Fruit, Crawling, Clapping, "Uh Oh," Laughing

The last time we posted was in January?! I'm so sorry. We would have posted sooner except BABYGRADSCHOOLNEWHOUSE.

Anyway, if you haven't been following along on Facebook or Twitter or Google+ or ________, Mary's just pure sunshine.

She loves fruit. Our new house house a lot of berry bushes, so every day we go out in the yard and she eats her fill of raspberries and strawberries. The other day, we were at Kruger's Market (a produce stand here in St. Johns), and, while we weren't looking, she stole a small plum out of a crate from her perch in the cart. She had eaten half of it before we even noticed.

She crawls faster than most people walk.

She can now stand, unsupported, for a few seconds before slowly easing down onto her rump.

Yesterday, at Book Babies at the library, she learned to clap. For her, and for us, it was a revelation. It is very clear from the expression on her face how good it feels to really clap—palm meeting palm.

And yesterday was also her first exclamation. She's acquired a broad catalog of sounds, of ooo's and gak's, and she has yet to utter her first real word. But yesterday she said, "Uh oh." She's still working to divine its meaning, but she likes to repeat it when we say it. (I should say liked. She's growing tired of me following her around and chirping "Uh oh!" in hopes she'll parrot me.)

There probably won't be updates for a while, but you can be sure we'll post when she's taken her first steps and spoken her first real word.

For now, here's this:


(Video thanks to Bridget Carlson.)

Names

Mary Day was baptized December 5th at our church, Bethel Lutheran. She wore a century-old heirloom. Converted from a wedding dress, her baptismal gown was first worn by her great-great-great grandfather Jarl (Dorian's side of the family) when he was baptized. Here's a picture of her trying it on the night before:

From Mary Day's Second Month (Dec)

It was a beautiful service. She slept through most of it, stirring only once—when the water was poured over her head. The service itself took about 15 minutes, but I've posted a short excerpt:


Mary Day's Baptism from PJ Bentley on Vimeo.

(Thanks to my Uncle Phil for agreeing to shoot the video.)

Right before he baptized her, Past Bill Coffman asked us to share a little bit about Mary Day's name. (I didn't post the video for that because the audio wasn't so great.) We appreciated the chance to do so. People often ask if "Mary" or "Day" are family names. They aren't, but they have meaning for us.

Over the course of the pregnancy, we compiled a long list of possible names, some of them simple, some of them regal and elaborate. No matter what, Dorian wanted to wait until we met Mary before naming her.

As many of you know, Mary didn't show up until two weeks after her due date, and when she did, the labor did not go at all how we had planned. There were complications, and we were in the hospital for a stressful and exhausting 24 hours before Mary was born on a Tuesday morning. The moment she arrived, however, all of that stress and exhaustion went away. She was beautiful, and things were all of a sudden very simple, and kind of holy. All of the other names we had considered now seemed ostentatious. "Mary" was just right—beautiful, simple, kind of holy.

We chose "Day" for its literal meaning: the time when the sun is up and everyone is awake. The morning of her birth it was raining outside, but the sun was shining at the same time. Her middle name reflects that moment, and we wanted a name that would be a testament to the kind of person we hope she becomes—wakeful and full of light.

Nevermind that we called her "Baby L" for months while she was still in the womb. When it came down to it, she just looked like a Mary Day. It fit. And we've come to discover that it fits nicely into a lot of nursery rhymes and children's songs.

We've got nicknames for her, too. Most of them involve "little" or "pie." How did "pie" make its way into the baby nickname lexicon?

During red-alarm meltdowns, Mary Day is known as "MAYDAY." Thankfully, those episodes are infrequent enough that the name hasn't stuck.

Thanksgiving

Mary Day turned one month old on Friday, November 26, the day after Thanksgiving. Healthy and growing, she still weighed less than the turkey on the table.

Dorian and I are really thankful for all the support we've received over the past month from family, friends, and coworkers. You've cooked us hearty meals. You've helped us with chores around the house. You've kept us company. You've made sure Mary has enough onesies and blankets to clothe an entire army of babies (the sixth and cuddliest military branch).

We can't repay you, but we can post a couple videos of Mary Day being adorable. Enjoy:

Mary Day's First Thanksgiving from PJ Bentley on Vimeo.

Mary Day's First Pacifier from PJ Bentley on Vimeo.

(In case you're wondering, Mary can now handle a pacifier. She's not a pro, but she can get by when she needs to.)

Two Weeks Old

Mary Day turned two weeks old today. How did she celebrate? Like anyone would: by eating her favorite food and taking long naps. Then early this evening she gave us a wry glance that seemed to imply that she plans on staying up late tonight to wrap it all up in style. We're not sure about that, but, whatever, it's her birthday.

These have been the best two weeks of our lives. Usually, when things are marshmallows and sunshine, time seems to fly. But for some reason, the last two weeks have crawled by, and that's great. We've been able to really enjoy each moment. Every day, she gets more and more beautiful; her eyes, mouth, and voice become just a little more expressive; and she's awake a little bit longer. Also, she spits up more.

The angelic Baby Mary.

Photos of Mary Day, pt. 1

I promised some more photos, and here they are. I've just selected three from our first few days at Good Samaritan, and you can view more on our online album, which we will keep adding to.

In the delivery room, holding Dad's hands.

Sleeping in her crib.

Ready to head home from the hospital.

Mary Day's Firsts: #1

Mary Day is now five days old and the past couple days have been made up of a lot of "firsts."

Yesterday she came home from the hospital, and here are some of the things she experienced for the first time:

• her first rain
• her first ride in a car
• her first trip across a bridge (the St. Johns)
• her first day home
• her first night home

Today, she added a few more things to the list:

• her first crowd (a lot of visitors today)
• her first "tummy time" (a chance to squirm on her belly for exercise)
• her first Halloween and Halloween costume (ladybug)

At five days old, she'll never remember any of this, and she really only has a few hours of bright-eyed lucidity per day right now. But it all counts. Her brain is soaking every waking moment in and then remixing them all in dreams, and her body is doing its job of eating, resting, and growing. Getting to spend every moment with her these first few days, it's like watching time-lapse photography. She seems to be changing by the hour.

Welcome, Mary Day Bentley

Our daughter, Mary Day Bentley, came into this world at 8:45am this Tuesday morning, October 26, 2010, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland, Oregon.

She weighed 7 lbs 15 oz, and measured 21 inches long.

She's in perfect health and is a good, vigorous eater.

Dorian is recovering from delivery very well, and PJ has already changed a couple diapers!

We really appreciate everyone's thoughts, wishes, and prayers, and we will keep you updated as little Mary Day grows.

P.S. There will be some more photos and possibly videos posted later this week.