My father recently came to visit our little trio down here in florida. Amelia really took to Baba really well and they became best buddies. We are going to have to get together more often for these little walks.

 

 Podcast Video: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Continuing on my track of parenting, I am starting to learn that a thermostat and a baby have a lot in common. You know those old mercury thermostats that registered a difference between two states - too hot or too cold - and then adjusted itself by turning up and turning down the air. Early systems theorist would later use these thermostats as an example of a system capable of self-regulation because they can respond to different internal states and adjust themselves. Gregory Bateson a little later would use the thermostat to argue that an organism or system responded to a difference that made a difference to its own system. such as a heating system operates on a difference that makes a difference based on the setting of a thermostat.

well recently, i have learned that Amelia also operates like a thermostat. She has a range inwhich she is comfortable and if she is outside of the range she is crying (closer to that newborn scream). She is either comfortable and sleeping or uncomfortable and screaming.

She also seems to operate on a difference that makes a differnce. Apparently, a dirty dipper will place her in the “uncomfortable range” where a well fed belly will place her back into the comfortable range. However, there is no foreshadowing or early warning system in this cybernetic system. Amelia wakes up screaming! Always at 2:30 in the morning, but hey it is all a part of the deal. After changing the diaper and feeding her it a takes a while until she is back within her comfortable range — apparently the theromstat is not so sensitive.

well, screaming baby is waking up so I will post more later.

I set up my blog about a year ago and I have been putting off starting to blog. At first the wedding and then the long nine months of Miranda’s pregnancy keep me from getting an opportunity to write on the blog (and that with my comps and dissertation). So I will be posting some things a little out of date until I catch up.

But, now to the important stuff. On August 10th my daughter, Amelia Madeline Blaeuer, was born at 12.16 am. She weighed in at 6 lb and 2 oz and stretched to a length of nineteen inches. After a ten day stay at the hospital with three days of labor and five days of recovery, we were able to bring her home. She has already gained her birth weigh back and even a few extra ounces. We have been doing a good job getting her on a better sleeping schedule and with Miranda and I splitting shifts we have both been averaging 5 or 6 hours of sleep. Five hours of sleep is still quite good– it is a little less then the 7-8 hours we were used to, but is it still better then those 3-4 hours of sleep during final exams. Miranda is also doing great and her blood pressure is stabilizing — she will soon be up and running about showing off the new baby.