William's First Month

enjoying Cousin Nancy's cozy quilt in the shade :)

Having a baby teaches you a lot, a lot about taking care of others, a lot about love, patience, a lot about yourself.  The past month with William has gone by in the blink of an eye, showing me there's something to the words everyone says about cherishing time because it goes so quickly.  In the past month here are some of the things I've learned with William as my teacher.  Bear in mind this list is in no particular order, just my random thoughts as they occur.

1. Doulas are amazing, I'll never have another baby without one & ours (Tiffany) was the most caring, compassionate, genuine person who feels like family now
2. Babies go through a LOT of diapers
3. Breast fed baby poop is the strangest looking thing you've ever seen, also see #2
4. Never joke about your husband getting all the explosive diapers/penis tricks... lady karma has a devilish sense of humor and you just might end up having your baby poop in your hand, no joke! Long story...
5. Being a mom means never drinking a whole cup of coffee while its hot
6. Another human being can literally poop in your hand and you'll still love them with every part of you, who'd have thought?
7. Sometimes Will sounds like a dinosaur when he's sleeping... 
8. Boobs are awesome, they are amazing creations that can sustain life, how cool is that?
9. Boobs leak... wasn't prepared for the sprinkler effect & wow did that ever surprise me!
10. After childbirth, magical little house cleaning/errand running elves should visit in the night (or whenever sleep happens) and take care of the things new parents just don't care about any more, or frankly just don't have the energy for
11. My sister is my first & oldest friend, although it took us time to find our friendship, it's solid as a rock now and I don't even want to think about my life without her in it or William's life without her as an aunty, she is the best aunty ever!  She means the world to us!
12. It's hard trying to set boundaries when you just want need time alone as a new family after leaving the hospital... really hard
13. When William gets his little sleep grins I could die of happiness at the sight of his dimples, they are seriously adorable
14. Suddenly I am a crier?!? How did that happen?  Happy tears visit frequently :'0)
15. If given the choice between staring at William while he's sleeping or taking the time to shower, more often than not I can be found staring, with unbrushed teeth and crazy new-mom hair, unashamed
16. Did I mention that babies need to be changed A LOT?  They do, it bears repeating, see #2 
17. Watching the Olympics and being confronted by 6 pack abs makes me want to smack someone... oops, I mean, go U-S-A!
18. It's amazing the things you learn how to do one-handed, or with various body parts like opening doors with elbows, turning off light switches with your nose, etc...
19. Wraps, slings and baby carriers are AMAZING, I would recommend wearing your baby to any mom, it's incredible
20. Lanolin is seriously amazing stuff, they should sell it by the truckload
21. I nearly cried when I could see my ankles again, it was a blissful reunion
22. Babies are way more portable than you think
23. If you go out to eat with a new baby, order your meal to-go, maybe this won't be necessary, but it if is you're ready to rock & roll (with screaming infant in tow)
24. Sneezes, hiccups, and yes... even farts are adorable when they come from your tiny little baby
25. When William stops mid-nursing and looks up at me with those "love me forever" eyes & I am transfixed, it means he's about to spit up everywhere, or poop... everywhere
26. If you put cute clothes on a baby, they will immediately spit up on them, every time
27. If you put cutes clothes on yourself, see #26
28. A sense of humor is critical
29. See #2, seriously :)
30. Having a child with your best friend makes you love them more than you thought possible... and makes being apart harder than ever before
31. Pacifiers are nipple-saving super heroes!
32. Sleeping babies should NOT be disturbed
33. Babies can get acne and amazingly, they can even make zits cute?!?! Every teenager everywhere wants to know their secret
34. Dancing makes William happy, so does music, and this makes mama & daddy happy too because we kitchen-dancin' fools from way back ;0)
35. If anyone ever messed with this little boy, I dread to think what I would be capable of, a mosquito landed on his check and I have never been so ticked at an insect! I spoke to said insect and said "Get the hell off of my baby boy!" and then realized I was speaking to a mosquito... a humbling realization
36. I suck at lullabies, but I sing 'em anyway and just make up my own words
37. Snuggling with a baby is heaven on earth
38. The love of family is tremendously powerful & I wish mine wasn't so far away
39. Baby clothes are worse than finding the perfect fitting jeans... sizes & weights seem irrelevant from one brand to the next
40. I could kiss the top of Will's head every second from now until he's in college... and now his hair is thinning a bit and I think maybe it's from all my kisses ;0)
41. Without having language, babies communicate and speak right to your heart & soul, no words necessary
42. William's eyes are blue... just like his daddy's, we've been waiting and waiting to see because they seem to look different every day
43. Blankets on the lawn in the shade are the perfect place to spend an afternoon with a baby
44. In spite of some suggestions, I love my dog just as much as I always did, I just have another sidekick to love along with her. 
45. Having a little boy makes me miss my brother in a whole new way, especially when his birthday came and went without eating some chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting with him
46. William has incredibly loving grandparents, all around
47. My house gets messy now & I don't care (well, maybe I care a little but not enough to take time from Will to do anything about it)
48. The most sure-fire way to wake a William in the early days was to try to put him in his bassinet, even in the seemingly deepest sleep... BAM, open eyes & no interest in sleeping.  A heating pad to warm it, removed before placing him, seems to help along with cozying him with whatever shirt I was wearing during the day... ahhh the tricks you learn :)
49. The words "Do you want me to change that diaper?" spoken by a bleary-eyed husband in the wee hours of the sleep-deprived morning are the most beautiful words and the answer us always a resounding "Yes" :)
50. Babies are so quiet & peaceful, until you decide to accomplish something on your to-do list... to-do lists for new moms must only include one item: "be a mom"
51. The human body can do amazing things, I can't believe that after over 60 hours of labor (& stitches in places I care not mention) I was able to climb a mountain 2 weeks later, women are tough!
52. Being a mom... can't quite explain it, but it's a gift to be treasured above all others

Our first picnic, love those blue eyes :)

sleepy lil' grin

sleepy little hiking companion, my view looking down

 

visiting Aunty Kristi     &    Uncle Chris' memorial

Nom, nom, nom... fingers are yummy after bath time :)

Brother & sister hangin' out 

Meeting 96 year old nana, amazing!

Tips for Visitors of Brand New Parents:

1. Always, I repeat, always bring a meal or something similar, it's such an incredible gesture and I don't think it'll ever be more appreciated because this means no time cooking & time spent with baby instead.  My best friend showed up with a delicious meal, diapers, dog treats for Bailey, wine (for me later) a book and giant sunflowers (see below)... I felt like I'd won the lottery seeing her walk through the door with such a showering of kindness.  Plus she held Will so I could go to the bathroom, all by myself like a big kid!  My dear friend Pam also came over with iced coffee, love it! The little things matter :)
2. Be judicious with advice for new parents, it's a learning curve and they need time to find their way, not someone else's, babies aren't cookie cutters and I think you have to find what works for your own baby.
3. Always tell a new mom she's beautiful, even if she looks like she hasn't slept (she probably hasn't) and was run over by a train (a train load of diapers maybe!)
4. I suggest that you don't offer to hold the baby so they can be productive, offer to help them by doing something around the house, chances are they want these precious moments to hold their baby, although I'm sure they will share with you :)
5. Don't be frustrated if they don't answer/return your calls right away, it's amazing how time consuming a newborn is and phone etiquette goes out the window.  If there is a spare minute when baby is sleeping, new parents should grab a few winks too.
6. Be patient, let them tell you when they are ready for guests.