Multitasking Mamma

While Estelle sleeps well in her crib at night, she does not like to sleep or lay anywhere besides on someone else during the day. To make my life easier, I have the Moby Wrap, a long piece of fabric that I make into a sling, front-facing, or back-facing baby carrier. No matter how fussy she is, she sleeps within minutes of being in there. Between that and our super-duper Euro-style stroller, Estelle is able to nap with ease. It's also pretty easy on the back, and I have friends who use it for babies who are over a year old. It's a bit less convenient that having her nap in her crib, but I'm told that she's way too young for the "cry it out" method and that babies this little need their Mommy time almost constantly - so this is the best solution until then. If you're looking to buy a baby gift for someone, The Moby Wrap is a good one!

P.S. To all those not interested in baby shop talk, I apologize that my blog has become quite boring. I don't have much else to discuss these days!

Happy Thanksgiving!

"OK, I'm ready to eat now!"

Even though the Danes don't celebrate Thanksgiving, we did with a full spread. Estelle even took part for a little while from her swing on the floor near the table. Next on Estelle's agenda: the first doctor's appointment tomorrow, her baptism on Sunday and the sad departure of Memere on Tuesday. We're not looking forward to that! Next week we're going to get her picture taken with Julmanden, Denmark's Santa Claus, and have a play date with some of her new friends. I'll try to adjust to having Estelle by myself every day and am hoping she gets out of her daily routine of taking her naps in my arms.

The Estelle Kinch Show: Episode 3 and 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1MEyNPrGAM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ixY4UtQF9Q

Estelle's first trip overseas

Estelle took her first trip abroad with my mom and I today to Lund, Sweden. She did very well on the 2 hour journey, sleeping most of the day in our magical Danish stroller that silences any cranky baby when pushed. Next on estelle's travel itinerary- her first overnight an hotel stay in the Danish town of Odense for a weekend to visit the HC Andersen Christmas market December 5, a week in Aarhus for Christmas, then a trip to the US in mid-January. Soon she will be a travel pro!

-- Posted from my iPhone

America's new goodwill ambassador

Just back from the US embassy - welcome America's newest citizen!

-- Posted from my iPhone

The 4-kiloer

One of the gems of living in Denmark with a baby is that all new parents get a visiting nurse. This is a nurse who comes to you during the first year of the baby's life to answer questions, check on both the baby's and the parents' well-being, gives help with breastfeeding, and weighs the baby. The nurse comes more during the baby's first month and less later, but can visit any time she is needed and leaves a phone number parents can call for questions. This system takes time away from doctors, who in other places may be answering questions that a nurse is qualified to answer, and makes it easier for the parents to talk about their feelings and not have to cart their baby to the doctor's office. Estelle gets a doctor's appointment at 5 weeks and her shots at five months, but other routine visits are handled by the nurse. So far this system has worked wonderfully for us, given that as new parents we have a lot of small questions that we might not have bothered to call a doctor to ask but are still nice to know the answers to.

At this week's check-up we found that Estelle has reached 4 kilos, or 8.8 pounds, up from 7.5 pounds at birth. Here's a picture of the nurse weighing her in the "stork" fashion - using a cloth diaper to hold her. We think that her growth spurt is over, given that she is eating less frequently. She has also established somewhat of a sleeping routine, waking up every 4-5 hours at night and going to bed relatively easy. I think we're lucky in that department!

We've also started our cloth diaper system last week. Estelle is outfitted in Bummis hemp diapers and Bum Genius and Happy Heinys cloth diapers - whoever thought up the names of those diapers should win a prize for best way of making the rear-end sound cute. The diapers are great because they're one-size and grow with the baby via a snap-system. They also work just like disposables with velcro to put them on (no more old-fashioned pins), and are made of a fleece interior so the baby can't even feel it is wet because the wet stays away from the skin. We use a regular diaper pail and throw them in the wash every two days - so far it's not too gross or difficult. Also, with disposables costing about 30 cents a piece we are saving a ton of money. By my calculation we will save over $2,000 with this system, and even more if we use them with a second child. We still use paper diapers when we travel or go out for more than a few hours, though, because it's more convenient than carting dirty cloth diapers in our suitcase or backpack. It's OK to be Eco-friendly, but not if you smell like poop in public... that's where I draw the line.

Next up tomorrow: Estelle goes to the American Embassy of Denmark for her American citizenship!

The Next Hipster

The blog Appellation Mountain recently featured the name Estelle. Here's what they have to say:

She’s a star. But in recent years, this once-popular pick has been eclipsed by similar choices. Can she shine brightly again?

Thanks to Toni for suggesting Estelle as Name of the Day.

Even before 90210 alum-turned-reality TV maven Tori Spelling called her darling daughter Stella, the name was on the rise. As of 2008, Stella came in at #186, up from #244 the year before.

Stella was a smash in the nineteenth century, too. If you check out the US rankings from the era, you’ll find Stella, Estella and Estelle were all Top 200 choices or better, with a few variant spellings, like Estell, also charting.

They all come from the Latin stella – star. Various versions of the name have popped up in literature for centuries, including:

• Elizabethan poet Sir Philip Sidney penned Astrophel and Stella in 1581;
• Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations included Estella Havisham, Pip’s crush with a heart of ice;
• Tennesse Williams’ 1947 play A Streetcar Named Desire immortalized Stella as a long-suffering, down-on-her-luck Southern belle.

But while Stella and Estella seem fashion-forward, and the Latina Estrella is also winning over parents, Estelle seems left in the dark. She hasn’t appeared in the US Top 1000 since 1963.

Today, Estelle is most likely to bring to mind Emmy-winning actress Estelle Getty, the most senior of television’s Golden Girls. The quick-witted, tough-love mom to Bea Arthur’s Dorothy embraced all the little old lady stereotypes. So maybe it isn’t a surprise that Estelle brings to mind early bird specials and support hose. Except that Estelle Getty’s character was named Sophia – a Top Ten pick for newborns, and one that climbed in use even as the Golden Girls aired in the 1980s.

Two other small screen Estelles might’ve added to the name’s feel. Estelle Costanza – played by actress Estelle Harris – was George’s mother on Seinfeld. And on Friends, Joey’s barely competent agent was named Estelle Leonard.

While Estelle might seem trapped in fashion limbo, there is one bright spot for her revival: American parents’ embrace of French names. Denise and Danielle might fade; Nicole might find herself reserved for the middle spot. But in every decade, there are always a few French-inspired monikers high on the charts. Why not Estelle? The names gained as a group in the nineteenth century.

So if Claire can sound fashion-forward once more, and if celeb parents like the Jolie-Pitts choose Vivienne, perhaps Estelle is just a smidge ahead of the curve – a logical (dare I say stellar?) discovery for parents dismayed to see how popular Charlotte has become.