Zane Rogers Ackermann, six months old on our 46th wedding anniversary August 22nd, is a sponge. He is in the 90th percentile of height (length), the 50th percentile of weight, and a very handsome baby. But the most striking thing to me is how he reacts to new experiences. Take, for example, our recent visit to the aquarium here in Cape Town.
We are committed to saving Tuesdays for Zane. This particular Tuesday was to be our first outing so Kurt briefed us on procedures, loaded the stroller into the car, dressed Zane in warm duds, loaded him into the car seat, and off we went. Notice how pensive he is - just tolerating all the fuss.
We drove to the Waterfront, parked, assembled the car seat and stroller, and took off for the short stroll to the aquarium. Elapsed time so far was about 15 minutes. Hoping that this would be a good experience, we purchased season passes and went on in.
It was apparently the day of the week when local school classes come for an outing because there were groups of children everywhere. Our first stop was at a large cylindrical tank full of darting silver fish. Zane was mesmerized. He watched those fish for ten minutes with his mouth open and hands waving. You can only imagine what was going on in that little mind. He was not finished with those fish but we finally decided to move on before he overdosed on excitement.
We’ve noticed that this little person has an input mode. By that I mean his eyes get bright and wide, he becomes absolutely quiet, his mouth opens and he shows all the signs of intense concentration. I don’t remember my own children doing this behavior, but then I was at work most of their babyhood hours. Grandparenthood gives us an entirely new set of opportunities.
We went through a number of exhibits before arriving at one which drew interest. The penguins were moving around, into and out of the water, and Zane followed them with interest. He loved the sound of the running stream.
So we watched those little guys and gals in their tuxedos perform for quite a while.
Then we moved on to the big fishies and the kelp tank. It can be a hypnotic experience, just sitting there and watching the kelp sway with the wave action. We stayed there wondering how the neurons were dealing with the little fish / big fish issue. Were we giving him nightmares?
The next tank held fish of many sizes. The ones attracting Zane’s attention the most seemed to be schools of small darting fish that moved in waves in order to avoid the larger fish. Brightness and movement seem to be key to interest at this stage.
Betsy and I needed a rest so we tried to interest Zane in a bottle or his pacifier. Forget that! The sharks were way cool!
Eventually we wandered away from the displays and into the cafeteria for tea and coffee. Zane got distracted by the flags fluttering in the breeze, and we eventually talked him into a bottle. We left, strolling over the cobblestones, through a craft market, and back to the car, noticing that he had fallen fast asleep, input processing complete for the moment.
All in all it was a successful first outing for us as grandparents. We are looking forward to many more.
Floyd
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Zane and the Fishies
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Zane Rogers Ackermann - February 22, 2010
Last June Becky told us that she and Kurt were expecting a baby. It came as a shock – we had come to grips with their plan to have no children. They had been deeply affected by Lisa’s death and the discovery that Becky has the same genetic factor leading to blood clots, as do both Betsy and I. So when she told us, we were quite conflicted and kept it quiet for some time in hope and fear.
In case you were wondering, the medical care in Cape Town is every bit as good as anywhere in the States. Yes, it is Africa, and yes, this is a first-world city with all of the good and bad bits that come along with that designation. Becky had weekly doctor visits where they took ultrasound pictures. It’s quite – I’m at a loss for the right word – an emotional experience to see the face of your unborn grandson while he’s still in the womb. It makes me rethink the whole abortion issue.
Betsy and I have forgotten how our lives changed with our first child, or at least I’ve forgotten. We were so young. This grandparent thing is an entirely different perspective on the event. We’re able to view events from a distance; not needing to worry about diapers, bottles, formula, car seats, and the like; focusing on the wonder, the fear, the future, the past – you know, the scary stuff. Wow!
February 20
February 21
The weekend before surgery was spent walking on the beach and clowning around. Becky was blessed with no morning sickness throughout, but some lower back discomfort. She feels quite fortunate.
With surgery scheduled for noon on the 22nd, they left the house at ten to check into the Cape Town Medi-Clinic. Kurt was with her throughout the entire process – we waited in the lounge. Kurt kept us posted via text messages and Zane made his appearance at 12:45pm – kicking and screaming into the world. Weighed in at 2.83kg (6lb, 3.6oz) and measured 47cm (18 ½ inches).
The initial challenges with new babies are simple in concept: get enough food into them to avoid weight loss; and learn their communication signals (hunger, discomfort, etc.). Deceptively simple.
In practice, new parents can become quite stressed with these challenges. I don’t know how much help we are but I’m glad we are here.
The new family formation arrived home on Thursday, three days after the preceding picture.
The entire family turned out to see the new arrival. The dogs were clueless at first, not knowing if it was a new puppy, a squeaky toy, or just something to smell and lick.
Several days later, the dogs are adjusting well – the parents,…? Zindzi (the older, black village dog) tells the parents when Zane needs changing – so funny. Again, I have forgotten, perhaps blocked, those difficult times.
We had one of those high/low moments as Becky opened a bottle of wine that Lisa had given them in 2001. It was saved for a special occasion – not too many more special than this.
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Floyd & Betsy, aka
Oupa & Gogo
