It's been a few days since your last post from me, so I figured I'd take the moment of quiet while Jeni's feeding Hosea to just relate a couple of recent happenings in the Price house, free association style.

For a few days there, our happy little baby was still little, and still a baby, but not very happy. Actually, he was pissed. Almost continually. His only serene moments would be between waking up and taking his first suck on the bottle. After he'd gotten about an ounce down, he came off screaming. He then continued to scream, taking only an ounce or two more, until he crashed from exhaustion. Needless to say, that was not so enjoyable for anyone involved.

The cause of his discomfort was most likely the fact that he was gulping pretty massive amounts of air as he ate. We were told at the hospital the day he was born that he has a tongue-tie; the little flap of skin on the bottom of his tongue comes to far forward and prevents him from lifting his tongue up into his mouth, a skill essential to breast feeding and desirable for bottle feeding. We have an appointment with the surgeon at the Sick Kids hospital next week to have it snipped, but till then we have to work around it.

Jeni went to a breast feeding clinic last week, to get some help and feedback on feeding Hosea. They gave us some great tips to help him be happier now, as well as to be able to transition back into breast feeding easier once his tongue tie is snipped. We now feed him from the bottle with him lying on his side on a pillow. It's been a big help and has eased a lot of his discomfort.

Shifting gears, that breast feeding clinic is one example of why it's so great to have a child in the UK, or at least here in Edinburgh. Jeni spent two hours at the clinic on Tuesday feeding Hosea in a room full of other women who'd come to get help as well. She got about half an hour of one-on-one time with the hospital's lactation specialist. This clinic is every Tuesday and is completely free. My guess is that that's the sort of thing you'd pay a bunch of money to attend in the States, and over here she can stop by every week if she likes.

Another great thing about having a baby over here is the midwife and health visitor system. After your delivery, women are sent home earlier in the UK than in the US. It's not unusual for a woman having a normal delivery to be in and out of the hospital with a baby in well under 24 hours. That may seem rushed, but they don't just send you out into the cold, cruel world on your own. A community midwife visits you at home every day for at least ten days after the birth to check on the health of both child and mother. When they are satisfied that everything is going well, they hand off care to a health visitor who comes around once or twice a week for the next month or so. They're the one who does all weights and measures of the baby for his or her first month or two of life. The health visitor even gives the baby his or her first vaccinations. In other words, there's no reason to go back to the hospital unless something really drastic happens. All your standard neo-natal health care is handled in the home.

Speaking of home life, another exciting thing that happened this week was that our shower just quit working yesterday. Jeni needed (NEEDED) to take a shower pretty badly, if for no other reason than emotional stability, when our shower wouldn't switch on. Our shower is electric and makes its own hot water. Fortunately, repair people from the University were able to come out the next morning to install a new shower, one that's a lot nicer than the old one!

So what have we been doing with all our time that we haven't been able to find time even to shower? You might guess that the answer is taking care of a baby, but that alone would leave us with plenty of time to get everything else done. The real culprit is none other than the board game I mentioned a few posts ago, BattleLore. We're absolutely addicted to this game. We're now playing the last of ten scenarios included with the base game, and we're itching for more. I'll be going out next week to buy the Call to Arms expansion as a birthday gift to myself. The game has a bunch of cool expansions, so if anyone out there is wracking their brain about what to get us for a birthday, belated birthday, belated baby shower, belated anniversary, or early Christmas gift, here are a few hints.

Speaking of awesome gifts, I got an unexpected card in the mail today from Jeni's parents and grandparents, thanking me for taking care of their daughter, grandson, granddaughter, and great grandson (No wonder I'm so tired!). They sent along a hefty gift card for Starbucks which will be well used. Thank you so much!

Speaking of coffee, Starbucks is great for all their blended sugary, carmelly, chocolatey creations (which carried Jeni and I through her finals last school year), but if you're in Edinburgh and want just a regular cappuccino, but demand that it be a transcendental experience, Kilmanjaro Coffee is the place to go. This place is about a 1 minute walk from our flat and is the best straight coffee place I've been to. Be sure to stop by if you're in the neighborhood.

Well, that's about it, I think that's the last link of my free association chain. Oh yeah, in the time it took to get this post written we've actually done two feedings, two nappy changes, two spit ups, and an hour's worth of fussing for no apparent reason. Ah the joys of parenthood. We're off for two hours of sleep!