Jewels and Smiths

Now that the microHuman is a smidge older we’ve discovered that she’s down with the guitar (or at least confused enough that she doesn’t cry)

So that in combination with the fact that RodYGab will be in town soon I’ve decided to try learning this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcfTVl_KFEc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgrGG8Iu-gE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjkpFjBNQXg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ucqzz7KrOIo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi463Str0LA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8VFjxVASzU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHzTGyhTM_w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdAf8-qAUPQ

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/g/gipsy_kings/bamboleo_tab.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG6f7TzFXsk

All right, so it’s more like 55 days, but who is counting, right?

We took this picture of our little Katydid when she was five days old:

Compare this shot taken today, one day shy of the two month mark:

My, how she’s grown! It’s hard to believe that the neck of that t-shirt used to be loose on her!

Some links for get started with the Arduino:

• http://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Howto
• http://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/Button
• http://www.libelium.com/tienda/catalog/
• http://docs.google.com/Presentation?id=dc3grrs9_19dn5khzdh
• http://docs.google.com/Presentation?id=dc3grrs9_34jx5634vd
• http://docs.google.com/Presentation?docid=dc3grrs9_140gtxq2ngf
• http://delicio.us/keener2u/arduinoclass
• http://arduino.cc/playground/

And a bit of source:

// AscBlinkButton.c
//Example Turn on LED while the button is pressed
#define LED 13
#define BUTTON 7
int val=0;

void setup()
{
    pinMode(LED, OUTPUT);
    pinMode(BUTTON, INPUT);
}

void loop()
{
    val = digitalRead(BUTTON);
    if(val == HIGH)
    {
        digitalWrite(LED, HIGH);
    }
    else
    {
        digitalWrite(LED,LOW);
    }
}

// AscFade.c
int value = 0; // variable to keep the actual value
int ledpin = 9; // light connected to digital pin 9

void setup()
{
    // nothing for setup
}

void loop()
{
    for(value = 0 ; value <= 255; value+=5) // fade in (from min to max)
    {
         analogWrite(ledpin, value); // sets the value (range from 0 to 255)
         delay(30); // waits for 30 milli seconds to see the dimming effect
     }
     for(value = 255; value >=0; value-=5) // fade out (from max to min)
    {
        analogWrite(ledpin, value);
        delay(30);
    }
}

As per her usual awesomeness cuddleButt has created a schedule of our babies current sleep/wake cycle:

Bedtime at 7-7:30, usually asleep by 8
Sleep for 3-3.5 hours
Back down by 11:30-midnight
Sleep for 3 hours
Down by 3:00-3:15am-ish
Sleep for 1.5 hours (feed, but no diaper change here)
Down by 5
Sleep for 1 hour
Morning awake period: approx 1.5 hours — usually interested in outside world/objects/being physical with kicks and tummy time here
Micro morning nap: 8-9am-ish
Mid morning wakies: approx 2 hours — usually very social and interactive here
Big nap 1: 11am – 2pm
Quick awake time for food and looking at objects
Big nap 2: 3 – 5pm (much more sensitive to disturbance here)
Evening awakies: 5-7pm

More reasons I love my wife: “Honey I think the baby is a little cold do you think you could make a fire?”

First and foremost this is explicit permission to build a fire — Cool. More importantly this is explicit permission to build a fire and get bonus points for being a good father.

Fire == Being a good dad. …My life is awesome!

Notes to self:
1) Preheating the flue works like a champ! It creates upward airflow that removes smoke and stimulates the fire.

2) Use the “upside-down fire” technique it actually works.

During a conversation with my boss (she has recently completed a micro-human manufacturing processes of her own) the topic crying babies arose …and the Oprah episode discussing such things. While she “never watches Oprah” (in the same way that I never watch RomComs) she did catch the episode discussing Pricilla Dunstan’s Baby Language System. Here is a related video of the highlights:

…And for the more literary you can read the highlights from this site:
Here are the five “words” that Pricilla Dunstan says can be found in the cries of all newborn babies:

• Neh
“I’m hungry” The “N” sound comes from the suckling reflex. The baby is putting their tongue to the top of their mouth, like they do when they suckle.

• Owh
“I’m sleepy”. This reflex sound is tied to the yawn reflex.

• Heh
“I’m uncomfortable”. This is the cry a baby makes when they are too warm, too cold, need their diaper changed, or are otherwise “in distress”.

• Eair
“I have lower gas.” This sound is a deeper cry than others – often sounding like a grunt – and is sometimes accompanied by a drawing up of the legs. This cry means the baby probably needs to have a bowel movement, or has intestinal gas.

• Eh
“I need to burp.” This is a reflex sound that a baby makes when it it trying to push air out of its stomach.

Additional resources/videos:
http://www.youtube.com/user/DunstanBabySystem
http://www.dunstanbaby.com/

Above: Note the black Ducati in the foreground. Mid: No ride is complete without ramping over things on a motorbike! Bottom: Oh, sweet Sports Classic. How I love thee...

The new TRON movie trailer — complete with the main character driving my dream mistress, the Ducati Sport1000.

(PS: I love you, hon! I promise I won’t marry an inanimate object.)

Just chilling with my little girl…

Love has brought my beautiful daughter into this world and this is a wonderful set of photos showing off my two lovely ladies.