Saturday, November 1, 2008

Newborn Mind Games

Since Jillian's arrival I have noticed that we have engaged in a myriad of mind games:
  • "Am I done pooping yet?" - It's painfully obvious when she is having a bowel movement. So much so that I'm hoping a switch to a gentler formula will ease things for her. What is not clear, however, is when she has finished and it seems that no matter how long I wait she decides to finish the job just as soon as I've put a fresh diaper on.
  • "Am I really asleep yet?" - She looks like she is asleep, but just as soon as you move an inch those eyes are wide open again.
  • "Am I waking up or just making noise in my sleep?" - This girl is so noisy that I have to wear ear plugs in order to sleep at night. And keep in mind that she is across the hall in the swing in her room.
  • "Will my arms escape in my sleep and wake me up?" - Unless she is in her Miracle Blanket, the answer to this is almost always yes.
  • "Why am I crying?" - Is that rooting for hunger or yawning for tiredness? Or is it both? Or do you just want to be put down for a few minutes? Or do you just want your pacifier? Or do you need a diaper change? Or do you need to be burped? Or are you just trying to remind me that my seemingly impossible mission in life is to cater to your ever need?
  • "How long will I sleep for" - Will she cry the second I turn my back or will she sleep for 6 hours? (the 6 hours actually happened last night...it was heavenly)
  • "What position will work in getting me to fall asleep" - here is a hint...it probably won't be the same position that worked yesterday or the day before.
  • "Will I stay content in my bouncy chair long enough for you to shower?" - No matter what the activity I keep a running priority list in my head so that I can get the most crucial activities done before the fussiness erupts.
So yes, you often find that we are spending our days like this:


Luckily I was able to capture a couple happier moments on Halloween:



Now I must go because now that the baby is asleep the dog decided it was an opportune time to puke on the living room carpet. Go figure.

9 comments:

RBandRC said...

It's so funny how you start to prioritize after having a child. I think that's how I lost the baby weight so quickly--it became more important to shower than to eat. A girl's gotta have some alone time, right? Hang in there--you're doing a fabulous job! ((HUGS))

Geohde said...

Oh the sleep.....

or lack thereof. My husband still wears earplugs :)

J

Intrepidgirl said...

i completely sympathsize on every bullet. I think my baby has colic (he'll be 6 wks tomorrow). i just am living for the time he goes longer than 3 hrs between feedings....

Birdee said...

This is such a cute post. You made me laugh.
I love the halloween hat on her. So cute.

jenn said...

I just love how she is swimming in that halloween onesie! adorable! Good luck with the prioritizing, it'll get easier. (so I hear!)

nancy said...

I love watching you figure out motherhood. :)

Kelly said...

Oh she's adorable with her pumpkin hat and halloween onesie!!
Your post made me laugh and think "holy crap, what am I getting myself into?!" ha ha ha:)

Can't wait!!

Sunny said...

LOL -- You pretty much nailed it with this list. Although I was expecting "Am I done pooping yet?" to have a different ending. Sometimes Bean will continue the poop MID diaper change. I will spare you the gross details, but you can imagine.

Kathy V said...

The Halloween pictures look so cute. The hat that you made for her turned out just perfect.