One Month Later ...

December 11, 2008

January 11, 2009

It's been one month since Sara Noel made her worldly debut. I don't know where the time has gone, and I'm beginning to understand why parents say that kids grow up too quickly. My baby is already getting so big! According to my not-so-official calculations, Sara weighs around nine pounds. She's eating between three and four ounces every three to four hours, although we're getting closer to four on both counts each day. Sara enjoys most of her walks and car rides unless she's hot, cold, hungry, wet, or just generally dissatisfied with her situation. She's become much more alert, and likes to sit in her bouncy seat or Boppy and look around. She responds to our voices by turning her head or moving her eyes, and she fixates for long periods of time on anything that is of interest to her -- ceiling fans, clocks, etc. The other evening I was feeding Sara and Steve walked into the room. When he walked out, she turned her head and followed him all the way out the door! Although Sara would sometimes rather stay awake and hang out during the wee hours of the night, she'll snooze for a good four to five hours after a warm bath. We're in the process of moving Sara into her own room to sleep, which I think will be good for all of us. We notice that she is getting stronger each day; she's gaining more and more control of her head, and maintains a strong grip on fingers, blankets, and even her bottles. We love watching Sara make faces. When we talk to her, she moves her lips into an "o" shape, as if she's trying so hard to talk back. She's making lots of noises now, and is close to a coo. The smile won't be long, either. It's so incredibly fulfilling to watch my daughter grow and achieve these baby milestones.

One month later, Higgins has claimed his spot in the proverbial back seat. We haven't seen any real bouts of jealousy lately, although he is blatant in asking for attention in the form of walks or frisbee time in the backyard. Higgins is gentle with Sara, and watches her very closely. When she cries, he assumes his panic stance and stares at us until we take action. I think they'll be good companions as Sara gets older.

Within the last week or so, I've come to realize that, while pregnant, I spent so much time focusing on belly growth that I failed to notice growth in other areas. Now that my stomach has deflated and is on its way back to normal, it has become glaringly obvious that my thighs remain pregnant. Say it with me, friends: thunder. It's irritating as hell. I'm walking daily, but I'm really going to have to kick it into gear once my doctor releases me for all regular activities (that should be January 27th). I know I can't push too much too soon or I'll regret it down the road. However, my healing is going very smoothly and my overall pace seems to be back to normal. I start to feel some pain around the incision area if I hop out of bed too quickly, bend over too often, etc., but I hear that some of that pain can be pretty normal for up to a year or so. If those little twinges of pain weren't there to remind me occasionally, I'd probably forget I had surgery at all ... I'm feeling that good, thank goodness!

Jacqueline Kennedy said, "If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do matters very much.” Is there a statement of more profound truth? Sara has provided me with an entirely new perspective on life, and I'm experiencing a love I didn't know existed. For the first time, I feel like I have a purpose on this earth that is so much larger than the purpose I'd previously created for myself. There will always be tasks I want to accomplish and goals I want to achieve, and hopefully doing so will help me to grow as a person and a mother. However, if everything I've worked for in my career, my relationships, etc. were to come tumbling down around me, I'd still have the charge of doing right by my sweet Sara. I realize now that nothing I ever do will be as rewarding, as emotionally gripping, or as meaningful as being a good mom to my baby girl. She is truly the light of my life, and I'm humbled to have been entrusted with raising her.