Month The First
Today is the one-month anniversary (which’d be the wrong word since the “ann” comes from “annual”) of our baby coming into the world. I don’t really want to rip off Dooce, but I really like the idea of a monthly post to/about the baby.
Monkey, this first month has been hard for all three of us (four if you count the dog). Mommy and I have had to develop our parenting ears to hear when you cry or start to fuss. We’ve had to get used to regurgitated milk and poop and pee. (Really, those aren’t too bad, so that’s just the whining that all parents get to do.) The dog has had to adjust to her new place one slot lower on the totem pole. She’s been pretty good about it, but she stepped on you a few times in the beginning. I don’t think she meant anything by it, though.
You’ve had a hard first month, too, I guess. You were used to everything being immediate and perfect for you in the womb. Now you have to deal with being cold(er) and having to wait sometimes for your food. You’ve been struggling with going to sleep, and sleeping soundly, for the past couple of days. And we won’t even mention the horror that are diaper changes. I wish you could understand when Mommy and I tell you that everything is alright, we’re right there and we’d never let anything bad happen to you.
But the month hasn’t been all hard times. You’ve started smiling at us more and more, you laugh when you know you’re about to be fed, and you’ve shown some amazing strenght. You can hold your head up for several minutes at a time and throw your body around with it. You can push yourself forward quite a bit when on your tummy if Mommy or I give your feet something strong to kick off of. And you’re really interested in the Whoozit that you got from one of Mommy’s coworkers.
All-in-all it’s been a lot of fun and joy having you for the past month, the times that you’ve pooped on me and Mommy (once each so far, hers much worse than mine), not withstanding. All the frustration of you screaming and crying in our arms is wiped away the moment you smile at us for rubbing noses with you or rubbing your belly. There’s nothing else in the world like those smiles.
Love,
Papa (or Daddy or whatever you call me)
Posted May 29, 08:44 AM