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Like all snap-happy mothers, the digital camera is never far from grasp ‘just in case’ J does something cute.
Take lunch time. He was chewing on his food and he was all giggly and smiley, I had to grab the camera.
He only needs to see the camera now and he’ll start posing. The problem is when he looks down the barrel, the flash sends his ‘blinking eye’ into overdrive. And every time I think I’ve got the perfect shot, there it is the cheeky grin and wink combo. So we try again.
And again. And again. Until I get at least one, non-winking one… Read the rest of this entry »
It’s not as if this is the first time. The first time I didn’t even know it was happening, he was not even four months old.
The signs were there alright, the hands in his mouth almost up to his wrist, drooling like dieter at a cake stall, whingy, clingy and his longer day time sleeps became 20 to 30 minute power naps. I just wasn’t expecting my little boy to get teeth yet. But there they were, two little white eruptions on his bottom gum – two at once! I was mesmerised.
Now here we are months down the track and he’s got six of them – four up the top and two down the bottom. He’s had this set of six for almost 3 months, and it seems he’s been teething on and off for almost that long, but still the bottom pair remain friendless. The last two weeks, it seems the pain has gone up a notch, but still with a quick feel around (if he lets me) I can’t feel a lump like the last few times.
During the last week he’s napped fitfully, his cheeks rosy, his fingers never far from his mouth. I feel they must be getting closer. They must. But still they hide. Just come out, come out wherever you are!
Rusks, arrowroots, frozen teething rings all provide comfort for awhile but his ultimate comfort are cuddles. I love my cuddly boy, as I know these days will end sooner than I think, but some days I feel all cuddled out!
I grow embarrassed every time I drop him at child care and they ask how the teething is going. “Still going, still unsettled at times.” I feel like a fraud, surely he can’t be teething this long. But they are understanding and today sounded relieved that it wasn’t just them, that he’s like that at home too.
I remind myself, that just like last time, as soon as those teeth poke themselves above the gum, it will all be over and I’ll forget all the ‘is he, isn’t he?’ ‘where are they, surely they’ll arrive this week’ angst. Well that is, until next time rolls around.
So J’s bottom two teeth, if you are reading this – feel free to make your entrance some time this week. We’re all waiting!
Photo by David Bleasdale on flickr.com
Another day, another study professing to have the ‘answer’ to whether the fact a mum works or not will have a detrimental affect on the lives of their child.
Today, news reports have picked up on a US study that has found that mothers returning to work before their child turns one does not have a negative effect on their babies’ development.
I always read the comments following the online reports of such stories, even though I know where they are going to go.
First there will be the those in the stay at home camp, who in this case will lambast the study as the biased work of a working mum who went to the trouble to conduct the study to make herself feel better. In this camp are stay at home mums themselves and older seemingly male readers who believe all women should be at home and if you can’t afford it, or (gasp) should you be female and want to work, then you should not bother having children.
Then there will be the those in the stridently working mum camp who will applaud the study as the ultimate truth and the long-awaited salve to working mother guilt. In this camp are working mothers and fathers who lament that they wish they could have the ‘luxury’ of staying at home but there are bills to pay and a roof to keep over their heads. Some wish they were ‘lazy enough to accept handouts like stay-at-home mothers do’ but others feel working is worth having additional luxuries for their child so they won’t go without.
Exactly nine months ago today, I was three hours into learning about my baby boy.
To say I was in awe was an understatement. My body had been through its biggest challenge; 41 weeks and three days of pregnancy and 33 hours of labour to bring me my most precious gift; but little did I know then that my biggest challenge was still to come.
Despite hearing stories from fellow mothers and reading a few books on parenting, I really had no idea of what life was going to be like with a baby, particularly a newborn. I didn’t yet know how I would feel when my baby screamed constantly, how I would survive sleep deprivation and how I would deal with his facial palsy diagnosis. I was excited and scared all at once.
Over the last nine months my son has taught me alot and if I was able to whiz back in time and whisper in the ear of my new mother self, I would tell her these 10 things: Read the rest of this entry »
I am starting to see how motherhood can be a series of small goodbyes. Saying farewell to different stages, only to welcome new ones as our babies gradually move towards independence.
A few weeks ago J started daycare two days a week. I am not due back at work for another two months so the plan has been to gradually ease him into a full day over the next few weeks.
The first day felt like a leap into the great unknown. Even though I’d visited the centre a few times and had met his caregivers, I was still nervous and didn’t know what to expect. Would he sleep there? Would he take his bottle? Would he be happy to interact with his caregivers? but with all the questions in my mind focused on ‘will he be okay’, I really didn’t stop to ask myself if I’d be okay.
Save Mum's Sanity 