Weighing In

My sister called on Tuesday. She was in the car, driving home, back from remote Pennsylvania to the best part of it. She had decided to dial into the groggy ramblings of motherhood instead of tuning in to a more traditional offering across the air waves. I gave her the baby Mary / Mommy Lo update. And midway through spouting off some serious baby jargon (say, 'skin to skin', 'tummy time', 'cluster feeding', 'self soothing theories', and the coloration of 'nickel size poos') she stopped me.

Wait. Where did you learn all of this baby stuff? When I was in Chicago for your birthday, you were clueless.

I took no offense - her statement was accurate. Midway through February I only had a vague idea of what laid ahead and I certainly didn't know the minutia behind efficiently moving through a typical baby's schedule of eating, pooping and sleeping. Honestly, I hadn't even changed a diaper before. But within two weeks, yes it's been two weeks already, I feel like I have taken the role of motherhood by storm. And I'm proud of even the smallest accomplishments: from the basics to my own maternal theories and best practices.

So here's where we weigh in this week. Medically speaking, it was officially nine ounces heavier. But anecdotally, the week was even heftier.

Mary and I have added some firsts to our mother / daughter duo list: 

• Mary lost her belly button, and right on time; at the ten-day mark.
• With the loss of that rather gross looking dried piece of umbilical cord, Mary took the plunge in her pink tub and accepted her first Johnson and Johnson scented bath with grace.
• Mary had her first five-hour slumber which granted Mommy and Dadday one amazing night of sleep.
• We welcomed the addition of our first baby sitter, the one and only Mimi, who allowed me to take my first steps, then strides as I got back on the running circuit.

For the first time, I gave in and took a midday snooze with Mary. 
And we met our new pediatrician, who shared the excited news that the combination of a ravenous appetite and a burgeoning milk supply makes a baby exceed her birth weight in a timely fashion.

In addition to these milestones, I've started to develop some of my own mothering tips.

• When the legalese behind over the phone medical advice fails you, call Dr. Opa. He'll both give you practical information and potentially lobby for changes in healthcare delivery. 
• File a baby's nails when they are sleeping. Otherwise there is bound to be loud opposition.
• DON'T turn the light on to nurse your baby.
• The best diet / work out ever is breastfeeding. Do it.
• A glass of wine at dinner never tasted so good.
• If you have Grams, Nanas, or Mimis nearby, take them up on the offer of helping out.
• A jolt of Pit Bull can make any foggy, hazy, groggy, sleepy afternoon so much better.
• When hormones happen, just let the tears flow. It'll make you feel better. 
• You can knead pizza dough with one hand.
• And for that matter, you can eat a calzone with one hand too.

Finally, you're never 'alone all day without any adult conversation' if you have a good book in one hand and the sweetest little girl in the other.

Lo.