Kapitola Mist

Push-ups and Yoga with Kapitola

2010-03-31T10:48:00.009-04:00

Kapitóla has been up in the gym working on her fitness this month. She started with simple bent knee push-ups to build her core strength. After becoming an expert at the push-up she decided to work on her balance and overall fitness by practicing Yoga. She quickly was able to master the downward facing dog pose. When she would start making sounds when she was supposed to be sleeping, we’d check on her and she would just be stuck in downward facing dog! It was so fun to watch her go through the process of preparing herself for crawling. She would work so hard at each phase and we could just watch her progress through the steps. Each new phase was so exciting from just doing a push up, to rocking on her knees, to forcing herself up on her toes and hands. Now she just zooms around the house crawling. Occasionally she will do the "worm" where she looks much like an inch worm in her crawling style.

All while learning to crawl so many other things happened. Given that Kapitóla was working on her core strength each day, we felt it was time to lower her crib. It was like another major milestone had arrived. It seems like just yesterday Mardís and I were loading the crib in the Jeep at IKEA. Now we have had to lower the crib! When we were adjusting the crib, Kapitóla was so concerned as to what we were doing to her little space. We even let her lend a helping hand. She was so happy to get to help out.

We were very lucky to get some special visitors in March. Eygló, Sóley, and Nick made the trip down to see us over Eygló's spring break. It was great to see Sóley and Kapitóla interact. Sóley was so gentle (most of the time) and always willing to share with the baby (most of the time). Kapitóla never took her eyes off Sóley as if she was saying "I can't wait until I am all grown-up like her."

While they were here with us we tried to do as much as possible! The girls all went to the Lowry Park Zoo, while Nick and I played golf on a course that had some rather large gators. The girls also went to a pick-your-own farm and got bunches of fresh vegetables and herbs. We also had a nice picnic at Howard Park with Adda Amma and Guðmundur Afi, complete with steaks, potato salad, and a warm fruit pie courtesy of Adda Amma. Mardís, Eygló, and Amma were able to spend some time knitting and crocheting in the sun while Sóley blew bubbles and Kapitóla napped during a walk with Afi.

It was so cute when Sóley would climb out of her pack and play and look for "baby" and Mardís. She would also try her best to help Mardís with nursing Kapitóla... Sóley just could not figure out why she could not feed Kapitóla with her belly button! She kept lifting up her shirt and pinching her belly button while saying "Here, baby! Here!"

Kapitóla loves having an older girl cousin who shares all her clothes and toys with her. Before Eygló arrived in Tampa, she sent Kapitóla a care package full of clothes. Kapitóla loved opening the box and looking through everything that Eygló and Sóley sent her. She was very excited about the box itself too :)

One thing Kapitóla absolutely loves is to eat! She will eat anything at any temperature. She has a very good selection though. Mardís spent two evenings this month cooking a month's worth of food for Kapitóla. Mardís made roasted parsnips, cauliflower and parsnips, broccoli, butternut squash, blueberries and bananas, honeydew melon with blueberries and mint, roasted apples with blueberries and pears, zucchini, blueberries, and mangoes. Kapitóla loves each and every one of these foods and she eats every bite of dinner - sometimes even asking for seconds.

Beyond all the fruits and veggies she has been eating, Kapitóla also now eats little baby puffs that are like cheerios that melt in her mouth. After only a few tries, Kapitóla was able to get the puffs in her mouth almost every time. She loves to sit at the table with us during lunch and munch on her puffs and add her two cents to our conversation about our days.

After showing us she was an expert crawler, Kapitóla proved that she was ready to try walking. We went to the local Target and let her pick out a toy, and of course she chose a walker. It doubles as a ground toy, but she loves when we set up the toy so she can walk behind it. She laughs and laughs and yells with joy after each step. She has started pulling herself to her knees when she is on the ground. It is crazy to say, but I think she will be walking soon.

One other thing Kapitóla really enjoys is listening to me play the guitar. I have been taking lessons with my friend Erik and he has taught me a few things. I was practicing in front of Kapitóla one day and she started "singing" and laughing as I played.

Mardís has been working so hard on her school and taking care of Kapitóla. However, things started getting really busy, so we decided to see if we could find a nanny. It was really hard to pick one, especially knowing that the nanny would be with Kapitóla while we weren't. We wanted to find someone who was willing to make sure Kapitóla would laugh and have fun. After searching and nearly giving up we were contacted by Shelby and the rest is history! She is so good with Kapitóla and Kapitóla just laughs and laughs with her.

Shelby could not have started at a better time as Mardís has been working so hard on preparing a presentation for her entire department and working on her thesis. Mardís was waking up early in the morning and taking care of Kapitóla until I would get home in the evening. She would then work until three or four in the morning. She worked so hard to get the presentation done. By the time it was over she had worked hard enough that the professors were talking about how well she did as they left the room. Kapitóla and I waited outside of the room for her to give her a big hug!

Kapitóla sometimes "protests" taking a nap. We thought it may be helpful to give her a pacifier to help her sleep, as somewhere along the line she stopped using one. One day she just started blowing them out of her mouth whenever we would give it to her. Mardís went to the store and bought a few different types. However, Kapitóla said no thanks and just will not use a pacifier. Well, she won't use the nipple as it is meant to be used for. She will chew on the handle or the hard plastic part, and hold the nipple as a handle.

Kapitóla may not like to use a pacifier, but much like her mom, she LOVES books. She will sit and "read" her books for good lengths of times. She loves to look at the pictures and turn the pages herself. We read to her every night and as we put the book in front of her she smiles and waves her hands with joy. She then will sit there and point at the pictures. At this rate, she may be able to read Independent People by Halldór Laxness this time next year.

Kapitóla, much like her mom and dad, also loves IKEA. Mardís went there with Eygló and Sóley while they were here. While there Mardís picked out some more puppets from IKEA and let Kapitóla play with them in the stroller while they shopped. Mardís didn't realize that the fabric where the bar code was located was exactly where Kapitóla was sucking! Kapitóla was so happy, especially when she got to share the slobber covered puppets with the cashier (much to Mardís's embarrassment).

Continuing with the shopping theme, Kapitóla also got to go to the mall to pick out some more flowers clips for her hair. She loves to accessorize whenever she leaves the house so she wanted to make sure she has plenty of options.

Another thing Kapitóla really enjoys is going to the park. While Sóley and Eygló where here, the girls all went to the park. Sóley loved running around in the sand. Kapitóla and Sóley both wore their Easter dresses with the intent of taking some pretty pictures of them together. Sóley is just such a little ball of energy though, so most of the pictures ended up being of Kapitóla waiting for Sóley and Sóley running around the park!

Kapitóla got her own Icelandic Easter Egg this year from Adda Amma and Guðmundur Afi. She also received a nice spring dress from Bíbí, as well as a stuffed monkey and an outfit from Kristín. Mardís also put together an American Easter basket for her, with some alphabet bath toys, onesies, pants, dresses, board books, a water book, pacifiers, Baby Legs, and of course some plastic Easter eggs. We also received a package in the mail from Grandma and Grandpa Arnold with a pink bunny for Kapitóla’s first Easter and some cookies for Mardís and me.

Mardís has been taking Kapitóla for walks during the day, and took her all over the USF campus running errands and picking up paperwork while Kapitóla just slept in her stroller. On days where Kapitóla is fighting her nap particularly hard, Mardís will put her in the baby wrap and go for a walk while listening to her iPod. We also bought a jogging stroller so we can all get some exercise together and Kapitóla doesn’t get jostled around as much.

Another new thing that Kapitóla has started doing is dancing! She jumps up and down and spins around when she’s in her door jumper and hip-hop comes on. Her favorite song is Ms. New Booty J

If there is one thing I have learned as a new father, it is how fast so many things happen with your baby. One day she is so little that she just sleeps in your arms and the next thing you know she wants to be and independent lady! I just love watching her grow and learn something new every day!

6 - 6 1/2 Months: Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

2010-03-31T09:26:00.003-04:00

Everyday is a new day with our little ray of sunshine, and she is growing so fast. One day she is taking her first bites of solid food. The next day she is rolling all over the living room. Kapitola recently went to see the doctor for her 6 month check-up. She weighs in at 15 lbs 2 oz. (37th percentile), she is 26 ¾ inches in length (82^nd percentile) and her head circumference is 44.5 cm (85^th percentile). We were concerned when we were told Kapitola’s weight, but her pediatrician said that slowing down on weight gain is common in babies that are exclusively breastfed and that she looks absolutely perfect to him :)

We celebrated our first family Valentine’s Day by dressing the baby up in a pink and red outfit that was covered in hearts. We ran a few errands and got plenty of “Awwwe how cutes” and “look at her Valentine’s day outfits”. We were able to have a brief photo shoot of our little super model baby in her outfit. We decided to celebrate by making a time capsule to be opened on Valentine's day 10 years from now with videos of our predictions of what our life will be like in 10 years and pictures of our family, apartment, offices, cars, and other general daily life things.

In line with the Valentine’s Day theme, Kapitola has begun smacking her lips and giving “kisses.” The lip smacking is generally used to communicate her contentment with the current situation. She will also use it to get our attention if Mardís and I are talking over dinner, while Kapitola sits with us in her high chair. The kisses consist of Kapitola grabbing our cheeks with both hands, and pulling our face towards her until her mouth is close enough to consume ours. It is quite the scene, especially when she does it to Mardís five times in a row, just to show her mama how much she loves her.

Kapitola also was babysat for an extended time while we attended Erik and Andrew’s “22^nd” birthday party. It was great to get out and see all our friends. Both Mardís and my stories all were about Kapitola. I even went as far as showing everybody videos of Kapitola eating on my phone. We have become that couple that only talks about their baby ;) It was strange to meet people for the first time and be introduced only as "Kapitola's dad" - apparently her stories have made it far beyond our circle of friends!

Speaking of birthdays, we were able to celebrate Erika’s 6th birthday with her via Skype. It was great to see her so happy and showing off her gifts. We also celebrated in spirit our nephew Kristofer’s 2nd birthday and Gummi’s 26th birthday.

Mardís has made sweet potatoes, bananas, and sweet peas for Kapitola. She eats so well it is hard to imagine that she just learned how to a few weeks ago. In the mornings before I go to work, I feed her a fruit of some sort and some cereal. The whole time she eats, she mumbles to herself, as if she is saying, “mmmm, yumm, mmumm, that’s good” (all with a slight grunt).

All the new food has led to a rather large growth spurt and an increase in strength. Kapitola went from the newborn stage to the “big baby” stage recently. She grew so fast that it seemed like one day we were showing off how she can sit for 15 seconds, now we are watching her stand up on her own with the slightest support) in the bath (with us safely behind her) and rolling all over the place. It is funny to get her after her nap, or when she wakes up in the mornings because she has some how managed to shift positions in the night to where she is in the complete opposite position of how we put her down. It won’t be long before we will be lowering the crib and writing about her first steps!

We were able to take Kapitola to the playground for a photo shoot with our new DSLR Cannon camera that Uncle Sam helped us purchase with our tax return. We got some nice photos with the camera of Kapitola’s first time on the swings. She did not know what to think about swinging and was more interested in eating the blanket we had her sitting on and covering the edge of the swing.

Kapitola also enjoyed attending a baby shower of a fellow PhD student baby from Mardís’s lab (it isn’t in the water, babies are contagious). Kristi and Matt White had their baby on March 10. Now Kapitola will have a baby to play with during all those lab meetings she attends!

During Kapitola’s growth spurt she would take two hour naps on a very structured schedule. This was nice for Mardís because she was able to get a good amount of work done. However, Kapitola does not like to be alone, and she feels that she should get to nap while being held. She is a very family orientated baby and feels we should all be together at all times. We are working on getting her back on schedule.

In sad news, Kapitola's great-great-grandmother Margrét passed away in Iceland. She will be missed by many - at last count she had over 70 descendants! Kapitola was able to see three of her five great-grandparents as well. Adda Amma and Gudmundur Afi are back in town and Popo and Lois were in town for a trip. Kapitola loves getting to see her family members. We went out to eat with Popo and Lois. The whole time Kapitola gave Popo her big puppy dog eyes and talked to him. Kapitola enjoyed showing Adda Amma and Gudmundur Afi how good she was at eating. She tried to convince us that she was able to eat the ice cream we had for desert, but we didn’t give in.

The weather here has been cold (we know, we know we live in Florida). Kapitola has got to wear her all of her beautiful handmade knitted sweaters. When strangers see her in her sweaters she always says “yea my grandma made this sweater” with a very proud smile.

5 - 5 1/2 Months

2010-02-09T19:47:00.013-05:00

A lot of things have happened for our little family in these last few weeks. Matt started working at a company across the street from our apartment (~10 minute walk!). Although we hate to not get to spend all day hanging out with him, he comes over during lunch to eat with us - the highlight of our day! Kapitola and I have been finding things to do to keep us busy and are settling into our own little routine. We've been experimenting with different carries in the baby wrap and we found out that she really likes the back carry. I feel a little hippy-ish doing chores around the house with a baby strapped to my back, but if it makes her happy it works for me! She'll tickle my neck and run her fingers through my hair when she's on there though, which I think is so cute. We also have been trying an infant massage video, but she just wants me to play with her, not concentrate on relaxing :)

Kapitola has started eating cereal, and always has a bowl for dinner. She was so excited to finally be allowed to eat with us at the dinner table (before she always just sat in her high chair and ate the table during our dinner). When she was first eating it she held onto my forearm "guiding" it back and forth from the bowl to her mouth. She also tested out a sippy cup with some water, but she isn't too successful with that yet. I'm really excited to see how she likes fruits and vegetables, and have checked out a ton of books from the library about homemade organic baby food. You have to wait about a week between each new food that is introduced, so this week she gets to try something new! We're thinking about avocado or sweet potatoes.

She has also had a few adventures, such as going to a restaurant for the first time. We all went to Friday's for dinner after Matt's first day at his new job, and Kapitola did great! We did have to hold her for a little bit, but that's mostly because she was interested in our food :) We also went on a long walk in the park and finally went out geocaching. We found 6 different caches, and Matt and I had a blast taking turns going off the trails to find each cache while the other person waited with Kapitola while she slept in her stroller.

Kapitola has gotten really good at sitting on her own. She also LOVES her bath time more than ever now and lunges toward her toys and splashes everywhere. She's figured out that her feet can reach to her mouth and loves to chew on her toes. We bought her a door jumper that she doesn't quite know what to do with, but hopefully she'll be bouncing around soon enough (right now she just twirls).

Her personality has started to really shine through now that she's able to have more control over her movement, like how she'll hold her thighs and "help" with her diaper changes. She's also an official member of the Cardiovascular Psychophysiology Weekly Lab Meetings, where she'll play with her toys and read (eat) her books with only the occasional squeal of agreement. It's a little tricky to coordinate her naps and nursing sessions so that she's both well rested and well fed enough to last a whole hour. The first time we went she was starting to get bored and fussy, so I stood her up on my legs which usually helps, but then she put her hands on my cheeks and was looking right in my eyes and giggling so loudly. I was trying to remain professional and listen to what people were saying at the meeting, but it was so hard to not start tickling her or singing a goofy song! It was the first time I saw a look on her face like she was telling me that I hurt her feelings because I didn't play, poor baby. The next meeting went a lot better, with many more toys that I kept rotating.

(I feel it is appropriate for Mardis to type something like, "Now I am going to pass the mic to the papa" here, as I am now contributing to the blog)

With all these new adventures and really getting out and seeing the world (or the New Tampa area), Kapitola has developed a bit of stranger anxiety. She will bury her face into us and close here eyes if a stranger gets too close when we are holding her. In the cases when we are bringing her in from the car and she is still in her car seat and some one gets too close she will open her eyes real big, make a huge open mouth frown and pause for a moment before she lets out a big scream (the spaces are meant to simulate the long pause). On rare occasions, Kapitola will also produce a large crocodile tear to accompany the sincere cry.

Mardis has done an excellent job of collecting different photo shoot coupons, and we finally took the opportunity to take Kapitola to a photo shoot. On the way we decided to try out her new hair bow with flower and her new sunglasses. She was so cute and was so willing to wear the sunglasses. She looked like a little movie star. All she needed was a little iced latte and a iPhone (note: this was Mardis's joke). The photo shoot went well from our perspective, but the photographer was less than ideal. She only took a few shots of Kapitola and tried to sell us $650 worth of pictures. We were content to just get the ones we came for. Kapitola was a little confused on why a stranger demanded so much of her attention when her mama and papa were right there.

Kapitola also hosted a small party for us at our apartment. She was so excited that I finally got a job that she sent out an evite to all our stateside friends residing in the Tampa area. She even prepared a menu of roast beef spirals, spinach spirals, sausage balls with mustard sauce, tomato bacon dip, strawberry fruit dip, caramel and tofee apple dip, and white wine sangrias and mojitos for those attending the party of the legal drinking age. It was so fun preparing the menu items with Mardis. We were so excited that we made enough food for about 80 people instead of the 20 we had. Kapitola was so interest in what everyone was doing. She went to bed and woke up after a few hours to join the party (I think it was when she heard Jonathan and Erik sing Girls Just Want to Have Fun that she was like "That is it, I need to see what is going on.").

One thing that I have unfortunately missed out on upon my return to the world of full time work is Kapitola's mid morning to mid day bo-bo (dirty diaper, bo-bo is a term coined by my grandma, Granny). One morning Kapitola did her business so well that it went all the way up her back AND the front. With me at work and not there to help, Mardis was left to handle this challenge on her own. Much like the mountain climber determined to reach the summit of Everest, Mardis faced the challenge in front of her with pure will to achieve the impossible. She carefully removed all of the baby's soiled garments and proceeded to give Kapitola a nice bath in the sink. Kapitola loved how the sinked allowed her to sit up and see herself in the mirror.

Yet another downside of my return to work was the need for Kapitola to be babysat. This may seem like a small feat, but since her birth Mardis and I both had spent so little time away from the baby, and rarely the two of us together away from her (thanks Harpa!) that the first time we scheduled a babysitter was a hard pill to swallow. Fortunately for us Melissa was more than willing to be with Kapitola. Melissa was so good at playing with Kapitola that she did not even notice that Mardis or myself were not present (this is the baby that looks for Mardis in the morning if she gets up with me while I am getting ready for work, or looks for Mardis in the kitchen, after she has been in class for a few hours). Melissa sent Mardis the picture below to her cell phone during class so she would see how much fun Kapitola was having and wouldn't worry. We are so thankful for all the support we get and how much others are willing to help out.

Kapitola is so interested in being a part of everything and so aware of her surroundings that she has begun looking around at everything while she is nursing. Sometimes so much that she will turn while latched on...well you get the picture. It is just so great to see how her personality is coming out so much in the past few weeks!

One final note for all you Kapitola fans, we have started posting videos to Youtube under the username of mardissara. Just search mardissara on the Youtube home page and you will be take to the videos or use the link to the right on our blog. Let us know if for some reason any of the videos do not work or you have trouble finding them.

Kapitola's Fifth Month - Back to Florida

2010-01-22T14:15:00.000-05:00

Our trip to Iceland was full of joy and lots of new things. While there Kapitola enjoyed the comforts of a great European pram. We used Erika's pram that had nice big rubber tires with spoked wheels and a shock absorbing system that made for smooth walks. It was also Kapitola's favorite place to nap. We would wrap her up in some blankets, roll the stroller back and forth and she would sleep soundly.

Kapitola seemed to really enjoy having people around her in Iceland. She liked how everyone would talk to her as soon as they saw her. She was sure to flash a big smile to anyone who talked to her. She also learned that she can encourage people to pick her up by arching her back. It was her way of saying, "pick me up, here let me make it easier for you." It was great to see her interact with everyone.

Kapitola and I went to Berglind's house to bake and decorate gingerbread cookies, along with Sigga Lilja's twin girls Andrea and Bryndís, and Ragga's baby boy Kolbeinn who is only one month older than Kapitola. She also got to go to a café with my best friend from childhood, Íris and her son Róbert who gave her a beautiful knitted blanket and teddy bear. Brynja and Árni Steinar also visited us at home, which was exciting since they are the same age. Unfortunately, we weren't able to meet up with everyone that we wanted to (ahem, sorrý Linda, Líney og Anna) since most of the trip was spent playing games and spending quality time with Erika.

Christmas was a blast with Kapitola. She watched Erika open her presents and was very happy to have Erika's assistance in opening her own gifts. Erika and Kapitola wore matching dresses that were white with little pink flowers. They both looked like little princesses. Kapitola received a lot of great gifts, from children's music cds and dvds, to pajamas, puzzles, bedding, hair accessories, a custom drawing from Grandma Arnold, to her first Christmas ornament. It was very special for us to be able to spend Kapitola's first Christmas with Erika.

Erika and Kapitola got along so well. Erika was so proud to show off her little sister. She would hold her and comfort her, and was always quick to show off her little sister to guests, making sure she pointed out how soft and smooth Kapitola's skin was. It was very special to see the two of them interact. Kapitola would just stare at Erika when she would sing and dance. One time Kapitola fell asleep in my arms while watching Erika put on a show, it was the cutest thing!

Also while in Iceland, a few of Kapitola's hairs grew so long that they were about three times as long as any other hairs. We decided that we would even them out and gave Kapitola her first haircut. It was a little tricky since she kept moving her head from side to side and up and down, but she looks much better now.

Kapitola's Icelandic heritage shined through when we took her swimming for the first time. We went to a swimming pool that was indoors and offered hot tubs for kids (swimming and hot tubs are very popular in Iceland). Erika was so helpful in getting Kapitola showered and changed, she went and got a little baby bath to put her in and helped soap her up. As soon as Kapitola got in the water, in her bikini of course, she had a huge smile on her face. She wore Sóley's tankini, but her belly was so round that the top kept rolling up to her armpits! She was so happy to float in the pool. By the time we got out, put her back in her car seat wrapped in blankets, she was sleeping soundly, and did so for a good four hours.

In Iceland on New Year's Eve, everyone puts on their own fireworks show. Kapitola was very intrigued by all the lights and did not get startled by the loud sounds. It was great just to see her stare at the fireworks and let out a few coos and ohhs. She was awake for midnight so we were able to give our little girls New Year's kisses. When we went outside to shoot our own fireworks, Kapitola fell asleep in our arms despite all the noise.

Kapitola's development has taken off as of late. It seems like just yesterday she could barely open her eyes and hold her head up. Now she is grabbing things she wants, holding her head up, playing with toys, and even rolling over! She rolled over for the first time just before she turned five months. She was laying on her stomach playing with her stacking toys she got from her Uncle Gummi when she suddenly rolled over. We thought it may have been that she lost her balance, but as soon as we set her back on her tummy she rolled right over. She already wants to be independent when it comes to some things, like putting her pacifier in her mouth. If we try to put it in for her, she'll take it right out and put it back in (usually sideways though).

She's also become really affectionate in giving hugs and "kisses". Sometimes when I change her she'll grab my hair and pull my face down so that she's kissing (okay, licking) my cheeks and neck and laughing. She also throws her arm over our shoulder or around our neck when she's held and nuzzle her face against our necks.

We've also been blessed with the sound that every parent can't wait to hear - their child's laughter. Kapitola will giggle at so many things now, and Matt and I feel so special when we can amuse her. She particularly likes it when I sing hip-hop songs (T-pain's "Apple Bottom Jeans" and Kelis's "Milkshake" are favorites). She's ticklish now too, loves it when we make goofy faces, and any unexpected noises that Matt and I make, such as animal sounds or "Ping!" will get her laughing.

Also, just a few minutes ago she was able to sit on her own for almost a full minute! She'll also take "steps" when we hold her hands above her head and walk with her.

Weeks 14, 15, & 16: World Traveler

2009-12-18T11:40:00.000-05:00

So much has happened in the past weeks! As a result we have fallen behind on keeping up with Kapitola's blog.

The car ride back from Ohio was rather tough. Kapitola, myself, and Mardis were all starting to get what turned out to be a nasty cold. Kapitola did not enjoy the ride very much, so we did our best to stop often and let her stretch her little legs. Once we arrived home it was so good to get some sleep. Unfortunately we all woke up to a cold. The first days back we celebrated my birthday. It was by far my best birthday ever, as Kapitola picked out the sweetest 'To Daddy' card. I couldn't read it without tearing up. We then had some cake and took the night easy. It was very special for me. The cold I mentioned before stuck with us all for over a week, with Mardis's lasting over two weeks. We felt so bad for Kapitola as she got a runny nose and was having trouble sleeping. We discovered that a humidifier worked wonders and she felt better after a few days.

Kapitola had spent pretty much a whole month crying for up to 10 hours a day, and would only sleep if we were holding her. Her pediatrician's had diagnosed her with acid reflux and colic, and she seemed to be in so much pain. After much searching online while we were sick, Mardis discovered something quite interesting. Kapitola had all the symptoms of a baby who has a dairy intolerance. Imagine our surprise after being told to keep feeding her yogurt for over 2 weeks! When we did this, Kapitola would feel better for a few days then go into a fit of not feeling well. Some days she wouldn't even open her eyes for an entire 24 hours. Talk about not feeling well. After Mardis cut dairy and all other hidden cow's milk proteins out of her diet Kapitola began feeling better. She was more alert and had much less gas pain related crying spells. It's been a lot harder than we thought, as so many processed foods have milk in some shape or form, such as crackers, bread, and even some cold cut meats. Mardis has also completely cut out all forms of spicy food, smoked food, soda, coffee, beans, some vegetables, artificial sweetener, whey, and a handful of other items. It has really improved how Kapitola feels. We still get some surprises when she doesn't feel well and we find a new thing Mardis cannot eat. Its tough as plain chicken and rice does get old after a while.

Our realisation of Kapitola's intolerance for dairy came at the most inopportune moment for Mardis, as her favorite holiday was just around the corner, Thanksgiving. To make matters harder, we had Thanksgiving with Rochelle and Josh, who is known for his delicious cooking. Josh had prepared a meal fit for a king, including some of the best dairy ingredients one can imagine. Mardis did her best to consume little of these ingredients and had to watch me enjoy every dairy filled bite. I did feel bad, but it was too hard to pass up! Since then, I have done my best to eat what Mardis eats. Kapitola thanked Mardis in her own special way, that only a young child could do for its mother – by pooping in the tub while we were all in it! We knew it was going to happen at some point though :)

Kapitola thoroughly enjoys talking to her family that is all over the world via Skype. In fact she has set up her Bumbo to be her own little work station complete with a webcam. She told us that she wants to be like the Etrade babies (click here). We set things up for her and she was busy talking away to Grandma and Grandpa Arnold.

After I didn't get a job I was interviewing for, Mardis and I decided we would go to Iceland for the holidays, as we finally had the opportunity to go again. Mardis's grandpa offered her a travel scholarship so we could go. We had one major issue though - Kapitola did not have a passport! The first challenge was to find out how to get a passport in a day. Kaptola said she new a guy down in Ybor City that could get you anything you needed, passports, credit cards, you name it. We questioned where and how a 3 and a half month old baby knows such things, but had to quickly move on. We found out the the legal way to do so was to set an appointment with the passport agency located in Miami. We did this and were up at 3:30 in the morning for our 10:30 am appointment. We had packed a nice little lunch, planned to spend and hour or so at our appointment and then maybe visit a museum. After driving four of the almost five hours, I realized I forgot our confirmation number. We felt this wouldn't be a big deal as we provided some other information to secure our appointment. We soon found out that security won't let you in without an appointment. Fortunately, the appointment was not for me and my pretty wife and beautiful baby were with me, because the security guard let us in after Mardis flashed her big smile and showed the guard our little baby.

So we were in, ready for our 'appointment.' Mardis and I both imagined walking into a small office, checking in, sitting at a desk, answering a few questions, saying an oath, waiting for the passport to print and be on our way. This however was not the case. We received a number, that was no less than 37 numbers from the current number being served. After waiting an hour and a half we were called up. We handed in our paper work, paid the fees, and were told to come back after 2 pm, but no later than 3:30 pm. It was just after 11:45 am. We went back right at two and waited an additional hour an a half. By the time we got Kapitola's passport we were exhausted and the museum was closed. The next few days were spent preparing for our trip to Iceland. We went from store to store, searched for our winter clothes and packed our bags filled with excitement. We were so happy be spending the holidays and Iceland, and especially excited to introduce Kapitola to her big sister, Erika.

The flight from Tampa to New York went very well (besides an exploding bowel movement that went up her back and through her clothes!), as did our time in the airport in New York. Now it was time for the flight to Iceland, and Mardis and I began to get nervous. We were stuck on the runway for a good forty minutes. Kapitola began to get restless, but Mardis being the super mom she is, calmed Kapitola and she slept almost the whole way to Iceland. Erika and Harpa picked us up in Iceland with big smiles and hugs. We are now enjoying our time here. Erika is so good with Kapitola and Kapitola smiles at everyone. We will keep everyone posted on the happenings here and on how the holidays go!

Take care,

Matt, Mardís and Kapitola

Weeks 12 & 13: Road Trip

2009-11-25T21:43:00.000-05:00

These weeks marked lots of “firsts” for Kapitóla. Matt, Kapitóla and I went to Ohio on our first trip as a family. We were driving down I-75 by our house and it was just too tempting to drive up and visit everyone, so we called Eygló and asked if we could come stay with her, threw some stuff in a bag, and were on our way within 3 hours. We drove past Atlanta and stayed overnight, then continued our way where we arrived to Eygló’s in time for dinner. Note to all frazzled and sleep deprived moms – go to Eygló’s house, she’ll take good care of you J She had cleaned the whole house before we were even awake, had fresh coffee brewing, and cooked a hot meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! She definitely put my homemaking skills to shame, but I can’t even explain how great it felt to be able to go there and relax a little bit.

Sóley loved having her little cousin in the house, especially since she’s been practicing how to touch and hold and respond to a baby ever since she was born. She wanted to hold her as soon as we walked in the door, and she started singing to her and patting her chest. It was absolutely adorable J Every morning, she would wake up and run around downstairs lifting the blankets on the couch or looking in the car seat shouting “Baby!” Her and Eygló were also kind enough to let us borrow all of Sóley’s baby clothes and toys, which Kapitola will be sure to enjoy in the months to come! Kapitóla also got to meet her Aunt Ashley and cousins Karl and Kristofer. Karl looked so proud being in charge of holding Kapitóla for a picture of them all together, but it was impossible to get 4 kids to all stay still long enough to get a good picture J

While we were in Ohio, we were able to visit Aunt Sharon and George. It was great to see them and all of their animals J We also went and stayed at Matt’s parents’ house for one night, and Cindy cooked us a delicious Thanksgiving dinner to celebrate Matt’s birthday (November 22^nd). Kapitóla was completely captivated by her Grandma Cindy and stared and talked to her throughout the whole dinner. The next day Grandpa Tim held her and watched the Bengals game while she slept soundly, thus earning him the title Bengals Grandpa.

I was so surprised when I tried putting Kapitóla in Sóley’s high chair and she was able to sit on her own (well, for a couple of minutes anyway)! She seemed so grown up. We also have a Bumbo chair for her, which is supposed to help them sit on their own and develop their core muscles. She can only sit in it for a few minutes at a time before she starts to slump forward with her head, but that’s the perfect amount of time for us to take a few pictures J

And the final big news – Kapitóla is getting her first tooth! Eygló was the first to find it, the lower left incisor. It hasn’t cut through yet, but her gums are so swollen and white where the tooth is pushing out and Kapitola gnaws on her hands and drools like crazy. Hopefully it’ll cut though soon and stop bothering her.

There are new pictures on the shutterfly account!

Mardís, Matt, and Kapitóla

Week 11: Baby Björn and an Adventure at the Emergency Room

2009-11-09T01:10:00.000-05:00

This week, like the others before, was full of events. First, we were able to start Monday Night Football up again after three busy weeks of working from home and writing a thesis. It was nice to get to see all of our friends again and they were all surprised at how much Kapitola has grown.

Our big event this week was our trip to the Emergency Room for a CT Scan. It all started with a watery eye and a overly sleepy baby. We called the doctor to ask if teary eyes were normal and he wanted us to bring her in so he could look at her. It turned out that Kapitola's eye problem was simply a blocked tear duct that needed some help clearing it out. However, the doctor was concerned with Kapitola's relaxed nature (she had basically slept or cried for 4 days straight, hardly making any eye contact or interacting) and he noticed that her pupils were different in size. With all things considered, the doctor felt it would be best if we had Kapitola checked out better, which translated into a CT Scan. Mardis and I, to say the least, were freaked out! After an hour of waiting and a lot of nail biting, Kapitola was checked out by the ER doctor. She put dye in our little girl's eyes to check for scratches and then sent her back for a CT.

This was very scary as the CT Scan machine was so big and Kapitola is so small. The CT technicians had to strap Kapitola's forehead down and put an adult sized lead vest on top of her. I had to leave the room, and it was so hard to hear Kapitola cry and scream and not be there to help her. Everything turned out O.K. to our relief. After all this, Kapitola spent the night awake talking and smiling at Mardis. It almost was like she was saying, "Remember mama when they put the stuff in my eyes? Remember when they put me in the machine? Do you mama, do you remember?"

Another big event was finding a Baby Bjorn holder that I could wear and Kapitola enjoys sitting in. She didn't enjoy it when I would wear the baby wrap that we have, so I was sad I wasn't able to hold her and get her to relax as smoothly as Mardis. With the Baby Bjorn, Kapitola falls asleep almost instantly and I get to move around while she is sleeping so soundly.

Mardis and I have been wanting to go Geocaching really bad, but we haven't had an appropriate apparatus to hold Kapitola. The new Baby Bjorn solved this issue. So we packed up the car with me and the girls, our GPS, and some essential items. However, we were unable to get the GPS to work correctly, so we had to postpone. But it is exciting to get ready to start this new adventure.

To make up for the missed Geocaching, Mardis and I strapped Kapitola into the Baby Bjorn and walked to Michaels. It was a really nice day and we have been meaning to get out of the house after a few long weeks of work. The walk was great. Kapitola feel asleep with a smile on her face and we were able to find some great deals!

Just before I began writing this blog Kapitola did something amazing. She held herself straight up with her arms. She was able to look around and hold herself up for a long time. It was so great and she was so strong. She moved her head around and looked at everything in the room. We've decided on this pose as the one for her Christmas picture :)

This next week looks to be very exciting!

Lots of love,

Matt, Mardís, and Kapitola

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T19:05:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, the little pumpkin has gotten, ahem, larger since I tried the onesie on her that I used for her costume. Matt and I struggled to get it over her head and had to cut the neckline to make it bigger, and we made the decision to just cut it off after her photoshoot was over. It was such a pleasure to make, even though it is really simple and I hope that I'll be able to make homemade costumes for the majority of our future Halloweens.

The most memorable new thing that Kapitola did this week was hold my hand :) Up until now, she closes her fists as soon as something touches her hand. Kapitola and I were sleeping facing each other and she found my hand in her sleep and just kept her little palm up against mine and hooked her thumb around my finger. It was so tender and innocent and sweet.

It's crazy how quickly she's growing! I packed even more clothes away this weekend that have gotten too small and she is on the verge of being too tall for some of her 3-6 month sleepers with the feet on them. She's also finally strong enough to be in her wrap facing out and loves looking at everything that I'm doing and walking past.

Kapitola is spending more and more time awake and sleeping for much longer stretches at night. She loves to sleep in our bed and will lay in the middle with her arms stretched out as far as they'll go so she can touch both of our shoulders. She becomes fascinated with anything that we hold in front of her, especially if we use funny voices and pretend like they are talking to her. Her smiles and chuckles are coming a lot more easily too.

I've uploaded more pictures onto the shutterfly account as well.

Love,

Mardís and Kapitola

Week 9: Play Time!

2009-10-29T23:10:00.000-04:00

This week we took Kapitola to her soon-to-be favorite place to go on the weekends, Ikea! She had a good time looking at all the toys and furniture that was her size. We got her a book, rattle, some finger puppets, and her new second best friend, Maggie Moo. Maggie is a cow that has a bright pink mouth and black white spots, with bright blue eyes. Maggie was the first to have a conversation with Kapitola. Maggie said, "Hellooooo, I am Maggie Moooo, and who are youuuuu (or hvað heitir þúúúú)?" Kapitola responded with a smile, a laugh, and a "hooohoo ohohhoo." It was so funny to see Kapitola talk. Mardis and I tried to capture it on film, but the two of them just didn't want to broadcast their conversation.

Since this happened, Kapitola will chuckle and smile throughout the day. I think I speak for Mardis, but this is one of our favorite things, to see your little girl smile. She has a big smile just like her mom and it goes from ear to ear! It is great to hear her little laugh too. It seems to get bigger and bigger each week!

Mardis is working hard on Kapitola's costume for Halloween. I am excited to see it and I am sure she will look so cute in her costume. I really like that Mardis is making it herself. Kapitola told me she thinks that is more special! She also added that she wants me to take her trick or treating so she can go ahead and starting getting a stash of candy for later.

Today, I was holding Kapitola and talking to her when suddenly she started to shake and smile real big. Overcame with joy, it was all she could do to control her happiness. It was nice to see her smile so big. She has had a rough couple days after going to the doctor's on Saturday. This was tough for her for many reasons. First off, her doctor, Dr. Fred, wasn't there and didn't tell us we had to feed her yogurt and have her sun bathe in the nude (her two favorite things). Second, her nurse Sunny wasn't there so she didn't get measured right. She was mad about this. The nurse who measured her said she was only 22 inches (i.e. that she somehow shrank since the last time we were there). This dropped her from the 80th percentile to the 40th percentile. However, Mardis and I checked this when we got home, and Kapitola was over 24 inches tall. Finally, while at the doctor, Kapitola had to get her second round of vaccines. She only cried for a little bit before she was ready to show the nurse how tough she was.

Kapitola did surprise the doctor though. She started showing off all her skills. First, she held her head up strongly and steadily for a long time while being tilted forward. The doctor was so surprised he thought it was the first time she had done it. Mardis and I were like, "That's nothing. You should see her stand." Sure enough Kapitola held her weight with the assistance of the doctor for balance. He was amazed. His diagnosis of her growth and condition to date: PERFECT.

Week 8: Our Little 2 Month Old Pumpkin in the Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-19T23:31:00.000-04:00

Today, October 19 Kapitola is 2 months old. She is growing so fast and looks at least 3.5 months old to us. She has accomplished so many milestones and is such a joy to be around. In fact, just today I (Matt) was holding her and I looked away, when I looked back she was smiling at me. Mardis and I both feel so blessed to have such a sweet little girl that brightens our days! We can't wait until she gets older, but we surely want to cherish these days as well. We can just tell she has the biggest heart and is always in such a good mood. I don't think she would ever cry if she didn't have gas pains!

Kapitola got to meet her great grandparents Adda Amma and Gudmundur Afi. She was very pleased to meet them both. While Adda Amma was holding Kapitola she gave her a big smile and started cooing away. It was really sweet to see them meeting each other for the first time. Adda Amma also gave Kapitola the books we named her after, which are 104 years old. Mardis did some research into the books and plans to post a blog about them and her name later on.

One specific milestone that happened today was a mini-push-up. Mardis put Kapitola down so she could get her daily belly time. Kapitola then said "Mamma can you please put on some workout music and get me a headband?" Mardis not knowing what was going on, complied. After a few moments Kapitola took a deep breath, let out a slight grunt and did a mini-push-up (i.e, lifted her head and chest off the ground).

Kapitola is a lot like her mom in another category; she loves, loves, loves baths. We got her small bath tub that has a little hammock for Kapitola to lay in. We gave Kapitola a bath in this the other day and she enjoyed just sitting in the bath. She just calmly sat there with a small smile on her face. After this bath and all proceeding baths, she has fallen right to sleep.

This week Mardis discovered a great little farm just southeast of Tampa that grows all its produce using hydro-technology, requiring 80% less water. Kapitola was very excited to go visit because she is a member of the "green generation" or at least that is what she claims. The farm also has a pumpkin patch and we took some pictures while we were there and got Kapitola her first pumpkin. It was a lot of fun packing up the Jeep and taking our first family road trip (even though it was a 30 minute drive). It also happened to be the first time it was cold enough outside for Kapitola to wear her sweater that Harpa Amma knitted for her. She said she loved the sweater and she felt very special when she wore it.

On a final note, Mardis picked out a Halloween costume for Kapitola that she is going to make. It is so cute and I am very excited to see it. However, I can't spill the beans on what it is. As soon as we finish putting it together we will post pictures of it.

Week 7 Growing So Fast

2009-10-18T11:39:00.000-04:00

Kapitola is growing so fast that it is hard to keep up with all her changes. She has begun smiling regularly with a big ear to ear smile. She will look at Mardis and smile so big that her pacifier falls out. We have been trying to catch the smile with the camera, but Kapitola is always intrigued by the camera itself. Her personally is really starting to show through, and we can tell she is going to be a very happy girl!

However happy a baby is, there is always something that makes them angry. For Kapitola, she doesn't like to have her hair pulled, especially by, well, herself. Kapitola was sleeping soundly and suddenly she became very upset. Mardis and I looked to see what was the problem. To our surprise, Kapitola had grabbed a handful of her own hair and was pulling very hard. This made her angry, so she pulled more...I am sure this would have gone on for awhile, but we quickly broke her bear trap grip and she calmed down.

Another emotion that makes the happiest baby not happy is being scared. Kapitola was frightened for the first time that caused her to scream and cry. What scared her? She was sleeping soundly on my chest when I sneeze snuck up on me and caused me to sneeze. This startled her so much that she had the biggest frown on her face and let out the loudest scream. She then proceeded to not fall back to sleep for almost six hours. I think she was scared for the evil sneeze to come back!

Kapitola has become good friends with her stuffed animal, Monkey. Monkey gives Kapitola hugs while she sleeps and will hold in-depth conversations about everything. Kapitola has also fallen asleep with her arm around her buddy, it is very sweet to see to say the least.

Mardis and Kapitola had a first this week as well. It was the first time Mardis and Kapitola adventured out of the house on their own. Mardis was nervous and Kapitola was excited for the adventure. The two of them went to Mardis's doctor's appointment and for tea with Rochelle. Everything went very well and there were no problems. It is funny how there are new milestones everyday with babies.

We are all excited to start the holiday season, though it seems early, the feeling of fall is in the air and the weather has shifted from the hot and humid rainy season to the warm and sunny fall.

Week 6 An Adventure in the Wild

2009-10-06T18:39:00.000-04:00

This week was rather eventful for our little princess. We took a different route on our walk around the neighborhood and it was full of surprises, well namely one major surprise. There is a small retention pond on the corner of our complex and near a hotel. As we passed it, Kapitola grabbed her binoculars (not true) and screamed "GATOR!" (also not true). To our surprise there is an alligator sunning itself on the side of the pond. To be honest, seeing one that close in "the wild" was a little scary. The next day, I was putting Kapitola in the Jeep while we were waiting on Mardis when I was yet again surprised by a creature of the wild. This time it was a 12 foot (not true, it was maybe 3 feet) snake! I was so close to it, that by the time I saw the snake it was too late to be scared.

We were hit by a wave of cool air this week and Kapitola really enjoyed it. It was cool enough for us to open the windows and let the breeze fill the house. Mardis informed Kapitola that this was how Icelandic summers were, and I could see the excitement come over her little baby face when Mardis told her. However, it quickly got back into the 90s.

With the cool weather came lots of presents for Kapitola. Popo and Lois sent a crib toy that has a lot of activities for Kapitola. It is perfect timing because this week she learned that she has hands and is grabbing whatever she can. Kapitola also received a sweater and shirt from Karen, Vince, and Allison that she is almost ready to wear (she is growing so fast). A third package came from Susie, Rob, Anna, and Julie. It was a Halloween outfit that is so cute and had a ghost for a bib.

One specific thing Kapitola learned to do with her hands is suck her thumb. Just after nursing, she began to fall asleep and put her hand to her face. Her thumb then went into her mouth, and what do you know, she now sucks her thumb on occasion.

One thing Mardis and I feared is that it would be difficult to go out with our friends once we had the baby. However, Kapitola seems to really enjoy socializing. This Friday we were able to go to happy hour (at a restaurant, not a bar). Even with the noise and people looking at our little bundle of joy, she just slept through it all. After happy hour, we went to Heather and Steve's house to play Monopoly. Kapitola quickly seized a majority of the properties and bankrupted me within three turns (not true, she slept the whole time). It was really nice to go out and about, and Kapitola was extremely well behaved (not that she could ever misbehave).

This week we also took Kapitola to visit the people I used to work with at The University of Tampa. We got to see Joyce, Mary Anne, and Maria. Joyce was so happy to see our baby and she got us some very nice outfits for her. Kapitola loved the way Joyce talked to her and was very pleasant. She enjoyed being held by Mary Anne. It was so nice seeing everybody and it made me miss the fun times I had at UT.

We have a lot going on this week, so it should be as eventful as the last. Kapitola is growing so fast, so we will be sure to keep up on the picture taking. Take care!

Week 5: Pediatrician

2009-09-27T10:09:00.000-04:00

Kapitola can sleep any place, in any position :)

This week has been a busy one for our little family. We've all been working hard in the lab on weekends and in the evenings so I can finish my data collection (curse you medical IRB for delaying me for so long!), and the times in between I'm trying to get all of my data entered into the computer and scored. I also had my first exam of the semester which went really well. Now I don't have the next one for a while, woohoo! We also hosted Kapitola's Monday Night Football again, with Ashley's delicious meatball recipe and great friends. I'm really getting into planning something different to make each week, I think tomorrow I'm going to make Icelandic pancakes.

Daddy and Kapitola in Mamma's office

Halloween decorations are already up in the stores, and Matt and I have started looking at all the different costume options for Kapitola's first Halloween. There are so many cute costumes out there that we're tempted to get one for each day of October :) Here are a couple of the ones we're considering:

Guess which one Matt is pushing for? ;)

We're also getting super-excited about Eyglo and Soley's impending visit in a couple of weeks. It'll be so good to see Eyglo again, and Soley is so adorable that we'll get a bunch of cute pictures. She's growing up so fast, Eyglo said that she has been practicing how to hold a baby, comfort them when they're crying, and stroking their face with the back of her hand on everything: pictures, the TV, and her dolls. She's going to be a great little cousin :)

Kapitola is getting bigger every day. I have to admit that I was a little sad yesterday when I had to take the newborn and some of the 0-3 month clothes out of her drawer since she's outgrown them already. My heart melts a little every morning when she first wakes up and our eyes meet and she gives me a huge, gummy grin that lights up her entire face. She sleeps in our bed after she wakes up to nurse around 5:00 am, so we get some cuddles in too. Kapitola has been sleeping for longer stretches before she wants to nurse, and only wakes up around every 3 hours now (instead of every hour and a half during last weeks growth spurt!). She also seems to know night from day, and isn't awake during the night unless her stomach is upset.

Kapitola got upset when we realized she had grown too much for this outfit

We went to her first wellness visit yesterday, and Dr. Fred and the nurse were impressed by her weight gain - she now weighs 10 lbs. 4 oz, and 22.25 inches in length! Her weight is in the 71st percentile and her height is in the 82nd percentile - hopefully she stays tall and my midget genes don't kick in ;) Kapitola also had to get her second Hepatitis B vaccine, but she took it like a champ and just let out a little yelp and then was all quiet and cuddly.

I've finally decided that we're doing a good enough of a job at keeping this blog updated (okay, I'm doing a good job at reminding Matt to update it, heehee) that it doesn't have to be a secret anymore :) I've never wanted to let people know about blogs just in case I don't stick with it. There are new pictures on the shutterfly account (mattandmardis.shutterfly.com)!

Finally relaxing and cuddling after a long day

Week 4: Research Assistance

2009-09-20T12:14:00.000-04:00

Things are getting busy for our little family. We started spending the weekends in Mardis's lab. Mardis needs to wrap up her thesis this semester and to do that she needs me and Kapitola to help run participants. Kapitola pushes the buttons and I record the data. It's not too bad since it gives me and the baby a chance to bond.

Harpa Amma left last Friday, and it was sad to see her go. Kapitola was so calm and slept the whole time she was here. The day Harpa Amma left was the first day Kapitola started getting severe gas and not feeling well. She is now back on her yogurt diet, and not enjoying it very much, but she does eat an ounce a day.

Both Harpa Amma and Grandma Cindy made baby blankets for Kapitola. Harpa Amma knitted a red blanket with a very complex pattern. Grandma Cindy made a quilt the was just like a blanket I had as a baby (or until I was 17, but who's counting). Kapitola loves both of the blankets!

We recently found a nice park to take walks in near our new apartment. There is a community center with extensive walking trails. The main trail is right next to a large pound/swamp area, Kapitola and I are convinced that there are giant alligators in the pond, but we haven't seen one yet. It is nice to get to spend the time as a family getting fresh air, but now that it is hurricane season we have to sneak the walk in between rain or 100+ degrees weather (with the humidity). We're definitely looking forward to a Florida winter where we can be outside comfortably!

Kapitola started a new tradition for our family, she hosts Monday Night Football games. This last week we had a full house with Alvin, Jonathan, Brittany, Erik, Melissa, Doug, Steve and Heather. All of them enjoyed the time they got with the baby. Kapitola is trying to give the other couples baby fever. We're pretty sure there are at least two mild cases as a result of her.

The big news of the week is that Kapitola is now 9 lbs 10 oz and 22 inches long. She seems like she has grown more, but when you put it into perspective she has grown a lot! It is great watching her grow up, she can already hold her head (shakily) up on her own, has begun to develop the way she let us know what she needs, and has quickly come to understand what it means to be a Bengals fan.

We will keep writing about our little princess and all that she does! We hope all is well for everyone!

This week with Kapitola (Week 3)

2009-09-12T13:10:00.000-04:00

Kapitola is now a beautiful three week old baby, who seems to grow an inch and become more aware of her surroundings each day. This week was a particularly hard week for me (Matt), as I had to return to work at the office. It had been hard for me to leave Kapitola to get diapers, or food, now I had to leave her for over 10 hours! As I sat there confined to my desk in subarctic temperatures (well about 60 degrees Fahrenheit as we have no control of the air conditioner in our office) all I could think about was Kapitola and what she was doing at the moment and how she was growing and learning so much without me being there.

Before getting into what occurred during week three, in the excitement that was weeks one and two, Mardis and I both overlooked two adventures like no other, Kapitola’s first meal besides breast milk and nude sun bathing. After her visit with the doctor, he recommended that Kapitola eat plain yogurt to fight off the gas produced by the antibiotics she was given in the NICU. This surprised both Mardis and I, as we were certain she would not be able to eat yogurt, if not for the consistancy, then for the taste of plain yogurt! However, Kapitola was able to eat three ounces over three days, and wouldn’t you know it, the gas was gone.

Now, to the nude sunbathing; Kapitola had a slight case of jaundice, and the recommended treatment from the doctor was, you guessed it, nude sunbathing. Therefore, Mardis and I stripped our baby down, put her on a cloth diaper (that had a regular diaper underneath, which had a cloth diaper underneath) and put Kapitola in her stroller for a walk around her neighborhood. We of course were quick to cross the street whenever any other pedestrians came our way. The last thing we wanted was to be harshly judged because we were walking around the neighborhood with a naked baby. Mardis suggested that she and I take part in the nude sunbathing to make Kapitola feel a little less embarrassed, but I declined as a result of the potential legal ramifications.

Well now that we are caught up on those two adventures, let’s review what happened in week three. The biggest accomplishment for little Kapitola was her umbilical cord stump falling off. It was a ghastly sight the last few days with hues of yellow, brown, and other unnamed colors that remind you of gross things. Then suddenly in the middle of the night, to Mardis’s surprise as she changed Kapitola’s diaper, the stump was no more.

I personally had a special relationship with the little stump, as I was the one who cut the umbilical cord. This was something Mardis and I had discussed as something that I did not have to do in the delivery (operating) room, as we both felt it was on the gross side. Nevertheless, I cut that thing right off (after an immense amount of peer pressure from all of the medical staff in the room).

So when the little guy fell off, we closed the book on that chapter of Kapitola’s life and started a new one, bath time! This will no doubt, given Mardis’s obsession with baths, become Kapitola’s favorite pastime. When in the tub, she does little more than look around and kick her legs ever so slightly.

Our next adventure was creating a hand and footprint cast for Kapitola. We used a kit Mardís purchased from Michaels and took our time to get things right. The final product turned out very nicely, but I must say it was a challenge to get the clay flat and to get little Kapitola’s hands to show up. In our first attempt, I did not push hard enough to even see more that Kapitola’s fingertips.

As Mardís reported, Harpa Amma had been visiting us and helping out with the adjustments of our new family member. Harpa Amma needed to pick a book up at a mall Mardís and I have been meaning to visit (we moved just before Kapitola’s birth, a grand adventure of its own). After getting lost on the way, only later to find out there was a much easier way to get to the mall (it is challenging finding places that are so new they are not even on Google Maps), we found the open air mall. It was a nice area to walk around, with music and very nice store fronts. We elected to walk through JC Penny as our first stop to look for some things that were needed. To our surprise we found a rack of infant clothes that were all priced at $1.97 each piece. Being the bargain aficionados Mardís and I are, we picked out a plethora of items. I thought to myself, I guess we can go a little overboard as we were finding out quickly, there is never enough baby clothes. Reluctant to check-out in fear of the total we were about to pay, I timidly placed the bushel of baby clothes on the counter. I patiently waited as the cashier rang up item after item, politely changing the price from $28 to $1.97, from $16 to $1.97 for each item. Now it was time for the grand total… $23. We had picked out almost $200 worth of clothes at retail price, and we got it for $23. Nice. When we got home of course Kapitola wanted to try each item on and pick out the order she was going to wear each. We told her she had to wait and wash them first.

In addition to all the excitement going on with Kapitola, Mardís and I also accomplished a task on our to-do list. We successfully achieved green-card status for Mardís, which we did on our own and without a lawyer. This was however an adventure as well. When the three of us arrived at the office (we brought Kapitola as proof we are serious) it happened to be raining. The security guard kindly let us in without going to the “trailer” to check in. We gratefully accepted his offer and followed the instructions to have a seat. We noticed people with numbers being called back, and a lot of people being called for interviews. As time passed on our scheduled, I as I often do, began to worry. I noticed a sign that pointed to a second waiting room for interviews. I suggested to Mardís that we move and she agreed. Here we patiently waited for our names to be called. I had read a blog the night before where a couple had to wait 45 minutes just to be called back, so naturally I thought things were ok. Then we noticed everyone was being called back by the agent using the sheet we brought to prove we had an interview. We soon found out that the agent at the front was supposed to take the sheet when he let us in. Our skipping the trailer may have got us out of the rain, but led to us waiting an hour and a half and being the last people interviewed.

The interview went well and before we new it, the agent was stamping Mardís’s passport with a temporary green card. As a reward I gave Mardís a stack of job applications, now that she can work and all (half of that is true, I will let you decide which half). Now we patiently wait for the card to come in the mail in the next couple of weeks.

On a final note we need to describe a very thoughtful gift we received from our sister-in-law Ashley. She put together a “baby survival” kit of all the essential items you need, but never think to get in advance, such as a teething ring, all kinds of medications, hangers, plus a ton more. This was very helpful and thoughtful. We now are ready for the first incident with Kapitola that may require a something we did not think of before. Thanks for the gift Ashley! We've also received a handmade blanket from each of the grandmother's - a knitted blanket from Harpa Amma and a quilt (pink of course) from Grandma Cindy.

Now I must return to preparing for the Cincinnati Bengals game with Kapitola. She has requested that we all paint our faces orange and black and put sign up outside that say “Carson Palmer for President” and “Ochocinco, more like Ocho-Touchdown”.

2 Weeks at Home

2009-09-06T13:42:00.000-04:00

It has officially been two weeks since we came home from the hospital. Things have gone so well, Matt and I feel like we hit the baby jackpot. We've only heard Kapitola cry a handful of times, she's already a pro at breastfeeding, and she's a really good sleeper. She likes to nurse a lot at night though, and the sleep deprivation is starting to sink in. Unfortunately, Matt's time at home is over tomorrow, and we'll be sad to see him go. It's been wonderful having him here to help out and be hypnotized staring at our beautiful daughter together. My mom will still be here until Friday - I think she's a little disappointed that she couldn't help out more because Kapitola is so well behaved ;)

It's amazing how quickly she's growing. It's almost like we have a different baby every time we wake up in the morning. Clothes that were way too big for her when we brought her home are already too small.

As for me, I've healed really well from the c-section which surprised us all, as my last one was so difficult for me. I had my two week check-up a couple of days ago and the doctor was also really surprised. We've been trying to go out for a walk every day but it's still so hot and humid during the day and then hurricane season means that we have heavy rain and thunderstorms in the afternoon and early evening. It feels nice to be able to get some fresh air and sunshine though. I'm starting to get excited about getting back to work, and will be working from home for the most part. I'm taking an online class and finishing up my thesis this semester. I have 50 more participants that I need to run before my thesis is finished, but Kapitola will just be coming with me to the lab and be our youngest research assistant :)

We've been posting our pictures on our shutterfly account: mattandmardis.shutterfly.com (there's also a link to the left).

- Mardís, Matt, and Kapitola

A Week with Kapitola Mist

2009-08-30T12:02:00.000-04:00

After almost 9 months, which seemed to pass in the flash of an eye, Kapitola Mist was born on August 19, 2009 at 10:53 am. Mardís and I had been anxiously waiting for the arrival of our baby, an excitement that was unbearable; even more unbearable than waiting for Santa to bring the Legend of Zelda, or for the first sunny day that warrants a trip to the pool, a hot dog and a coke. My worries centered on being a good father to my precious daughter. These concerns included being able to provide for Mardís and Kapitola and being able to protect them both from the cruelties of the world. Now that Kapitola has been here for over a week, these worries still exist, but have been completely overwhelmed with a love that I have never known, or could have known existed, until that moment in the hospital when Kapitola and I looked deep into each other’s eyes. It was much like a scene from an epic movie, slow motion, lots of commotion, but the two main characters only see and notice each other. We had an understanding that from that moment on, I would protect her, and she could depend on me. It was as if she said, “Okay, so you are my Papa Bear, nice. It is a pleasure to meet you Papa Bear, I am Lola Bear.”

Since that moment, I have spent every waking hour looking at Kapitola, holding her, changing over 300 diapers, and telling her I love her. Sleeping very little, not because of her, but because I find myself staying awake just to ensure she is all right. In fact, often times I jump out of bed, rush over to her and check to make sure she is breathing, sleeping, or has not crawled out of her bed.

In this short time, Kapitola has already let her personality shine and established her place in our little family. She is a very calm baby who fusses only when she needs something such as food, a diaper changing, or someone to hold her and sing classic rock songs or songs from the 90’s that lyrics have been changed to involve Kapitola. It often seems she read all the books on how to be a good baby right along with Mardís, as she read all the books on how to take care of a newborn. As we hold our Little Kapitola, she often gazes into Mardís or my eyes and exhibits a look that says, “I know you are my parents, and I love you!”

Kapitola sleeps and eats like a champion, has no problem getting a bath, or receiving a manicure from Mardís or me. She enjoys a nice sunbath in our sunroom in the morning while I enjoy a cup of coffee and catch up on the latest news headlines. She lifts her head to see where noises are coming from, and constantly asks me for updates on Chad Ochocinco’s twitter page; all signs that she is enjoying her life with Mardís and me.

This week has taught me more about myself and the meaning of life than years at school and over 27 years of life. I look forward to updating this blog with events and stories from my daughter’s life, all with the hope that one day she will look back and read them with a smile on her face, a tear of joy in her eye, and a warm glow in her heart, all of which I have now as I type this post.