Being a mom is so time-consuming, exhausting, and nerve-wrecking. But it's the best. It has been a wonderful past 7 months. On the down-side, I don't have much time to write about how wonderful it is!
I think often of my fond memories of Alissa's first few months. My husband's smile when he would bring me Alissa so she could finish feeding after a poopy diaper, and right before giving her back to me, she would poop again. Off he'd return to the changing table. I love that memory. He only could take two weeks off before going back to work, but it was an awesome, exhausting time. Feed, change diaper, rest. He was a master of the 5Ss - he could rock her just so, on her side, paci in, to get her to stop crying. He was an expert swaddler too.
I remember when we reached the 6 week mark, and it felt like we had conquered the world. But the days just went faster and faster. It is true when they say to cherish each moment, even the rotten ones, because they pass so fast!
My husband went back to work after just two weeks of paternity leave. I was so afraid of dropping Alissa if I walked down the stairs with her, so he would carry her down for me before he left for work. If I was able to, I would shower before he left, but mostly I just showered at night, and definitely not every day. I would feed her around that time in the morning, diaper change, play for a bit, then she would sleep another 2-3 hours. Up for an hour or so, back to sleep another 2. So on and so forth throughout the day. For a while I got back into my soap opera, but that faded the more Alissa was awake. By 3 I would get excited, because Matt would be coming home soon!
Many afternoons were spent at the computer, Alissa sleeping in my lap. This was before I had the Ipod touch. I would catch up on tv shows I had missed (which I have fallen back behind on) and wait for 5:30 or 6pm, depending on if Matt took the train or not. I started in November to watch How I Met Your Mother, from the beginning. This was an every day thing around 5 for a while, but again, that faded too.
Tummy time would last 5 minutes, another playtime 5 minutes, then I would rock her or nurse her back to sleep, as she would scream as most newborns do. Oh, how I value those 5Ss!
She was so precious those first few months. I was so afraid to break her!
I remember her first sleepy smiles, as she would sleep on the boppy in my lap after a feeding. I remember her first real smiles, and then laughter.
I remember when she took naps longer than 30 minutes at a time.
