Adventures in life with a newborn:

Breastfeeding, really, what could be easier and more natural, right? Baby + boob = done, right? At 4 in the morning, he’s happily feeding one moment, then stops and starts shrieking with gusto with no apparent cause the next moment. And to compound the mystery, the best way to tell that he's getting enough to input is to inspect the eventual output. Yep, that’s means poop.

Another unexpected thing: 7-8 pound baby, adult-size flatulence. No one tells you that farts are one size fits all. It’s a mystery where he gets all that wind.

Holy Crap, Batman! What that in my baby’s diaper?!? No one told me that I would look forward to Grey Poupon in my baby’s diaper, but I do. Bright green slime = bad. Whole grain mustard = good, I think.

And, yes, there have already been blowouts. Thankfully, not on my shift! Casey had to resort to hosing down the baby the sink and drying with paper towels because that’s what he had at the office. Indy was not pleased. Casey neither. Also, he has not peed on either one of us yet. The mirror on his changing table, yes. Himself, double yes, but so far both parents are unscathed.

All this to say, what the heck am I doing?!?

Despite our cluelessness, I think things are going pretty well, with the credit mostly going to Indy’s easy-going temperament (knock on wood that he stays that way!). When he does fuss, the cause can usually quickly be found, and a lot of the time he either naps, or is calmly alert (he loves staring at lamps or faces) or cutely wiggling and chirping to himself. With his big round belly and skinny arms and legs, he looks just like a frog. A very cute, cuddly frog, of course.

Also, he has no problem accepting a bottle, as he took over for dad by bottle #2:He gets that independent streak from his parents.

Speaking of independent, now that he's a month old, he can be taken out in public more, so life is starting to find a normal rhythm. It's quite nice, actually. Usually each day includes a walk, perhaps a visit to the office to see Daddy and Grandpa, and other social engagements like Mommy & Me classes or playgroup or visits from Mamie Marie-Anne (Mamie is "grandma" in French, fyi). Gradually, I'm geting back to working out which is really fun, despite the hassle of coordinating life between regular feedings every 3 hours.

I went up to work last Tuesday so that my co-workers could meet the baby (all the previous new moms did it, so I figured it was the right thing to do), and I was really surprised about how much my new life has eclipsed the old. I'm sure at some point in time I'll want to go back to work, but I don't think I'll ever care as much about who's passing or not or whatever. I'm going to enjoy the time I have at home as full-time mommy as much as I can. So far, I'm loving it.

On a side note:

Even the fruit is breast-obsessed 'round here!