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Our First Few Days Alone

To my perfect baby boy,

You turned 8 weeks old yesterday! How -- oh HOW -- is that possible? You are growing so fast.  Over the last 8 weeks, we have had a lot of help. Don't get me wrong...you are a VERY easy baby. I honestly thought it would be harder, but you are so chill and chunky and squishy and lovable that even all the sleepless nights and dirty diapers were...kinda fun!

The day you were born, you grandma was staying with me and your dad in preparation for your arrival. The day you came home from the hospital, your nanuma, ThaTha, and auntie Swathi came down to see you too. Since then, your two grandmas have been swapping hanging out at our house to help me out. Well, it has now been 5 days that me and you are by ourselves!

It has mostly been just me and you. Your dad is in his last few months of surgical residency. He is currently on his hardest/most time intensive rotation - Vascular surgery. He unfortunately started this rotation right when you were born, but luckily only has 5 more days until he switches to something else. I know he wants to be at home with us, but unfortunately his work schedule is too crazy and he often times doesn't get home before bedtime and leaves again in the morning before we are awake. Every moment he is here while you are awake, he spends with you - cuddling you, teaching you about science, laughing at you try to eat his nose...and he has been a TRUE help in getting you to sleep at night when mommy can't do it. But that being said, I can't wait for his schedule to get better so that you and him can bond as much as you and I have been able to. I know he can't wait for that either...

Anyways...Your grammy and grampie left last Thursday. This has been something planned for a few weeks now. While both of your grandparents would be happy to keep coming and hanging out with you, I knew it came time for us to be by ourselves so that we can bond even more and figure out our little schedule with just our little family of 4 (me, you, your dad, and your big doggy brother Rupert).  With such a limited time with you at this age, I knew how important it was to just get our special time together. When my parents left the first day, I didn't quite know what to do with myself. It was initially hard navigating soaking up all my time with you, keeping our house livable, cooking healthy-ish meals (because no one can live off of ice cream all day!), and spending enough time with Rupert that he didn't feel like he was getting replaced.

I have had to figure out how to get things done like brush my teeth and shower. The first time I tried this, I put you in one of your baby bouncy chairs. In the shower, I heard a large noise that came from your bottom, so assumed there would be a poopy diaper when I got out. Well, I walked out of the shower to see you and your chair covered (I mean COVERED) in poop. Even before I could get a towel on myself, I grabbed you so you weren't sitting in poop. I brought you over to the changing table, strapped you in, did a very brief clean up...went back to the chair....to find your brother Rupert had cleaned up all the poop......... Thats right. Your brother is gross. This is just one example of what I have had to learn to navigate.

The next day, I was trying to do dishes. I had you in your downstairs bouncy monkey chair in the kitchen so that you could still see me while I attempted to do dishes soooooo quietly that you wouldn't be startled by the sounds. Do you know how hard it is to do dishes silently? Nearly impossible. Somehow you still managed to drift off and fall asleep during the dish washing. It may have taken me about an hour to do that one load of dishes...but I got it done and you got a nap!  As a pediatrician, I always say NEVER sleep in a place thats not a hard surface...but as a parent, its the hardest thing in the world to take your sleeping baby out of the place he fell asleep in. So, I let you sleep in there. I literally walked out of the room for - not kidding - 15 seconds to go grab something from the living room when I hear you start to cry. So that was the end of that nap.

Today, I feel like I am starting to get in the swing of things. You have been such a great sleeper these last two nights - giving mommy stretches of 5+ hours of straight sleep! We are doing some nap training right now and (even though the first two days were rough), you are doing so great today -- taking four 1-1.5 hour naps so far in your bassinet! I even got a little nap in while you were napping - a first! We have had a fun day today. We went to the pool for a bit for some fresh air and went to the park. There were lots of other kids at the park, so we didnt stay long because mommy is still afraid of the Flu and Measles, but we still managed to get about an hour of walking/stroller time in! We have also got down a routine so that you get milkies, story time and tummy time between all your naps! I'd say we are doing pretty well!

I have 27 more days with you until I have to go back to work. Don't get me wrong, I really like to work. I love my job and my co-workers, but I am kind of dreading having to leave you. I love this special time together so much and know that I will never be able to get it back. I am going to suck up as many cuddles, kisses and giggles as I can while it is still just you and me for the next 27 days...

I love you forever,

Mommy





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