Hmmm... What is that on your chin?

Alice has started reaching out, finding my beard, getting a big handful, and pulling it (and the rest of my head) towards her mouth. She has a good grip and a strong pull. This really hurts, but she is intentionally touching me so... its really cute.

Mom Nirvana

What you see here is the optimal lunch habitat for the lady of the Bickel household. Notice the Dr. Pepper. Notice the Taco Bueno. Notice the video monitor and the daily log. Fresh salsa caps this lunch feast off, combined with a few free moments to converse with the man of the house. She is in command of the baby situation, and enjoys the fresh food he has brought back from his hunt.

She is pleased:

Getting out of the House

I spent the first week (or two) after Alice's birth wearing pajamas and sitting on the couch. After my 2 week incision check, I was starting to feel more normal...still some pain getting up to a sitting position, but once I'm up, I'm just fine.

By week three, I began to get dressed and somewhat "made up"...fix the hair, limited makeup, etc...and along with that, the urge to get out of the house more.

Even though it is January, the weather has been nice and warm, so I decided it was a perfect day to take a walk. I dressed Alice in a pink jumper and cap (given to Alice by her Aunt Sissy) and placed her in the car seat that snaps into the stroller. Alice promptly fell asleep for the duration of the walk.

American Idol

Yes, that is American Idol on in the background. Yes, our daughter has turned her head away and covered her face.

She does not approve.

We couldn't help it. It was the fourth month of the writer's strike and we were massively sleep deprived.

Alice's first real toy

Although Alice is too young to play with a toy yet, she definately has begun to notice things and concentrate her attention on items and people.

Alice's first toy she is "aware" of is a rattle she likes to look at while being changed. Sometimes we let her lay there on the changing table for a while to stare at the toy....especially when she is being fussy.

She has Daddy's Ear

A friend calls it a "daddy defect". I think of it as a signal marking, shared with my daughter. She can explain it to the inquisitive as damage taken in a knife fight (boys should be wary), or as one of those interesting genetic expressions that marks us, as unique :-)

Daddy's Right Ear:

Alice's Left Ear:

Bath Time

Alice's first bath was a sponge bath since her cord had not yet fallen off. We collected all the tools....towels, wash cloths, shampoo, soap and lotion, and turned the bathroom heater on to warm the room. Not really knowing HOW to bathe a newborn, I'm not sure if her first bath got her all that clean, and as you can see by the photo...she was not all that happy with the service. As I was toweling her off and getting her wrapped up...she pee'd on me!

Alice's second bath was a little more sucessful. Her cord had fallen off, so we were able to use her infant bath tub. Again, we collected all the tools....towels, wash cloths, shampoo, soap and lotion, and turned the bathroom heater on. The tub has a battery powered shower head so we were able to better wash all her pieces/parts. This time, she didn't cry. I think she enjoyed this bathing experience, and she didn't pee on me this time.