To nobody’s surprise, I have been getting very little sleep lately.  However, in the moments of blissful unconsciousness I have been having some rather vivid dreams.

The first happened a few days before Parent Teacher Conferences.  I dreamed that a parent who has been nothing but positive while I’m awake, came in for a meeting and just ripped me apart for not being tough enough on the students.  She also skewered my teaching techniques by saying, “And you know the ‘fun’ stuff you do?”  (At which point she actually held up quotation mark fingers while saying “fun”) “We would just prefer that you stick to actual teaching.”

The dream was so vivid that the next day I saw the parent and felt awkward.

The other dream came from anxiety over a movie night fundraiser that my class is doing.  I dreamed that the class had decided to do some fancy dinner at a beach.  The only problem was it was winter and so it would need to be inside.  I was apparently suppose to rent a yacht, but it slipped my mind.  So the fundraiser was planned and I was driving to the beach praying for unseasonably good weather and unusually classy picnic tables.

You may have noticed from these stories that little Alice did not make an appearance in either.  And the truth is that I can’t recall a dream involving her yet.  This seems very odd, seeing as how she is always the last person I see before going to bed, usually spending 2-3 solid hours in my lap before the clock strikes 12.  

I have two theories behind this.  The first is that my dreams obviously unpack my anxieties, and Allie gives me none.  That sounds nice at least.  The second is that in order to appear in my dreams, one needs to talk.  This checks out with my dearth of dreams involving Marlee Matlin or mimes.  And believe you me, I would remember if a freaky mime was in my dream.   

I’ll be sure to write about my first dream involving Allie.  Sara has them all the time I guess.  If you haven’t, maybe these pictures will help.  They are mostly from a visit with Allie’s uncles and aunties.

From Washington to Southern California they flock to see her.  They bring gifts, adoration, and a willingness to stay up in the late night and early morning hours.  A photographer was there to capture it all.  

My personal favorites are the pictures where she is in her ducky outfit looking pleased and remarkably like a LEGO person.  Also, be sure to find the special bonus Tess picture which should have the following caption: “Putting up with a baby is exhausting!”

Since the in-laws have arrived, I’ve had this incredible thing called “free time”  This has resulted in some serious blog bingeing.  I’m positively giddy about my Flip camera (my first Father’s Day present from the wife) and its video sharing capacities. Behold:

The First Sink Bath

You’ve seen her still.  Now it’s time for Allie in motion.

Want pictures of an adorable WhAsian baby?  Well, have I got a deal for you!  Just click on this link and you can bring the cuteness to a refrigerator, wallet, or picture frame near you.  You can put her on a mug, a calendar, a t-shirt!  All proceeds go to benefit a giant photo sharing empire.

You may have noticed a rather precipitous decline in my blogtivity lately.  This would coincide with my return to the classroom.  This means less Allie time.  Less sleep time.  Less free time.  

My folks were here last weekend and helped Oh. So. Much.  More reinforcements arrived in the form of the in-laws yesterday.  Auntie C comes in tonight!  Family is super keen.  They are willing to give up prime hours of sleep to hold an entity who basically only cries, excretes, and sleeps.  I may not be a smart man, but I know what love is.

Unfortunately, one consequence of the return to work is a decline in pictures.  Since my days have consisted of coming home, holding Allie, eating, washing dishes, holding Allie, grading papers, making lesson plans, and holding Allie, there hasn’t been much opportunity to get my photog on.  

But enough typing, here are the pictures we have managed to take since the last post:

Blah…blah…blah…(meager attempt at humor)…blah…blah…blah

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Our non-eating jaundiced only-sleep-when-held Allie has been replaced by a suckling less yellow (for a WhAsian) somniac version!  We’re not complaining, but this morning I wondered, “Who are you and what have you done with our baby?”

For one week, Allie has made lots of progress.  She now sleeps through the night in her car seat.  Thanks to tanning and pooping, she is deporting the villainous bilirubins.  Best of all, she finally seems to have the “latch and lunch” thing down, meaning she is packing on the ounces.  Sara still has to wake her up to eat, but it’s actually kind of nice for her to wake up on her own terms versus the scream alarm.  Very nice for Dad as well I might add.  We’ll enjoy this balance to the force while it lasts.

Thanks for all the prayers and words of encouragement.  As a reward, here are some photos that show Allie’s range of emotions and states:

Most readers probably already know this, but The Queso Dip must officially celebrate.  My wife’s sister and her husband will be having a baby in April!  Alice is looking forward to having a little cousin to look adorable with.  I am super excited to experience first-time fatherhood and uncledom in less than a year’s time.

Big congrats to the sis & bro-in-law, who will be fantastic parents.  And no doubt Lil’ Pakk-Baby will be a super cutie!  Meanwhile, Tess will work on her coping skills so she can commiserate with Sasha.  For starters, carefully study the contents of a lap before jumping into one.  Also, don’t be surprised if you go from snuggling in your parents bed to getting “accidentally” shut in the closet for hours.