Boy did I miss blogging! There’s something so…productive…about writing a long, good blog entry. It contrasts nicely with the years of sweat and tears over college papers, when it would take me 5 times as long to write the same number of words. Of course, in a blog I’m allowed to use filler, non-specific words such as very, so, some, quite, and like. Take that Dr. Mrs. Berry!
I was a little nervous to start blogging again, because now I have a baby, and I would hate for those who read my blog (which, who am I kidding myself, probably number less than 5) to tune out because the things so interesting to me as a new mom would be snooze-worthy to them. But then I thought, “Who cares? It’s my blog. And 2 of the 5 people are probably James’ grandmothers anyway.” So if the flavor and consistency of future entries evokes spit-up and dirty diapers, it’s up to you if you care to weather through with me. I’d like to think that a well-written, entertaining blog about the most beautiful, clever, and intelligent baby of all time is enjoyable to others…even if thousands of other new moms are also blogging about their most beautiful, clever, and intelligent babies of all time.
James truly is a precocious child. His first trick he pulled on his parents was to make them wait forever and a day to meet him in person. Mr. 11-11-11 was born ten days late, and only then after we finally pleaded with the hospital to induce. The pleading had a lot more to do with the 70 hours of labor I had experienced at home and a lot less to do with it being 9 days past my due date. We had gone to the hospital twice over those 70 hours but were told both times that my body was refusing to dilate more than 1.5 centimeters. When we finally walked through the big double doors past triage where I had been previously examined I mentally shouted, “Oh yeah suckahs—we’re going to the REAL DEAL now!” And when the anesthesiologist gave me the blessed epidural I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I slept for the first time in 4 nights right up until it was time to greet our baby boy.
Maybe someday I’ll give a blow-by-blow of the entire labor and delivery experience, but my VWH has already written his perspective, which is still too fresh in my mind to put my own stamp on it quite yet. If you’re curious you can check it out at http://harmonious-smith.blogspot.com/2011/12/story-of-birth-of-james.html.
Being a mother to a baby in a hospital is entirely different than being a mother to a baby at home. At the hospital there are lots of nurses and doctors and lactation consultants and assistants and…well, really way more people than you want or need hanging around offering advice. I slept more the night before James was born than the two nights after, and it wasn’t because he needed to eat nearly as much as it was the steady stream of medical personnel. In a way, they did me a favor, because instead of being terrified of going home, I quickly became more than ready to get out of the hospital and start figuring things out on my own terms.
And oh, how much we’ve figured out! We now know that bath time is fun, with sponge baths far preferred to the baby bathtub. Dirty diapers are survivable, but spitting out the binky is not. The changing table is the ultimate hang-out spot. Reading books is a load of laughs, but only if ON the changing table. Looking around wide-eyed at things quietly and singing songs with Mommy are the BEST. Lots of concurrent conversations and places other than home are not.
James sleeps like a champ. It only took about 2 weeks before he was sleeping for 7 hour stretches at night, giving his mommy a new lease on life. Bed at 8:30, snack at 3:30, breakfast at 7. I can deal with that no problem and look forward to his big smiles each time he wakes up. I also look forward to when he shares those enormous grins with others. So far he reserves the majority of them for me when his diaper is getting changed. This makes me feel simultaneously honored and embarrassed when I tell people excitedly how much he loves to smile and then he never does it for them. (Maybe if they offered to change his diaper?!?) And when I get my camera ready to capture James' irresistible elation he eyes it most warily and refuses to cooperate. Precocious indeed.
Well, this blog entry has not been the best, but it was fun to sit down and relax for a few minutes, typing with both hands. I’ll leave you with what all of the thousands of new moms leave their faithful bloggers: a picture of the most beautiful, clever, and intelligent baby of all time.
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| Merry Christmas! And, yes, I actually do have 2 feet. |
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