks asked me about whether the airline let me fly. Southwest Airlines says flying is fine through the 28th week and does not require a doctors note. Maybe those cheerful flight attendants are also skilled labor coaches? I was not worried about the 90 minute flight. I did worry about being overly tired, but Daniel attended the conference too and so I knew I had a good personal assistant. Mostly I had worried about what I was going to wear. I wish I had pictures but I think I looked pretty spiffy in two blue maternity dresses I got second hand recently and a pair of maternity gaucho shorts and top purchased late Friday night. With the dresses, I refused to concede to my condition and wore the cutest turquoise and navy open-toe wedge heels. The best compliment you can give a pregnant woman is to call her a hot mama. I smiled every time someone said so.

San Diego was a great trip. I built on relationships key for my policy work. I had fun at the open bar and appetizer parties every night. I asked my co-workers to down a free drink for me, and I think I may have come out on top as I was clear-headed each morning. And it was great to be with Daniel. We both realized what a joy it was to be foot-loose and fancy free, my 11 o'clock curfew not with standing, to schmooze with solar friends, change flights at a moments notice, ride a beach cruiser from the hotel to conference grounds. I was aware it may be awhile before we travel with such ease.