What a difference a babe makes

Yeah, yeah, so blogging hasn't exactly been top priority lately. The salient facts, some of which I hope to elaborate upon in the upcoming days, Baby willing:

• By Georgina, there is a baby! Our gorgeous daughter was born on Thursday, August 4 at 3:08 AM. She was 6 lbs. 14 oz., 19.75 inches, and blessed with a full head of hair which is the envy of many a 30 year old man.
• We waited until her brit bat, on August 21, to name her, since why should boys get the monopoly on mystical and mysterious ceremonies? Her name is Yelena Meira. For those pronuncially challenged -- and apparently I am acquainted with people who've never read a Russian novel and even call some of them friend -- the first name is a la Chekov, but more Serbian and delicate (not an oxymoron, guys) in pronunciation than the Russian Yeleina. (How does one say "cahones" in Russian? If you know, tell me in the comments, please.) Her middle name is Hebrew, so think Me'ira, not the "e" and "i" forming one sound. In my next post I'll attach the explanation for her name that we read at her brit bat.
• She is eating voraciously, which may be an understatement. Yelena fed an hour after she was born and pretty much hasn't taken a more than 3 hour break since. And that's from the start of one feeding to the next. Not only did she regain her birth weight by her 2nd week check-up, but had put on 13 oz. between her 1st and 2nd week appointments! Yes, that is deserving of an exclamation mark. Last week she put on a nice double chin and she is currently working on padding her upper arms and thighs. Chubba-love!
• All you naysayers can kiss my tuchus -- I had a totally unmedicated birth and would absolutely do it again that way. Hopefully I'll get around to blogging my birth story soon.
• Yeah, I'm tired. But I am better rested than during finals week or tech week and putting baby on teat doesn't require too much mental capacity. Fire bad, tree pretty.
• The Friday night before Yelena's brit bat our finished basement became unfinished, due to a flooding issue, although now, with Katrina, I am unjustified in crying over spilt water. Eli, my brother and stepdad -- after extracting a gazillion gallons of water -- tore up the carpet. Turns out the pipe to the sewer was cracked. Fortunately, the city has a private drain program which paid for replacing it. Unfortunately, the f$%^#g developer didn't install a catch basin so we need to do that and replace the flooring. No carpet this time 'round.
• My mom left a week ago today. I cried. I am a lot more self sufficient now but, for the next couple months at least, I have to get used to not accomplishing as much as I would like, and that includes reading, as I'm still in the midst of Daniel Derronda. But I keep re-reading the baby books. And I've watched an entire season of Buffy, which I would have finished sooner if Netflix had wings.