Friday, December 04, 2009

On Newborns

Petunia is two months old now- no longer really a newborn. I had forgotten a lot of things about the newborn stage. I had forgotten how many diapers there are to change and how much laundry there is to do. I had forgotten how mind-numbingly dull I find a lot of the day to day care of an infant to be, particularly during the growth spurts where it seems I do nothing all day except feed her and change her diapers.

But I had also forgotten how snugglely a newborn is, and how impossible it is for me to carry one without kissing her head. I had forgotten how captivating those big eyes are.

Petunia has been smiling for a couple of weeks now, and I love how she positively lights up when she's in a playful mood and I make eye contact with her. Her face breaks into a big grin, she squirms and wiggles, and she gurgles and coos. It is heart-meltingly wonderful.

However, my favorite thing may be this: sometimes, when she is nursing, she starts to make a high-pitched, whiny cry. Her little arms and legs pump feverishly, and she shakes her head from side to side. I've learned that this means that she has a gas bubble, so I move her into an upright position and burp her. Eventually, she lets out a burp that would make a frat boy proud.

I almost always greet her burp with a hearty "good job!" or "nice one!" I remember saying similar things to Pumpkin at this age. I do not greet Pumpkin's burps with such enthusiasm now. I guess newbornhood is the only time in life during which your mother will congratulate you on your burps.

2 comments:

  1. Can I just cut and paste your post onto my blog? I'd have to change "However, my favorite thing may be this: sometimes, when she is nursing, she starts to make a high-pitched, whiny cry. Her little arms and legs pump feverishly, and she shakes her head from side to side," to However, my LEAST favorite thing..." because B is impossible to burp. She holds onto those bubbles as if they sustained her. But otherwise, only the names are different!

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  2. My baby boy can fart like a full grown man who ate a big bowl of beans! People are constantly amazed that the huge fart was from the baby (it totally wasn't me!).

    And the Pumpkin recently said good job to the baby after he burped. I hope she doesn't congratulate her classmates at school for the same thing. hehe.

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