Growing and Learning

Safia at 2 weeks old

Safia is not very pleased that I am blogging right now.  How have we reached compromise, you might ask?    We've agreed to these conditions:

1. I will swaddle her snuggly.
2. I will hold her in my arms, on her side, looking out (she likes to check out the world).
3. I will bounce on the exercise ball - without stopping or pausing
4. If she scrunches up her face and begins her pre-crying maneuvers, I must stop blogging immediately, bounce with more joie de vivre, and make a steady shushing sound in her ear (sometimes I give a quick kiss to the cheek for good measure).
5. I will blog lovingly about her and not reveal anything embarrassing, nor display any silly pictures of her (ok, maybe a few).
6. She agrees to not cry.

I think those are fair terms.

This was a full and exciting weekend.  Visitors came, delicious food was eaten, music was played, walks were taken, books were read, and naps were taken.  Like I said, full and exciting.  There were a few moments worthy of note.  Firstly, on Saturday morning, we attended the new parents group that meets at Full Bloom (I have mentioned this wonderful parental oasis in Athens in a previous post. Review if needed). Now, it should be disclosed that this sort of thing is not our cup of tea, but numerous people had recommended it, so we thought we'd give it a shot.  There were about 4 other babies with parents there, so it wasn't too overwhelming, and it was very informal.  Babies did baby things, and parents chatted about parental things.  What was great was that nobody there was trying to sugar-coat caring for a two-week old infant.  We were reassured that we were definitely in the thick of it, and that it gets much better  and much easier after about six weeks.  We were reassured that the struggles we've been having with inconceivably frequent nursing is totally normal.  We were reassured that she will sleep longer, thus allowing us to sleep longer.  We were reassured, most importantly, that we were doing great - that we were doing things right, that Safia looked happy and healthy, and that the crazy things we notice and question are the same crazy things that other parents notice and question.  A collective sigh ensued, and we returned our attentions to suppressing our social awkwardness.

Another phenomenon that bears mentioning is that Safia slept in her bassinet alone for about an hour on Sunday evening.  I know what you're thinking:  Big woop, dude.  My response to you would be: It is a big woop, dude.  This little solo siesta allowed Ellen and I to have two hands free (that's a total of four free hands) for an hour! And what did we do with this marathon 60-minutes of freedom?  We ate dinner together - just the two of us -  no baby.  It was pretty sweet.  Sure enough, just as we finished up our dinner, we heard the telltale sounds of a rustling infant through the monitor; the series of grunts, increasing in volume and urgency, mushrooming into a full-on wail.  We knew that our mini-date was over.  Swaddling, holding in arms on her side, shushing, bouncing...repeat.

Lastly, the spring season is fully upon us.  Azalea blooms are ridiculous.  Tomato, peppers, and eggplant seedlings are vibrant.  And what did I spy when I glanced at our blueberry bushes? Wee-little blueberry babies gathering their juice.  I just hope Safia is ready to eat solid food when these blueberries ripen this summer.  I can't think of anything better to introduce Safia to the world of solid food than home-grown blueberries - there is no equal.