I'm seriously posing this question to all of you moms out there. How long does this condition last? Maybe it subsides once they go away to college. I'll be an old lady by then & dementia may begin to set in. Or is it permanent? If so, I'm screwed!
Let me start by saying that I did have, what my husband liked to refer to as, "Jessica Simpson moments" before Leo was born. They were not a daily occurrence. Many times it was just me not really paying attention or being observant. I'd also like to add that I was never a big pot smoker, so that can't be the reason for my current condition. Yes, that's what I refer to it as because sometimes it's downright frightening.
In the past year I have done things like stand in a very long line at the post office with Leo, only to get up to the counter and realize I did not take the stuff I needed to mail with me. And it's not like it was a couple of letters that I thought I placed in my purse, we're talking packages. I have called friends and family to tell them something but can't remember what. And it does not come to me after we stay on the phone for a while. In fact, IT NEVER comes to me. I have gone into the kitchen to do something and cannot for the life of me remember what. Then Tom will call on his way home from work to see if I need anything & it hits me. Oh that's why I went into the kitchen - to make dinner!
I have misplaced things like keys and sunglasses only to find them in my pocket or on my head. I have misplaced gifts that I bought in advance. Which is strange, since I have a bin in my closet for this purpose. Well, this one is not too strange. I think this might be a family condition. My mom would say things on Christmas morning like, "Did you like the gold bracelet Santa got you?" I would look at her perplexed because one, I was 15 & no longer believed in Santa & two, there was not any gold bracelet under the tree. I'm still waiting for that gift.
The strangest thing about this condition is that when it comes to Leo and my job, my mind is super sharp. I'll pack for a family trip and remember every single tiny minute thing for the baby. Heck I remember everything I need even just to take him on a walk. I was also the designer/project manager on a huge gut renovation this year. I could remember everything down to the smallest detail like the color of the grout in the master bath, but some days I'm not sure if I took a shower.
So all you moms out there please let me know what I can do to help with this. Are there some brain exercises I should be doing? What about herbal remedies? Is this just something I must now learn to live with like my C-section scar? I may be grateful for my condition once Leo is a teenager.
It's been almost a year since Leonardo Felix came into the world. It feels like only yesterday that Tom & I were labor. What a year it has been! And what an incredible journey. Words can not express the love I feel for Leo & the joy he brings to Tom & I.
I thought that I had prepared quite well for motherhood. I took all kinds of baby classes, read tons of books, blogs & websites & spent hours researching every baby product on the market. I spoke with family and friends to get their take on motherhood & I've been around kids for most of my life. Well, things do not always go according to plan. I learned (rather quickly) that "motherhood" is more difficult than I imagined. Especially when you do not have family members living close by to help out. And of course, its also more rewarding.
The biggest surprise of it all is how much I'm learning from my own little boy. I'm the parent, the teacher, the guardian. I am suppose to be all knowing & yet Leo has taught me some wonderful life lessons already. Here are just some of them.
1. To Do Lists become irrelevant, esp. in those 1st few months. I'm a big"list" person. It brings me great joy to have a daily list & have it all checked off by the end of the day. That was BB - before baby. Hey, I was lucky to get a shower in those first few months let alone complete my daily list. My daily lists have now become "weekly" list & I noticed that they are much shorter now. Of course now that I have a 1yr old, I've lost a few brain cells so I have to write everything down or I'll forget it!
2. Do not even think about putting on a cute outfit until exactly 2 minutes before you are going to walk out the door. This lesson goes not only for myself but baby also. I'd dress Leo up in the cutest outfit, sit him in his bouncer & turn around for 1 minute & he'd be covered in spit-up. And the same goes for me. I must add to this lesson "always check out your backside in the mirror before going out." You may be 100% puke-free in the front but you never know what's splattered on your ass.
3. Farts, burps and other normal bodily functions are funny. Yes, it's OK to admit it. Even the smallest bambino thinks it's the best joke in the universe. Of course Leo laughs very hard when he or I toot, but, not so much when Daddy does it. When Daddy let's em rip it's just plain gross!
4. You can survive on much less sleep than you ever thought possible. I do not think this needs much explanation. All you moms (& dads, too) out there know it's true. You still have to get up, take care of baby, house, chores & work even on none hours of sleep.
5. Always trust your motherly instincts. They really kick into high gear once your baby arrives & yet sometimes we push them aside or just do not trust them. I learned this lesson the hard way when Leo was 5 weeks old & not gaining weight. I knew something was not right, but doctors told me everything was fine. It was not. No need to be alarmed. The problem was addressed & now he is very healthy & heavy!
6. Slow down and really look at the world around you. Leo is quite the observer. He was born with his eyes wide open & he's been alert from day one. He really looks closely at everything around him & does not miss anything. He has made me slow down & look at birds (his fav), flowers & people. Beauty is everywhere. 7. Playing is so very important. I guess as adult you lose it for a bit. "Playing" can be looked upon as frivolous, immature behavior. Oh how very wrong this is!! Not only do you learn & connect with your baby through play, but you both smile & laugh. A lot. I think it keeps you young, calm and healthy. I want to play everyday for the rest of my life!! Hide and Seek anyone?
8. Laugh more often. Have you ever heard a baby belly laugh? That sound is so pure and wonderful. Some days any little face you make at them sends them into a chuckle frenzy. Other days they make you work harder for it. None of this matters because once the laughter begins, you realize it's the best sound in the entire world. No symphony can compare.
9. Live in the moment. Let go of the past & stop looking to the future. The here and now is where it's at. These precious moments are fleeting so revel in them because in a blink of an eye your precious baby will be a teen. Thank you Mr. Leo for teaching me this. I was very much a "future" person. I'll be happy when... The here & now.. that's the good stuff.
10. Celebrate all small victories. We mark every little thing our babies do from their 1st smile to the 1st time they roll over. We clap our hands with honest enthusiasm, cheer them on, and dance with glee at every new skill they learn, no matter how small. But somehow we lose this as we get older. The small steps do not seem all that important. We celebrate only the leaps and bounds. Why is this? Isn't it the small steps that enable us to climb to the top of the mountain? So hats off to every little step we all take because combined, they will lead us towards our big victories.
HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY TO MY BEAUTIFUL BOY!!! YOU ARE LOVED SO VERY MUCH!
Well hello all. Is anyone out there? I wouldn't be angry at all if you've abandoned my blog. I've not been a good friend. You have been on my mind, and I did write some amazing posts...in my mind..in the shower. Just didn't seem to make it onto the net. I will admit that I can not blame my lack of posts on the baby. It must be blamed on Facebook.
Facebook is very addicting. Now, I've never really taken many drugs, but I think that FB is kind of like crack. I can't help going on it over, over, & over! Some good has come out of it. I've reconnected with lots of long lost friends from Cranston & other parts of RI. I now can say hello to college pals & former co workers. And I can keep up with my sis & cousins. But, I'm now going to limit myself to only going on FB 3 times a day max. I swear! I can do it!!
So, to catch you all up on what Ive been up to these many months, here's a quick recap.
-I changed many poopy diapers
-Worked on a big, long term design/organizing project with a wonderful family near Columbia University (still finishing it up)
-Spent more than half of my day pumping my boobs, than feeding my boy, then pumping again
-Went on a much needed spa day
-Shopped for organic veggies at Trader Joe's
-Walked around in a zombie like state
-Spent a good deal of time cooking, pureeing & freezing baby food
-Got peed on while changing poopy diapers
-Had wonderful friends come to visit us with amazing food in hands
-Fretted over my C section scar
-Fantasized about going away to a fabulous hotel with the most comfortable bed & sleeping all weekend in that bed......alone!
-Had play dates with the lovely moms of Jackson Heights Summer Babies 08'
-Ate sushi for the 1st time in many, many months....hmmmmm.
-Interviewed many babysitters
-Had a lovely glass of champagne
-Pumped & dumped in order to have that glass of champagne
-Fired the babysitter & found 2 wonderful ladies to watch Leo
-Had a houseful of relatives in for a visit in December
-Had too many sleepless nights to count
-Traveled to RI for Xmas
-Decided to let the baby cry it out in order to have less sleepless nights
-I cried along side of him for 3 nights
-Traveled to VA twice
-Threw a big Margarita Sunday party
-Dressed Leo up in a poncho, sombrero & mustache for the Margarita Sunday Party
-Stubbed my toe after the party & it hurt so much!
-Began running & taking boot camp classes to get back into prebaby shape....OUCH this toe hurts!!
-Realized that even when your baby begins sleeping through the night, you probably won't because it freaks you out that you've not heard a peep from him in over 6 hours!!
-Maybe cooked a few dinners though Tom cooked way more than me.
-Found out that my toe was broken.
-Heard the most beautiful sound ever, "Mama" uttered by my then 6 month old
-Had to walk around in a very sexy boot for 8 weeks to help my broken toe heal
-Celebrated my BDay with a big night out with lots of friends
-Watched my baby scream from his 1st vaccine
-Planned a big Costa Rican family vacation
-Cleaned spit up off of almost every surface imaginable, including the TV, the rug & my butt
-Fought with Tom (baby stress + lack of sleep = fighting spouses)
-Discovered that I have magical powers to make my baby laugh out loud
-Missed my mom immensely
-Took naps in a hammock in Costa Rica
-Came back home to rain, rain and more rain!
So that's it in a nutshell. See, I've been a busy girl!
Well hello, it's me. Yes it's been a while. I've been a bit overwhelmed. Motherhood is whipping my butt! I'm giving props to my mother who had 3 kids and worked and cooked and cleaned without the help of her husband. I'm lucky because Tom has been great with coming home from work and cooking dinner for us if it's been a difficult day for me. And he's great with Leo. He loves spending time with him alone so I can sleep or get a little pampering. It's so hard balancing work, baby, hubby & daily chores. I really wish my mom lived closer (like in NY state) so she could babysit! Leo is just sooooo cute which makes it all worth it. He's smiling a ton and laughing out loud. He loves his Johnny Jump Up & music. Everyday now he does something new which is very exciting.
We've been on the go lately. Traveling with baby in tow is an experience in itself. Lucky for us our little man loves the car. Thanksgiving in Virginia & Xmas in RI. Both holidays were mellow and fun. Leo has a few cousins around the same age in RI & watching them interact was interesting. Tom & I laughed out loud as cousin Ethan grabbed Leo's foot and began chewing on it. Leo did not mind a bit, in fact he thought it was quite funny. Tom & I think those two boys are going to be good friends.
We stayed in for New Year's and treated ourselves to a feast fit for a king. Alaskan King crab legs, champagne and yummy desserts. Hats, noise makers and a confetti bomb were nice touches. By three minutes past midnight I was already cleaning up the mess. And starting my diet to lose baby weight.
2008 was a very good year. The gift of our little boy was the highlight, but we also shared fun times with friends and family. Tom & I both took some career risks that were very scary but seem to be paying off. And we have our health. what more can one ask for? I'm very exciting about what 2009 will bring. So here's to you all & the new year. May it be full of joy and sweetness!!
Here's some more pics of my favorite costumes from our neighborhood parade. The lamb was so sweet & she left a trail of cotton balls as she marched down the street. And take a look at the Chrysler Building. Poor little guy was exhausted from holding his head up.
I live in a city called Jackson Heights & it's amazingly diverse. In fact, it's one of the most culturally diverse neighborhoods in the entire world. I swear...look it up. Hundreds of different languages are spoken on the streets. I'm so happy that Leo will grow up here & get to play with kids of all kinds of ethnicity's & religions. He will not even notice things such as the color of someones skin. How great is that?
Last night, Tom & I cried. They were tears of joy, relief and especially hope. Barack Obama has given me & my family a great gift, for without hope, what do you have? I truly believe that he will do all he can to make this country better for my son & generations to follow. Will he falter from time to time...sure, but his heart is in the right place. Finally we are back on track.
Our neighborhood, Jackson Heights, really gets into the Halloween spirit. The main avenue is closed down for the annual parade. Kids of all ages get to march, walk or dance down the street while hundreds of people cheer them on. Goody bags are given out and then trick or treatin' takes place in all the local businesses. The kids make out like bandits!
It was our 1st Halloween with Leo & of course we all had to dress up. The costumes were all Tom's idea. I think it was inspired by Auntie Jes from Maine. Leo was the hit of the parade. At least 75 people made Tom stop to take pictures. It's not every day you see a baby being carried around in a big pot dressed like a lobster. There were some other adorable kids in costumes. We're already planning for next year. I figure I maybe have 1 or 2 years when I can dress him however I want, so I'm going to take advantage of it.
Things are going well here. We're trying to get the little one on a schedule. And we're still working on getting the hang of breastfeeding. Man, do my nipples ache!
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