So is it just me, or is watching your new child sleep among the most magical of events life has to offer - to the uninitiated perhaps akin to watching paint dry, though presumably to many others, wildly outpacing even the best of movies.

I stare wide-eyed, awaiting the next subtle movement or transition with the intensity and anticipation that a gambler might the Roulette wheel. Without the ever changing nuances of waves or fire, but with the same mesmerizing allure, I find myself captivated time and time again.

None of this is to suggest that Aitugan is any less appealing awake. Her fascination for all things crinkly, penchant for crawling up and over rather than around, and innate ability to join thumb and mouth never cease to draw fawning looks from her mother and me.

What have we done in these first 48 hours? Well lots of laundry for one. Did I mention that our prolific eating machine also excels in the regurgitative arts. Our newest concern is 'Do we have enough shirts with us to last the 30+ hour long journey from hotel to home?'. She seems to embellish one at least hourly, creating designs that rival the best spin art.

Aitugan has been sleeping remarkably well (of course with the sole excepting being as I write this this afternoon). This time though I just don't know what to do. Do I go the route of letting her cry it out and calm herself, or do I go and comfort her and try and reassure her that everything will be fine.

As it is, I am doing a bit of both, and with no clear result. She is of course happy when I go pick her up and walk her around and rock her, but I am no better off when at last I put her down again and at other times I let her cry until she inevitably finds her thumb, but unlike all the other time, the soothing that comes from that is not getting her to the point of sleep and the wailing begins within a minute or so.

I've changed her diaper, offered her formula, laid down with her and talked to her, all to no avail. We have been at this for just over 45 minutes, and while the period between her fits is lengthening, I am not sure we've had the last of them yet this go around. (P.S. - as one might guess, it stopped the minute I finished writing about it and she has been sound asleep for over an hour now)

Really I mean it when I say that apart from this most recent outburst, our first 48 have gone remarkably well. She has held pretty closely to the two hours awake and two asleep daytime pattern, and has astounded us with her evening sleep.

The first night she went down at 8:30, was awakened at 10:30 for a bottle, then took less than 2 minutes to get back to sleep and slept until 6:30. Last night went even better with her going to sleep at 9, a bottle at 11, and then not a sound until after 7:30. Dreams(new parents dreams anyway) are made of such things. If tempting fate didn't hold such high a penalty, I might even proclaim us lucky.

This afternoon we took our first venture as a threesome - okay that doesn't sound right, how about 'as a family' instead. Anyway, we pulled out the dreaded snowsuit and forcibly plied our child into its submissive encumberance. Thankfully the walk to the 'Neighborhood Cafe' (its real name) is a short one and the cars and people outside provided adequate distraction.

Given the range of possible outcomes for such an outing into her newly expanding world, she gave a star performance. I'm slightly ashamed as I think it through now, for at one point I attempted to placate her by having her dance on the table. What sort of parent encourages table dancing. Anyhow, she enjoyed it.

So the dancing is a relatively new thing for Aitugan. We were determined to surround her with music from the minute she got home, not so much because we are hoping to impart classical genius, but because we hoped she would find it soothing, and because we hoped it would help all of us if she could embrace nap time without perfect silence. To this point is appears to be working.

Yesterday was all about Nanci Griffith and Mary Chapin Carpenter, and thus far today we've had everything from Lyle Lovett and Bruce Cockburn to Sister Sledge and Meatloaf. No clear preferences on her part yet, though she was intrigued by several KT Tunstall videos that came with an album download.

We call it dancing though of course it is more of a weight shift from one leg to the other and back again, and unquestionably is influenced by the music - so yes, dancing. As one might imagine, her dancing is being highly encouraged by her parents, not because of our own dancing prowess, but rather, because it seems to really assist with her balance and strength, and you can't argue against that.

Another new fascination for Aitugan has been the front loading washing machine in the kitchen. First it goes one way, then the other, and there is swishing of water and swooshing of color. If somehow she could interact with it more I would market a child's toy version of it and retire.

I'll leave off with that and try and get some photos up before she awakes from her nap. KJ is off with Elena wrapping up some details and attempting to find some good reminders of our time in Kaz to bring home with us. Take Care.