The First 3 Days with Mini...

You are invited to the Mo’ Babies Virtual Baby Shower, between Friday, September 19 and Sunday, September 21, for Kristen of Motherhood Uncensored and Rebecca of Girl’s Gone Child.
Come to the
shower and share your own baby story.

Here's one of mine...

It's a *Very Baby* time in the Blogosphere these days with several mommybloggers all a-glow and ripe with child. These lovely, capable ladies are not first time moms. Obviously. I mean, they're already mommybloggers, right? So, they're not strangers to the adjustments, uncertainty, and chaos that come with a new baby -- until a schedule and baby-approved sleeping pattern is established, of course.

Makes me think of the time when Mini, our own Baby #2, was brand new.

35 - PeekabooSee this picture? It's me with our little girl in her favourite sling. We were strolling down Corydon Avenue, and she spotted Roomie with a camera so she turned around from watching cars to watching her dad.
In case you're wondering, no, she wasn't nursing at the moment.
This is probably one of my favourite pictures EVER. It's so cute, and it reminds me of how close she and I have been since the day she was born.

With Mini, as with most 2nd children, the anxiety of Rookie Mom was gone. Most questions had already been answered...

"How do I hold her?"
- I got past the limp and squishiness of newborns by just cuddling her close like I did her big brother.

"How do I change her diaper?"
- Front to back, like big girls. Plus, Lam was still in diapers. No learning curve.

"How do I feed her? Will I have milk? Are my nipples supposed to feel like they're on fire?"
- I'd breastfed my toddler. I was still lactating. My nipples are permanently calloused.

"You're sending this baby home with me?!? Are you nuts?!!!"
- "Give me my baby NOW... and no thanks, I don't need any valium."

When Mini was born, Lam had a fever, so he and Roomie couldn't visit us at the hospital. So, for our 3 day stay, I was able to focus on her without distraction, and we got the chance to bond in a relaxed, calm, and anxiety-free environment.

Mini slept when I slept -- she was beside me every night in my bed. She ate when I ate. And when I turned on the tv, she either slept or ate -- considering she couldn't see beyond 3 inches in front of her face.
It was like a slumber party... without the makeup and ghost stories.

I still miss those days when it was just Us Girls. Fortunately for me, Mini and I are still close and cuddly today, and I'm hoping we always will be.

11 comments:

  1. I'm commenting on your letter to my BFF Martha above :-)

    I enjoy reading the Martha blog and all of her good stuff on her website. I think us 'commoners' if you will, shouldn't be so hard on ourselves. Afterall, Martha has no little ones running around and a large staff to keep her homes looking in tip top shape.

    I bet your home looks pretty darn nice :-) I think a Filipina Martha would be great! Maybe I can be a mini Martha or something minus the stint in jail. That darn pasty skin of mine gets me every time! LOL!

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  2. aww, this is just too sweet ;-) i can't wait to have one of my own. sigh

    ;-) dropping by from toni's weekend soiree

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  3. I know you're... um... "gifted", but in this photo, breastfeeding would be... well... uh... impressive.
    :-)

    It's interesting to hear how at ease you felt. I, on the other hand, was *shocked* each of the second and third times at how much I'd actually forgotten. Or as I prefer to believe, just pushed aside in the flurry of learning the next big thing. It always seemed like I was re-inventing the wheel.

    The largest shock each time was the first time I saw my "previous" baby after birth of the new one: "who is this *child* and what have you done with my *baby*???" (I had this again recently when my 3 y.o. son held my new baby neice)

    I recall the similar experience of the first: "you can't possibly think it's a good thing to make me in charge if THIS" and the second: "take your psycho-nursing rhetoric & cram it up your stethescope (after you've left the care-package of T-IIIs)"

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  4. That three days of bonding sounds dreamy. And I just looooove that photo - I never got the swing of those slings but you two look so comfy (you make it look effortless).

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  5. I have to agree with MB -- 3 days of bonding -- totally worth it.

    Love that pic, too!

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  6. Re: your letter to Martha, give yourself a break, I've seen your home, it's not that cluttered. You have two little kids sharing it with you, expectations must be set accordingly. I wouldn't eat off my floor either, but it's acceptable for this stage of life. :-)

    It's not like we're about to turn you in to the crew from How Clean Is Your House?. I'm not saying the homes featured on that show should set our standard, but if you need a little pick-me-up just watch an episode of that show and you'll feel positively Martha compared to some of those poor souls.

    I've known real live people with insane domestic hygiene problems --- and they were totally unashamed when word got around that their computer stopped working because it overheated because the internals were gummed up with cat hair sucked up by the fans. I mean, how much cat hair do you have to have on the floor before it fills up a computer?

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  7. @harmzie -
    yes, Lam seemed HUGE after Mini came out... he did seem like such a big boy in comparison. :)

    @motherbumper & @Motherhood Uncensored -
    It was an absolutely dreamy 3 days of bonding! And after we got home, she still had me more-or-less to herself as my husband took the 9 month parental leave. He focused on our son, and I could continue bonding with Mini. It was perfect. :)

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  8. N slept with me in the hospital bed too. I had a couple of nurses mention the lovely bassinet that he could sleep in right next to the bed. I couldn't let him even be that far away.

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  9. @myrtle -
    yes, the nurses said the same thing to me! funny, eh?

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  10. the nurse (only one, for #2) said the same thing to me except it was "hospital policy" and "if I come in and see you asleep with her in your arms, I'm taking her away" (and putting her in the baby box, but allow me the hyperbole). Made for a nasty night's sleep (like it's so good the first couple of nights anyway) as I jarred myself awake every time the door creaked. Hence the "psycho-nursing rhetoric" comment. Also the reason I went home early (screw you, psycho nurse)

    ALL the others (from all 3 kids) were actually awesome. Just the right balance between encouragement and "get out! you're ready!"

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  11. hey hey hey hey, the photo is super cute... reminds you of a baby kangaroo on it's mums pouch... :)

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