A Special Day

Reading over the baptism rite one more time as a refresher to the class we attended back in April was something I meant to do before the official Baptism day. Unfortunately, that intention got lost in a flurry of washing white clothes, decluttering the house and making food for the party, so when the priest asked me what I wanted for my son, I drew a blank. I was standing there at the baptismal font holding Milo thinking how do I put into words all the things I want for him. I wasn't sure where to begin, but thankfully the priest mouthed the word baptism and it suddenly clicked. Yes, we want baptism for our Milo. For him to know the church community and to live by the Golden Rule. We would like for him to have faith in a higher power and to know the loving comfort of the Lord. And so we had him baptised yesterday.

It was such a special day. Full of family and good friends and love and togetherness. And as one baptism attendee noted it was quite possibly the most important day of his life.

A Life

About the only thing I liked when I read the controversial parenting book Babywise, was the idea that a baby should fit into the life of a family rather than totally take it over. Of course, babies do change lives in small and in enormous ways, but I was drawn to the idea that our baby would positively add to the life we had created rather than negatively turn everything upside down. We've had our upside down moments, but for the most part this post-baby life is similar to the one we've been working on building since Chris and I met.


We've still visited the usual summer events that are important to us - Arts Fest, Pride and later today ComFest - but now we push a stroller through the crowds and we don't stay as long. Saturday mornings are still spent in the yard drinking coffee and tending to our garden, but now we take breaks to check in on a napping baby. The weekend is still capped off with Sunday dinner at my parents, but now they're more interested in seeing Milo rather than us (and we wouldn't have it any other way). Other things have stayed the same, too. I still come home from work tired, but now I have the sweetest little cuddle buddy to laze around with.
I'm absolutely loving the life we've created and while I can still remember life before Milo, I can't imagine not having him now.

Three Months

Today I had an e-mail from a new mom asking how you get through those first weeks and wanting me to tell her it gets better. I'm not sure how you can really assure someone of this, but I did my best to tell her to hang on, that everything that is so new will become second nature and it is all worth it. In those early weeks it's hard to know that you'll come out on the other side and suddenly it is three months down the road. You're a little more rested and have a happy, babbling baby. It really does happen fast.

I can't believe our little guy (if 16 pounds can be considered little) is three months old. For the first time during this picture session, Milo was reaching for and grabbing onto his sign. He wants to make sure everything within reach is tasted just in case it might contain milk. You know just to be safe.

Like he did when he was younger, Milo still reaches over and grabs my hand during some feedings, but now it is more intentional and his palm is open. Seeing his chubby little dimpled fingers reach for me still melts my heart. As much as he enjoys nursing, he also has no problem taking a bottle which has been a good skill for him to have at daycare.

This past month we survived our first time apart. He spread his gummy little smile to daycare and I returned to work. It wasn't so bad, but I do miss my little one. We also survived our first mother / son cold. He might have handled it better than I did.

With Milo being more aware of his surroundings, he's starting to notice toys. The zebra on his bouncer has been a friend from a long time back, but lately he's added Hedgy the rainbow hedgehog and a firefly (thanks Sara for these!) to his clique.

We were on a roll for a few days at the end of May (from tummy to back), but he then decided rolling was so last year and went on a rolling strike. Tummy time is still hit or miss depending on his mood, but he's gained almost constant head control.

Next month we look forward to Milo's baptism and hopefully lots more evening walks. Each month brings so much change and development, it will be interesting to see what we have to look forward to next.

How do I Write it Down?

I'm trying to write out a note about Milo's schedule and his likes and dislikes to send with him on Monday to his first day of daycare. I have the bare outlines of his schedule down such as when he sleeps and when he eats. I've let them know that he will typically babble in his crib before falling asleep for his mid-morning nap.

What I'm struggling with is how to let them know that he likes me to pretend to munch on his face when he's particularly inconsolable. A couple of kisses and pretend bites and my smiley, happy boy is back, but I don't really want anyone else munching on his face anyway. I'm also not sure how to include that we both like to listen to Jack Johnson and wiggle around on the floor. Or that reading him a book and using funny voices will distract him through tummy time. I've picked up these little tricks in the last three months of spending my days with my little guy and there is no way I can communicate them all to the daycare people.

I realize plenty of children go to daycare and probably every mom goes through this guilt of leaving her baby with someone other than herself. It's just that as Monday inches closer, I question my decision more each day and I already can't stop the tears from coming.

One {More} Thing

One thing I am really loving about Milo these days is that he won't let a laugh he hears go unaccompanied. Even if it's Mommy giggling at his frowning face, or Grandpa laughing at the ridiculous hat on his head, Milo will join in on the joyous noise. I hope he doesn't lose this skill anytime soon. If there's a choice to laugh, stay silent or even to cry, I say let loose and laugh little man. It will always serve you well.

June 8

I am pretty focused on the date of June 8 because it is when I return to work and stop this stay-at-home mom stint. There are two weeks left of this gig and I'm going to enjoy them. Milo and I will sleep late in the mornings, take lots of walks in the afternoons and spend the evenings with Chris without the stress of knowing I have to get up for work the next day. I'll also repeat Milo's favorite joke as many times as we can bear. The joke is this - an elephant and a zebra walk into a bar. That's the whole joke and we both dissolve into hearty giggles because clearly wild animals don't belong in bars. I'll certainly miss his adorable laugh and his gummy smile as I'm sitting through Monday morning staff meetings.


Our social calendar is full for the next two weeks. We'll be meeting friends for lunch and attending our weekly mom's group. Shopping for a baptism outfit is on the agenda, too. And, I also need to shop for work clothes for myself. Somehow the things I packed up last fall shrunk during the long and pregnant winter.

I know these next two weeks are going to fly by just like the last 10 weeks have. We've already watched Milo grow so much and I'm really thankful for the 12 weeks I had with just him at home. Now we're all going to mature as we settle into the new routine, but first we get to enjoy the next two weeks.

Two Months

Yesterday we celebrated Milo's two month birthday. Several people have told me that if I could just get through the first six weeks with a new baby, things would get much easier from that point on. For us, getting through the first three weeks or so was the really challenging part, so this second month was a lot easier than the first. We still have our moments, but overall things are going great. Some of Milo's milestones so far are:

• Honest to goodness smiling! Chris and my Mom are almost always guaranteed to earn a smile from Milo when he sees him. Smiles to me come first thing in the morning when I get him out of his crib. We go through body parts saying good morning to each and my little guy smiles and giggles as I say good morning to Milo's foot...it's fun.


• We've continued to work on tummy-time and Milo does much better with it and is able to hold his head up for longer periods of time. He's not quite to rolling over, but it's getting closer.


• Milo is babbling and cooing a lot of time, especially during diaper changes. We have little conversations with him, which are all enjoyed by all.


• With Milo being about 13 - 14 pounds, I feel much more comfortable taking him out and about as he's not so delicate. We've been for lots of walks, to the park, to our favorite Mexican restaurant and to the grocery store where Milo is always a big hit. We also made a trip to the pizza place where Milo enjoyed the noise and smells.


• I went to a mom's group last week and noticed our little guy isn't so little when I saw the other 8 week old babies. He's also officially grown out of his newborn clothes and we are well into the stash of 3 month and even some 3 - 6 month outfits.

Next month will hold new challenges to our daily life as I return back to work and Milo heads to daycare. It's the best situation for all of us, so I am hoping things go smoothly as we make that transition. Onward and upward!