That New Dad Smell

Sydney is seven weeks old today. (49 days... I guess memorizing those times-tables was good for something.)

I've had a hard time expressing the feelings that go along with new parenthood, but I think I'm gonna take a stab at it right now. This is part one...

The Dead Clown
I was on the early shift a couple of weeks ago. This meant that I was giving Dana some time to sleep while I gave Syd a bottle, changed her, got her to sleep, etc. (Dana is doing this most hours of most night and all hours of most days.) It's something I enjoy, and I had a moment of enlightenment this one particular night. After putting Sydney back in the bassinet, I endeavored to fold up the play mat spread out in the middle of the living room floor. Syd loves this thing - it's full of crinkly patches and bells and squeaky squeezing things, but folding it up is not so easy. After a battle that lasted a few minutes, I finally balled it up and dragged it to the corner. It sounded (I imagine) like I had beaten a clown into submission and hauled into a secret hiding place. At this point I looked around our apartment and took in the new furniturial decorations: a swing, a "bouncy" seat," a rubber chewy giraffe on the entertainment center... and I loved it all. And Sydney loves The Dead Clown more each day.

Sydney's Photo Gallery

I know this is probably overkill, but people keep asking me for photos of Sydney... lots of them. So, here are lots of them!

Sydney Stretch

Ready to Leave the Hospital

I think Sydney kept sticking her tongue out because she was done with the hospital:

Baby Hiccups

It's official... I Am That Guy Who Takes Video of His Baby Doing Something Inane Like Hiccuping and Blogs About It.

The January 20th Human (aka Inauguration Day Baby)

After an hour and half of sleep I headed back into Manhattan. That was an hour and a half more sleep than Dana had. Syd was wide awake when I arrived - and all set for the Inauguration. We took it all in on the 7 inch rental TV ($1 per inch per day) before family arrived to partake in joy and photo shoots. 

As everyone pointed out - this was an historic day for her birth. What these folks don't realize is that this day will be on the record book primarily because of the birth of Sydney Pia Hurley. Just you wait.

We meant to pick up a Times with Sydney's birthdate on the cover (and, incidentally, maybe some mention of Barack Obama), but it somehow slipped our minds. If anyone has a spare copy, please do let me know. In return, I promise you the eternal gratitude of The Sydney Pia Hurley. (Or I will at least put in a good word for you.)

Tom is already in her good graces for bringing Smith & Wollensky steak sandwiches for a very hungry new family. 

We do solemnly swear to bring up Sydney faithfully. We do solemnly swear to faithfully bring Sydney up. Faithfully, we - Ah, you get the idea.

Sydney Pia Hurley

Baby Girl Hurley's due date was January 19th, 2009 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. I woke up on that Monday morning at 6AM with an odd feeling in my belly - anticipation? Maybe. But also a stomach bug. As I rushed to the toilet, I thought it was a good thing that Dana's belly had been so small... she'd probably be a week late. I fought the violent bug all morning, but Dana made her way through the frozen subways and streets to her doctor for a check-up. Her midwife said, "See you soon!" Oh boy.

Sure enough, come 6PM, things really started to happen. I managed to straighten myself up with a shower and a couple of slaps to my own face to knock out the 101 fever. Dana was growing certain that this would be the night. Thankfully, she's very tough and patient... by 9PM, with contractions coming every couple of minutes, I had cleaned the snow off of the car and Dana had made her way downstairs.

The drive was not as frantic as I had expected - Atlantic Avenue, the Brooklyn Bridge and the FDR were all pretty clear. NYU Hospital was empty, and soon Dana was admitted. She was moving along quickly. The hospital was a little short-staffed, what with it being a holiday and all. It seems someone forgot to mention this to Baby Girl. Still, even with fewer nurses available, Sydney made her appearance only about 3 hours late: 3:18AM on Tuesday, January 20th. Not too bad.

She was born 8 pounds (3635 grams) and 21 inches long (53 centimeters). We got to see those little skis that were kicking mommy's ribs for so long, and hear the healthy lungs as they cried out for the very first time. Dana was incredible throughout the entire process, and she still looked ready for a night on the town after it was all done.

Even after so many people prepped me for the event with such vague phrases as, "You can't even imagine...," I was blown away by the experience. That little baby... once was in there... now is out here... I can't even explain... ok, now I get it.

Here's a video I took about an hour after Syd was born:


Sydney's first name is in honour of all our friends in Australia. Her middle name is in honor of Dana's maternal grandmother.

Dana was settled into her room by about 6:30AM that morning. I drove back home down the FDR and over the Brooklyn Bridge as cold, winter, morning light was starting to illuminate the city. It was a transcendent moment, and I didn't flip off anyone who cut me off.