First of all, why is everyone apologizing for long posts? I LIVE for long posts. I also unabashedly write them from time to time. With pictures, of course.
Jules--I didn't have that overwhelming rush of love for Jonah right away, either. And I didn't feel much for quite a while; it was instead such a rush of changing diapers, feeding, holding him while he slept (for hours...). I didn't feel that much until
he began to relate to his stuffed animals at around three weeks; suddenly he seemed like something recognizably human! It was at around two and half months/three months that I fell utterly in love with him, because by that point he was interacting with us
and his stuffed animals.
My sister just had a baby, and my mum is there helping her (they both live in my home province, Ontario, while I'm right across the country), and only now, at seven weeks, is anyone starting to see any personality in the LO. Only
now has my mother realized that she has another grandchild and has become attached. (I haven't talked much to my sister.)
BUT, I was prepared for the "no rush of love" experience. I had read so many posts on forums where it didn't happen to so many people that I wasn't at all concerned when it didn't happen to me either. Plus, I was drugged up to my eyeballs in the operating room when I first met J that I thought my husband was a nurse, and I kept telling her (him) that I thought she was so kind to stroke my hair and this really was over and above the kind of care I thought I'd receive. My husband was really confused by this outpouring of gratitude.
I'm glad your mother will be there. It was such a help for us; she came for the first month and I don't know what I would have done without her. I also didn't want her to leave after four weeks! And thank you for your kind words about my losses. I think that a number of us here have had similar experiences.
Oh, and I vote for Theo. I love that name. Though I would pronounce it the German way (and, it seems, the Portuguese way, right
B?), Teo.
Angel--I'm glad Gymboree was (somewhat?) successful. Look, you've had a different experience than the others there. You had twins who wouldn't sleep. You were shattered, and so was your OH. You had other stuff to deal with. And trust me, all of those mothers and fathers are certainly jealous of your twins. They put all other babies to shame. And tell me this--do you know of any healthy five year old that can't walk? No. So it will all even out in the end. And then they'll be
gorgeous 5 year olds who can walk like other kids. What surprised me at Gymboree was how many of the boy babies looked really MEAN in our group. Sometimes I wish J hadn't grown tired of Gymboree. It was a good place to take him and other than having to help him climb
up slides, I could just let him do his own thing and rest my hip.
Oh, and this milk thing--I think you guys have different terminology over there. We've been giving him 6 months to 18 months formula. If there is even more he can take after 18 months, I might just do it if we can't make this shift to proper milk yet. The issue with the new-ish milk he's drinking right now is there's more iron, but he hasn't had trouble until lately. I do think it is the bananas (thank you
Storm!). He didn't have trouble today, and he also didn't have a banana.
Borboleta--I'm sorry that your night was so bad, but that your day has been a good one! And yay for the eating! I can't believe that T is almost one! When we started this thread, he was 5 months old! I was really sad, too, as J's first birthday grew nearer, but what I like about having a one year old is that all the milestones that they are supposed to hit are sooooo broad that you're not constantly worrying about whether or not they're rolling on time at a certain month. Six to twelve months is a much nicer time frame, and greatly reduces anxiety.
Oh Claire--you and
Kosh and
Storm. The adrenaline rush that Angel talked about does make sense though. The body has to get you through, somehow. I mean, we are biologically meant to procreate; it would be completely counterproductive to destroy the mother in the process. I'm really beginning to believe in this 4th trimester thing; they come out with so many digestive elements that are not yet developed, and this causes so many problems! We were lucky with J, but who here had reflux problems in the beginning?
And what's with this report you guys want to read? What do you want to find out? I'm sure they give them out here, if you request, but I don't really have any questions. I wonder if they're as detailed here as they are over there. No one I know ever asks for them.
Storm--I meant to ask: has L had less UTIs since the whole kidney investigation? Or did they give you something to help (finally)? And how is the house coming along. I agree with Jules, having an architect for a father is a great boon!
Not much happening here at all. OH and I talked a bit about his working arrangements, but we didn't really get anywhere. Later he phoned to say that the second proofs for his book had arrived, and now he had to write the index in three weeks. Which he'll put off, and off, and we'll be doing this all over again. I just...miss him. And don't like the grumpiness.
Okay, it's dinner time for J. Bye!
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