Category Archives: Baby

Baby boy #2

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That you will be entering our lives and turning it upside down in the most magnificent way possible any day now is so very thrilling. Just like your brother before you, we love you so much already, and we haven’t even met you. Although, it’s been recently discovered that mamas have bits and pieces of their son’s DNA in their brains – so our genes have been dancing around together already. I suppose I already do know you a little! Sorry to get scientific on you before you even emerge, but: #parentsaredoctors problems!

Oh little one, you are pretty active, and clearly quite cozy in there right now. You’ve created a daily glass of orange juice craving as well as a taste for strawberry flavored treats in your mama! You’ve already run a half marathon in Dallas, Texas, and you’ve traveled the coast of California, seen the Big Sur forests, splashed on the beaches of Georgia, relaxed in the Palm Springs desert, and explored Nashville.

The world you are entering is a strange, exciting, crazy, wonderful place. And I do sometimes worry about protecting you from the dangers it beholds. But then I have to remind myself that there are so many beautiful things for you to explore. So I’ll have to let go of my fears a little bit. I’m working on it. (Ask your brother).

Your brother, your dad, your dog and I can’t wait to show you this world of ours. So let’s do this, little man. We are ready for you. Here’s hoping and wishing for a safe, uneventful delivery!

Love you so much baby boy.

Mamamoment

I get it.

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I’m a new momma. Or is is mama? I’ve been trying to figure that out ever since I became one. But apparently, it’s either. But I digress.

Since becoming one, I can now say with confidence: I get it. I completely, totally understand. Things that parents have been saying in books and articles and blog posts and conversations. Your child becomes your everything. Your child is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen. Your child grows and changes every day. Your child’s first smile is what happiness grows from.

I’m overwhelmed with emotion. It seems nothing else matters besides this little family I’ve created. I could let everything else go, as long as my 3 boys are by my side. And it sounds so clichéd. Even writing it, I feel like I’ve heard people say this so many times before. I guess I always had figured it was true, it made sense and it seemed obvious; that having a child changes you and is the type of all consuming love one has never experienced before. But I had no idea how intense these emotions would feel. How my heart feels like it is bursting out of my chest when my little boy coos and smiles at me. I now know there was no way to comprehend these feelings until actually having my child.

So, I get it.

I want to show him the world. I want to protect him from evil and from sadness. I want him to experience all I’ve gotten to see, hear, eat, smell and taste. I want these things and so much more for him. And I want less for myself now. I get it.

momma

daddy

Ode to family

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The first month of Leo’s life has been full of joy, love, and amazement; but also rife with challenges. There have been successes, and there have been failures. A prelude to what parenting will likely be.

Having my mother and sister here has been a wonderful gift.

My mother arrived shortly after Leo was born. She promptly began cleaning – our floors, our bathrooms, our laundry – cooking, changing diapers. She even got up with me to keep me company during late night feeding sessions. She helped get us through a broken kitchen faucet, a broken refrigerator and a new momma with a fever to 103 for three days. All within Leo’s first 2 weeks of being home. Plumbers coming in and out of our house, breastfeeding with shaking chills, and sleep deprivation were a lot easier to handle with my own mother here. And as usual, she asked for nothing in return – albeit a few Coca-Colas and chocolate. Which we were happy to buy: in bulk.Grandma

When my sister came, thankfully there were no major new house disasters, and I was no longer sick. Jax arrived with the recent knowledge and experience of being a new mom. Her help around our house and her gentle reassurance were amazing. Taking a line right out of our mother’s book, she also cooked, cleaned and helped with 3am feeding sessions.

These ladies even gifted me a massage and Aunt Jacquie babysat Leo for an hour so this new momma could relax.

Dropping them off at the airport was difficult for me. I didn’t want to see either of them leave. But I also felt a little stronger, and a little more confident than before they had arrived. They both injected new life into me. My life, and Leo’s life, is so much richer for having these two strong women in it.

Aunt Jacquie

Dear baby F:

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37weeksWith 3 weeks to go (ideally, please don’t be too late…or too early…) there are a mix of emotions. There is excitement, fear, love, nervousness, anxiety, happiness.

This pregnancy has been pretty chill, my sweet pea. You kick, and roll around, and hiccup. A lot. But otherwise, you haven’t made me sick at all. I somehow got so very lucky to have none of the terrible morning sickness or pains that plagues women during pregnancy. Thankfully (and maybe because you know how important food is to me), I also had no food aversions. At all! In fact, I – and therefore, you – have eaten the same things as I did pre-pregnancy. The exact, same things. Just in slightly smaller amounts – which, was one of the perks of pregnancy that I did not expect. Because you literally take up all of my belly, there is not as much room in there for food. You are amazing baby! It’s like a secret pregnancy diet no one told me about.  So while I won’t have any fun cravings to tell you about, you can rest assured that you have been exposed to some amazing, fantastic food in utero that you will get to enjoy in a few years. Just wait until you taste what the world has to offer!

Another pregnancy perk unbeknownst to me before April of this year, is that people become so much more warm, loving, giving and helpful. Baby F, the bump you have created has caused quite a stir; strangers open doors, they offer to bring in my trash cans from the road, they let me in front of them in line at the grocery store on an insanely busy Sunday evening, they smile, they offer me their chairs. I have found the answer to world peace: give every woman a baby bump. It makes people so wonderful! At work, I’ve had patients stop mid-sentence when telling me about their excruciating pain, when they notice you in my belly, and they smile. You make so many people happy already, it is incredible.

Seeing your face in profile today, and your heart beating, and your little feet squished next to my left ovary today on our last ultrasound has made me burst with happiness. I don’t know if it’s this magic 37 week mark, the fact that you are full term now, the hormones, or if it’s the cooler, holiday season air that I love, but today, I just became so much more excited to meet you. Please emerge healthy, with good apgar scores and hopefully, with very little drama. I’m counting on you. I’ll do my part too.

See you soon little one.

mom&dad