2 months later

I just want to start off this post by telling you that I think of this blog and you readers often. I always have stories to share but I don't have the same kind of free time that I used to!

Life with Chicken is going really well. For the most part she's an incredibly well-behaved baby which has allowed Jonathan and me to settle into parenting quite nicely. I thought a baby would turn our world upside-down but instead we have integrated her into our lives and she seems to like it. We take her everywhere, at all hours of the day and night and she doesn't seem to mind. Sometimes we think we take advantage of her adaptability.

Chicken and I keep ourselves busy during the week. We go to two Mommy and Me classes, a breastfeeding support group, we're part of a moms and babies walking and hiking group, and we seem to find lots of other little lectures and group meetings to check out each week. We also spend a fair amount of time with Grandma Joan. Sometimes I wonder if I am taking Chicken out too much or doing too much with her. I guess I have no way of knowing.

I've noticed that people forget that babies are people too. They constantly look at Chicken and remark at how big or small they think she is. I find it funny that people can't believe she is only 2 months because she is so big or can't believe that she is already 2 months because she is so small. For the record, we were at the doctor yesterday who proclaimed that Chicken was exactly where she should be in both height and weight for her age. Anyway, the part about people forgetting that babies are human is that we would never go up to an adult and say "my you are really small for your age." It's no less obnoxious to say it to a baby's mom!

Some moms in my classes seem too involved with their babies to read or watch the news. This bothers me, especially since there is such major news to pay attention to these days.

I play regular music in the car and I am not ashamed. Chicken is unmoved no matter what I play so I don't see the need to listen to Baby Mozart when I really just want to hear the Beatles or NPR.

While I am glad Chicken is a good baby, sometimes I wish she were a little more needy. Some babies always want to be held. I imagine this is very satisfying for their parents (but I understand it can get very old, very quickly). It must be nice to feel needed by your baby and know that you can comfort them when they are cranky. Chicken is just as happy in a sling or a bouncy seat or her bassinet or her car seat as she is in my arms. I know I am "lucky" but I have to say I wish she were a bit more snuggly.

What we needed

I have been meaning to write a post about our baby must-haves like I did with my pregnancy/labor must-haves.

Like the last list, I am sure I am forgetting a few things but here is what I remember needing/using most when we first brought Cutie home:

• Muslin blankets. These things are amazing, particularly for a summer baby. They are very lightweight large cotton blankets that are great for swaddling. They also have a ton of other uses - you can put your baby down on them if you go to the park, you can drape them over the car seat if you don't want the sun to get in your baby's eyes, you can use them to cover you when nursing, etc. Of course you can do all of those things with a regular blanket but these are so soft and light weight that they are just easier to use these. They are also much larger than most baby blankets which makes swaddling much easier. Since Cutie was born in the summer, we didn't want her to be too warm and these blankets were just the right weight. Also, we were told by a nurse that we shouldn't be concerned about her breaking out of her swaddle in these blankets; they are apparently too lightweight to be a hazard for suffocating. We actually own 7 of these and we use at least one a day (often more). It's nice because they get softer each time you wash them! We have some from a company called Aden & Anais and others from a company called Luna Lullaby. They used to only be sold in boutique stores but I'm told that Babies R Us just started carrying them as well. If I were asked what is the single most important baby item I have, muslin blankets are it!
  

• Extra changing pad covers. We started with two but quickly realized we needed three. I remember a friend in college told me her mother told her she needed three sets of sheets: one set that is in the laundry, one set that is on the bed, and one set that you put on your bed when you spill something on your sheets and you haven't done your laundry yet. That advice could not ring more true than with a baby. They all have amazing timing in the beginning and love to surprise you when you are changing them. It's no fun doing an emergency wash just for a changing pad cover. They are super cheap; buy three.

• If you plan to breastfeed, buy a pump. Whether you get an expensive electric one or a simple manual style, you will be surprised at how useful they can be to solve common breastfeeding issues in your first days with your newborn. I had to pull mine out on Cutie's 4th day of life and it saved me (if you want to know why I needed it, feel free to e-mail me and ask).
  

• Cloth diapers. These make the best burp cloths. They are sold in a number of weights. We bought one pack of very thick ones and one pack of thin ones. Both are useful. Remember that personalized burp cloths are a fun gift for people to give so don't go crazy but definitely have a few on hand.

• Food in your fridge and freezer! If you're a cook, start making freezer friendly things now. If you are like us and most other couples, you will have no time to cook when you have a newborn around. It's wonderful to be able to pull a ready made meal out of the freezer and not worry about making dinner. This would be a good place to point out to non-parents something Jonathan and I learned very quickly when we returned from the hospital: the best gift you can bring new parents is food. We used to think it was nice to show up to a house and present the parents with a cute outfit or baby blanket or something adorable and "baby." We now know that if we are visiting in the first few days and weeks, we should come with food. Another great idea I got from my sister along these lines: I did not want a baby shower so my sister organized a "freezer shower" for me. This meant that instead of gifts, guests brought dishes to put in our freezer to eat when Cutie arrived. It was fantastic. We loved every bite that we pulled out of the freezer and it was nice to think about who made each of the meals we were eating. If no one will throw a freezer shower for you, start cooking and throw one for yourself!
  

That is all I can think of for now. Also, in about a half hour, three hours will have gone by and Cutie will need to eat again. Where does the time go?!

Friday nights

Friday nights used to be fun and exciting. Jonathan and I would look forward to plans with friends, movies, events, dinner at our favorite neighborhood restaurant Birds. Now we spend Friday nights at home with Chicken.*** We do have our new kitchen though so we enjoy cooking at home to start off the weekend. I guess this must be what it feels like to be Orthodox. I take that back as I imagine few of the Orthodox blog on Shabbat. . .

It's amazing how quickly time goes by when you have a baby. I don't mean how quickly they grow up, although I am sure I will one day marvel at that too. I mean more in the sense of actual time. Cutie eats every three hours. I am amazed at how often every three hours is. I feel like I just fed her each time I do it, or that I've gotten nothing done since the last time I fed her and all of a sudden it's time to feed her again.

***I don't mean eating chicken, I mean a baby called "Chicken." Having absolutely nothing to do with her pre-partum name "the McNugget," we often call Julian "Chicken." Everyone kept comparing her weight to a chicken when she was born and she had a few poultryish poses in the beginning so the name stuck. We also sometimes refer to her as "Cutie." I'll see what name sticks for this blog as I keep writing.

Staring contests

One fun thing about newborns is that they will stare into your eyes for a few minutes. Usually it's a blank stare as they haven't really figured out how to interact with you yet but it's fun anyway. Their eyes are so big and pretty it's fun to stare back.

Also, about staring, I feel like I could stare at the McNugget for hours, especially when she is asleep. Her features are so tiny; I love looking at them. She is a very restless sleeper so it's fun to watch her pump her arms as she rocks side to side and watch the inadvertent muscle spasms in her face. They look a lot like smiles.

Speaking of smiling, on Friday Julian gave her first "social smiles" to some friends. Now each day we practice with her. She smiles, so we smile back, so she smiles again, and we smile again. Sometimes she coos in the middle. It's great fun. Until she gets bored and stops or cries. Newborns bore easily.