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Which I’m soooo sure is a complete disappointment to all three of our regular readers :)

A few new pics and a CUTE video after the jump…

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It all began with a bottle of castor oil.

Nichole: Now this is not “castROL oil” that you put in cars, so just get that horrid idea out of your mind! Castor oil comes from a bean plant, and resembles vegetable oil in both color, texture, and taste, so honestly, it could have been worse. It is commonly prescribed as a laxative, but I have read many stories of very pregnant women using it to induce labor. Two caveats: 1) you are past the 39-week mark, and 2) you have already been having pre-labor contractions. As of the last week of July I met both criteria, as well as the fact that I was absolutely miserable, and at that point, I would have tried just about anything to get her out.

Robert: I can vouch for the “absolutely miserable” part. When it’s 96 degrees and humid outside and you look like a hippo with a gland problem, it’s obvious that yo… OW! Hey! Joking, joking!!!

N: Monday, July 31st was a rough day. I was so tired of being pregnant, and my doctor’s appointment earlier that day was quite discouraging. My obstetrician seemed pretty flippant about my lack of progress and didn’t seem to have any reason to want to induce. That along with the many, many “Are you in labor yet” phone calls I received that day was enough to send me through the roof. I blame it on the pregnancy hormones.

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So after countless dishwasher cycles and hand-washings to disinfect the multitude of parts in the Dr. Brown’s bottles, Robert and I decided to introduce “the boob” again last night, just for kicks and giggles (literally!) Audrey took to it like a fish in water, and loves to eat now! Prior to last night, she was a very finicky eater, and would only eat three, maybe four ounces each feeding.

I wasn’t expecting much out of the experience, especially since the lactation consultant at the hospital said she was incapable of opening her mouth wide enough (was she really my daughter??). I figured I’d try it again, since she’s a little older now, and I KNOW she is capable of opening her mouth wide! And it worked! She appears to be getting enough sustenance to get her through her three-hour cycle, and is happy as a clam. Robert and I were thinking about what it was that made breastfeeding so much different and, well, better! She was getting breastmilk before (supplimented with formula), just through a bottle, so what really was the difference? After some thought, I came to a conclusion.

I suppose for me it’s the icing on the cake to really make me feel like her mother, and not just an extended babysitter. Being able to bond with her in such an intimate way is indescribable. And on an even more personal level, I got to succeed in a task I thought was impossible. Breastfeeding was always one of those things only the uber-professional-mommies could accomplish.

It’s been a rewarding couple days:)

OK, so my posts have become predictable. But are you really surprised? I, like every other father since the beginning of time, thinks my daughter is the most adorable thing in the history of adorable things. But this time it’s actually, demonstrably, objectively true — Audrey actually IS the most adorable thing in the entire known history of adorable things. And I have the evidence! Seeing is believing, and once you see this latest video (a bit longish at around 1:33, but well worth it) you too will be convinced!

View the clip on its YouTube page, or you can catch it embedded after the jump…

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Nichole and I carved a pumpkin Sunday night. We used a pattern she found online and printed out, and brought to bear an authoritatively-priced ($1.29) “Pumpkin Carving Kit” obtained at our local Publix. Coming off of last year’s first place at Allen U’s “Pimp My Pumpkin” party, we think-felt-knew that no pumpkin would be able to withstand our combined onslaught of steak knives and plastic doohickeys.

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