Seasonal Paradise

Sasha Learns Cobol

Sasha Learns Cobol
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Sasha & Godmom Sabine

Sasha & Godmom Sabine
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Who Me?

Who Me?
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Lunch At Our Favorite Prague Pizzeria

Lunch At Our Favorite Prague Pizzeria
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Like Mother Like Daughter

Like Mother Like Daughter
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

A Brighter Day Will Come

What a calamity the last couple of years has been for the USA?  I'm hoping that hope is at hand. Obama has my vote of confidence.

Thoughtful Alexandra

Thoughtful Alexandra
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Alexandra at 6 weeks old.

Working With Alexandra

Movement Does The Trick

Another way we've found to calm Alexandra is movement.  I'm trying out a new movement here.  Seems to work.

Getting Some Sleep

There's a couple of tricks to getting Alexandra to quieten down.  One is the mom simulator.

Prague Office

Here's our office in Prague.  Not too shabby, although definitely a touch Bohemian.

Tai Chi

We've been teaching Alexandra a little Tai Chi, and at 3 weeks old, she's just starting to pick some Tai Chi moves up. 

Starting Young

Starting Young
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

China trains athletes from an early age. But Phelps started training younger than any of them.

Brookstone and Bose, My New Best Friends

Brookstone and Bose, My New Best Friends
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Mark - "Sure, I've been sleeping fine."

Alexandra - "He can't hear me, or see me, but he can still smell me."

Working Mom

Working Mom
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

New Drinking Buddy

New Drinking Buddy
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Alexandra went to her first pub today, for lunch.

Couch Time

Couch Time
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Getting some couch zzz's in.

Sane and Stable

Sane and Stable
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

The doctor came round this week to check up on Alexandra and make sure that we are sane, stable parents.  Hmm.  We'll see.

Curry Poop

Curry Poop
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

We need to have at least one naked baby photo here, just to embarrass Alexandra when she's older.  We've been at this changing table a lot this last week.  We can't remember feeding Alexandra curry, but boy, what's up with this yellow baby poop.

Plenty Of Growing Room

Plenty Of Growing Room
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Big cot, or little baby?

Arriving Home

Arriving Home
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Headed Home

Headed Home
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Irena and Alexandra head home after 6 days in the hospital.

Alexandra First Hiccups

Today Alexandra had a few more firsts.  First time spending 24 continuous hours with mum.  First meal.  First hiccups!?   

Irena, Up and About

Irena, Up and About
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

C-section moms get a high level of care for ~5 days while their tummies
heal, but they can only see their babies for a few hours a day. No lifting
and carrying. I delivered a laptop and ipod to Irena yesterday after she
mentioned she was bored out of her skull. She had a laptop on her knee this
morning so the nurses figured she was well enough to move. Now she has
Alexandra to look after and keep her occupied round the clock, and I have
extended visiting hours.

Alexandra - Day 4

Alexandra - Day 4
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Weighing in at 2.65kg.

Heroes: Randy Pausch

Here's a message from my hero.  Randy Pausch, on life.  He was a Carnegie Mellon professor and imagineer who had pancreatic cancer and passed away July 25th.  The same nasty and underfunded disease Patrick Swayze was just diagnosed with.  He gave his final lecture on Achieving Your Childhood Dreams and it took off on YouTube (5.85m views to date) making him somewhat of a celebrity.  He was on  Oprah, Good Morning America and TIME.   Randy says, let yours kids paint their bedrooms, and asks, are you a tigger or an eeyore?  Do you ask people, 'how can I make it right,' after apologising?  The main message overall, 'if you lead your life the right way, the dreams will come to you.'

I also feel so lucky to have met someone whose happiness is more important to me than mine.  She's keeping Alexandra company, tucked up at Motol hospital.  This is an important day today, because Alexandra learned to eat, Irena started to lactate...so we're happy.  Alexandra had her first 'meal' since Saturday midday this evening and will start putting weight on now.

Message To Boys, and Grandma

Alexandra Meets Daddy

Alexandra meets dad for the first time.

Dad, Czech Airlines & Why I Missed Alexandra's Birth

Dad & Czech Airlines To Prague & Why I Missed Alexandra's Birth
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Here's a picture (13th June, 2008, Abu Dhabi) of my dad, Denis George
Brooks, and Brother-in-law George.  He's 76. He had is first heart attack at
age 63 and had a quadruple heart bypass and promptly gave up all smoking and
drinking and lost 50lbs in weight.  Now, he refuses to quit working, and
lives most of the year in Abu Dhabi where he serves the expatriate community
with investment advice and options.  Two weeks ago he had heart attack no.2,
and relentless as ever he hauled himself onto a plane and flew home. The
airplane hosts probably realised something was a little wrong when he
requested oxygen after the plane had taken off. He is now in Grimsby
hospital healing up a broken kidney, poorly heart and lungs.  He's making
good progress now, but I was rather hoping to see him today.

I left on a 9:55pm flight on Friday for a quick visit to UK to visit dad. Irena's water broke 11pm, three weeks early, while she was supping a latte with friends in Prague.  I landed
in UK and was greeted with 'Mark Brooks, please contact information.'  Staff
ushered me to a phone to call my sister. I figured: 1.my dad's condition had
worsened, or 2.my nephew was trying to catch me before I hired a car, so he
could pick me up.  But it was option 3.  Irena's water had broken.

Back to Prague!  If only I could. There were no more flights from the UK
that night.  The information staff rallied to try and locate the next
possible flight for me.  One was from Birmingham at 10:30am and one was
from Gatwick at 7:30am on Czech Airlines (CSA).  We spent the next two hours
trying to book the Czech Airlines flight to no avail.  A bug on their
booking form prevented me from booking online, despite numerous attempts in
every iteration possible, with multiple cards. The Czech Airlines staff were
all nicely tucked up in bed so I couldn't book it over the phone or via
Heathrow.  I went with the 10:30am flight from Birmingham.  Alas, that ended
up getting me in just a little too late to catch the birth.  I'll be
choosing the non-CSA flights wherever possible in future.  Czech Airlines
needs to pull its socks up.  Easyjet, BMIBaby, RyanAir  and Sky Europe all
offer better services to Prague, btw ;-)

Hello World

Hello World
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Alexandra, using her eyes for the first time.

Sleeeepy

Sleeeepy
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Little Alexandra

Little Alexandra
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Piece Of Cake

Piece Of Cake
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Irena said having Alexandra by c-section was 'a piece of cake.' She
actually looked through the window at Sabine who was watching everything,
saw her shocked face, and Irena started laughing during the c-section.

Hi

Hi!
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

Irena gets a minute with Alexandra after the c-section.

Persuading Alexandra To Turn

Persuading Alexandra To Turn
Originally uploaded by Mark C Brooks

We've been talking to our mid-wife friends in the USA and they tell us that
Irena can persuade Alexandra to turn the right way up by trying some
exercises, like this one. We'll see.