Veronica is Seven-Weeks Old

This is not a very flattering picture of Veronica but I am happy to say we have taught her to find her thumb. Although she takes a pacifier, I'm more than happy to have her suck on her thumb for comfort since it's something that she can never lose. It can't fall on the floor, roll under the bed, get dirty, and worst of all disappear when you need it most.

Now that she is older she spends more and more time awake. It's fun to play with her and watch her eyes gaze and study our faces. She has decided she likes to stay awake more and more even though she's dead tired. Her fussiness has started in the evenings though we expected this since we read that it begins when babies are three to four weeks old and peaks at six weeks. She is now three weeks from her estimated date of delivery and we know we have an intense three weeks ahead. After that she should begin to settle down. I have been reading, studying and memorizing Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child, in the hopes of helping Veronica become a well rested baby.

Baby Couture

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you to all the people who have given gifts, sent cards, sent e-mails and other well wishes to Veronica. She has received so many packages in the mail this past month that the woman who takes care of our apartment building has become a regular houseguest. We've gotten packages from Belgium, Luxembourg, Seattle, Florida, San Francisco, Reno, Los Angeles and beyond. Some of the outfits Veronica has only had the chance to wear once before she's outgrown them.

I must say that my friends/relatives have much better taste in clothes than I do. The thing is Veronica has received has made her closet much more stylish than mine. Everyone says they love buying baby clothes and so we are filled to the brim with outfits for every occasion. See the photos below for just a few samples.


This outfit is perfect for chilly walks in winter.


This was a gift from the Kitter Family. Veronica's feet are sure to stay nice and warm in these. (Even I don't have a pair.)


I don't own a single thing with the for trim, but she does.

Two Baby Snafus

Veronica will be seven weeks old this Sunday. She’s doing great except for two little snafus.

Number one:

She has decided that she needs help in having bowel movements. Our pediatrician prescribed mini baby enemas every two days if she doesn’t “go” on her own. I really don’t like this idea but he says it’s necessary to help regulate her bowels. She does not seem constipated at all but we’re doing what the doctor says for now. Here’s a photo of the many baby enema.



She is a trooper and does not complain at all when she has to have the "procedure."

Number two:

It seems little Veronica has the same stomach problems than I do. During the first month of her life she rarely spit up but now she’s been spitting up and really vomiting every hour or so. Last week, she began to spit up a bit of stomach acid and that really scared us. Now she’s been prescribed a tiny bit of an acid reducer to help with a problem. We go back in 2-3 days to see if it is helping.

Still most of the time she eats well and sleeps well too, up to four hours a night. More and more she staying awake and wanting to interact with either me, her dad or her grandma. She has even begun to play with a few toys, see the video below.

A Day at the Park

During the past week, there have been many sunny days in Turin. We took advantage of this by taking Veronica to the park. It gets me out of the house, gives her some fresh air and I get to get some exercise. We also love to use our new stroller.


Here she is sleeping soundly throughout the whole walk. The beautiful blanket in the stroller is a gift from one of her grandparents, Eleonora.

Veronica at 5 Weeks Old-A Late Post

Veronica is now almost 7 weeks old so these photos are a bit old. She is now 4.2 kg and growing.
Her dad dotes on her whenever he can. She is also her primary bather, diaper changer and he is also the night watchman.
More and more she is beginning to look at the world with inquisitive eyes. We are both waiting for the day she consciously smiled at us. She's lifting her head up and turning her head a full 180°. So far she's doing all the things an eight-week-old is able to do, and we are more than proud.

Veronica's First Bubble Bath

Bathing Veronica is a joy. As you can see from the photos below she is relaxed in the water. She loves to be cradled in the bathtub as warm water is poured over her head. I think she is a born water baby.

Who Says Dads Can't Multi-Task

Everyone has heard of the woman who can do it all; she can cook, she can clean, she can take care of the kids, essentially she's a Wonder woman. Men are often seen as non-multitaskers. They can only do one thing at a time, or so people say. I have photographic evidence that my man can do more than one thing at a time, especially when it pertains to his little princess.


Here he is attempting to get some shut eye while holding Veronica's pacifier in place.


In this photo, he has Veronica in a baby carrier while racing his car on his Xbox.

Mom and Mamma

My mother-in-law made a trip to Torino last weekend from Rome to see Veronica. We all went out for the day and luckily it was warm and sunny. (My mom hates the cold.) We went out for lunch and then a quick walk in the center of town. Veronica slept most of the time except for a brief wail from hunger during lunch.

Veronica Holds Her Head Up

Tummy time with Veronica.

Chubby Baby

Veronica is growing by leaps and bounds. Her face is much fuller than a month ago and she is slowly reaching the 9 pound mark. The double chin she has acquired is really adorable. She is lifting her head off of our shoulders, rolling half-way (when we place her on her side to sleep, we have found her on her tummy a short while later) and she is nursing well. Once in a while she will smile at us; her development seems right on track.

There are times I look at her and wonder what she will look like in 5, 10 even 20 years. Being a mom feels like such a giant responsibility, there is no going back. Now that she exists there is no way to travel backwards through the birth canal and back to my former life. At times the thought overwhelms me, makes me worry about the future, makes me unsure of my decisions. I love being a mom, it's something I have thought about since I first started babysitting, 20 years ago. I just hope that I am up to the task.


She actually has chubby cheeks now. None of the baby hair has fallen out yet and I am glad even though her arms and back are still quite furry.


Veronica likes to sit at the dinner table with us and watch us eat. She seemed especially interested in the white truffle risotto her dad made last night.

Veronica's Baby Shower-She's One Month Old

Yesterday we had Veronica's baby shower in our home. Peter beat me to the punch about blogging the whole event, he has a few great photos on his blog. (After the big clean-up, we had a light dinner, a movie and early bedtime.) Sharon arranged the whole thing and got people to bring a few goodies to share. In total we had 15 Ex-Pats over and I was quite overwhelmed with all the love that everyone was showering on us and on Veronica.

My mom made great finger foods, her homemade spring rolls, lemongrass skewers, beef shish kebabs, sweet potato dumplings and generally ran the kitchen while Deme and I greeted guests. Amber made the cake for Veronica, Sara brought pink Rice Krispies treats, Peter brought a South African meat stew, Shilpa brought champagne, Leticia the drinks and everyone else brought books and kisses for the baby. A great time was had by all.

Thank You everyone: Amber, Massimo, Sharon, Fabien, Sophie, Shilpa, Antonio, Zubin, Peter, Ritsu, Julian, Emily, Jean, Jennifer, Marco, Sara, Franco, and Leticia. Forgive me I have forgotten anyone.


Veronica was asleep for most of the party but we brought her out to pose with her cake.


This cake was made by Amber, it was gorgeous with pacifier candies for decoration.


A family photo taken by Marco, we finally have a photo of the four of us.


Here is a family photo of our little "family". Mom, dad and baby, what could be better?

Daddy Poppins

Deme thinks "three" is a great number (for kids). I am not sure I can handle three little ones of my own but it seems like he can. Sophie and Zubin paid Veronica a visit yesterday and they all had a grand time.

Some Photos of Sprog Mommy and Sprog Daddy with Baby

Deme and Veronica-"Back to the Futuresque Style".


Me and Veronica in the cozy sling.