Mom’s Favorite Moments

Two months have nearly passed and I’m finally able to journal about what an amazing, tiring, educational, moving time it has been for me to watch you grow. I thought I’d give you some highlights from the past two months since I have a tendency to document more information than anyone would ever care to read.

1. I keep remembering you birth and what an amazing experience it was. It’s true…you do forget the pain. I didn’t forget that it hurt…I know that it hurt really badly…but the potency of the recollection of the pain has worn off almost completely now. I just remember seeing your dark head and your Dad catching you and handing you to me and all I could think was “we did it.”  The Birth Place was so special, too. I actually almost cried a few days ago when I went there for my final checkup. It made me sad to think that Robin and Becky, the women who attended your birth, wouldn’t need to be in our lives any more. I may try to visit periodically.
2. Just like during pregnancy, I’m constantly surprised at the commonality of women’s experiences and the normalcy of phenomena that seems at the time completely alien. During pregnancy I would awaken with insanely painful leg cramps. Then I’d go online and find that a million other women had these same cramps. I stopped even bringing problems up at the doctor’s office because the answer was always, “yeah, that’s normal.” I thought breast feeding would never work and I’d always hurt and be miserable. My midwife said that I should make it to the ten day mark and it would get easier. Lo and behold, ten days later, something clicked and we got it! People said, get to six weeks and he’ll start sleeping better. Six weeks hit and you are now able to sleep five hours in a row.  I heard that I would get more confident after a few weeks and I did. Now your Dad and I know how you like to sleep, what your different cries sound like, how you like you back patted, and how you like your baths. It makes me feel like you are really ours.
3. We are constantly amused at how quickly you are growing. You are only six weeks old and you’ve doubled your birth weight! They asked at the birth center if you were going to start college next week.You are in size 3-6 month clothing which is actually really fun because we got a ton of adorable clothes for you at your baby shower. I’m sorry to tell you that I’m using you as a giant dolly that I get to dress up each day. I put you in a new outfit nearly every day and am taking far too many pictures of you in each one.
4. The best moment I’ve had so far was one night when you and I were alone getting you ready for bed. We have a routine for you that seems to work nicely. Around 10:30 at night I give you a bath in your little blue bathtub. Then I get you into footy pajamas and brush your hair. Then I read you a book and feed you and hand you to your Dad who you sleep on for the first night shift. Anyway…I was getting you ready and had on one of the lullaby CDs that your Grandma Betsy bought you. I started singing one of the lullabies to you and sort of waltzed you around the room and I remembered. Two months prior your Dad and I had just bought a red CD player for your room and I was setting it up and trying out that CD in the player. I remember that I had started crying of happiness thinking about having a baby to sing to and teach fun songs. Then I realized that it had come true. There I was singing and it wasn’t to myself, but to you. Sometimes it’s easy to forget just how amazing your existence really is. Then there are moments when it hits me and all I can do is cry and marvel at you.
5. You smiled at me and I squealed gleefully. I also REALLY love it when you make fun baby sounds. You tend to make these sounds the most when you are watching your mobile in your crib. I’m not sure why.
6. You look very adorable when you have pants and a hoodie on.It has gotten a little cooler out finally. We take you on a walk every day.
7. You curl up with your Dad in the cutest positions. You look so peaceful and contented on him. It makes me so happy to see you two together. He  likes to let you squirm your way into strange positions and then, when I protest, he declares that he is letting you make your own decisions.