Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Miles of Smiles






Well, I'm happy to report that lil' Peanut is getting bigger.  The past month or so has been super challenging but the rewards are priceless.  Clusterfeeding happens c. weeks 3 & 6, coinciding with his growth spurts, and despite lack of sleep and D being a little fusspot, it has made us a lot closer.  I know him so well and his sweet face even shows up in my dreams now.

Things I've learned from my son (so far):
1. patience.  I knew T was patient, but patience is not one of my strong suits.  I never thought it would be so enjoyable to learn.
2. unconditional love.  duh!  all the pooping, crying, spitting up, & general damage to my attractiveness level can not put a dent in this one.  even when he cries, I adore him more than life.
3. just when you think you know all the tricks, they stop working.  keep looking.  keep searching.  he is a dynamic creature and consistently challenges me to find new ways to entertain him and keep him satisfied.
4. a walk out in the fresh air can do you a world of good.  put him in the sling & he'll fall fast asleep.
5. make time for mommy.  enlist helpers; allow yourself to feel guilty.  I need alone time for myself to feel "normal".  this one is harder than it sounds.  especially when nursing every hour.
6. skin-on-skin time for at least half an hour everyday (at least for the first few months) makes for a happy mommy & baby.  
7. raising a child is a 25/8 job.  totally harder but more rewarding than any other task or set of responsibilities.  it never ends.  there is really no "time off".
8. multi-tasking!  it's the only way to get anything accomplished.  I've learned you can do damn near anything with just one hand.   
9. selflessness.  that's the name of the game.  I used to think deciding to bring a child into this world was the most selfish thing one could do.  oh, how wrong I was... 
10. being a mom is the best thing that ever happened to me.  as awesome as my life was before Des, and as hard as it will continue to get, I have never felt so... fulfilled.  

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