Well, we've got a special treat for everybody today. Jill decided to visit us in the office with little Clara and she has kindly offered to join us for a podcast. How's it going Jill? Jill: Great, how are you?
Mark: Can't complain. Jill: Same old, ha?
Mark: Same old, same old, doing our thing here at LingQ.
Jill: Yeah.
Mark: But, obviously, things aren't the same for you. Jill: Well, not quite, no.
Mark: No.
Jill: Just a little bit different having a baby to take care of all day and night.
Mark: Yes, no kidding.
Jill: But, yeah, no, things are very good; going very well.
Mark: Just to give you all the picture, Jill's kind of dancing here with Clara in her arms. Jill: On her stomach.
Mark: In hopes that Clara doesn't try to join in on the podcast; although, it might be nice to add a little authenticity to the podcast. Jill: Well I'll stop bouncing around near the end and that should be enough to make her use her vocal cords a little bit. Mark: Yeah, yeah, she's quite calm now though looking out the window sucking on her arm. Jill: Yeah.
Mark: She's packed on a few pounds since we last saw her. Jill: Yeah, she certainly has.
Mark: Which is what they do.
Jill: Yeah, they grow fast.
Mark: Yeah, for sure.
Jill: They really do. Everybody tells you oh, it goes so fast and you don't really have any idea until you have your own. Everybody tells you in the beginning too, don't wish it all away even the beginning part where you're so tired because you're not sleeping and it's so hard. I said no, it's hard not to wish this part away because you're just so tired and let's face it, a brand new baby doesn't really give you very much back. Mark: No.
Jill: I mean they don't smile yet, nothing, right? So it's just a lot of work and no sleep. Mark: Right, absolutely.
Jill: I mean I think some people love it because they just love, love little babies.
Mark: Right.
Jill: But even now just being over two months old I find I enjoy it a lot more.
Mark: For sure.
Jill: Because she's smiling now and, you know, she can hold her head up, so she's not so fragile. Mark: Yeah, right.
Jill: I kind of just can whip her around and I don't really worry about it too much anymore. Mark: Right, exactly, yeah.
Jill: Sleeping through the night is a big one.
Mark: Yeah, that's a good one. It sounds like she's doing pretty well with that too, judging by what you were telling us earlier. Jill: Yeah, she's doing very well; we're lucky. Mark: Oh that's great. It is true though, I mean I remember with our kids I would say like the first six months from the dad's perspective the baby really needs its mom and the dad's kind of not superfluous but, as you say, you don't get that much back. Jill: No.
Mark: But you do, I mean they smile.
Jill: Oh, yeah.
Mark: Like even when they're really fresh, you know, and they're really small -- there she is – and they're lying on your chest; like they are that small for such a short time. Jill: Yeah, they are.
Mark: It is neat.
Jill: And, you know, it was really only about five or six weeks until she started sleeping five or six hours, which isn't the case for all newborns. Mark: No.
Jill: But for us, you know, at the time every day it felt like forever knowing that you weren't going to get to sleep that night. Mark: Right.
Jill: But when I look back and I think yeah, six weeks, that's so small in the grand scheme of things. Mark: For sure.
Jill: It's such a short period of time, so. Mark: For sure.
And six weeks in the life of a baby is a long time.
Jill: Well, yeah.
Mark: Like they change so much.
Jill: Yeah, oh yeah, they grow so much.
Mark: Yeah, I know.
Jill: Yeah.
Mark: So, yes, she's keeping you busy then? Jill: Yes. My back is very sore by the end of every day.
Mark: Yeah.
Jill: I can't wait to go to bed at night but, you know, she's good. Mark: Yeah.
Jill: She's pretty happy. She likes to be held just like other babies.
Mark: For sure.
Jill: So, you know, there are days that I don't get a lot done if she's having a particularly fussy day and I just kind of have to hold her a lot. Mark: Yeah.
Jill: But then I just don't get it done and I do it the next day. Mark: Right.
And you get out with her, whatever, out shopping or walking.
Jill: Yeah, we go for walks every day and sometimes we're out walking for a few hours. Mark: Yeah.
Jill: I might look in some shops at the same time… Mark: Yeah, yeah. Jill: …get a few groceries… Mark: Oh, that's good. Jill: …and do a bunch of stuff.
Mark: Yeah.
Jill: So yeah, it's good. Well, I don't know that Clara is very happy about the podcast right now. Mark: She's not enjoying it. I'm sure our listeners are enjoying a little extra color. Jill: That's right. Mark: But Jill you're going to start breaking out in a sweat soon. Jill: Yeah, it's warm in here actually. Mark: It's always warm in here. Jill: This office.
Mark: Plus the dance you're doing. Jill: It's the only exercise I get these days, so it's okay. Mark: I guess if you're doing that a lot. Jill: Well we have so many stairs in our place too, so carrying her in her seat, which is already heavy.
Mark: Yeah.
Jill: Going up and down stairs quite a few times a day, I do get a little bit of exercise.
Mark: No kidding.
Jill: It's good. But I'll come back again. I sent an email to your dad because he couldn't be here today. Mark: Right.
Jill: I'm away next week, but I thought maybe I could try to come back the following week. Mark: Sure, yeah.
Jill: Maybe your dad and I can do a podcast or something.
Mark: Yeah, yeah, that would be great.
Jill: Yeah.
Mark: Anyway, I'm sure our listeners are very happy to hear your voice and to hear Clara's voice. Jill: Yeah.
Mark: We look forward to talking to you again next time.
Jill: Me too, I look forward to talking to you as well.
Mark: Alright.
Jill: Hi to everybody and talk to you soon.
Mark: Okay, bye-bye.
Jill: Bye-bye.
