16 September 2010

Six weeks

I can’t believe it’s been six weeks since Sophia was born. In some ways, time seems to move slowly but for the most part, time zooms by. The day is broken up into 3 to 4 hour increments now - this is Sophia’s feeding schedule. I just go from one feeding to another and I don’t think much farther than that. If I can squeeze in a nap in between feeds, I consider that a big win. If I can put the dirty clothes in the washing machine in between feeds, that’s another win. If I can post something to my blog, that is a huge win!

My friend Yvette told me after she had her first baby three years ago that you don’t really know what tired feels like until you have a baby. Yvette was right. I have had days when I feel so tired that I think, “I can’t do this anymore”, and yet I get through the day and night somehow. An hour nap here, a three hour nap there, and somehow the day does go by. And I say a “thank you” to the universe for letting me survive another day.

Sophia is amazing. It’s so interesting to watch her develop. Each day brings a new thing, a new development. She has gained 2 lbs since her birth (current weight is 8.6 lbs). Her eye lashes are thicker and her eyebrows are now thicker. She can hold her head up a bit. She can plant her feet and kick up, especially when she is upset (she’s wiggled up a few inches while on the change table). She can communicate - like sucking on her fist when she’s hungry, grunting in a satisfied way to say she’s had enough milk, and crying to let us know she’s not happy about something. When everything in her world is cool, she likes to hang out and look around. She likes to watch the mobile in her crib and she likes the swing. The thing she really, really likes is to be held by me or Ed. That may sound like such a wonderful thing (and it is) but it makes life challenging when we want to get some stuff done (like shower!) once she has fallen asleep. She senses it when we put her down. She wakes up and cries for us to carry her again. I’ve been told that this will pass or at some point, we will have to let her cry it out. For now, we give in and hold her.

Ed and I are getting better at this with each day that passes. Things are getting easier, that is true. I do try and enjoy each moment because I know that they are precious. Sophia will never be six weeks again so I constantly remind myself to focus not on how tired I feel but on the good stuff. Her cuteness makes it easier to do so.