Two Weeks - Surviving and Thriving

Dear Isadora,

It's been two weeks since we brought you home from the hospital.  Two weeks since the hospital deemed that we were fit enough to take you home and keep you alive.  Two weeks since we officially became a family.  We've had a lot of help since coming home, too, and we've been so appreciative of all the food and goodies people have been dropping off for us.  All of the meals people have prepared for us have been so yummy and delicious.


 


Even Mimi came to stay for a week to help mommy and daddy during your first week home, and your Grandma Joyce Irene is coming next week to help, too.  Even though you're an itty bitty person, taking care of you is a big responsibility.  Mommy is so glad to have the help.  Speaking of help, your daddy has been the best helper of all!  He really shares in the responsibility of taking care of you -- and I know he does it because he wants to.  I've seen nothing bring him more joy than taking care of you.  You're his pride and joy!

Although it has only been two weeks since we brought you home from the hospital, we have already learned so much from you.





Here are some things we've learned about you and parenting so far:

1. No matter what we read in the parenting books, there's nothing like trial and error to teach us what you really need or want.
2. No matter how weird mommy and daddy think the consistency of your poop is, your pediatrician says it's normal.
3. When being held by daddy, you like for him to be standing, not sitting.  (And if he tries to sit, you have no qualms about letting him know he's doing it wrong.)
4. You're a night owl and you think sleep is overrated, no matter how we try to convince you otherwise.
5. You like to kick daddy in the gut while he tries to change your diaper.
6. Never ever change your diaper without a new one already in place ready to go.  You have been known to projectile poop and pee while a diaper is being changed.
7. You like to pee while being bathed and you like to poop while we're toweling you off.
8. You love to stare at the ceiling fan, lights, and picture frames.
9. Smiles induced by gas are just as real to us as ones not produced by gas.
10. You can be fickle.  Last week you preferred my right breast.  This week, you prefer the left.

Granted, we haven't learned any monumental lessons in parenting yet (other than sleep is a precious, precious thing), but we are enjoying learning who you are.  Even after a rough night of changing you, feeding you, and trying to get you back to sleep, seeing your sweet little face each day makes all the tears and sleeplessness worth it.

Love,

Mommy