With the birth of wee Miss Lucy Drew last week, we now have a triumvirate of babies. Ben, our December boy, is exactly 167 days and a couple hours older than Nora, the June Bug. And Nora is exactly 167 days and a couple hours older than the new girl. Not only is that an awfully weird coincidence, the spacing is quite fabulous as equipment, clothing, toys, and advice is passed down at regular intervals. We've learned such important tidbits as...
- Childbirth can take anywhere from three hours (Nora) and involve a nearly automatic c-section, to 29 hours (Lucy) and go the way nature intended (even if the epidural didn't), to almost two days and involve both several hours of pushing follwed by a c-section (Ben). In all cases it is a medical event.
- Normal rectal temperature for a four month old is 100.4, not 98.6. So stop freaking out.
- Car seats are really really heavy and you will get calouses. Demand the car seat stroller be passed down ASAP.
- Don't hold off on the bibs until the kid is eating solids...there are a whole host of other items that come out of that end that you may not be expecting.
- A baby swing is possibly the most important piece of furniture you will ever own.
- The nursing books ALL LIE. It is going to hurt. A LOT. It will go away.
- With that in mind, don't let your husband put your Soothies nursing pads in the freezer. Though well intentioned, the result is a bit intense.
- So far, babies begin eating dog food at 11 months.
- Dogs who are otherwise unconcerned around babies, start to get a little nervous when they start moving of their own accord.
- Just cause it sounds logical in the baby book doesn't mean it is going to work. Babies have no interest in logic. At all.
- Try it again in another month.
- Try it again in two months.
- If he/she is still doing it at age thirty, then it is the time to worry.
- Perhaps most importantly...
- You're going to get a lot of really weird (and sometimes annoying) advice. Ignore it.
- At least one person is going to make it obvious that they think you are an abusive parent because of the name you spent months considering and finally bestoyed lovingly upon you're child. It's okay to fantasize about beating the crap out of them.
- At some point, your child will be dressed in 100% gender appropriate clothing (probably involving butterflies and/or tractors), and some stranger will say "What an adorable little girl/boy" (and get it completely wrong). The appropriate response is "Yes he is an adorable little girl, isn't he."
- Yes, newborn's eyes are supposed to do that.
Moms and babes
Sarah, Ben, and Nora
The new gal
1 comments:
Anonymous said...
one thing i've learned already...
there is a reason babies sleep in the bedroom with you. that way you don't forget you have an infant and go to work the first official day of your maternity leave.
thank goodness it was just a dream!